All 13 episodes of the 1976 series chronicling the life and times of London's most famous author. Young Charles Dickens is herded from pillar to post through his irresponsible father's many debts, but his desire to learn is undimmed by the traumas and poverty he endures as a youth. Following success as a House of Commons reporter, Charles publishes his first stories, and is acclaimed as a great talent. Dickens marries and has a young child but when his sister-in-law dies in tragic circumstances, Dickens is haunted by her death and loses the desire to write. However, his father's financial fiascos necessitate the swift completion of another novel. After witnessing the horrific conditions of a London school, Dickens embarks on a campaign to make his audience aware of the squalor which is all around them, beginning with the cautionary tale 'A Christmas Carol'.