ITV/UTV Austen Season

UTV/ITV, a British/ Northern Ireland tv broadcasting company recently did adaptations for the screen of three of Jane Austens Novels and had an Austen season showing the programmes over a three week period. The Novels they adapted were, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey and my favourite Austen Persuasion. I missed Mansfield Park but did manage to see the other two. They were enjoyable adaptations, but the slight rewriting of Persuasion broke my heart. Spent too much time crying out 'but that doesnt happen till later!', 'he doesnt say that!' etc. But even with that i did still get all mushy and girly at the end.

Did anyone else see these, and what did you think of them? Was Mansfield Park any good? and Did Billie Piper do a good Job as Fanny Price?

I watched Northanger Abbey last night but it is the only one I've seen so far. I was very pleased with the adaption, the casting was perfect. I have not seen Mansfield Park yet but Fanny Price did not look a bit like I imagined her. Did you like the 1995 version of Persuasion better than the new one? I love the book!

I'd like it if the actors from the new one were in the 1995 one! The new one is just as enjoyable (would have been better than the 1995 one if they hadnt altered the story somewhat!)

just ordered these from amazon. cant wait!:D

We'll be getting to see all of those early next year. I guess they will show Colin Firth's "Pride and Prejudice" and Kate Beckinsale's "Emma", which I really don't know why. After all, if they made new versions of all the other novels, they could've done the same with "P&P" and "Emma".

Anyway, I will be curious to see the others to compare (I saw a version of "Northanger Abbey" from awhile ago. I thought it was OK. So, I am curious to see how this one will be in comparison with that one).

I am a little afraid of "Persausion", though! I was satisfied with the 1995 version. So, I am really hoping it is acceptable!

Did they show a story about Jane's life? They will be showing that here. I believe it is based on her letters, but I am not entirely positive anymore. If so, how was that?

didnt see anything about her life.
As for the Persuasion, just wait till you see Captain Wenthworth!

Edit*
Oh I forgot to mention, Northanger Abbey- The location they use for the Abbey is Charleville Forest Castle.:D Ie, MH Series one location.

You're the second person who has told me to just wait for this Wentworth! :p

I will have to look out for that MH location. I vaguely remember it. It has been SO long since I have seen a single episode from season one. We don't have them on DVD here. No, I take that back. We do have them on DVD here, they aren't, at this time, being released as complete seasons. Now they are just a collection of the episodes that are considered the "best". Well, one set claims to be the first and second season, but they are missing, I think, 17 episodes! :( Hopefully they will come to their senses and release all of the seasons (complete seasons!).

I guess I will have to let you know how the film that is based on her life will be. :)

THIS is the face of the new Wenthworth! *swoons*
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...ng/topban1.jpg

I see what you mean about MH for sale in America. Just checked Amazon. What i suggest is that if you have a multi region DVD player, order the series from Amazon.co.uk instead. They would be region 2. I have up till series eight on DVD as well as all five MH live best ofs and a few other bits a pieces. Series nine not out till next year.

wait when was this on? I like this guy... but Im always worried that adaptations of books will ruin them , why havent seen the Kira knightly adaptation of P&P. I would have likd to see Mansefield park.... when ITV did it as Ive yet to see an adaptation of that that was anywhere near good, or true to the story, They always seem to try and make Fanny so decisive and loud and modern. When wasnt the whole point of the story that she was quiet and good and modest etc etc and ended up getting the best in the end?
I thought I reda someweher that it ws written for a nice as warning not to become like Maria ?

They were on back in April. Itv had an austen season. Billie Piper played Fanny, and guess what! She is kind, Quiet, good and modest. she also created a kid of sadness to the character, which is needed seeing as the character is watching the man she in love with courting another.:)
There is a real naivety in Northanger abbey. Its actually quite fun! And Liam Cunningham plays the dad.
The took some liberties with the script for Persuasion. Mainly towards the end. Still think that if they took the actors from this one, and put them in the 2001 adaptation, we'd have a wonderful version of the book.
Dont know why they didnt bother to do their own version of Emma and Sense and Sensablity.

yes I know but it clashed with the Doctor I think on BBc, so I have them on my dvd list...
so they got Fanny right did they? hummm maybe the list need reshuffling, its winter and time for costume dramas afterall

you can say that again!
So far this christmas i've watched;
Cranford
The history of Tom Jones a Foundling (love this!)
Presuasion (2001)
The Hanging Gale:D

Im watching North and south I think Ill reread it here tomorrow and then curl up tommorow evening and watch....
http://nefret.files.wordpress.com/20...northsouth.jpg

maybe Danial Deronda after that?
... Ill get on with litnet challange I started last year...

I've never read North and south, but i have a question. Lorna Doone? I know there is an Adaption of it but i dont know the story. Any good?

Not my cup of tea, but then again never read the full version read the longman summary type forgein reader childs version but deffinetly a film becaus ethe pics from it were from a film.
I think it was too melodramatic for me.
And you should read North and south..its on my list of bestest books ever.

Well, yes, now I am quite curious to see this man as Wentworth. Should be interesting. They begin here in January then. At least I am guaranteed something to watch every Sunday night for the next 4 months! :)

They took liberties with "Persuasion"? In what way? No, don't tell me. I will discover it soon enough.

Did you mean to say "Pride and Prejudice" instead of "Sense and Sensibility"? I'd heard that they were all new adaptations except for "Emma" and "Pride and Prejudice" (which would be the Colin Firth one). I really was disappointed that they weren't ALL new versions of the stories. I didn't quite understand that when I first found that out.

So, do you guys like to watch "period pieces" during the holidays? That is what it seems like. :) Honestly, I enjoy watching them more during this time. Reading them, too, I guess.

By the way, I have been contemplating getting a multi-region DVD player. There are a lot of DVD's that I want but I can't get unless I get them from the UK. Maybe if I get the chance to spend the money in the near future I will do that. Right now I have one of those DVD/VHS combos. I kind of need a VCR, too, because I have an awful lot of VHS tapes. I wonder if there are any combos of the multi-region DVD and VCR. I should look into that.

They only readapted Persuasion, Northanger Abbey and Masfield park. The Emma they played was the Kate Becinsdale version and they didnt even show any version of Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensability.

Yes multi region DvD player sounds good.:nod:

Yeah, they are showing the Kate Beckinsale "Emma" (which I have seen already, but I suppose I will sit through again!).

They didn't show a new "Sense and Sensibilty" at all? Well, here is the link to the site for it here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/austen/index.html

Unfortuantely they aren't revealing too much on the individual programs yet, but there is a new "Sense and Sensibility" pictured there. Also, I believe the photo of the woman there is the one that is playing Jane Austen in that biography. They begin January 13th here. They start with "Persuasion". I am a little disappointed with that. Of course they don't know me personally to appease me, but I really wanted them to save the best for last! I really did think, since they were making such a big thing out of these programs, that they would at least show them in chronological order of when the books were published.

I checked out Amazon because i dont recognise that S&S. As it turns out there is a new BBC version being released next month, which is more than likely the version that is to be played in your season.

The new S&S I mentioned in the other thread ( lets talk about adaptations) is a new series to be shown on the BBc starting either Newyears eve or New years Day I forget.

humm... i'll keep an eye out for that.
*Edit*
Its on new years day 9.10pm bbc one

God, why don't they have anything in Australia!:bawling:

Dont you get the BBC in Australia?
I mean I know they get it in the US, and they are not even in the Common wealth, and alot of our soaps are australian....
Humm I cant find asny info however here you go you can now watch the best of the bbc online for a week after its first broadcast http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/.

NOt sure if theyve put an area restriction on it or not... they might have, I know the american sites dont allow us to view things here if they are planning on showing it on uk tv.

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Originally Posted by Nightshade

Dont you get the BBC in Australia?
I mean I know they get it in the US, and they are not even in the Common wealth, and alot of our soaps are australian....
Humm I cant find asny info however here you go you can now watch the best of the bbc online for a week after its first broadcast http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/.

NOt sure if theyve put an area restriction on it or not... they might have, I know the american sites dont allow us to view things here if they are planning on showing it on uk tv.

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Thanks Nightshade, but unfortunately I can't view it. The website is restricted. In Australia we sometimes have shows from the bbc but the latest adaptations of Jane Austen's books are not available to us as yet (I hope it would soon). I am so tempted to purchase them on ebay but am afraid that my DVD player would not be able to play them. :bawling:

Cactus

Watched the first part of Sense And Sensability this evening. I really Enjoyed it. And the acting is very good. :nod:

That is very good to know! :) I am really looking forward to these! I still have to get through the second part of "Jane Eyre" next week before they start the new season here.

I liked "Jane Eyre" the first time that I saw it, but now that I am watching the rerun of it, I can't believe the liberties that they took with it! It is still good, though. I know that it was said that liberties were taken with "Persuasion". Is it like that with the others, too?

They are showing "Persuasion" at the same time as the Golden Globe Awards! :mad: Why do TV stations put me through this???? I think I will skip the award show this year! They do nothing but frustrate me anyway! :)

The new adaptation of sense and sensablitily has been done by the same person that brought us teh wonderful Pride and Prejudice. (fuarrr! Colin Firth diving into the lake!)
And i know what you mean. S&S was on at the same time as the Best of Top Gear!

I can belive I forgot to watch it.... stupid amazon order and birthdays distrcating me...:rolleyes:

but you can watch it on the bbc website cause you are in england Nightie! I wanted to watch it today but it wouldnt let me bacuse i'm in ireland. Stupid bbc!!! Argh!

hgumm Id wandered if they were going to put an area fix on that.. Im sorry nims but got to say Im glad...
Id be seriouslly miffed if I have to pay my tv liscence so I can see it and they can make it and then you got to watch it free

I pay a tv licence too.....:(

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Originally Posted by Niamh

I pay a tv licence too.....:(

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What is a TV license?


Anyway, I just finished "Persuasion". OK. It was very good. I am sure that people who are new to this story (the people out there that have not read the book nor seen the other adaptation). They may have really enjoyed it. I did like it. I liked it a lot. I really liked Wentworth, by the way, Niamh. ;) Anyway, WHY did they end it that way? I am talking about the letter scene. I think that was a disappointment. At least for me it was. I can understand them wanting to film it their own way. Still, though, I think that the "true" way of doing it has the most dramatic effect. That is how I feel about it. Yes, I see the other liberties that they took with it, too. I won't go into any of that right now, though. I did like it. I just wanted it to be done the OTHER way!! This is how I felt with the ending of the most recent "Jane Eyre". Well, I suppose I can't have everything be the way that I want it to be! :)

Next week is "Northanger Abbey". That looks good. I have the other adaptation of it. I wasn't thrilled with that one. So I am expecting this one to be better.

I told you they took liberties with roundong the movie up. I also really liked it, but the bit with her running just really iritated me. And yes, i to liked captain Wentworth. (told ya!)
Northanger Abbey is good. Got an Innocence about it.
Mansfield Park is also enjoyable but I have to point out that the ITV productions are all only little over 90mins long, so they chopped ALOT out of Mansfield.

Sense and Sensability finished last night. I enjoyed it over all but i'm not sure about parts of the last 15mins....

I personally thought the best one in the film was Wentworth. What is his name again? Anyway, his facial expressions were well done. I always have this habit of judging a performance on facial expressions. They were subtle, but they definitely let you know just what he was feeling. My favorite was when he found out that she wasn't engaged. It happens quickly, but it was definitely the look of relief and a bit of satisfaction.

As for these stories being shorter, I must admit that I was a little annoyed at the fact when I first found that out. I was looking at the TV schedule last night. I can see them being able to make "Northanger Abbey" and "Persuasion" a little shorter. I can't understand how they were going to do that with "Mansfield Park". Well, if they can still get the story told accurately enough, I guess that I can live with it.

Still, the speed of the story last night really irritated me. I noticed how much time they were spending on some of the scenes, and then I noticed how other scenes seemed to fly by. I looked at the clock at 9:00 and I saw how far we were only in the story. I was afraid of how they would end it. The ending just seemed to go by in an instant. It almost gave me this impression that the filmmakers realized that they only have a limited amount of time for the film so they better hurry up and get that letter to Anne in some sort of way. Doesn't even matter if that way doesn't make you feel any sort of relief, or happiness, that everything is turning out the way that you hoped it would. Do I make sense? Maybe I am not explaining it correctly. I just wanted the scene to be done the RIGHT way! That is the pivotal moment in the story. It should've been true to the way that it was written. Some scenes in stories should be told the same way every time.

Like I said, I did like it, though, and I will probably watch it again. :)

Rupert Penry-Jones!!!

I'm so glad you liked it, my dear LadyWentworth!!!

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Originally Posted by LadyWentworth

I personally thought the best one in the film was Wentworth. What is his name again? Anyway, his facial expressions were well done. I always have this habit of judging a performance on facial expressions. They were subtle, but they definitely let you know just what he was feeling. My favorite was when he found out that she wasn't engaged. It happens quickly, but it was definitely the look of relief and a bit of satisfaction.

As for these stories being shorter, I must admit that I was a little annoyed at the fact when I first found that out. I was looking at the TV schedule last night. I can see them being able to make "Northanger Abbey" and "Persuasion" a little shorter. I can't understand how they were going to do that with "Mansfield Park". Well, if they can still get the story told accurately enough, I guess that I can live with it.

Still, the speed of the story last night really irritated me. I noticed how much time they were spending on some of the scenes, and then I noticed how other scenes seemed to fly by. I looked at the clock at 9:00 and I saw how far we were only in the story. I was afraid of how they would end it. The ending just seemed to go by in an instant. It almost gave me this impression that the filmmakers realized that they only have a limited amount of time for the film so they better hurry up and get that letter to Anne in some sort of way. Doesn't even matter if that way doesn't make you feel any sort of relief, or happiness, that everything is turning out the way that you hoped it would. Do I make sense? Maybe I am not explaining it correctly. I just wanted the scene to be done the RIGHT way! That is the pivotal moment in the story. It should've been true to the way that it was written. Some scenes in stories should be told the same way every time.

Like I said, I did like it, though, and I will probably watch it again. :)

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No, i understand what you are getting at and i totally agree with you. The Thing with Mansfield Park is that i do actually really like it. Much more than the movie from a few years back. Do you want to know why? because Fanny Price in the ITV drama is the same quiet, shy Fanny Price of the books. ANd you really feel for her character as she is watching Edmund fall for that gastly woman!

Thanks for the name, amalia! :)

I am glad to hear that this Fanny is more to the original character rather than the one from the film. Like I said, they can do what they want, just keep the basic storyline (and important moments :) ) the same. So, that sounds to me like it is at least faithful when it comes to Fanny. :)

Here is our upcoming schedule:

January 20 Northanger Abbey
January 27 Mansfield Park
February 3 Miss Austen Regrets (the story about her life - I was hoping that they were saving that for the last film)
February 10 - 24 Pride and Prejudice
March 23 Emma (at least they will play this and P&P back-to-back and they will end with a new adaptation)
March 30 - April 6 Sense and Sensibility

I am very happy that the Golden Globes didn't have a show! So, I didn't have to think that I was missing something! Now I am hoping that is the case with the Oscars! :p Oh, I think we have a month in between "Emma" and "Pride and Prejudice" because of the horrid money-raising that they do. Of course, if they didn't raise the money I wouldn't have this channel to watch all of these programs! I just hate their choice of programming during that time (although I am guilty of wanting to watch the one thing that I know will be on at that time - another topic completely :D ).

I enjoyed Mansfield Park. I thought Fanny was played well. The story was good. I thought the casting was well done.

As usual, the characters were under-developed. They just don't have enough time in 90 minutes.

I have to say that I realy liked "Masfield Park", too, but they really are flying by fast with these stories. That extra 30 minutes (to make it 2 hours) would make just that little bit of difference, I think, to not rush through the story. It almost seems to me that, maybe, you have to have a little knowledge on the stories to realize that this is happening, though. Maybe if it was someone who had never read one of her books, but enjoyed watching these types of films, they wouldn't even know if the story had been edited, of the liberties that are taken with the stories, or that they are rushed.

I really liked "Northanger Abbey", though. It was a billion times better than the film from the 1980's!! I just thought that adaptation was so dull! This was a lot more awake!

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Originally Posted by cactus

Thanks Nightshade, but unfortunately I can't view it. The website is restricted. In Australia we sometimes have shows from the bbc but the latest adaptations of Jane Austen's books are not available to us as yet (I hope it would soon). I am so tempted to purchase them on ebay but am afraid that my DVD player would not be able to play them. :bawling: Cactus

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Cactus, you can unlock most dvd players.Google unlock dvd player
Exp. http://www.dvdcodes.net/
if you are not technical savy get someone to help and you'll be able to watch without region restrictions.