Okay, I know they came out in 2007, but we're only just catching up here in Australia!

I was just wondering if other people had seen itv's "Jane Austen Season" and also the 2007 BBC miniseries of Sense and Sensibility?

I was so charmed by itv's version of Northanger Abbey that I am re-reading the book for the first time in seven years. It's so great reliving being in Bath. I sit there reading my book, with my map of Bath, following Catherine around the city.

Sense and Sensibility I also thought was great. It was refreshing to have a handsome Edward Ferrars this time around. I thought Persuasion and Mansfield Park missed the mark a bit though - why do they insist on casting Billie Piper in period roles?

What did other people think?

I agree that Billie Piper's features are all too modern to be convincing in period roles. I didn't actually see either Persuasion or Mansfield Park (or the BBC S&S), but thoroughly enjoyed Northanger Abbey. The novel is a nice tongue in cheek send-up of the gothic novels which Catherine so enjoys reading - and the script and production caught this perfectly.

A nice frisson for us fans of Radio 4's The Archers to see Emma Grundy as Catherine Morland...

Jonathan

Archers footnote: Not that I'm an obsessive fan or anything, but I think Emma has retained her maiden name Carter.

I only recently discovered that Tamsin Greig plays Debbie Aldridge. That must prove I'm not an obsessive!

Ok you can go back to the loftier heights of Jane Austen now.

quote:

I thought Persuasion and Mansfield Park missed the mark a bit though

Gah. I was so disappointed with "Persuasion" - I thought it was AWFUL. I didn't see the newest "Mansfield Park" (maybe a good thing!), but my very favorite adaptation of it is from 1999, with Frances O'Connor.

I agree that they did a good job with "Northanger Abbey," and it was nice for an Austen fan like me to see the focus on her work.

quote:

but my very favorite adaptation of it is from 1999, with Frances O'Connor

I loved that one too .

Beebee: one of my secret pleasures is playing 'spot the moonlighting' Archers actor. They quite often pop up in radio 4 plays (maybe they just have to stroll into the next studio) . You can see why I tend to keep it to myself - can't see my husband being enthralled with me excitedly pointing out that one who plays Oliver in the latest Midsommer, or whatever....)

We saw the new Sense and Sensibility when we were in England this winter, but I did not know about the other new versions.

I did a blog post from England about the cottage they used for S&S: Rent the cottage that Jane Austen stayed in