“Jane Austen Season” on ITV
Alert Janeite Kate Allan wrote to tell us some very exciting news. The British television network ITV has commissioned film versions of three of Jane Austen’s novels for broadcast: Northanger Abbey, Persuasion and Mansfield Park.
The network has secured Andrew Davies, who worked on Pride and Prejudice and Bleak House for the BBC, to adapt gothic romance Northanger Abbey, which will be produced by ITV Production [formally known as Granada]. Clerkenwell Films is developing Persuasion and Mansfield Park will be adapted by Maggie Wadey and produced by Company Pictures.
They also will show the Davies adaptation of EMMA starring Kate Beckinsale.
Before everyone starts jumping up and down with glee, remember that production of other period television dramas have been cancelled at the last minute because they couldn’t get financing. We wonder if ITV, which is apparently uninterested in producing further episodes of the critically acclaimed HORNBLOWER series, which has been immensely popular worldwide–you don’t want to get the Editrix started about that–because “period films are too expensive” will really go through with this.
If one likes adaptations, this is pretty good news, but let’s not get carried away with excitement before actual filming begins.
Also, we’ve read the NA script that Mr. Davies previously wrote and remain unimpressed. We hope it is improved somewhat and our darling Henry Tilney represented more as Jane Austen made him–teasing and funny rather than a milquetoast Sensitive New Age Guy. (A note to Mr. Davies if he happens to read this: Dude, the bathtub scene was just stupid. And that’s coming from probably the biggest Henry Tilney fangirl in the known universe.)
ETA: Another article from the Beeb, which also mentions that the rumored Davies adaptation of Sense and Sensibility is scheduled to be televised in 2007. Thanks to Alert Janeites Heather and Sylvia for the links.
ETA II: The Independent says the new films will start broadcasting in autumn 2006.
P.S. Lots of folks have been sending in news and we swear it will get posted soon–we’ve been extremely busy the past few days. Hang in there!
November 10th, 2005 at 12:14 pm
Is Maggie Wade the same person as Maggie Wadey, who wrote the screenplay for NA1?
November 10th, 2005 at 12:18 pm
Oh my God. I hope not. *hides head*
November 10th, 2005 at 12:27 pm
It all sound far too good to be true. I would REALLY like to see a different (read: longer and more nuanced than a film) version of MP. Must.Not.Get.Hopes.Up.
Drat! Too late…
November 10th, 2005 at 12:46 pm
According to these other articles the version of Emma is going to be a re-run of E3 that Andrew Davies and Sue Birtwistle previously did. The other three will be new though.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4425398.stm
http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=9448&pt=e.html
November 10th, 2005 at 12:47 pm
Hey, thanks for the link to us, you eagle-eyed lot. After some digging around, we’ve been able to establish that (a) the Andrew Davies version of Emma *is* the 90’s version (the press release wasn’t clear); and the writer for Mansfield Park is indeed Maggie Wadey (sorry, Mags!)
We’ve corrected the article. Thanks again for keeping us on our toes!
Scott MatthewmanWebmaster, The Stage
November 10th, 2005 at 12:49 pm
Thanks, Scott! Though I’m not sure I consider that especially good news…
*sits in corner, weeping and petting Oxford Illustrated editions*
November 10th, 2005 at 1:15 pm
Silly me. I posted this same info without checking to see if anyone else had gotten to it.
Tasha needs sleep . . .
November 10th, 2005 at 1:21 pm
Well, it is very exciting news, I guess. It’s always nice to see Jane Austen’s novels get attention.
(Trying to be Zen…ommmmmm…)
November 10th, 2005 at 1:48 pm
Sounds great! And it’s nice to see the bad-times-for-costume-dramas spell going away. Let’s hope it stays far off for a long, long while
January 11th, 2006 at 5:41 pm
Apologies that my first posting is so negative … but my inital reaction to Maggie Wadey (the butcher of fine literature) being given the green light to a remake of ‘Mansfield Park’ was a loud, gutteral cry … “WHY?!”
After all, she is notorious for pulling out her cleaver and hacking defenseless novels into a million unrecognizable pieces.
However, her resume is a little sparse over the last decade and I’m guessing she’s in her 60s now; perhaps this is a shot at redemption? Do we dare hope?
Or will the inevitable occur and we’ll all be in need of a truckload of Kleenex and a 55 gallon drum to vomit into when the finished product airs.
I’m not saying she isn’t capable of writing for television, but perhaps her talents are more suited to commercials, maybe for incontinence medication …?
January 11th, 2006 at 10:52 pm
Excellent snark, Lana!
I have no expectations of these new films whatsoever. Persuasion will be an unknown quantity, I admit. Otherwise, we have much evidence that there will be much Janeite weeping and wailing and rending of clothing.
January 13th, 2006 at 12:30 pm
I’m so glad to finally get that off my chest!!