Lost in Austen: Episode 4

Lost in Austen: Episode 4
ITV
24 September 2008
Fantasy, Historical Comedy, Romance
DVD
B-

In the conclusion, Lydia runs off with Bingley, but platonically.  Nonetheless, Mr. Bennet challenges Bingley to a duel and ends up giving himself a concussion.  Amanda is able to return to modern-day London, where she's followed by a confused Darcy.  She brings Lizzy back with her and tries to matchmake Lizzy with Darcy, but eventually realises that she is herself meant to be with Darcy.  Lady Catherine annuls the Collinses' marriage, and Jane and Bingley get married and move to America.  While I found this series entertaining, I don't think it lived up to its potential.  Still better than the recent Mansfield Park TV version of course.

Lost in Austen: Episode 3

Lost in Austen: Episode 3
ITV
17 September 2008
Fantasy, Historical Comedy, Romance,
DVD
B-

This episode introduces Lady Catherine de Bourgh, played by Lindsay Duncan, who was Lady Bellaston in the '97 version of Tom Jones.  It has some meta moments, like when, after Darcy proposes to Amanda, she asks him to reenact Colin Firth's wet shirt scene.  But I find it a bit hard to swallow that Darcy would invite not only Amanda, but Mr. and Mrs. Collins, and Lydia and Mrs. Bennet, to Pemberley.  Note that the romantic entanglements are getting even more entangled, including a pay-off to Amanda in the first episode telling Bingley she's a lesbian in order to speed up the transference of his affections to Jane.  And in case you're worried that Darcy won't end up with Lizzy, he has to dump when Amanda when he finds out she's not a virgin, although he does admire her honesty and bravery in telling him.

Lost in Austen: Episode 2

Lost in Austen: Episode 2
ITV
10 September 2008
Fantasy, Historical Comedy, Romance
DVD
B-

This episode introduces Tom Riley as Mr. Wickham and Guy Henry (who was John Knightley in the 1996 Emma TV-movie) as Mr. Collins.  Both men produce complications for the Bennets and "Miss Price," but not the ones of the original novel.  Amanda dislikes both men the moment she meets them, and not just because she's read the book.  However, they're both drawn to her, Collins proposing and Wickham propositioning.  She reluctantly accepts Mr. Collins, hoping to get out of it somehow and trying to prevent Jane marrying Mr. C out of duty.  However, after she rejects Wickham, he spreads a rumor that she's the daughter of a fishmonger.  Collins breaks the engagement, which is good, but then he proposes to Jane, who accepts, which is very bad.  Amanda is very angry at Mr. Darcy, who has discouraged Bingley from pursuing Jane, but mostly Amanda is mad at herself for the mess she's made.  (Charlotte despairs of ever marrying and so decides to become a missionary in Africa.)  I went with a slightly lower grade this time, since it felt odd for Amanda to pretty much confess to an indifferent Darcy that she's been a fan of his love story with Elizabeth for the past fourteen years.  Still, I am curious to see how all this is going to be untangled, since the episode ends soon after Collins and Jane's wedding.

Lost in Austen: Episode 1

Beware of strangers you meet in your
bathroom, even if you feel like you know them.

Lost in Austen: Episode 1
ITV
3 September 2008
Fantasy, Historical Comedy, Romance
DVD
B

Those who would be in at least one more episode:

• Gemma Arteron as Elizabeth Bennet
• Ruby Bentall as Mary Bennet
• Hugh Bonneville as Mr. Bennet
• Morven Christie as Jane Bennet
• Christina Cole as Caroline Bingley
• Elliot Cowan as Mr. Darcy
• Florence Hoath as Kitty Bennet
• Alex Kingston as Mrs. Bennet
• Michelle Duncan as Charlotte Lucas
• Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Piranha
• Tom Mison as Mr. Bingley
• Daniel Percival as Michael
• Jemima Rooper as Amanda Price
• and Perdita Weeks as Lydia Bennet

Guy Andrews wrote all four episodes of what is so far a funny and charming program.  I'm not technically re-viewing it, although I'd heard of it of course and had intended to watch it after my ex-husband burned it for me.  I will admit that I tend to be wary of things like Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, which sound like they don't understand the true spirit of Jane Austen.  This mini-series, however, while it does mock the Austenian world, specifically of P & P, does so lovingly and intelligently.

The premise is that Lizzy Bennet is able to enter a modern London flat through one of the walls near the tub.  The owner of the flat, Austen-superfan Amanda Price, gets curious and goes through the wall, only to find that Lizzy has locked the door behind her, yes, hence the title.  Now it's up to Amanda to not muck things up too much.  (That she knows the story of P & P by heart turns out to not necessarily be an advantage.)  This episode takes us from the set-up, shortly after Mr. Bennet has secretly visited Mr. Bingley, to Jane's visit to Netherfield, on Amanda's urging, partly to get Mr. Bingley off his infatuation on Amanda, who did admittedly kiss him while she was drunk.  It looks as if the rest of the series stays specifically in P & P, although it would've been interesting if this had run six years and Amanda could've gone into all the novels.

Dan Zeff directed all four episodes.