Dickens

Dickens scholar Peter Ackroyd probes the psyche of the 19th century's most famous author in this intriguing profile, which juxtaposes Ackroyd's commentary with the insights of the author himself (played by Anton Lesser) and people associated with him. Added to the mix: scenes from film adaptations of Dickens novels that relate to his life. “Never has an author so understood the poor,” says Ackroyd. The reason: a childhood marred by poverty, and he emerged from it “with a huge appetite for success and fame, as if they might remove [its] stain.”