Landmark Emmy-winning production of the 9 hour Royal Shakespeare Company's worldwide stage event based on the Charles Dickens novel, starring Roger Rees. Kate and Mrs. Nickleby move out of their temporary lodgings with the kind portrait artist, Miss La Creevy. Kate begins her employment with Madame Mantalini and her crew of milliners. Young and pretty, Kate is assigned to work with Miss Knag in the shop, awkwardly helping rich, spoiled, women try on hats. Miss Knag befriends the young newcomer. Meanwhile, Nicholas is skeptical of the schoolmaster, Mr. Wackford Squeers, with his appalling lack of knowledge and his gruff treatment of the charges, most of whom are illegitimate or handicapped. When Squeers brutally beats Smike, a severely limited student whom Nicholas has befriended, Nicholas defends the boy, and he and Smite are forced to pay the price of Squeers's rage.