Jane Eyre: Family Found and Reunion

Jane Eyre: "Family Found" and "Reunion"
BBC
11 and 18 December 1983
Drama
VHS
B

Jane finds out that the Rivers family are her first cousins, and she's an heiress.  St. John proposes to her but her heart still belongs to Rochester.  She seeks him and finds more surprises.  The best performance here is by Andrew Bicknell as St. John, a challenging role that he rises to.  Overall, the series averages out to a low B.  It seems like the first two parts are more set-up than meat, although undoubtedly the complete unedited series has a different feel.

Jane Eyre: A Secret Is Revealed and Beggarwoman to Teacher

Jane Eyre: A Secret Is Revealed and Beggarwoman to Teacher
BBC
27 November and 4 December 1983
Drama
VHS
B

In "Part Four," Mr. Rochester's secret marriage to a madwoman is revealed.  Much as Jane loves him, she has to flee.  (Quick recap on this, you couldn't divorce someone who was mad, which seems counter-intuitive, but whatever.)  She leaves some of her money on a stagecoach and temporarily becomes a beggarwoman.  She finds refuge with the three Rivers siblings, who are all in their 20s: St. John (Andrew Bicknell), Diana (Elaine Donnelly), and Mary (Morag Hood).  At first the servant Hannah (Anne Dyson) is suspicious, but they soon get along.  St. John finds a teaching job for Jane.  Although most of the series, like all of the book, is from Jane's perspective, this part closes with Mr. Rochester hiring Briggs to search for Jane to make sure she's all right.

Jane Eyre: A Death in the Family, Proposal, and A Secret Is Revealed

Jane Eyre: A Death in the Family, Proposal, and A Secret Is Revealed
BBC
13, 20, and 27 November 1983
Drama
VHS
B

The emotions get more complex in "Part Three," with Rochester playing mind games before, during, and after his proposal to Jane.  The deathbed confession by her aunt is also good, although I miss the update on her Reed cousins in this version.

Jane Eyre: Rochester and Guests

Jane Eyre: "Rochester" and "Guests"
BBC
30 October and 6 November 1983
Drama
VHS
B-

I'm guessing on what episodes correspond to "Part Two," but this sounds right, even if the ending feels a bit abrupt.  We see Jane and Rochester getting to know each other, and learn that Jane might have a rival.  It's unusual to have long scenes of dialogue like here, and I'll admit to getting more fidgety than I do reading the same exchanges, although kudos on the fidelity.  (It's the other characters who are shortchanged.)  I believe that Damien Thomas would return as Richard Mason.

Jane Eyre: Gateshead, Lowood Institute, Thornfield, and Rochester

Jane Eyre: Gateshead, Lowood Institute, Thornfield, and Rochester
BBC
9, 16, 23, and 30 October 1983
Drama
VHS
B-

Alexander Baron adapted the Charlotte Brontë novel (reviewed at  http://rereadingeverybookiown.blogspot.com/2012/01/jane-eyre.html) and this originally aired in 11 parts of roughly half an hour each.  When I encountered it on cable in the late '80s, it had been edited down, so yesterday I watched "Part One" in less than an hour.  Nonetheless, I'm using the original airdates and titles for this group of episodes.

What remains is a respectful, reasonably faithful, but streamlined adaptation.  For instance, I'm guessing that the character of Bessie the maid was developed more, while here she gets one scene and one mention.  Zelah Clarke as Jane Eyre and definitely Timothy Dalton as Edward Fairfax Rochester are too good-looking for their roles but they seem to do well by the characters so far.  Special shout-out to Siân Pattenden as ten-year-old Jane, capturing the different aspects of the complex little girl.

Other members of the cast who would return:

• Christopher Burgess as Carter
• Judy Cornwell as Mrs. Reed
• Carol Gillies as Grace Poole
• Jean Harvey as Mrs. Fairfax
• James Marcus as John
• Carolle Rousseau as Sophie
• Blanche Youinou as Adele

Julian Amyes directed.