Browsing about the internet this morning, I found this charming and deadpan animated account of Charles Dickens' life. All the highlights are there--father in debtors' prison, the trip to America, the train crash.
There's also a Surviving Dickens' London game, which I played for awhile until I had to pay 2 shillings to cover some oozing pustules contracted from the street cleaner. Enjoy!