Great Expectations viewers slam BBC for CHANGING ending

BBC viewers were left raging last night when the latest adaptation of Great Expectations concluded - with a different ending to the one Dickens wrote.

Steven Knight’s adaptation, which stars Olivia Colman as Miss Havisham and Fionn Whitehead as Pip, has been mired in controversy over changes made to the story, including the depiction of opium addiction and sadomasochism.

Episode one was watched by 4.4million viewers, but 2million had switched off by the penultimate episode, prior to last night's finale.

In the Dickens classic, Miss Havisham's wedding dress is burned in a tragic accident which leads to her death - however, in the BBC's reimagining Miss Havisham sets the dress alight on purpose as part of a revenge twist and emerges unscathed. 

When Compeyson comes to her, Miss Havisham, now free of her bridal dress, tries to shoot him before setting Satis House on fire.

BBC viewers were left raging last night when the latest adaptation of Great Expectations concluded - with a different ending to the one Dickens wrote

Not too pleased: Viewers were fuming at the choice to change the ending

Compeyson and Magwitch fight in the burning building and die in the inferno, while Miss Havisham watches Satis House burn, surviving her ordeal.

The series also made a stark change to the conclusion of Pip' story, with his character in the novel reuniting with Estella, who reveals she has finally opened her heart to him.

But in the final episode of the BBC show, Pip declines Estella's proposal, and instead opts to marry his childhood friend and Chartist Biddy.

He also rejects his gentleman lifestyle to return to a lowly life as a blacksmith.

Estella's own love life ends on a somewhat positive note, as the final episode shows her dancing with Jaggers at Pip and Biddy's wedding, instead of marrying the abusive Drummle. 

Angry viewers took to Twitter, with some branding the show 'an abomination' and others insisting 'it isn't right to ruin the ending', stating that the show 'makes a mockery' of Dickens' penultimate completed novel.

After burning the dress, Miss Havisham is seen saying: 'I am stronger than you. I am stronger than this house. I am stronger than fire.'  

The comments from enraged viewers included: 'What an abomination? The only way to describe BBCs Great Expectations. The last episode they even changed the ending.'

'Why? Why? Why. Total RUBBISH... Why would anyone think that changing the ending of Great Expectations would be a good idea?!... Right, I avoided Dickens for years. Finally read Great Expectations and bloody loved it. It is a PERFECT story. Why the hell would they change it??? And this ending?? Utter b*****ks.'

'It isn't right to ruin the ending of a famous novel. It makes a mockery of the story if Pip & Estella aren't reunited in the end. Dickens himself realised that. 3 times the BBC have ruined GE adaptations.' 

One tweeted: '@bbc once again throws up its arrogance in an appalling adaption. Shame... BBC 1 so-called Great Expectations is actually poor expectations. Utter rubbish. A waste of licence payers' money.'

Written by Peaky Blinders creator Stephen Knight, the series stars Fionn Whitehead as Pip and Olivia Colman as Miss Havisham

The drama has been mired in controversy over accusations of wokery and the inclusion of opium addiction and sadomasochism, such as caning

Others wrote: 'Who commissioned this garbage?... Well call me a traditionalist if you like, but that last instalment of the new 'Great Expectations' on BBC last night took far too many liberties with the story for my liking. I spent most of it going "that's not what happened!". Much preferred the last one.' 

'I’ve been reading Dickens since I was 10, and watching TV adaptations and films of his work since I was 8, in the 1950s. I’ve never seen anything as bad as this, terrible script, wooden acting from several of the actors, I hate it! What a turkey!' 

'Agreed, some of the acting was awful - felt I was watching Am Dram actors reading lines. Struggled to watch it and get engaged/keep up with plot lines.' 

'Let’s just say that examiners marking essays on #GreatExpectations are going to find it pretty easy to tell which candidates read the book and which just watched it on telly.... I don't even know why I continue to watch #GreatExpectations.'

Fionn Whitehead as Pip with Shalom Brune-Franklin as Estella in the BBC’s woke adaption of the Dickens classic 

'I think I just want to get to the end. This adaptation is not an improvement. If the intent was to attract a younger crowd, I don't think it will. I taught the novel several times over the years, and this is too much.'

However, some were more complimentary, writing: 'I love it , I noticed the character Jagger was so much like the character in taboo played by Tom Hardy then realised Tom Hardy produced Great Expectations.'

'Loved every episode. Great cast, OK they changed the ending but why not.'

In the penultimate episode, viewers were startled to witness a bare-bottomed Mr Pumblechook, played by Matt Berry, being caned over a bed by housewife-turned-dominatrix Mrs Gargery, played by Hayley Squires.

Miss Havisham was portrayed as an opium addict who smokes with Estella.

The show was also criticised for repeated references to the British Empire’s connections to the slave trade and the use of profanities.