They have revamped the old Masterpiece Theatre to a new and updated look and got a new person to introduce the movies - Gillian Anderson of 'X-Files' fame. I'm not completely sold on her opening dialogue - I really think that whomever wrote it got it off Wikipedia. But that's neither here nor there. The reason why I've been so engaged in Masterpiece for the past two weeks and for the upcoming seven weeks is because they're showing 'The Complete Jane Austen.' This includes newly filmed 1.5 hour movie adaptations of three of her books: 'Persuasion,' 'Northanger Abbey' and 'Mansfield Park.' They will be showing, for the first time, the six hour version of 'Pride and Prejudice' over three Sundays - this is the one with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. And they're also going to show an older version of 'Emma' - not the one with Gwyneth Paltrow - but one with a lesser known Kate Beckinsale, at the time of filming.
These movies are so endearing and the acting is wonderful. It's almost like a movie version of Cliff's Notes for Jane Austen books. The visual scenery and the costuming are very well done. You really feel transported back to the early 19th Century. In both 'Persuasion' and 'Northanger Abbey,' they have scenes that take place in Bath and I get all giddy since I was just there in May 2007 and recognize the 'Pump Room' and the Assembly Rooms - where MANY British period pieces seem to film their party scenes from that era.
It also doesn't hurt that the Austen heroes are good looking. My favorite, so far in the Jane Austen series, is Rupert Penry-Jones in Persuasion. In a 'Behind the Scenes' interview, the director called Rupert Penry-Jones 'Sex on Legs.' That's a very apt description and I would have to agree with him there - hubba hubba. And although the hero in 'Northanger Abbey' isn't what you might call "HOT," he has that something about him that definitely makes him attractive - the same way I feel about Mr. Darcy in the most recent version of 'Pride and Prejudice' with Keira Knightley.
I remember my Dad trying to get my sister and I to watch Masterpiece Theatre when we were younger and all I remember is that I was having none of that. I can't recollect a single movie that we watched - or even if I made it through a complete showing. I guess I wasn't ready for it at the time - and viewed Masterpiece Theatre for old fuddy-duddies. Well - here I am, 25 years later and a complete fuddy-duddy.
There are still plenty of Jane Austen movies to be played - and all the movies are available on
DVD on the PBS website. I remember being in Bath last year and actually trying to purchase 'Persuasion' on DVD but they didn't have the ones that played with US-DVD players. I was bummed. But now that PBS is showing this series, I plan on buying all of the DVDs in a whole package - I can't wait!Check your local listings for show-times!
Jen - I agree with you that the Captain in Persuasian was incredibly good looking. But actually, he was too good-looking for the part and for the heroine. The older version of Persuasina develops the characters much better and has more detail. The actors are much better suited to each other and you can imagine the Captain pining over the heroine while he travels the world. This latest Captain would have been snatched up a long time ago - no second chance for Anne there! Rent it sometime and check it out - the only drawback is the filming style - I think it is video. Just for the record, I don't think they could ever improve on The Colin Firth version of P & P. I went to Jane Austen's house shortly after that BBC version came out, hoping to find Mr. Darcy there!
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Jan
I agree, Jan..there is no way in holy hell that Rupert Penry Jones as Captain Wentworth would've stayed off the market pining for Anne Elliot.
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