Masterpiece Theatre clips include scenes from S&S08
Alert Janeite Sylvia sent us links to a few clips that PBS put up on YouTube that have interviews with Andrew Davies and some clips from the films. Sylvia warns that there are some new clips from S&S08 that might be considered spoilers, though if you’ve read the novel and have been reading the blog they shouldn’t be a surprise. However, one reported scene that caused some bewilderment seems to have been incorrectly reported in part (the name of a lady).
Novels are all so full of nonsense and stuff
Amusingly, Andy D. and the Editrix have the same favorite scene in P&P95
(Though if asked our favorite scene from any of the novels–which, if someone asked “what is our favorite scene,” we would have assumed was the question–we would pick The Letter from Persuasion, because that is the scene that transformed us from a casual enjoyer of a couple of Jane Austen’s novels (Emma and P&P) to a frothing at the mouth fanatic.)
As a bonus, we spotted a little trailer for the series as well.
Discuss, because we’re sure we can’t stop you and wouldn’t dream of trying. 
December 28th, 2007 at 1:31 am
Thanks for those youtube clips. I watched the S&S clip, and no, the girl didn’t say Mrs. Dashwood–the IMDB guy was totally confused.
Eh, when AD pinponted the EXACT scene when Elizabeth fell in love with Darcy, he should have qualified his statement and said that was HIS interpretation of when she fell in love with him. Really, why does AD get to have a monopoly of the Austen screen adaptations? Are there no other talents out there? Hard to believe.
And, yeah, if someone twisted my arm for a favorite scene, the Anne-Wentworth letter scene would be very close to it, including the discussion with Captain Harville, the pen falling, the “eyes of glowing entreaty”. Ah, but that letter, it’s poetry really, and one can’t help but remember it word for word. The other close contender for my favorite scene is when Elinor was comforting Marianne after receiving Willoughby’s letter–oh, that was such a tender and heartbreaking scene!
I also want to thank AustenBlog for doing a terrific and entertaining job–keep up the good work! I’ve only discovered you recently, and I’m glad there are others “like me”. I’ve only recently “discovered” Jane Austen, and I am in deep trouble because I am so hooked. It’s gotten so bad that I’ve turned into some sort of Jane Austen researcher, wanting to read anything and everything about her. I’m now reading her letters (book by Le Faye). All because I read her novels and found them so beautiful! Please tell me I’m normal!
December 28th, 2007 at 7:23 am
Maria, you are. You just have better taste than most.
About the clips, she doesn’t say ” But Mrs Dashwood… “, she says ” But Mrs Edwards… “, and he answers ” Mrs Edwards thinks you’re a child still “. And that’s definitely Eliza, not Marianne. Glad it’s not, would have been a catastrophe otherwise.
December 28th, 2007 at 10:29 am
Really, why does AD get to have a monopoly of the Austen screen adaptations? Are there no other talents out there? Hard to believe.
I’ve been saying that for ages, but it’s not like they found the best and brightest to do MP07 or P07, let alone P&P05, so it’s probably all the same. I keep saying to myself, “They’re just TV movies, who cares.” I do think we (and I include myself and the blog here) take it all too seriously. And I’m still holding out some hope that S&S won’t completely stink. It looks like a good cast, and AD seems to do better when he’s not limited to 90 minutes. Fingers crossed! It will be nice to have several good versions of S&S, though still only Wishbone holding down the fort in NA-land.
Thanks for the kind words about the blog, Maria, and yes, you’re normal.
I’ve been here for…let’s see, I read Persuasion in 1994? Yikes. Enjoy the letters, they’re great; but if I can offer some advice, resist the temptation to read too much into them, for that way lies madness and conspiracy theories about Tom Lefroy. 
As to Mrs. Dashwood/Mrs. Edwards, I think it was known that it was Eliza in that scene–it’s been revealed in several articles that the film starts out with Willoughby’s seduction of Eliza, though it’s not clear whether they actually say it is them–but the dude at the IMDB said they mentioned Mrs. Dashwood in the scene and many of us were wondering how Eliza or Willoughby could possibly have known Mrs. Dashwood at that point in the story. Now we know it’s a different name–which makes sense. Though speaking of conspiracy theories, perhaps someone saw the snark here and went back and did overdubbing? …nah.
December 28th, 2007 at 10:48 am
If they leave the seduction scene like that where we can’t see Willoughby’s face then that’s fine with me. Viewers who have not read the book will still be surprised.
December 28th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
But wasn’t Davies’ stated purpose of the scene to keep the girls from swooning over Willoughby? (Even though Jane Austen, who trusted her readers to understand proper plotting, probably wanted us to?) It doesn’t make sense to have us not see Willoughby in that case. Possibly not understand who the girl is, yes. I still think it’s dumb in any case.
December 28th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
What about his comment that S&S08 is his most ‘inventive’ adaptation - meaning that he has added a lot of his own scenes.
I think he has overlooked NA07
Well, it is worth overlooking
Some of the added scenes;
Edward cutting wood
seduction
Col Brandon flying the hawk (supposed to be manly??)
and AD said that Marianne watching Col Brandon stroke the hawk, hopes he would stroke her the same tender way ????
I am still hoping, as Mags says, that it won’t sink as the others have done, lately, and I am looking forward to it.
I might just get the chance of watching it the first week (the first episode)
December 29th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
Mags, thank you for the reminder not to take the films too seriously. I do look forward to watching and enjoying the Masterpiece series despite the shortcomings, and then I will hurriedly run back to the novels. They do seem to have good actors, and just the ambiance of the period will be enjoyable. We do need to keep poking fun at AD to keep him honest.
I will surely be giggling at some of his invented scenes as I watch the films. I’m giggling already. For example, for the chopping wood scene, why in the world is Elinor frozen like a statue staring at Edward with her mouth agape? How unElinor-like! If AD’s going to invent scenes, he should at least be faithful to Austen’s characterizations. Notice that in the interview, AD himself seemed unsure if his invented scenes would work, and he was chuckling at the end.
Indeed, I am enjoying Austen’s letters. Thanks for the advice Mags, but no worries, for I am not tempted to form conspiracy theories, as the letters are fascinating enough without them! It is amazing that such long letters were written by hand and that so much could be related. How gracious and generous. Reading the letters, I sometimes wish I could toss my computer. I’ll end by sharing just one example of countless lines I’ve chuckled at while reading the letters:
From letter to Cassandra, November 17, 1798 (Steventon to Godmersham, when Jane Austen’s mother was sick and Jane was apparently managing the Steventon household):
“My mother desires me to tell you that I am a very good housekeeper, which I have no reluctance in doing, because I really think it my peculiar excellence, and for this reason—I always take care to provide such things as please my own appetite, which I consider as the chief merit in housekeeping.”
So subtle.
December 31st, 2007 at 12:16 am
Maybe Elinor’s frozen like a statue with her mouth agape because she’s getting ready to say, “Edward,why are you chopping wood and not the servants,and in the rain too?” I would probably be questioning this also.
December 31st, 2007 at 1:35 am
The ’stroke her feathers gently’ bit was just— I HAVE NO WORDS.
December 31st, 2007 at 3:58 am
Sylvia M — LOL, yes quite possibly that’s what Elinor was thinking.
Nina — I agree. I have no words either because my laughter gets in the way.
December 31st, 2007 at 3:20 pm
Considering this is a man who wrote stage directions in a script for a woman to stroke a goose “lasciviously,” I’m not real surprised. (That was NA if you’re wondering.)