Everything Old is New Again

Just when we became comfortable with the idea that our DVD versions of Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion were the definitive adaptations--unsurpassable in cast, costume and content, someone else selfishly, if not arrogantly, decided it’s time to share their visions of Jane with the world.

The 2005 offering of Pride and Prejudice appears to have opened the floodgates of such egotism because 2007 is setting up to be the new 1995—the year we were last showered with such an abundance of Austen offerings.


The coming year brings us the currently filming yet ever-iffy Mansfield Park starring the ever-youthful Billie Piper as Fanny Price in a Maggie Wadey adaptation.

Already in post-production is Simon Burke’s Persuasion though I don’t know how Ciaran Hinds could ever be replaced in my heart as Captain Wentworth. Progress be damned in that case, I just upgraded my faded video with a crisp new DVD so stay tuned on that front.

Lastly, there is a double offering from the uncrowned King of costume drama adaptations: Andrew Davies. His version of Northanger Abbey is filming while his version of Sense and Sensibility is in pre-production. Again, though Davies is godlike to the genre penning possibly the best Pride and Prejudice script ever, Emma Thompson’s Sense and Sensibility should be allowed to stand a few more years at least. It was Oscar worthy for goodnessake.