Oh! what a brilliant idea: modern Austen fan Amanda Price finds herself in a through-the-wardrobe situation, swapping places with Elizabeth Bennet, none other than the heroine of "Pride & Prejudice". Of course, people aren't simple, and things definitely do not go as planned. I'm absolutely loving this show you can watch it again, for now, on ITV's catch up site - and I'm completely gripped. I can't wait for the next episode and I'm getting the DVD the moment it's out. It's hysterical - who knew that ITV would hit on the perfect solution for the modern girl?! my being a huge Austen fan doesn't stop me from energetically embracing a new and funny perspective.
ITV's past record on period dramas is decidedly patchy: 2007's excellent "Northanger Abbey" is a rare triumph. There can be a lot of flash and glitter to many of their dramas, that can belie thin scripts and hurried time-slots. But they've hit upon a brilliant solution here: by uniting the back-in-time concept with the much-loved period drama format, they get to skip conventions, get away with the outrageous liberties they're known for, play with time lines and generally have a complete ball. The mostly positive reviews here seem to confirm this. My favourite moment so far: heroine Amanda Price, nursing Jane at Netherfield in Lizzie's place, pulls a blister of paracetamol from her dress at the crucial moment. I nearly fell off the sofa laughing at this and countless other verbal and visual gags.
Yes, really you do need to know "Pride & Prejudice" quite well to make the most of the humour no problem for most viewers, I suspect. The excellent cast make the most of the freedom their altered characters gives them: love-struck Bingley in free-fall; controlling, prurient, clever, watchful Darcy (striking sparks with Amanda despite being quite mean to her!); sniping Miss Bingley; and, as others have noted, highest praise to Hugh Bonneville's outstanding Mr Bennet, a sort of period drama President Bartlett: everybody wants him for a father. I think it's interesting that Lizzie, who we saw for no more than about a minute in episode 1, managed in even that short time to suggest very interesting possibilities for her alternative story - well played. But Jemima Rooper carries the day with great spirit as Amanda Price, negotiating her way through an alien world, without altering her essential self.
And that script! silly, funny, sharp, gloriously irreverent, freely referencing every period drama that ever lived it's a refreshing wonder. Please, will someone give that scriptwriter a lot of money and some editorial support to write new shows? Nicely done, ITV.
ITV's past record on period dramas is decidedly patchy: 2007's excellent "Northanger Abbey" is a rare triumph. There can be a lot of flash and glitter to many of their dramas, that can belie thin scripts and hurried time-slots. But they've hit upon a brilliant solution here: by uniting the back-in-time concept with the much-loved period drama format, they get to skip conventions, get away with the outrageous liberties they're known for, play with time lines and generally have a complete ball. The mostly positive reviews here seem to confirm this. My favourite moment so far: heroine Amanda Price, nursing Jane at Netherfield in Lizzie's place, pulls a blister of paracetamol from her dress at the crucial moment. I nearly fell off the sofa laughing at this and countless other verbal and visual gags.
Yes, really you do need to know "Pride & Prejudice" quite well to make the most of the humour no problem for most viewers, I suspect. The excellent cast make the most of the freedom their altered characters gives them: love-struck Bingley in free-fall; controlling, prurient, clever, watchful Darcy (striking sparks with Amanda despite being quite mean to her!); sniping Miss Bingley; and, as others have noted, highest praise to Hugh Bonneville's outstanding Mr Bennet, a sort of period drama President Bartlett: everybody wants him for a father. I think it's interesting that Lizzie, who we saw for no more than about a minute in episode 1, managed in even that short time to suggest very interesting possibilities for her alternative story - well played. But Jemima Rooper carries the day with great spirit as Amanda Price, negotiating her way through an alien world, without altering her essential self.
And that script! silly, funny, sharp, gloriously irreverent, freely referencing every period drama that ever lived it's a refreshing wonder. Please, will someone give that scriptwriter a lot of money and some editorial support to write new shows? Nicely done, ITV.