We heard from Alert Janeite Cinthia, who preordered the new Persuasion and Northanger Abbey Region 1 DVDs and received them on Saturday. She reports that on the NA DVD, scenes have cut from the original ITV broadcast. Running time is listed on the DVD as 86 minutes. We’re trying to get more information.

ETA: Cinthia reports that Persuasion is the full version as broadcast in the UK. It lists a running time of 93 minutes, which we believe is the same as the original ITV broadcast (the PBS broadcast was 7 minutes or so shorter). She also said the film is distributed by BBC America, and NA by WGBH Video, as is MP, so we suspect the DVD of that film might be similarly cut as well. You will recall that NA and MP were distributed in Region 2 by a different company from the Persuasion distributor. All three films were produced by different companies, so Clerkenwell must have struck their own deals.

It would probably help if we had a rundown of exactly what scenes were cut for the PBS broadcast. It is possible that they restored some but not all of the scenes cut for broadcast. Post in comments if you noticed a missing scene that isn’t listed.

Cut from NA for the PBS broadcast (we’ll add to this as we get more info)

–Catherine and Mrs. Allen at the Rooms; they go into the tea room, have “how uncomfortable it is to have no acquaintance” conversation; Isabella and John Thorpe stare at Catherine and giggle together
–In the carriage after the ball, Mr. Allen tells Catherine that he investigated Henry’s background, and he is a clergyman (Catherine pulls a sullen face at the news)
–Catherine’s bathtub fantasy scene
–Catherine and Isabella running after young men who ogled them in the Pump Room
–Catherine, Eleanor, and Henry on a second country walk. Catherine and Eleanor discuss marriage for love vs. marriage for money, Isabella and Frederick, and Catherine confesses to Eleanor that she has “terrible dreams sometimes.”
–Catherine saying goodbye to the Allens; Mr. Allen observes, “Those great people don’t like to be kept waiting”
–Catherine and Eleanor run through Northanger to make dinner on time
–Apple tossing scene
–Catherine burning copy of Udolpho

Cinthia reports all of these scenes are missing on the DVD.