In the end, it was decided that Daniel Deronda would go out on Saturdays and Doctor Zhivago on Sundays. Both dramas have been adapted by popular screenplay writer Andrew Davies.

"You will not fret for Lara or Gwendolyn, you will not think about Deronda or Doctor Zhivago in between episodes and neither drama will shake you to your core. Yet you will enjoy them," wrote BBC News Online's William Gallagher.

But what do you think?

This debate is now closed. Please see below for a selection of your comments.

While watching Dr. Zhivago, it's difficult not to compare to David Lean's original. In particular, the sense of place seems to have vanished as the characters seem modern, the CGI turrets look false, and the music dull and uninspiring. Still, Zhivago is an engaging character, but is strangely kept as part of the background. Disappointing.
Michael Curry, UK

Having watched both programmes I enjoyed Daniel Deronda more. Whilst Dr. Zhivago was also pleasurable to watch, I feel that Gwendolyn has caught my empathy more than Lara!! As I am not familiar with either text I think that it is wonderful they have been dramatised so that everyone can enjoy them. I can't wait until next week to find out what happens in them both!!
Kate, UK

I think it is an absolute disgrace and a travesty that �8million has been spent remaking one of the best films of all time into a TV drama - I write of course, about Dr Zhivago, the sheer arrogance of the makers of this "drama" defies belief. How could they? And what's the result? Utter rubbish. Insulting to the memories of Alec Guinness and Rod Steiger, quite frankly, I for one am now glad that they are not here to witness such trash.
Rebecca, England

Lara was so wooden - what can I say? Especially when compared with the warmth of the actress playing Tonya

Wendi Scotland

I thought Daniel Deronda was absolutely excellent and has so far done well in doing a difficult book justice. Hugh Dancy and Hugh Bonneville are perfectly cast and an absolute delight to watch. Even though I know the story I can't wait for next week!
Liz, UK

I loved David Lean's film. I didn't enjoy the book nearly so much - I thought the film a great improvement. The ITV adaptaion has disappointed me terribly.

I wanted to like it - but Sam Neill looked like a villain from a Victorian vaudeville act - and had about as much depth. He is a terrific actor - so what went wrong? Pasha Antipov should be the most riveting character in the whole drama - but I can't even remember who he was in the adaptaion.

Lara was so wooden - what can I say? Especially when compared with the warmth of the actress playing Tonya - who was excellent - but a bit too modern for her character.

It's impossible not to compare it to the film. The film had such passion - from the very first scene. I found no passion whatsoever in this adaptation. I don't think I'll watch the rest...
Wendi, Scotland

Boring, boring, boring - both of them! I tried to be interested, but washing the dishes proved to be a much more enticing prospect after half an hour. Please can we get back to the "punchier" dramatisations like Pride and Prejudice instead of dragging each episode out for an hour and a half?
Keith Legg, UK

Being an avid costume drama fan, I awaited for both productions with immense excitement. Daniel Deronda was captivating from the start. Gwendolen is extremely beautiful and elegant and fits the part perfectly. Hugh Dancy is also captivating as Deronda. As for Dr.Zhivago, I think no-one can replace Omar Sharif as Yuri, although one can't help but notice the great resemblance between him and Mr.Matheson. Perhaps ITV didnt' really want to move too much away from the original film. As for the ratings in favour of Zhivago, that could have been easily explained by the fact that Daniel Deronda is shown on Saturday nights.
Artemis, UK

Doctoro Zhivago, although watchable just did not engage me on a personal level with any of the characters

Peter, England

Has anybody on here actually seen the film of Doctor Zhivago recently? Memories can play tricks, and the film, although directed beautifully, moves along at the pace of a slug covered in salt. As for acting comparisons, in my opinion, Julie Christie isn't that great in it anyway. But as with anything re-made peoples' minds are fixed on the original and the remakes will never hold up to peoples' preconcieved opinions.
Dunc, England

I adore the original film of Dr Zhivago but the TV adaption did nothing all for me. Every time I looked at Pasha, all I could see was the son from the BBC comedy Our Family!
Karen, UK

Dr.Zhivago is so, so, so poor, utter rubbish, what a book though. The actress pretending to play Lara, that is what she is doing, pretending, she cannot act. It is just another love story and period drama, which does not reflect the historic events that took place at the start of century. Read the book, time better spent then watching this.
L.Newman, UK

With use of words live "sofa" and "homework", Zhivago's scriptwriter should be lambasted, especially since it is not an original script in the first place.
Alex, England

I watched Dr Zhivago out of curiosity as the film is magnificent. The TV drama, although watchable just did not engage me on a personal level with any of the characters. I think "bland" is the word to use. I always thought it a "love story" not a "lust story". I will watch the rest to see if it ever gets better.
Peter, UK

Daniel Deronda has become a frock-fest vehicle for Romola Garai, but she isn't up to the job and isn't convincing as the stunningly beautiful Gwendolen

Jenny, UK

Zhivago's Sam Neill is rather too handsome and Lara looks and acts like a roedean schoolgirl. A real snoozefest script, you don't really care about the characters. The costumes are fantastic - if only they could act.
Minxter, UK

Just a point to Rebecca. I don't think the intention was ever about "remaking one of the best films of all time." I think it is probably meant to be a fresh adaptation of a classic text.
J, UK

Dr Zhivago - the film - was one of the all time greats. Who on earth thought that they could remake this? And spend 8 million pounds doing so. Why not choose (as the BBC did) a previously unfilmed drama? There are certainly enough of them out there. What next? A remake of 2001? Citizen Kane? Psycho? Come on ITV, let's have a little originality!
James Hughes, UK

Dr Zhivago seemed incredibly slow, the actors seemed out of place and time. Lara's character has been turned into a nympho tart! (Sorry). In the film version you could really feel the emotions of the characters. Maybe an indication that some things should be left alone!
Anne Murdock, England

I agree with Rebecca, I can only imagine Rod Steiger as the baddy. I think it's a monumental piece of miscasting to put Sam Neill (who is gorgeous) as the supposedly dastardly Victor Komarofsky - although I imagine he enjoyed playing the part, he is hardly believable.
Brenda, England

Congratulations BBC on producing yet another excellent period drama, Daniel Deronda is superb!

Natasha, UK

The film of Dr. Zhivago didn't do the book justice the way a series can, but this adaptation is seriously trashy. It's partly the fault of the book - most people never get beyond the first 200 pages to the better writing beyond - and partly the fault of Andrew "highly overrated" Davies. It is a difficult book to dramatise without descending into turgid melodrama and Mills & Boon romance.

Davies seem to seek out the pitfalls and jump into them headfirst. I also found the style of filming posturing and pretentious, forever watching people in reflection because the director can't think of anything else. I watched to the end of the episode, but it really wasn't worth it.

There are also faults in the new Daniel Deronda, thanks to Davies' immature script. As with all his adaptations, he subverts the text to concentrate on the heroine Gwendolen, who he turns into a vapid but stroppy travesty of a modern woman, instead of allowing the original plot to speak for itself. It's become a frock-fest vehicle for Romola Garai, but she isn't up to the job and isn't convincing as the stunningly beautiful Gwendolen.

The Hughs Bonneville and Dancy more than make up for her lack of experience, apart from Ms Garai, the cast all give outstanding performances.

Deronda is an easier book to dramatise than Zhivago and it shows. The production is intelligent and far more subtly handled. Don't think this means boring though - the characters are well-observed and the pace is still fast enough to keep the most mentally sluggish interested!
Jenny, UK

I am a huge fan of costume dramas so ensured that I watched both Deronda and Zhivago. The verdict?

Congratulations BBC on producing yet another excellent period drama, Daniel Deronda is superb! Dr. Zhivago is slow and tedious and I definitely won't be watching next week. ITV should leave the production of period dramas to the BBC and concentrate on gameshows and soap operas.
Natasha, UK,

I really enjoyed the first part of Doctor Zhivago, and it's given me an interest to see the original and compare

Jackie, UK

The Weakest Link in Daniel Deronda is Romola Garai. The Strongest Link in Zhivago is Keira Knightley as Lara. Now, if she had only played Gwendolen...
Edward, UK

Zhivago is a travesty: an interpretation of a translation, a trans-gendered meidocrity. Deronda, as the first psychological novel in English (i.e. 50 years after the French and 100 years after the Russians) was excellent, especially Gwendolen. Lush (formerly Collins in Pride and Prejudice) was masterful. However, as to Zhivago, few actors can compare with Guinness, Sharif, Steiger, Christie...few directors with Lean: so, all in all 11/10 for Deronda, 3/10 for Zhivago.
John, Wales

The reference to Lara being turned into a nympho tart are as dated as the old Dr Zhivago film. She is a young woman wanting experience and to take charge of her own destiny. I prefer this character to simpering Lara who was led by events and abused or saved by men.

Sam Neill has charisma and looks which make it easy to understand why Lara or any other woman would chose to be his mistress. Unlike the actor who played in the original who all looked to old to be the characters they were portraying.
Nina Weicht, West Yorkshire, England

After a slow start, Daniel Deronda unfolds its charm. The actors move across the scenery, like elegant chess pieces. The looks and expressions on the faces of the lead actors, say a thousand unspoken words...An excellent drama, well cast and acted...Bravo BBC!
Patricia Vanderveer, Liverpool, England

I have neither read the book or seen the original film, maybe if I had my opinions would be different. But I really enjoyed the first part of Doctor Zhivago, and it's given me an interest to see the original and compare. Although I get the impression from critics that I'm meant to feel sympathetic for Lara, and so far she seems more villainous than others. I even liked the acting and portrayal of the characters, but again maybe my opinion would be different if I had seen the orginal for comparison.
Jackie, UK

I think the whole point about Sam Neill's character is that is he wasn't plausibly attractive, no-one would sleep with him

Nikki, UK

Dr Zhivago's beating of Deronda is less impressive on examination. Dr Zhivargo is well known, Deronda? Also Zhivargo plays Sunday evening, when many are relaxing from a well spent Saturday. What Dr Zhivargo does show though, is how good the David Lean film was, ignoring the first wooden 20 minutes admittedly.
Barry B, UK

It's a bit rich reading views of Dr Zhivago which complain about the lack of faithfulness of the TV series to the movie. The movie was little more than a brief inaccurate resume of part of the original novel. We now have a third hand Zhivago. Naturally it's pretty mediocre.
David Kemp, England

That I paid for the Deronda drama (through my TV licence) is quite disturbing. To think I got Dr Zhivago's Lara for free certainly helped bring a smile to my face.
Chris, London

It is significant that, to judge from the messages I have just read, there is much more comment about Zhivago then Deronda; the former is inevitably compared with the original film and book which are far more widely known than George Eliot's book - and which I think is one of the most intellectual novels of Britain's most intelligent novelist. One must thank the BBC for bringing this before a mass public, to my mind it quite outclasses Zhivago.
Helier Brown, UK

Just to remind you all, after one comment above. Dr Zhivago is a book, not a film, however good it was. I have never seen the film and not sure I want to, thanks to the utterly nauseating and inappopriate music, which shows serious lack of judgement on someone's part. The earlier piece was slow to get started, but many things are.

I think the whole point about Sam Neill's character is that is he wasn't plausibly attractive, no-one would sleep with him.

And furthermore, have you ever read a book and then thought that a TV series was better - seriously? And I notice no-one is slating the fact that the recent Pride & Prejudice is the BBC's second shot (both successful) at this classic novel and that a very popular (if completely untrue to the text) film was also made. Just because one interpretation of a story is good, it doesn't mean nobody else is entitled to have a go.
Nikki, UK

I thought Daniel Deronda was excellent - the river scene was very well made, and Jodhi May is one of the best actresses around

Andrew Baker, UK

Both shows are beautifully photographed and edited. The young cast are very solid in my opinion and the result is very enjoyable entertainment. Unlike many costume dramas of yesteryear, these productions motor along without the BBC yawn factor.
David Randall, UK

It is difficult to believe the two adaptations were done by the same person. Zhivago is a travesty that not only does away with the real meaning in the book, the inner conflicts felt by Zhivago and the horror of civil war, it makes such trash of the novel that anybody who has not read it would be put off (unless you expect to find something similar to a Jackie Collins novel). Given that, the costumes barely matter but in point of fact, the Moscow street scenes are so sanitised one would think he/she is in a Disney theme park!
Judith B, UK

I thought Daniel Deronda was excellent - the river scene was very well made, and Jodhi May is one of the best actresses around. I have recently read Dr Zhivago and the TV series did seem faithful. The sex may not be described in the book but it is important that Lara's lengthy explanation of her relationship does turn Antipov from a weed into a kind of Stalin-like fanatic overnight, so there must have been a lot worth confessing!

BUT the book is about Russia, not just a love story, and the most important and memorable parts are Yuri's reactions to nature, sounds and even smells. The absolute key of the book is the poems at the end. Yuri says he's going to write "urban" poetry but he really ends up writing nature poetry and goes against everything he says. That was lost in the film - the nature was too phoney. Let's hope there are enough trees in the TV version or it simply won't be Pasternak.
Andrew Baker, UK

It seems a shame to criticise either of these dramas as we have precious little else on TV in the way of good dramas at the moment but if big budget costume dramas are made, at least couldn't they get the casting right?

The more experienced actors like Hugh Bonneville are great but for the two big female leads, it seems that they could have chosen more experienced and emotionally mature actresses than Keira and Romola.

Keira is strikingly beautful but no actress and Romula really hasn't got the right emotional depth or beauty to play a part like Gwendolyn. They both seem rather crass choices to me. I expected to enjoy Deronda more than Zhivago but Deronda has so far left me cold, although there are some fine performances and the cinematography is good.

Zhivago works on a superficial level as a modern love story - or lust story at any rate - but it's hard to place it in pre-revolutionary Russia. At least we've got something to talk about!
Alison, Uk

I'm surprised at the fanatical reverence shown here towards Lean's version of Zhivago - it's widely considered to be little more than soap opera, and Lean's weakest film

JE, UK

I thought Daniel Deronda was good. Although the programme about George Eliot's life on Sunday was more intriguing than the drama itself. Still, I thought the BBC did a reasonable job on dramatising the novel. I did not bother watching Dr.Zhivago because I watched David Lean's film years back and it was long and tedious and I am not bothered watching it again!
Sam Huang, Taiwan (now in the UK)

The BBC have indeed brought themselves back to winning ways with their adaption of George Eliot's Daniel Deronda. Beautifully produced, with breathtaking photography and acting by all the main stars. Hugh Bonneville drips with menace as the dark Henleigh Grandcourt, the relatively new actress Romola Garai struts her stuff effectively as Gwendolen Harleth and, as my wife puts it, "Hugh Dancy smoulders as Daniel Deronda."

I have to admit that I do not know the story, so everything is new to me, but you just know when a costume drama hits the right note and Daniel Deronda sings its tune wonderfully. We have only had one part so far, but this juicy three part masterpiece looks like a cracking tale - let the love and power filled machinations continue. (By the way - watched 5 minutes of Dr. Zhivago and switched off: no good.)
Marcus Shepherd, England

I'm surprised at the fanatical reverence shown here towards Lean's version of Zhivago - it's widely considered to be little more than soap opera, and Lean's weakest film. Sure, the cinematography is absolutely fantastic, but did anyone ever really believe in Julie Christie's Lara? 17?? She looked like a worldly-wise 30-something, and I have to say that always made me squirm.

I found Keira Knightly to be far more believable, and I liked the grittier feel of the series. Of course the pacing is far slower, covering the first 30 minutes of the film version in 90 minutes. I look forward to following episodes when things should really get going.
J.E., UK

I didn't watch Dr Z. But I did enjoy Deronda. This is one of the things the BBC was meant to do. If the BBC didn't make programmes like this, (of this quality, length and expense) no-one else would bother.

It is nice to have such an "un-Hollywoodised" story. The morals of which of which are an interesting historical background to what I anticipate is a cracking good story.

It is of course beautifully shot and scripted.

We have to have some anti-dote to Big Brother, Popstars and Who wants to be a Millionaire.
Gordon Lewis, UK

It was always going to need a good actress to carry off the part of a spoiled brat well enough so that we could also sympathise with her - but the BBC adaptation has sadly fallen short

Marianne, UK

The inserted documentary footage in Zhivago was a big mistake, it was totally out of place and just looked cheap....if you want those effects you probably have to do what Spielberg did in Schindler's List and re-create it in black and white...

The bit in the student cafe where Yuri sees Lara was rather fun...Malevich paintings on the wall!!! They should have called it Cafe Malevich...do they serve lattes by any chance?

As for Deronda, the character of Gwendolen Harleth seemed to dominate (Romola Garai was excellent) and the hero seemed over-shadowed...perhaps Andrew Davies should have swapped the characters round completely and called it "Danielle Deronda". Having said that we did enjoy both dramas but I think Deronda has the edge...
Miranda Taylor, UK

Contrary to most people who have commented here, I actually enjoyed watching Dr Zhivago. The TV adaptation may not be high art, but then neither is the original movie, which now appears hopelessly dated.
Nina, UK

The actress playing Gwendolyn in Deronda was very poor indeed. I have no sympathy for the character and am cheering for her to be stuck in a loveless marriage while Daniel weds Mirah!

It was always going to need a good actress to carry off the part of a spoiled brat well enough so that we could also sympathise with her - but the BBC adaptation has sadly fallen short.
Marianne, UK

I am sorry the ratings for Doctor Zhivago may have been higher but the acting was terrible....so much so that I had to turn it off!!! Deronda on the other hand was class....in every way !
Rozie, England, UK

Rebecca is incorrect to assert that Zhivago is a poor remake of one of the best films of all time. Firstly, Zhivago is an adaptation of the Pasternak novel, one of the most acclaimed pieces of literature to come from the Soviet Union. Secondly the film, whilst containing superb performances from Sharif and Christie, is overly sentimental. Entertaining it may be, but a truly great film it is not.

The TV version fails to capture the sense of time and place portrayed by the film but still leads us to care enough about the characters to give it merit. It seems inevitable that any screen adaptation will fail to do justice to a book that provides such a profound description of love.
David Hines, England

Well despite all the remarks made to say that Dr Zhivago was rubbish I couldn't disagree more! Dr Zhivago was brilliant. You could see how concerned Yuri was about Lara and I'm sure the audience was too. Hans Matheson was utterly scrumptious and played the part of Yuri well, along with making the audience swoon.

Lara "was a real beauty" as my Mum kept remarking and I think so too. The whole storyline so far has been brilliant and I can't wait until next week. I hope it comes out on box set because I'll be first in line!
Tanya, Scotland

Deronda was simply better done and, ultimately, better suited for the medium of TV. It was elegantly shot and extremely well-acted. The adaptation of Dr Z, however, took itself too seriously, yet made do with uninspiring camera-work, cardboard cut-out sets and a very weak lead female actress (Knightly, who's magazine pretty, yet more adept at pouting than acting). I'll continue to watch both, but I'll look forward to watching Deronda much more.
Caroline Hocking, UK

I thought I remembered Dr Zhivago for its tense atmosphere of revolution and the need for the characters (especially Pasha) to be so so careful. The ITV adaptation seems to dwell far more on Lara's love life, but maybe it's just my memory.

Daniel Deronda I did enjoy, and look forward to the next episode. What I will say is thank heavens that there is someting worthwhile watching on a Saturday night. It has been an entertainment drought for too long with dross, repeats, and more repeats.
Diana Horth, England