Sarah Phelps adaptation of “Great Expectations” was written to celebrate the bicentenary of Charles Dickens’ birth but despite the beautifully atmospheric cinematography, sets and costuming of this BBC Masterpiece production, at the center, there’s a lack of physical chemistry between the two central figures, Pip (Douglas Booth) and Estella (Vanessa Kirby), that makes the journey unsatisfying.

In the beginning, young Pip (Oscar Kennedy) is a pale, awkward boy who happens upon two escaped convicts who will change his fate: Abel Magwitch (Ray Winstone) and Compeyson (Paul Rhys). Pip’s world is filled with muddy tones, made darker by the bitter nagging instead of motherly love dolloped out generously by his much older sister, Mrs. Joe (Claire Rushbrook). The rare moment of kindness from his brother-in-law Joe Gargery (Shaun Dooley) lights a small candle of hope.

The young Pip is nothing more than a pale part of a desolate landscape, mostly passive but he does display kindness to Magwitch by stealing food for him when Magwitch only asked for a file to break his fetters.  Magwitch, however, sabotages his own escape by doubling back to attack Compeyson.

Re-captured, the authorities drag Magwitch to the Gargery’s home and Magwitch doesn’t reveal Pip’s complicity. Phelps and director Brian Kirk reveal the measure of that era’s cruelty by unflinchingly showing Magwitch’s fetters being re-soldered together.

Joe’s uncle, Pumblechook (Mark Addy), introduces Pip to one of his wealth clients, Miss Havisham, a wealthy but mentally troubled spinster who lives in the once grand mansion Satis House. Brought over to play with Havisham’s adopted daughter, Estella (Izzy Meikle-Small), Pip enters a haunted world of a wedding that never happened and a bride who continues to wait.

The casting of Gillian Anderson caused a bit of a stir across the pond. Seen as too young to portray the vengeful Miss Havisham, the 43-year-old Anderson gives us tragic beauty. Other adaptations might have suggested a woman past her prime or a plain Jane cruelly led astray by an unscrupulous con man, but Anderson’s Havisham seems more like a woman who had many suitors from which to choose and chose unwisely, losing everything and every possibility of love. Consider that her brother was also instrumental in her betrayal.

When Pip grows into the incredibly gorgeous Booth, Pip shines brighter than anyone except possibly Anderson. Booth’s Pip and Kirby’s Estella coolly commiserate, but their chemistry never gets to simmer. Under Kirk’s direction, Pip’s longing for Kirby’s Estella becomes more intellectual than emotional. Politely accepting fate, Pip’s attachment to Estella makes this a dull though stylish exercise.

While having Anderson’s Havisham fail to age (except with her increasingly haphazard hair) could have been a statement, but those characters who begin the story as adults all fail to age unlike Estella, Pip and Herbert. This makes the lack of aging to be more of an unfortunate or careless decision.

Phelps’ adaptation makes Pip less heroic and we’re not even quite clear how Pip knows to run back to save Miss Havisham for he seems to far away and she’s too engulfed in horrific flames. The adaptation also cuts out the role of Biddy, the kindly village woman who loves Pip, but ends up marrying Joe when Pip finally comes to his senses. Instead, we have poor Joe alone after his release from the nagging Mrs. Joe, waiting for Pip to acknowledge his existence. Joe’s isolation from the village makes his reaching out to the grown Pip seen less charitable and more needy. There’s no sense of Pip’s missed opportunity and lost happiness.

There’s more interesting bits of casting, including Harry Lloyd was the more sensible Herbert Pocket. Lloyd is the great-great-great-grandson of Charles Dickens.

Holdenby House (Northamptonshire) subbed for Satis House in exterior scenes, but don’t expect it to look that way. It took four days and 80 tons of mud, weeds and vegetation to make it look that way, and two days to return it to its usual appearance. Langleybury Mansion in Hertfordshire and Holdenby House was used for the interiors of Satis.

Joe Gargery’s forge was built near Tollesby, in Essex. For Jaggers’ office, the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich was used.

The BBC production is somber in tone and color palate, but lacks the sense of young love yearning to break free from societal restraints and senseless parental lessons.

“Great Expectations” concludes this Sunday on PBS with episode 2. Episode 1 is available online until 1 May 2012.