Les Misérables (British TV series)

Following the Battle of Waterloo, Thénardier is pursued as he tries to loot the possessions of fallen soldiers. He inadvertently revives a wounded officer, Colonel Georges Pontmercy, as he loots his body. Subsequently in Paris, Colonel Pontmercy tries to visit his young son Marius Pontmercy but is rebuffed by his conservative, monarchist father-in-law Monsieur Gillenormand, who declares that Marius will be brought up to believe he is a scoundrel. Monsieur Gillenormand further declares that he will disinherit Marius if his father tries to establish contact. However, Marius' aunt finds Colonel Pontmercy in the street and tells him that he may secretly observe Marius when she takes the boy to church.

Also in Paris, Fantine and two friends are romanced by three young gentlemen. Her friends recognize that they are being showered with expensive gifts in exchange for being mistresses to the young men, but Fantine falls in love with Felix and believes he intends to marry her.

Serving a 19-year prison sentence for stealing a loaf of bread, Jean Valjean endures hard labour and frequent abuse by the guards. When one guard is trapped under heavy rocks after a small avalanche at the quarry, Valjean uses his strength to lift the rocks enough to free him. He is later confronted by the prison warden Javert, who declares his contempt for criminals like Valjean.

A year passes as Valjean endures further hardship in the prison, Fantine enjoys her romance with Felix, and Colonel Pontmercy attends church (meeting the churchwarden Mabeuf) in order to watch his son from afar.

After being released from prison, Valjean is ostracized by much of society due to his criminal status. The kindly Bishop Myriel, however, takes pity on Valjean, freely giving him food and shelter. However, in the night, Valjean steals the bishop's silverware and departs. The next day, police officers return Valjean to the bishop, having arrested him as a thief. The bishop saves Valjean by claiming he had gifted the silverware to Valjean and "reminding" him that he had forgotten to also take the silver candlesticks. After dismissing the officers, the bishop declares that he has bought Valjean's soul and that he now belongs to God. Valjean responds with indignation.

Felix and his friends treat Fantine and her friends to a lavish day out, promising them a "surprise" at the end. When the sumptuous meal is finished, Felix and his friends leave the room on pretext of fetching the surprise. However, a waiter then brings the girls a letter stating that the gentlemen are abandoning them in order to return to their respectable lives. Fantine, who has borne Felix a daughter named Cosette, is shocked while her friends look on sympathetically.

On the road, Valjean robs a coin from a boy named Petit Gervais. Returning to his knapsack full of silver and hearing churchbells in the distance, Valjean finally experiences remorse. He tries to return the coin, but the boy has fled.

Four years later, Valjean has become a wealthy factory owner and the Mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer, adopting the name Monsieur Madeleine. Seeking work, Fantine leaves Cosette in the care of the Thénardiers, who keep an inn at Montfermeil. Fantine finds work at Valjean's factory, but the Thénardiers write letters concocting stories to extort increasing amounts of money, while actually neglecting Cosette.

As mayor, Valjean welcomes Javert as the new chief of police, and they spar over conflicting views of the poor. Later, as Javert watches, Valjean rescues a merchant trapped under a cart by lifting the cart upon his back in similar fashion to his rescue at the prison quarry. Meanwhile, Fantine's supervisor Madame Victurnien takes a dislike to Fantine and discovers the existence of Cosette. Distracted by worry that Javert suspects his true identity, Valjean fires Fantine after Madame Victurnien accuses her of concealing information about her illegitimate child.

The young Marius obediently repeats his grandfather's contempt for Napoleon and for his own father. However, when news arrives that Colonel Pontmercy is on his deathbed, Marius' aunt insists on taking Marius to see him. Colonel Pontmercy informs Marius that a man named Thénardier saved his life, and then dies.

The increasingly victimised Fantine sells her hair and front teeth and becomes a prostitute. After Fantine assaults an abusive passerby, Valjean saves her from Javert and takes her to the infirmary, realizing that he had been wrong to dismiss her from his employment. Javert denounces "Monsieur Madeleine" as Valjean to the Paris police but is informed that a man named Champmatheiu has been identified as Valjean and is facing trial in Arras for robbing Petit Gervais.

Javert submits his resignation to Valjean and informs him about Champmathieu. In his apartment, Valjean burns some of his former possessions. He finds the very coin that he took from Petit Gervais, which burns his hand after he takes it out of the fire. He buries much of his wealth in a strongbox in the forest, promises the dying Fantine that he will bring Cosette to her, instructs Madame Victurnien to fetch Cosette from Montfermeil, and then mounts a horse and rides to Arras.

Arriving in Arras, Valjean saves Champmathieu from being imprisoned for life by identifying himself as Valjean. Javert arrests Valjean and takes him back to Montreuil in disgrace. Valjean discovers that Madame Victurnien did not fetch Cosette and rushes to Fantine's bedside. The broken-hearted Fantine dies as Valjean promises to find her daughter.

Valjean escapes and, honouring his promise to Fantine, he buys Cosette's freedom for 1,500 Francs. Seeking more money, Thénardier pursues them but is disarmed by Valjean. Valjean and Cosette then travel to Paris where they start a new life and he becomes her father. Thénardier, however, reports the child as kidnapped, leading to Javert’s investigation. The Thénardiers' fortunes take a turn for the worse when Javert discovers they actually sold Cosette and he arranges for their creditors to repossess their hotel. In Paris, the busybody landlady reports Valjean to Javert. Following a near escape, Valjean and Cosette gain sanctuary in a convent. Sister Simplice, who had nursed Fantine in Montreuil, identifies Valjean to the mother superior as a good and kind man. The mother superior, despite a rule forbidding men from even entering the convent, agrees to hide Valjean from Javert, hire him as their gardener, and to educate Cosette.

Time passes and Cosette is now a beautiful young woman. Although Valjean had hoped they could live out their days in the convent, Cosette wants to experience the world and does not want to become a nun. Valjean returns to the strongbox in the forest to retrieve more money and takes Cosette to live in a nearby stately home. Marius, also grown up, learns from Mabeuf that his father was a heroic man who loved him. Marius renounces his grandfather's monarchism and they become estranged. He moves into an apartment building and his neighbours are the Thénardiers, who live in poverty and try to scam him. The Thénardiers' daughter Éponine grows disillusioned with her father's criminal activities and fraternizes with Marius. Marius' roommate Courfeyrac introduces him to Enjolras and Grantaire and the Friends of the ABC. Cosette becomes enamored with Marius after encountering him in the Luxembourg Garden. Valjean, however, fears for her relationship with any young man. Thénardier also targets Valjean and seeks to assault him for money. Marius overhears their plot and informs Javert in a bid to prevent the crime.

The Thénardiers and their accomplices lure Valjean into a trap but he is able to fight them off. Marius alerts the police, who arrest the Thénardiers and their accomplices. Valjean is wounded but escapes. Marius learns that Monsieur Thénardier was the man who saved his father at Waterloo, placing him in a dilemma.

Éponine and her sister Azelma are released but Madame Thénardier is imprisoned. The Thénardiers' son Gavroche lives on the street, capably looking after himself as well as younger children. Cosette continues her secret relationship with Marius, who is besotted with her. Marius seeks his grandfather's approval for marrying Cosette but storms out after Monsieur Gillenormand encourages him to keep Cosette as a mistress rather than marry her. Monsieur Gillenormand, who has begun to regret his harshness, is devastated to lose Marius again. Fearing for Cosette's safety, Valjean makes preparations to move to England. Monsieur Thénardier escapes and attempts to invade Valjean's house but is foiled by Éponine. Following the attempted home invasion, Valjean and Cosette move to another house. The Friends of the ABC launch a revolution: the June Rebellion of 1832 against the Orléanist monarchy, setting up street barricades. During the uprising, Javert goes undercover to join the Republicans, believing that Valjean will also join them, but is identified by Gavroche and imprisoned by the revolutionaries behind their lines. Mabeuf joins the revolutionaries despite his advanced age, and is shot and killed while waving a flag atop the barricade. Believing Cosette to be lost, a distraught Marius joins the Republican uprising and helps halt an offensive by government troops by desperately threatening to light a keg of gunpowder that he holds in his hands. Éponine sacrifices her life to save Marius and provides Cosette's letter. After discovering Cosette's secret relationship with Marius, Valjean resolves to confront him.

The French Army storms the barricades, killing many revolutionaries. Valjean confronts Javert but spares his life and allows him to escape. Knowing of Cosette's love for Marius, Valjean carries the wounded Marius through the sewers of Paris. Thénardier permits Valjean and Marius to exit the sewers in return for a fee. Valjean and the unconscious Marius are detained by Javert and his men. After returning Marius to his grandfather, Javert decides not to arrest Valjean. After proposing reforms to the treatment of prisoners, Javert throws himself into the Seine, unable to reconcile showing Valjean clemency and upholding the law. With the approval of Valjean and Gillernomand, Marius and Cosette marry. Right before their marriage, Valjean confesses to Marius that he was a thief in the past, and will disappear from their lives after the wedding. Marius doesn't realize that Valjean was the one who earlier saved his life. After coming back from their honeymoon, a vengeful Thénardier approaches Marius and Cosette, and threatens to tell everyone that Valjean had killed a young man in the sewers. However, Marius sees through his lies and finally realizes that Valjean saved his life during the uprising. He and Cosette find a dying Valjean in a rural hamlet where Cosette spends time with her adoptive father on his deathbed.