The BBC 1964 TV series, starring Alan Badel: A Deep Dive

Warning: SPOILERS GALORE!

All right, nobody really asked for this. But I researched this anyway, to satisfy my own personal curiosity. How accurate is the 1964 Alan Badel BBC series, really? What exactly is missing, what has been changed, and what's been added?

Handy color key:

 

• Commentary: Tries very hard to avoid outdoor filming, or showing ships. I suspect the Pharaon is just a partial prop. 
• Eliminated:  "Father and Son [2] and [12]" (Edmond/Dad and Villefort/Noirtier) and "The Hundred Days [13]" .
• Changes: Dantes escapes D'if, and almost drowns landing on a beach. Immediately cut to him inside a ship's cabin with Jacopo. Again, to avoid showing a ship.
• Changes: After landing in Leghorn and getting a shave, Dantes does not rejoin the smugglers. He's only with Jacopo, who has a BIL with a boat to take them to Monte Cristo.
• Eliminated: "The Unknown [25]". Dantes does not return to Marseilles. He also does not swear any oaths like using Providence to "punish the wicked". It goes immediately from him rolling around surrounded by treasure to... 
•  Added scene: featuring "Mr. Thomson" of the bank meeting the Count (new title) of Monte Cristo. Count brings in his treasure for safekeeping. After assessing the value, they offer a credit of 150 million livres/Francs. Count has Thomson send a reward to Cap'n Baldi and the smugglers. Thomson (not Caderousse) tells him about Morrel's efforts to free Dantes and now Morrel is ruined.  
• Changes: Mr. Thomson sees Morrel to save his business. Julie Morrel is written out. Thomson gifts Morrel one million livres from an anonymous donor. No new Pharaon, to... again... avoid showing a ship. 
•  Eliminated:  "The Prison Register [28]", so Dantes doesn't get the accusation letter from de Boville so it needs to come from somewhere else?
•  Commentary: The Count disguises as Abbe Busoni to see Caderousse at he Pont Du Gard. But with the removal of "The Unknown", how would he know to go there? Cad mentions a wife, but she never shows up to argue with him.
• Changes: While at the Pont Du Gard, gendarmes track down a random peasant who was planning a murder. Turns out to be Bertuccio, who was going to Paris to kill Vilelfort. Busoni laughs and claims Bert as his servant. He gives the gendarmes 500 francs each to go away. 
•  Eliminated: "The Rain of Blood [45]". Cad's character arc ends and he never reappears after Busoni leaves the diamond on the table for him to claim.
•  Changes: Bert tells the Count his story (brother killed by mobs, wanting to kill Villefort, the mistress, the baby in a box). Then he says that his foster son joined up with a "Cavalcanti".  Count hires Bert as his servant. (This combines several chapters- the Pont du Gard, and an early Chapter 44: the Vendetta).
•  Added Scene: Mr. Thomson provides the Count info on Janina and Ali Pasha and his wife and daughter. And Thomson hands over the original accusation letter and prison records. He's the "fixit man" and he enjoys the work! 
•  Added scene: The Count actually goes to Constantinople. He asks the very-English-looking-white-guy Sultan for Ali as a slave and gets him as a gift. Then he requests Haydee for purposes of destroying an enemy. The perceptive Sultan KNOWS that the enemy is General de Morcerf! Apparently, both men hate Morcerf. 
• Changes: Haydee is brought in, and she tells the Count her entire backstory (early Chapter 77: Haydee) 
• Commentary: Up until now, all of this is implied to have happened sometime between 1829-1838?
• Changes: Then there is a very sudden time jump to grown-up Albert's breakfast party! How time flies! The relationship between Mercedes and Albert is very loving and even playful. Albert wakes up Mommy and they talk about a gentleman who saved Albert's life from bandits in Rome. 
•  Eliminated: "Sinbad the Sailor [31-32]", and the entire "Rome" section [33-38]. No Franz, no Luigi Vampa, no mazolatta, all replaced by talky-talky exposition at Albert's breakfast with Lucien Debray, Beauchamp, Chateau-Renaud and Max Morrel. And, just as expected, all the excitement of "Rome" is all talk (and a partial account) and there's no mention of the Count being semi-psycho in witnessing bloody executions. And Albert (of course) never mentions his own foolishness in following a masked girl around and getting himself kidnapped. Luigi Vampa has no name?
• Commentary: The Count meets Danglars, and this might be the only adaptation where he snarks the banker over titles!
• Changes: Valentine is part of the women's group as they discuss "The Dappled Grays [47]". Mrs. D even suggests that "little Valentine" should marry the Count!
• Changes: The horses don't seem very out-of-control as they approach Ali's position. The quick cuts try to imply exciting action, but we really know that the horses weren't roped or pulled to a sudden stop. Can't hurt the horses! Too expensive! The coach only has grown women and male attendants in it and no bratty little Edouard.
•  Eliminated: Since Julie Morrel was eliminated earlier, "The Morrel Family [50]" is no longer necessary.
•  Changes: "Pyramus and Thisbe [51]" is replaced with Max tenderly carrying an injured Valentine from the carriage and tending to her. This is when they introduce themselves to each other!
•  Changes: As Mrs. V and Mrs. D rave about their savior, Bert peers in and prematurely reveals to the Count that Mrs. D was the woman with the baby at Auteuil!
•  Added scene: Max and Albert discuss their Love Lives as they polish their weapons. Max's dilemma is how to approach Villefort to ask to marry his daughter. Albert admits that he doesn't love Eugenie. They think talking to the Count will help.
•  Added scene: where Thomson advises the Count that Danglars' financial empire is ready to topple on the next bad speculation. This replaces "A Flurry in Stocks [54]" and maybe "The Telegraph [60]"
•  Eliminated: "Toxocology [52]" and "Robert le Diable [53]". This means that Mrs. V doesn't have hobbies like studying poisons. 
•  Added Scene: Haydee's female servant performs some belly-dancing in the parlor to entertain the Danglars family, the Villeforts, Max and the two Cavalcantis (where are the Morcerfs?). Eugenie is not impressed, and she disses the male patriarchy with quite the feminist speech!!!! This scene leads into a "Dinner at Auteuil-ish [63]" dialogue from the Count about his discoveries in the house at Auteuil. He's letting the Cavalvantis stay at Auteuil.
•  Eliminated: "Lucerne patch [57]", "Nortier de Villefort [58]", "The Will [59]", "The Telegraph 60]". Is Nortier completely written out?
•  Eliminated: "The Beggar [64]", since Cad's arc is done with earlier.
•  Eliminated: "A Conjugal Scene [65]". Mrs. D isn't the one gambling stocks, so Danglars isn't mad at her for losing "their" money.
•  Added Scene: Albert, coming back from vacay, sees the Count. He attributes Mrs. D's "illness" to suspicions about the Count.  Then Albert is pleased that Eugenie has been introduced to Andrea. Cuts to "The progress of Cavalcanti the Younger [76]".
•  Eliminated: parts of "Haydee [77]". She never speaks to Albert!
•  Eliminated: "A Summer Ball [68]", "The Inquiry [69]", "Bread and Salt [71]", Madame de Saint-Meran [72]" , "The Promise [73]", "The Villefort Family Vault [74]" and "A Signed Statement 75]". This is a pretty large chunk! So the Saint-Merans aren't poisoned, Noirtier written out, Valentine not forced to marry a missing Franz, and there is no ball with Count and Mercedes talking privately.
•  Eliminated: "The Lemonade [79]", "The Accusation [80]", "The Room of the Retired Baker [81]", "The Burglary [82]", "the Hand of God [83]". This is all due to any poisonings being removed, and again, the Cad's arc ending way sooner. 
•  Changed: Albert directly confronts Fernand about the Janina accusations in the paper. Fernand hints that Albert should challenge Beauchamp, and he himself will handle the accusations. Mercedes comes in and asks why Albert's marriage plans are changing. Fernand hands her the paper to read.
•  Changed: Albert's only confrontation with Beauchamp has a different timeline and explanation. Danglars already brought to story to the paper earlier. Beau made a bargain with Danglars asked for a month to verify the story. After his own investigation in Janina, Beau found it was true and printed the story. He "had no choice" because of the deal with Danglars. And Beau also tells Albert (early) that Monte Cristo nudged Danglars on how to get that Fernand info.
•  Changed: The timeline of  "Gardener gets rid of Dormice [61]" appears here. This causes Debray to offer Danglars stock tips to regain his losses. 
•  Added Scene: Major Cavalcanti visits the Count and tells him the latest gossip: Morcerf's trial, Danglars making a killing on the stock market, and Andrea's upcoming marriage to Eugenie. The Count dismisses the Major and tells him to leave for Italy and includes a bribe. 
•  Added Scene: Beauchamp enters the Count's box after Albert's challenge. Beau offers an apology and asks for an explanation for the Count's activities. The Count blows him off. 
•  Changed: "Office of the King's Attorney" [67]" moved later, to this spot.
•  Added Scene: Major Cavalcanti and Andrea (at Auteuil) are soon to part ways. But the Major decides to leech off of Andrea instead, or he'll blab that the young man is really Benedetto. Andrea picks up a knife and murders the Major. Bert is watching the house and reports to the Count. Andrea buries the Major's body himself. 
•  Eliminated: "Mother and Son [91]". We don't see Mercedes and Albert declaring that they're leaving Fernand, his home and his name. Fernand is just informed by a male servant that they left.
• Eliminated: "Valentine [93]", "Maximilian's Avowal [94]", "Father and Daughter [95]". The Max/Val love story is simplified considerably, and he's just wandering in the garden. She runs to him and they embrace. Then they decide to run away together. She's not poisoned at all.  They're at whose house? Danglars?  
•  Changed: At the wedding contract signing, the police arrive to arrest Andrea for the murder of [Major] Cavalcanti (not Cad). Andrea flees, but he's stopped by Ali. 
•  Eliminated: "The Bell and Bottle Inn [98]". Eugenie and Louise talk about fleeing to Italy, but we don't see their journey or Andrea's arrest at the same inn they're staying in. 
•  Eliminated: "The Law [99]", "The Apparition [100]", "Locusta [101]", "Valentine [102]", "Maximilian [103]", "The Cemetery of Pere La Chase [105]", "Dividing the Proceeds [106]". Most of this is gone because of the removal of all the poisonings, sparing Val and Max a lot of anguish. Also, Albert and Mercedes flight is offscreen, and there are no references to their impoverished, pitiful existence, or going to Marseilles. Danglars just makes a quick comment that Mercedes retired to the country and Albert joined the army. 
•  Changed: Beauchamp sees Danglars after the Count takes 5 million. Beau drops the bombshell that Spanish stocks tanked due to a telegraph error and Danglars is broke. 
•  Added: Max visits the Count and Haydee and says that Val is locked up and being sent to a convent! The Count tells Max to sneak over to the Villefort house while Mr. V is occupied with the trial and simply abduct Val! Then go to Marseilles and Penelon, an old sailor will take them to Monte Cristo, where the Count will join them later on.
•  Eliminated: "The Judge [108]", "The Assizes [109]". This is to move more quickly to Benny's actual trial.  
•  Eliminated: "Expiation 111]". No poisonings, no Edouard, so the Count tells Mr. V who he is after the trial in the empty courthouse. Mr. V returns home, and Mrs. V tells him that Val is "gone". He goes mad and grabs a shovel and starts digging (for what?)
•  Eliminated: "The Departure [112]". The Count never revisits Chateau D'if. 
•  Changed: Danglars collects 5 million in cash from Mr. Thomson in Rome. Where did this money come from? he didn't embezzle any charity hospitals. And, Thomson has relocated from Paris (being the Count's fixit man) to Rome now? 
• Changed: The Count sees Mercedes in the park(?) which is not in Marseilles. Now he gives her the key to his old house and his humble dowry saved up as a sailor. 
•  Changed: Peppino and/or Luigi Vampa don't have names. The Count sees a bedraggled Danglars, announces who he really is, and says that Danglars is forgiven (but doesn't explain his change of heart... no guilt or remorse over, say, a dead child like Edouard <doesn't exist). 
•  Changed: On Monte Cristo, the Count tells Max all about who he really is and why he saved the senior Morrel's life. Max was not driven to suicide, and this is a normal conversation. He gifts Max and Val "half" his fortune as a dowry and entrusts them to care for Haydee. 
  
  Commentary: Now that I've inventoried the missing chapters and subplots, it seems that the screenwriters did not read an unabridged version of the book to base their screenplay from. With "Sinbad the Sailor", "Robert le Diable", "The Ball/Bread and Salt" missing, I'm now thinking that they used Lowell Bair's 1956 abridgement as a base, only adding "Gardener gets rid of Dormice". The script also removed/consolidated more chapters than Bair's edit.