David is residing with Aunt Betsey's lawyer, Mr. Wickfled, and his daughter, Agnes, and apprenticed to another lawyer, Mr. Spenlow. Oblivious to Agnes' charms, David begins courting Spenlow's charming, flighty daughter, Dora. Unbeknownst to all, Wickfield's fawning clerk, Uriah Heep, has his eye on Agnes and on Wickfield's business. By chance, David encounters Steerforth and together they visit the ship house, occupied by Peggotty, her husband, Barkis, Peggotty's brother, Daniel, his nephew, Ham, and Ham's fiancée, Little Em'ly. When Steerforth convinces Em'ly to run away with him, Daniel pursues them through several countries. The villainous Heep ruins Wickfield, and Aunt Betsey as well. Micawber reenters the picture as Heep's reluctant clerk. After Wickfield's death, Dora and David marry and he pursues a career as an author, but Dora soon dies. Micawber exposes Heep's financial fraud, restoring Aunt Betsey's wealth, and Daniel finally locates Em'ly, who has been abandoned by Steerforth. Just as David arrives at the ship house with news of Em'ly's rescue, Ham dies in a storm while trying to rescue a drowning man - Steerforth. David and Agnes marry; the Micawbers, Daniel and Em'ly start a new life in Australia; and Aunt Betsey finally gets a niece.

Visit the "David Copperfield" page for more information about the two-part miniseries.