Lost in Austen, Episode Four: Goodbye Cruel Fanfic
Episode four winds up this…drama. We would like to point out, perhaps for the last time (but not likely so), that four episodes would be three more than ITV gave either Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, or Persuasion. 178 minutes vs. 93 each for more complex, more interesting, and infinitely more clever stories that actually, you know, make sense. We despair, we really do.
September 24th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Thank the Lord its over. I wasn’t sure how much more I could stand! Now I can get back to bemoaning all the REAL adaptations gone bad.
September 24th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I must say I find it strange that the posts for reviews have such a negative tone when I believe the comments from visitors have been mostly positive.
I for one I have really enjoyed this series and if that makes me less of an Austen fan then so be it.
September 24th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Erm…okay…don’t quite get what happened at the end there! :S
How come Amanda set up Lizzie with Darcy then decides to go and snog him and appears to agree to be with him and then they rolled the credits? I mean…”eh?!”
September 24th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Oh, and other than the above - I still loved it, but I must say I am confused!
September 24th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Nethertheless, I did enjoy it still…
September 24th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
I must say I find it strange that the posts for reviews have such a negative tone when I believe the comments from visitors have been mostly positive.
Because I wrote the post, and I think it’s dopey. It’s not like I’m stopping anyone from commenting however they like. And I have my suspicions about the provenance of some of the positive comments. Either way, I feel no obligation to cheerlead.
September 24th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I’m a visitor and I think this series utterly awful. Saying that, since I already know how it ends, I’m going to spare myself watching the last episode.
September 24th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
I am a visitor too, and didn’t like it.
But want to remark on the stupidity of ITV in giving so much time to this, (though I’m glad Northanger Abbey had only 93 minutes).
But Persuasion and Mansfield Park might have ended up looking much better.
And we don’t see Lizzy till episode 4 it seems.
September 24th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
Ok, have pity on a goody two shoes in the states who isn’t downloading this… pretty please? What happens in ep. 4? ITV’s summary is bizarrely detailed, but of course they have to leave me hanging.
September 24th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Ugh. So I guess Amanda is supposed to be a representative of all young women who read Jane Austen? It’s certainly not the way I read her, or ever have.
Granted the ITV adaptations last year weren’t up to much, but I can’t believe that this hokum got so much time devoted to it when the others were a measly 90 minutes. I don’t think it’s something that can be moaned about enough!
September 24th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
I’m a visitor and I liked it. It is fun and imaginative and not to be taken seriously.
I agree the money could have been spent better on longer and a lot better adaptations (Mansfield Park and Persuasion)
September 24th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
I have to say that I concur with Zoe.
Mags, I understand that you’re the editor of this blog and have every right to run it as you see fit. I thought this site was a forum for fans of Austen to share their opinions, both positive and negative, and chat about the period dramas, novels, etc. that are out there. But it seems that our opinions (for LIA) are not welcome unless they conform with yours. I can understand that you feel Lost in Austen is a terrible waste of time and money and no one expects you to cheerlead but can you not appreciate that some of us are finding it entertaining?
September 24th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
We would like to point out, perhaps for the last time (but not likely so), that four episodes would be three more than ITV gave either Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, or Persuasion. 178 minutes vs. 93 each for more complex, more interesting, and infinitely more clever stories that actually, you know, make sense.
I blame Bridget Jones.
September 24th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
It’s not attempting to be complex and clever! That’s why I can enjoy its absurdity - it’s something totally different. If it were trying to approximate the classic BBC adaptation, it would miss the mark miserably however, it’s exploring a whole other tangent that I find refreshing.
September 24th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
For the record, I didn’t enjoy Bridgit Jones.
September 24th, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Very well said, Charleybrown! I think this site can be too judgmental and pompous, going so far as to demean visitors who have a different opinion than the editors.
I for one liked it.
September 24th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
I also found LiA extremely disappointing. I could not even get through the second episode.
September 24th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
I agree Charleybrown (except I did enjoy Bridget Jones), LIA is refreshing and was a lot of fun to watch, and that’s exactly what it was supposed to be, some people take things much too seriously.
September 24th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
So far I’ve enjoyed the series surreptitiously. Can’t wait to see the denouement on Bit Torrent, of course.
September 24th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Long time Jane Austen book fan here. Very much enjoyed this series. It’s fresh and different - at the very least it is an interesting and creative take on Austen. The casting for some roles is actually an improvement over some earlier versions of ‘true’ Austen adaptations (saucy but charming Wickham, lovely and serene Jane, handsome and flighty Bingley, to name a few).
Can’t wait to see the final episode, and I am rooting for Amanda and Darcy to get together in the end (I’m a minority in this, I’m sure). From the early comments, sounds like I won’t be disappointed then?
September 24th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Why would anyone think her comments weren’t welcome though they disagreed with mine? Have they been deleted or edited? They have not, though I suspected even before the series began that some of the overly gushy comments were astroturf. I have no proof, only the tingling of my blogger spidey sense. Something just feels hinky. Accusations of mean-girlism in an attempt to deter negative comments serve to reinforce my suspicion. But I can’t prove anything, and the comments remain. They are welcome. You really don’t have to agree with me or anyone else. But around here you might be called upon to defend your opinion, because that’s how we roll at AustenBlog. I’m perfectly comfortable with my opinion. Pray endeavor to be comfortable with yours.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Times Online reviews the final episode
September 24th, 2008 at 11:45 pm
Mags, I’m a bit confused as to what your suspicions are about. The only thing I can figure is that you suspect ITV of hiring people to prop up their reviews in anticipation of negative reception from staunch Janeites. I don’t quite understand what feels “hinky” to you but since I’m not at this blog often, I don’t expect to know what you mean.
I’m a period film buff and am always glad to find others who are willing to chat about Austen and others (Gaskell’s adaptations are my favourite). And no, you didn’t delete our comments but it seems like I’m not the only one who felt less than welcome here.
September 25th, 2008 at 12:14 am
I’m not here to be mommy to the Internet. If you can only participate in a conversation in which everyone agrees with you, I respectfully suggest that you put on your big girl panties and deal with it.
September 25th, 2008 at 12:44 am
“If you can only participate in a conversation in which everyone agrees with you?”
What makes you come to that conclusion? I was expecting to find camaraderie and share in banter with fellow period buffs, not to be accused of needing everyone to conform with me. I’m wondering what I said that could be construed that way.
September 25th, 2008 at 1:11 am
We’re talking in circles. This isn’t Shiny Happy Janeiteland. You are free to post your opinion. If the conversation is not to your liking, don’t blame me.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:33 am
I had mixed feelings about it. I watched all of it, sometimes against my better judgement, but enjoyed it better when I let go of expecting it to be sensible and rational. Taking it for a light-hearted piece of fluff it had its moments; I liked mention of Amanda’s yearly income, the Wickham/Georgiana twist and, bizarrely, also liked that Amanda ended up with Darcy. But there were far too many twists and turns and some unbelievably stupid moments (Amanda kissing Bingley pops into mind straight away). As someone else said in the comments for a previous episode, if she was THAT into Austen she’d have at least some clue about how to behave.
A good friend of mine who has a strong appreciation of Jane Austen adaptations (I wouldn’t go so far as to call her a Janeite) absolutely loved it. Shows you there’s no accounting for taste.
Immediately after the last episode aired there was a ‘making of’ on ITV3, which was quite interesting. It seems they made the whole lot in October/November and were freezing in their little short-sleeved dresses / wet shirts.
September 25th, 2008 at 5:19 am
I liked it. It was not meant to be a serious period piece. I am an Austenite, but it is fun to step away from the seriousness of that from time to time and have a giggle at it all.
This series has achieved some good things. It had made kids want to read the book for the first time, surely that is a good thing?
I liked it a lot and to quote Lost in Austen, I am sure Miss Austen would not have been spinning in her grave like a cat in a tumble drier at the thought of this all.
We are always going on about what a great sense of humour Miss Austen had, I think it might have even amused her. Who knows?
September 25th, 2008 at 7:25 am
A 46 min. documentary “Lost In Austen Behind the Scenes” was aired on ITV3 at 10 pm, immediately after the 4th episode on ITV1. The cast and the other staff did great job indeed, congratulations! Link to download:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TGERLMAM
As a whole, “Lost In Austen” was interesting and fun for the general audience - good thing to “escape” to. More critical audiences might share “The Independent” view:
” …. Lost In Austen is everything ITV needs it to be: entirely delightful nonsense …..”
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/film-and-tv/tv-radio-reviews/fionas-story-bbc-1brlost-in-austen-itv1brgod-on-trial-bbc-2brthe-sculpture-diaries-channel-4-921471.html
September 25th, 2008 at 7:30 am
I really liked LIA. Once I knew this was going to be a whole different take on P&P, I was somewhat prepared to see weird things going on, so that didn’t bother me at all. It was just a fun thing to watch, really relaxing. I did have the impression that everything had to go rather fast in the last episode, however, I absolutely loved it ;D
September 25th, 2008 at 10:25 am
I enjoyed the series. While I’m not fond of the Darcy/Amanda pairing, the lack of the Lizzie/Darcy storyline allowed me to focus on the other characters this time. Mrs. Bennett was terrific, especially when she yells at Lady Catherine. And Lady Catherine had an interesting twist to her character…it reminded me of Lady Catherine in the Lawrence Olivier/Greer Garson film version of P&P. She’s got a formidable exterior, but inside she truly cares about the people around her. And I liked the possible pairing of Caroline and Wickham. Who ever thought I would end up liking Wickham more than Darcy…but George turned out to be my favorite character.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:41 am
Hi,
Generally not a viewer of blogs, but the show sent me back to a time when I first discovered P&P. I originally saw a serialised (I think it was BBC) adaptation in the 1980s and have been a huge fan ever since.
I appreciate that the storyline of the LiA is very divergent, but the culture clash was one of the aspects I antipicated with glee. I am not above seeing what a touch of modernist TV serialising can do for a much-loved plot.
If anything, the latter parts of episode 4 covered too much, and it left the storyline rather staggering over the finish line, rather than puffed with the joys of victory. Nonetheless, the characters that influenced my blossoming romanticism as a mid-teen remain intact - and refreshed!
September 25th, 2008 at 10:42 am
I agree - think the casting was the best yet for many of the characters..
For a more balanced discussion try:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/tvandradioblog/2008/sep/25/lostinausten4
And guess what? No strangely paranoid/aggressive comments from the host..!
By the way, I am Jemima Rooper’s mother. And married to the head of ITV programming.
September 25th, 2008 at 11:05 am
I agree with Chel that it was nice getting to see more of some of the other characters stories more here than Jane Austen let us see in the novel. I love P&P and Austen in general, but I don’t see any problem with a post-modern, escapist version once in awhile (yes, love Bridget Jones too…though I wish Edge of Reason had stayed truer to the Persuasion-esque tone of the book in it’s film version).
I agree with all the criticisms of LiA too, however. They had a clever idea for a story, but needed to make a few more passes over the script to remove a bit more of the silliness. And I didn’t like how they let Darcy appear to be shifting his affections all over the place. It would have worked much better had they kept a clear focus on who the original characters were, and put this modern presence in their lives and see what happened then. Those parts (Amanda’s use of modern language, her odd items from the future, etc.) were the things that made me laugh. Messing with the plot in outrageous ways did not.
If ITV goes ahead with LiAs for any of the other novels, I will do my best to “tune in” (being in the U.S. it can be a challenge), but I will not hold my breath for any more of them. Once is enough, unless they fix the flaws in their design.
September 25th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
A lot of comments here keep on repeating “it was not meant to be taken seriously.” I’m not taking it seriously at all - I wanted to have fun!!! - but didn’t
September 25th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
What Moxie said…I personally have no objection to having a bit of fun with Jane Austen’s stories but this really wasn’t as well done as it could have been, or should have been considering the source material.
swelka–please tell your husband that ITV has delighted us long enough and should give the other networks time to exhibit.
And the host(ess) is really not in the mood for shiny happy stuff today and worrying about what makes other people happy. Nothing to do with this blog but I had some very bad news today.
September 25th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Brilliant series. It could have been awful, But it respected the norms and integrity of the era and its characters. It always kept you guessing and the production was superb.
September 25th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Mags, I just wanted to say I’m sorry, both for your bad news and for the entitled-sounding passive-aggressive comments of some other readers. The entire purpose of a blog is to be a sounding board for the author’s *opinions* (and experiences/etc.)! It is one thing to disagree with the other - it’s quite another to demand that the author not state his or her opinions if they differ from your own/those of the “majority.”
September 25th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
*”to disagree with the AUTHOR,” rather.
September 25th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Is that it? Was that the season finale? It ended on a strange note. I am confused about what’s going on; I thought Amanda would have gone back to the real world, possibly going through a bad phase of losing two men and then the world of pride and prejudice would be back on track.
Anyway it was not a bad show, although I do agree that the characters emotions were a bit all over the place, which distances it from the original storyline and it makes Darcy seem even more different (I cant decide whether thats a good thing or not hmmm).
September 25th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
I think the show would’ve been far better had Lizzie been the main character, with no Amanda. I really missed Elizabeth and I thought that Darcy was quite ridiculous at times, which is all kinds of wrong.
The two things I really liked were Bingley’s portrayal and this “new” and maybe improved Wickham. Both actors were brilliant.
September 25th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Greetings, I stumbled upon this website while searching for a download of the ‘Making of’ and thought I would leave a comment and have my twopence worth as it is doing so. Like many devotees of the original, I suppose, I was not sure what to expect from this adaptation of P&P and somwhat foolishly was disposed not to like it, as who does like a favourite story to be messed about? Heaven knows there are enough screenplays that do little justice to their source material! Fortunately I stuck with it and am I have to say impressed, particularly as this is an ITV production. I know the story fairly well having read the book, seen the BBC series and the more recent motion picture. I found the cast in this series were all perfect for the roles and, if the book was having a straightforward adaptation they would do very nicely! Hugh Bonneville and Alex Kingston in particular are excellent.
Ms Rooper as Amanda does a good job as the modern ms deposited in the past. Yes she jars, but that is the point is it not? The young men would have been drawn to that spark in her, the difference between her and the average Georgian miss! Comparisons have been drawn between this series and life on Mars and the mix of ancient and modern is entertaining for those of us born before the age of the mobile phone. A clash of cultures is always interesting whether it is ‘Coming to America’ or ‘Les Visiteurs’ or ‘Timeline’ as three random examples of the genre. Anyone old enough to remember ‘Adam Adamant’?
There were good comic moments in this series, beautiful locations and dialogue that is, as ever, as far from Big Brother, East Enders and all the other tawdriness of the majority of 21st century broadcasting as it is possible to get. It is interesting too to see more character devlopment in the Bennet family and others. If I have to cavil at all it woiuld be to say that I regret the brevity of the series…they could have wrung two more episodes out of it surely? No they galloped to the conclusion with undue haste, but then one imagines that budgetary constraints meant that they had to. Congratulations to cast and crew, any chance of a second series I wonder? Probably not unfortunately!
A question to anyone else who might be interested…what other favourite books could be adapted for a time travelling interloper? Let’s not just limit it to Austen!
September 25th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
dialogue that is, as ever, as far from Big Brother, East Enders and all the other tawdriness of the majority of 21st century broadcasting as it is possible to get
Were we watching the same program–pubic topiary anyone?
All I can say is that I hope Amanda asked Lizzie to pass her a lifetime supply of tampons, deodorant, hair gel, aspirin, penicillin, Novocain, and birth control pills before that bathtub door closed for good; otherwise, she is definitely going to find Regency life challenging, Darcy or no Darcy.
I’m glad I saw it once and now having done so, do not have to do it again. I found it more cheesy than cheeky. (Oh sorry, was that judgmental and pompous?) And for the record, I love to have a giggle with Austen; my favorite alternate universe Darcy remains James Purefoy’s gay Darcy in that bit of inspired lunacy from Bedrooms and Hallways. I just found LIA a bit of a mess and not that funny.
That being said, on to a more important subject. I do not always agree with the Editrix in her posts (she, for instance, is more forgiving of Mr. Bennet than am I), and I have strongly disagreed with fellow “visitors” on some occasions — remember the Emma adaptations war!) — but never have I felt that my opinions were unwelcome here, or any less valid than anyone else’s. And never have I felt cowed by the Editrix or any other visitor. One thing that I have very much appreciated since making a first acquaintance with this blog is that we are not expected to walk gingerly with our feet in teacups, acting oh-sooooo-politely so that we never risk offending anyone–or risk having an interesting discussion. I like that Mother Mags lets the children have their say and their tiffs knowing that in the end, our enduring love of Austen is enough to conquer even the wildest disagreements. If we didn’t care, we wouldn’t be here.
So Mags I hope your distress, whatever it is, is of short duration. And I sincerely hope that this blog never turns into Shiny Happy Janeiteland. You know how ornery those pictures of perfection make us
September 25th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
I have been an avid and fierce “Pride&Prejudice”-fan for the last 35 years (I can’t count how many times I’ve read it) and also one you might call an Austen-purist: I don’t like fanfiction where Lizzy & Darcy don’t end up together, they are my favourite pair in my favourite book.
Having stated this, I must confess I liked “Lost in Austen” quite a lot; it was definitely not perfect, it had many flaws as regards the plot development (many a fanfiction author could have written it better), and the end was very hastened, but I was entertained nevertheless.
I agree with Rex regarding the cast: it was (near) perfect and would have done very well for a proper P&P-adaptation, much better than some of the cast of previous series and movies. I also liked the costumes, settings and locations (though for me Pemberley = Chatsworth as in the 2005 adaptation).
And to Mags: I hope the bad news won’t torment you for long time; best wishes to you.
September 25th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Having first read all the reviews, I have just watched episode four of LiA and have to say (as a longtime and ancient Janeite) that I thought it was terrific. It wasnt perfect but it was refreshing and funny. It was without pretence. The actors were sincere and did a wonderful job of performing comedy as though it were truth.
I am so tired of all the serious, much publicised and inadequate adaptations that purport to be serious drama, - and I dont just mean the bad Jane Austen adaptations, but all those super-hyped historical dramas that are all about marketing, sexiness and quick hits and almost nothing about fidelity to the source - (the Tudors is one of the best (worst?) examples that comes to mind). I have to say that Wickham was the best interpretation I have seen - it always irritates me that he is treated by most casting agents as second rate, when the fact is (and this is how the novel proceeds) he is drop dead gorgeous to all that meet him, so he should be represented as charming, perfect, etc. He is supposed to be far more sexy to all than Darcy.
Anyway, I hope it brings about much new reflection, readings and adapatations - bravo, ITV. And please, lighten up, all you dour nay sayers. Jane I believe would have loved it - and now back to another re-read of the original with a whole new smile on my face.
September 25th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I’ve been frustrated about the writing, the slap-dash editing/filming (apologies to any production staff at ITV who read this - I am aware that such decisions are probably made because this style is common and popular today, but it truly felt more cut-rate rather than exciting and modern), but something else occured to me as I try to catch up with this series (not very hard, though):
It seems like everyone except Amanda (and occasionally Darcy) are less valuable. Rather like Star-Trekkian “redshirts,” or expendable crewmen, characters such as Jane Bennet, Lydia, Mrs. Bennet, Charlotte Lucas, et al, are seen (by Amanda, and thus by the audience, as this series is overwhelmingly seen through her eyes) as less important and less valuable. Jane’s trauma, Bingley’s despair, Mr. Bennet’s despondency, Charlotte’s agony, are all much, much less important than Amanda’s need to control what’s going on. They are pieces for Amanda (and the viewer) to move around or be annoyed with (but never seriously upset, since they aren’t Amanda, and therefore vitally important). I think the way that Amanda talks to herself out loud in front of the “characters” shows her contempt for them - they are rather like the servant class - only seen when the master/Mary-Sue wishes them to be seen. This despite the fact that the brilliant actors hired try their best to make these characters real people - Hugh Bonneville’s wry but feeling (if terribly written) Mr. Bennet, and Morven Christie’s lovely, fragile, kind, but still attempting to be strong without the sister who encourages her to be so Jane Bennet. But even their herculean efforts can’t make them more important than Amanda “it’s more important to compare Darcy with Colin Firth than actually try to be a decent human being” Price.
September 26th, 2008 at 1:46 am
Rex: I completely agree, there’s little on TV these days that holds my attention… I have been avoiding the soaps and reality shows for months and was thankful for this gem of a mini series, I’ve not laughed out loud this much since Harry Hill was last on.
September 26th, 2008 at 7:16 am
I found this block while attempting to hunt down a download for the Making Of - many thanks to the poster upthread who provided one!
I’ve always been an almighty prig when it comes to adaptations, and despite having been recommended this by a blogger whose madcap taste I often enjoy, honestly did not think I would enjoy LiA that much. And yet - I did. It’s amazing. Even the character of Amanda did not grate on me, and I usually abhor similar inserts.
I think that what drew me to LiA is its joyous fannishness: something I really haven’t seen a lot of in any popular, official media*, and something that I’ve recently discovered I like a whole lot more than sitting back and bitching about things. Er. Well, maybe. Still haven’t watched the Keira Knightley version.
As for Amanda, well. I. Miller, you think she treated the other characters as characters, not as people; I think that for someone who has spent most of her life intently studying a particular story of their lives, that’s an easily explained response, and one I could empathise with. But Amanda does see Jane’s pain, and Charlotte’s desperation, and so on, even if it does take her a while to adjust her mindset. It’s part of her development, and, well, yay! She even calls Mr. Bennet on his behaviour.
And the ending - well. The story’s been so different, that I think it would have been almost a tragedy to have the changed Darcy and Elizabeth end up together. They saw themselves entering the relationship to be a duty on both their parts, and I’m glad that in the end they forged happy lives for themselves. I expect Elizabeth’s will involve lots of appliances, and good for her!
*Must, must finish reading “Don’t Panic!” and sequels one of these days.
September 26th, 2008 at 10:40 am
So I’ve finally watched the last episode and I once again wonder how can anyone find that witty? I am all for not taking things seriously and have a bit of a laugh but it made me want to cry with frustration. UTTERLY STUPID and POINTLESS.
I am of firm belief that Jane Austen fanfiction like any other fanfiction should stay in the fanfiction world and must not be allowed into print or on TV. Because it’s not fair for all the other fanfiction that exists.
And Elizabeth is still my favourite character. She might have been a fictional character as opposed to Amanda but she was the most real of the two.
September 26th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Hello all, may I first introduce myself as a visitor to your lovely site. I have been a fan of JA since I first saw the 95 P&P. As I live in the US, I have just last night found an internet site to watch LIA and I….well…I loved it and hated it at the same time. It was fun to have a laugh with our much loved P&P characters, but at the same time, seeing them in such a light was not agreeable at times. And it seemed that the characters felt the same way too, none of them were happy with the choices that they made. Poor Jane married to Mr. Collins, did anyone else feel a cold chill when that happened? I didn’t like the way Lizzie was portrayed. That she just left her family with a NOTE and went to Hammersmith.? Her not coming to Jane’s wedding, although how was she to know about it. And her cutting her hair and becoming a nanny, our Lizzie would have taken London by storm! Her chosing to stay in the present was, I supose, necessary for the ending. It was funny to see Darcy in present day London! He looked so out of place. That may be good fodder for another show, “Darcy Takes London”….then again….maybe not. Anyway, it was fun to see all the twists and turns that the characters took and some were set to rights in the end. If nothing else, it makes us appreciate the original that much more, Jane Austen knew what she was doing.
September 26th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Amanda should have ended up with Wickham or her boyfriend in the future. Wickham was always picking up the pieces of her mistakes and both men seemed to care for her. I wish it had been Wickham following her through the door into the future! Darcy was the “unattainable dream” that wouldn’t be happy with her in the long run because she’s too different.
I agree with the above poster that Lizzy, having gone into the future, would now have been engaged to Prince William!
September 26th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
So there seems to be a vein in the comments of some viewers being okay with the concept but disappointed with the execution.
September 26th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
for Rex and Mrs Collins:
I, for one, am old enough to remember Adam Adamant. It was fun.
Other possible time-travel adaptations? Why bother, when time-travel books exist already? I’d love to see Connie Willis’s “To Say Nothing of the Dog ” filmed- ITV could do that beautifully. Hitchhiker’s already been done to death, of course.
for Mags:
Sorry about your bad news, Mags. I hope things improve. But whatever happens, please don’t stop pulling out the sporks!
September 26th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
I don’t understand those of you who think that just because Mags is our hostess, she has no right to voice her opinion? I did love the idea of this series, but I don’t think that it was thought out enough and much too rushed. They should have given a little more time for all of the twists to be explained in a little more detail.
swelka: Maybe you can tell me or us here in America why ITV chose to limit the viewing of this series to fans in the UK? They even made sure that it was pulled off of YouTube so that we couldn’t access it there.
September 26th, 2008 at 5:25 pm
I think part of the problem is that newbies are not used to my odd ways.
Cynthia Ann, I posted in the part 3 thread, I think it was, that one of our readers wrote to ITV and asked the same question. She was told that ITV is only licensed to show the series in the UK. Other networks would have to pay to show it in other countries. That is typical and there isn’t anything sinister behind it. One might, however, question why it’s not scheduled (yet) to be broadcast in the U.S. (not sure about other countries yet)…and why those directly concerned in it might wish to squash negative commentary and increase demand for such a broadcast; that is, were one a cynical dried-up tar-hearted spinster purist like myself.
Apparently a DVD distribution deal has been struck but there is no date for Region 1 DVD release yet.
September 26th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I thought the programme was great fun if you forget that it had anything to do with ‘Pride and Prejudice’. I have to admit that I had some good laughs watching it and most of the actors were very talented. BUT there were quite a few things that annoyed me… as I think someone has mentioned before, how could Amanda keep her hair so perfect without modern day potions, lotions and hair straighteners???. Also when Amanda sent Jane off to Netherfield in the rain, she ran straight after her and didn’t go back into Longbourn House to get anything, so how may I ask did she happen to miraculously have a packet of Panadol in her Spencer jacket exactly at the time when Jane needed it?? Do you think she woke up that morning and thought “Oh today I had better carry some panadol around with me just in case someone feels ill”. Also when she emptied out her pockets at the beginning of the first episode I don’t remember seeing any Panadol!!
After watching the four episodes I hated Darcy and loved Wickham. There has to be something wrong with that!!!!! As someone mentioned before Wickham was always helping people out even if, as in Georgiana’s case, helping someone harmed him in some way. Whereas Darcy paraded round being an arrogant, self-centred, pompous ass and really none of his qualities mentioned in the book ever made an appearance.
Going back to positive thoughts all the actors were good especially Bingley who was extremely handsome and so cute. I was melting during his and Jane’s last scenes together :). Also Mr Bennet was pretty amazing but no Benjamin Whitrow!
Just incase anyone wants to know I am a cousin, quite a distant one though, of Jemima Rooper. My father and her father are second cousins. Oh and I think the person who runs this website (Mags is it?) does a fabulous job. Where else can you find so much information on everything Austen?? Keeping up this blog must be rather hard work so I think everyone who is being rude to her should just stop, take a step back and refrain from insulting someone who brings joy and happiness to millions of Janeites across the world.
September 26th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Hmmmmmm!! A lot of new visitors - and all love LIA!!
Well I guess they’ll all disappear now that LIA is over.
September 26th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
I really wanted Amanda to end up with Wickham. He knows about stitches! How could she let such a gem get away? I was very happy with Miss Bingley’s end. I will always think of her trapped in that carriage with Lady Catherine for all eternity. What a very fitting punishment. It has shades of Mrs. Norris and Maria Bertram.
My mother-in-law had five boys close together and, at some point in their childhood, she just threw up her hands and let it all roll off. I could feel that happening to me as I watched this series. I only gave a small twitch when Amanda assured her modern-day friend that they had chocolate. I couldn’t keep all the problems straight anymore and was forced to just try to follow the storyline. Maybe that was their diabolical plan all along.
And I certainly hope they do not try to do this with other Jane Austen books. Emma could hold her own, but I could not bear to see Catherine Morland’s or Anne Elliot’s happiness toyed with. Fanny Price has her own Amanda to deal with already in the person of Mary Crawford, so there is no need to interfere there.
September 26th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
*gasp* If they mess with my Henry it’s on.
September 26th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Reeba, you said,
Hmmmmmm!! A lot of new visitors - and all love LIA!! Well I guess they’ll all disappear now that LIA is over.
You seem surprised that “new visitors” would come on board. Are you not happy that some people are now just discovering Austen? The thought of others learning about the great movies that are out there because they came across LIA makes me happy. I don’t understand why more people don’t watch period films - sadly, none of my friends do.
LIA wasn’t perfect. I can think of changes I would have made if I was the director but I thought it was different and entertaining!
September 26th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
As one of the “new visitors” I would like to defend the fact that many of us are probably longtime Austen fans (I certainly am), but we just hadn’t gotten around to blogging about her/adaptations of her work. Like several others I found my way here looking for hints on seeing the series once the eps got pulled from YouTube, so perhaps you should thank them for the increased traffic.
Just as Mags pointed out a few posts ago, the idea for the series was okay, but the execution left a great deal to be desired. And in reading reviews elsewhere and watching the “Making of” special I do question who the intended audience of this adaptation was. Janeites seem generally displeased with it, though they are the only ones who would get some of the jokes or recognize the lines. I don’t know that many youngsters would pick up on, say, Amanda using lines from Emma to make a point in P&P. There were elements of the script that were really clever, however they either needed to make it longer, or they needed to leave out several of the twists so that the ones they kept in could be developed fully.
My biggest disappointment in the series was that we didn’t get to see more of Lizzie in the twenty-first century! Or Darcy, for that matter. I think that direction of “time travel” would be far more interesting in many ways.
September 27th, 2008 at 5:10 am
I’m a visitor to this blog too - I’ve been as Austenite for a few years, ever since watching P&P05; from there I read all the books, and watched many adaptations, and continue to rave about Austen! I even am co-moderator on a forum devoted to discussion of Austen and related stuff! To see “Hmmmmmm!! A lot of new visitors - and all love LIA!! Well I guess they’ll all disappear now that LIA is over” is very judgemental - you do not know these people! There may be many devoted AustenBlog readers, who do not wish to comment, but that doesn’t make them any less of an Austenite…
September 27th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Well, I really didn’t like the preview and the first episode, I found the second and third episode and about the first half of the fourth episode rather enjoyable and the second half of the fourth absolutely abysmal.
Mind you, I rather like silliness, fooling around with characters, fanmyths, that sort of thing, and am really into fanfiction that is exploring such angles. Therefore, it wasn’t the ‘OMG, this isn’t like the book!’ that de-terred me, but more the varying tone in this piece. It couldn’t decide whether it wanted to be silly, whether to be serious, whether it wanted to concentrate on Amanda being confronted with the novel or on the novel being confronted with Amanda, and the end result was something that felt like a badly done patchwork quilt. Example: For three-and-a-half episodes, we have almost solely been with Amanda in the book - suddenly we see Amanda and Darcy in the real world. We start to like the concept. We wonder if it has potential and would like to see more - and bamf!, back into the novel we are. We see Lizzy, back with her family, and starting to settle back. We wonder, how is she feeling? Does she like this place or the future better? We would like to hear more - and bamf! Lizzy goes back into the future. No explanation, no tale of why she likes it there, no exploration of her feelings, she’s just shoved out of the way to make place for Amanda - then why did they bring her back in the first place?
Now, if I was working in the publishing business (which I am not, unfortunately, at least not yet), and this was a manuscript I had been shown, my verdict would be that it had great potential, but that a lot needed to be done. I would tell the author to decide which angle they liked best, and flesh those scenes out, tone down the other scenes, and most importantly, present us with an ending that doesn’t appear to be rushed and inconsisted with the rest of the story, just because it is a myth universally created, that every reader must be in love with Mr Darcy (so much for bad adaptions). Also, if they are ready to toy with the line of what is ‘canon’ in the fandom, they should not fear their own courage and stop half-way. If you make Wickham a likable character, then please allow your heroine to like him!
In short, the whole thing lacked a sort of uniting story arc other than ‘Amanda is in a book,’ a homogenity of tone and a focus, but it was nothing a big red pen and some patience couldn’t cure. It’s sad though that it still came closer to Austen in many ways than last year’s, shall we say, adaptations, and yes, it is jarring that ITV chose to spend more time and money on this one and still couldn’t really get it right.
Hm, hope this makes sense.
September 27th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
@Karen
You seem surprised that “new visitors” would come on board. Are you not happy that some people are now just discovering Austen?
No, I’m not really happy for that. If they liked LIA they might just be disappointed with …err P&P
@Emma J
Well I guess they’ll all disappear now that LIA is over” is very judgemental - you do not know these people! There may be many devoted AustenBlog readers, who do not wish to comment,…
One is always judging, be it ‘new visitors’ or LIA or…whatever.
Am I not being judged for judging?
You can’t get away from it.
September 27th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Gosh what a lot of judging judging from the comments! All I will say is that I would rather have watched LIA than…oh anything else that was on. And for anyone who is in the slighest bit interested I came to Austen first as a set book in my Eng Lit A level in the early 70s, and have considered P&P and Thackeray’s Vanity Fair as my definite desert island material. Anyway the real reason I stopped by is to let anyone who missed (or would like to revisit) any of the episodes know that they are available for download at this web site: http://linktalk.ihiphop.com/forums/
You have to register to access the episodes but registration is free. Hope this is of use to anyone who did enjoy the program. The quality is very good, compared say to the other behind the scenes documentary elsewhere in the messages above. One other web site for reviews is the IMDB (Internet Movie Database) and LIA is doing pretty well there. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1117666/
Best wishes to you all as I disappear…there I go!
September 27th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Reeba,
I trust that you’re being facetious for I challenge anyone to watch P&P and NOT be moved by it. I think if anyone is drawn to the “fluff” of LIA and comes to appreciate the original, more substantive movie version or discover the novels themselves, then all the better. I would think that Jane Austen herself would be thrilled to introduce them to her world rather than assume they’ll just fade away out of lack of interest. I’m thinking especially of young women who aren’t familiar with Austen, shouldn’t we encourage them to read good literature instead of the countless, trashy novels at their disposal?
btw, does anyone know the link to the Making of LIA feature that aired after the final episode?
September 27th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Caroline@53: Yay! Another Connie Willis fan. I also touched on her work in the “Austeneque” thread. A large difference between that and LIA is that the time travellers can’t change the course of history. If they do something that might alter it, history repairs it.
I would love to see an adaptation, but they’d need not to muck around with it. Willis’ characters have to adapt to their time periods, not make the others adapt to them.
And I don’t believe the P&P men would have responded to Amanda’s ’spark’. They’d have thought she was a vulgar tramp of no family or position and never spoken to her.
September 27th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
I’m a bit confused as to how “Lost in Austen” encourages one to read P&P, Jane Austen, or “good literature” in general. Yes, the heroine reads P&P (and only P&P
), but the series itself bears far more resemblance to trashy novels than its source.
September 27th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
@Rex #65
…… as I disappear…there I go!
Thank you.
Next please!
September 27th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
- I.Miller,
I’m simply suggesting that the exposure to P&P in the series might peak the interest of those unfamiliar with Austen to find out more. The quality of the series has been debated and I doubt the two sides will ever agree. I would hope though that whether we enjoyed or abhorred LIA, we could agree that if more people came to appreciate the works of Austen, then that is a positive thing. I know that I’m thrilled that my daughter and her friends enjoy Austen and might learn something about the way that ladies and gentlemen conducted themselves back then, such as manners of courtesy and respect which seem to have been lost in this generation. That’s not the only reason I enjoy Jane but it’s one of the qualities of her novels that I admire.
September 27th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
A link to download “Lost In Austen Behind the Scenes”, better quality:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=MI5AREIB
September 28th, 2008 at 10:42 am
But what happened to Charlotte Lucas in Africa I wonder?
September 28th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Now that I’ve seen the fourth episode I have to say I liked it best of all, except for the ending. The Darcy-in-the-modern-world scenes were Elliot Cowan’s best in the series (the “fight” was hilarious), and I really liked Gemma Arterton as Lizzy and would have liked to see more of her. The “duel” between Mr. Bennet and Mr. Bingley was hilarious and over-the-top in the way that more of the rest of the series should have been–Hugh Bonneville was fantastic.
However, as discussed in another thread there are certain expectations of the genre (Austen fan fiction–which this is) and one of them is that Lizzy and Darcy end up together. And frankly there was more chemistry between Cowan and Arterton, even in the short time they had together, than between Cowan and Rooper. I felt like it was just getting interesting and then the ending ruined it all.
It would have been better if Amanda had come to realize that, having experienced P&P World up close, she could be very well satisfied in her 21st century life with her boyfriend–or, as some have said, if Lizzy taught him to be a proper gentleman while she was there. This series did have some potential, and a really good cast, but the story was just a mess.
One of the things that Jane Austen makes fun of in Gothic novels in Northanger Abbey is that some of them had plot elements that didn’t make sense. Some of the things that went on in this series are the things she would have made fun of. Janeites are used to tight, logical plotting, because we get it in Jane Austen’s novels. Adaptations and add-on things should follow that rule, at least, no matter how much they mess with other elements.
There, is that non-snarky enough for everyone?
September 28th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
@Mari: I absolutely agree. Lost in Austen is not bad, because it isn’t like the book, but because it’s bad television. I am not an Austen purist myself and I actually like fanfiction that approaches a piece of literature from a different angle, but that angle should be thought through thoroughly. Lost in Austen is all over the place and has no real focus. The show is all about the heroine getting off with Mr Darcy, with a few (more or less funny) jokes along the way.
Which would be fine, except that the producers actually introduced a couple of original characterisation ideas, most notably regarding the character of Wickham, and - sadly - didn’t follow them through. Despite a promising start, Amanda doesn’t learn anything new about the characters - she keeps her preconceptions until the very end. Mr Darcy is the man everyone falls in love with, and so this is what she does, even though his behaviour to her is absolutely horrid (which I personally liked a lot, BTW, and would have loved to see followed through till the end), he doesn’t do anything interesting, noble, or virtuous in the course of the story and proves to be volatile and capricious, withdrawing his professions of love and getting engaged to another woman within minutes. Now, I would be fine with that, if that had any effect whatsoever on Amanda’s perception of the character. But she stubbornly doesn’t change her opinion of “the Mr Darcy she has known all her life”. She doesn’t change her opinion of Wickham, either, considering him a bastard until the very end, even though he a) doesn’t do anything bastardish on screen and b) we learn that he didn’t commit the crimes that had been attributed to him.
Now, these different interpretations of these characters have such great potential and would have made for an interesting new take. I would have loved such an interpretation - but it didn’t go anywhere. So why go through all the trouble of introducing them? This is the mark of seriously bad writing - no matter whether it’s rewriting Jane Austen’s characters or writing original characters. If your PoV character harps on about another character’s informed attributes (e.g. Wickham being a bastard), but you never see these attributes on screen - quite the contrary! - then there’s something seriously wrong either with the writing or with the PoV character’s mental capacities. Most likely with both.
And just a brief note on characterisation issues in general:
“‘This is a parade,” cried [Mr Bennet], “which does one good; it gives such an elegance to misfortune! Another day I will do the same; I will sit in my library, in my night cap and powdering gown, and give as much trouble as I can,…” (Pride & Prejudice, Chapt. 48). Which is exactly what Mr. Bennet does in Lost in Austen.
Nevermind that it’s just a silly bit of fun. I buy that, that’s exactly what a show based on such a premise is supposed to be. But why not make it a well and coherently written bit of fun?
September 28th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Can I also say (and not to pick on Karen/Charleybrown as she is hardly the first to say it) but I’m really, really tired of “but it will get people to read Jane Austen” as an excuse for crappy adaptations? Because it’s really not a good excuse at all.
September 28th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
It’s not a very good thing, is it, that many people think the only way to make other people read Jane Austen is by making silly TV adaptations…
Your review was indeed quite non-snarky, Mags!
I think if there’s anything that deserves a lot of snarking, it’s Lost In Austen. I’m still surprised by the fact that so many people love it so much.
September 28th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
There, is that non-snarky enough for everyone?
Yes, but not nearly as fun
During LIA I kept wondering whom Elliot Cowan reminded me of. Watching the political coverage the other night I finally found my answer: Brian Williams of NBC– with a very bad wig.
September 29th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Mags: Thank you for answering my question, I only looked in this thread to make sure no one had asked before, I should have read furthure back.
Rex and Boris: Thank you for the links, I have been wanting to see the special that they aired after ep4.
I am happy that I even got to watch LIA at all. And I plan to watch it again when I can sit down and watch it all at once, it may make a little more sense them too. Sometimes it was hard for me to keep up with who was where and with whom. But, all of the actors/actresses did a wonderful job. It was a nice change from the norm, and if they were to do more like this, I would probably watch. If for no other reason than just to see what happens. This was kind of like a soap, even if you did’t like it from the start, you still just ‘had’ to find out what happened next.
September 29th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Mari wrote: “I found the second and third episode and about the first half of the fourth episode rather enjoyable and the second half of the fourth absolutely abysmal.”
That was my impression as well. Just about the time I was starting to have some fun with them all being back in London, we are back to the Longbourne and the whole thing just collapsed under the weight of its fanficcy Mary Sueitude.
Agree 100% with those who stated that they shouldn’t have written Wickham as rather gallant but misunderstood if they didn’t intend to make Amanda actually like him for it instead of just use him when she needed a deux ex machina. Need a dress? Wickham. A convenient lie? Wickham. A ride to where Bingley and Lydia are shacked up? Wickham. Wickham should have gone through the door with Lizzie–they would have made a great modern-day couple. He’d probably make a fortune. Every mortgage lender could use a talented, prescient deux ex machina right about now. But I digress….
We can now add impotence to the litany of fan fic fates for Collins, at least.
For me, it was nice enough to while away an hour once a week watching it on the innertubes, but I probably am glad I didn’t rearrange my evenings around it. The best part was spotting two fairly attractive actors. I will look for them in other things, and hope their talents are put to better use.
October 1st, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Have you heard the news about the LiA DVD just released in UK? It does not include the Downtown scene from the 2nd episode and also the P&P2 ringtone from episode 1 has been changed to a generic ringtone.
For all the care ITV took to disappear the clips at YT, now they give an incomplete or mutilated version of their serie which leaves out some of the details that were actually amusing. I laught at them for their ‘cleverness’.
If that has happened in the region 2 DVD, one can only guess what will happen if a region 1 is ever released.
October 1st, 2008 at 1:01 pm
They didn’t want to pay the song royalties, probably. Cinthia e-mailed me about the missing “Downtown” scene and I suspected it, but taking out the P&P ringtone confirms it for me.
I hear a little birdie…cheep cheep cheep…
October 1st, 2008 at 6:21 pm
In respect of the show, I think Passiflora just about has it. It just wasn’t very good, and that had little to do with the actual Austen connection (much like Becoming Jane wasn’t a very good movie, Austen or not).
But I saw Jemima Rooper in Agatha Christie’s Third Girl the other evening, and she was splendid, just like Gemma Artherton has been splendid in Tess of the D’Urbervilles. Such waste of great talent really.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:36 am
I didn’t care for Arterton as Lizzie at all. I don’t know if it was the horrid wig, or the fact that we didn’t see much of her, or the fact that I didn’t much care for LIA. But I think she is a very convincing Tess and am enjoying watching her take on that character–although after 4 weeks of Hardy doom and gloom, I may be wishing for some more silly nonsense!
October 6th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Ive started a petition to try and get the downtown scene back in, maybe if she can get enough signitures itv will pay the copyright *fingers crossed* everyone please sign http://www.petitiononline.com/downtown/petition.html
October 7th, 2008 at 2:55 am
I thought Lost In Austen was fabulous and I hope a Canadian network picks it up. Of course I am a fan of other movies like Jane Austen Book Club, Clueless, as well as the movies/tv show adaptations of each of the actual books. (Yes I like to read the books too
Also, I do read a lot of fan fic and I did think that Lost in Austen was kind of a “Mary Sue” fan fic but I thought it was done quite well. And really, if Lost in Austen introduces Jane Austen to a new audience and gains new readers then it is a good thing right!?
October 8th, 2008 at 11:25 am
At first I had very mixed feelings - the way Amanda kept embarrassing herself really irritated me, even when she wasn’t embarrassed. I think the turning point was when Amanda said she had 25,000 a year - she was self-possessed and able to think like a Regency person. I thought the casting was excellent, even though poor Christina Cole is always typecast these days. To be honest, I thought this Darcy was the closest to book!Darcy I’ve ever seen: instead of being awkward and stiff, he was just plain rude. Wickham was great, and although I didn’t like the whole Georgiana business (while it made for a compelling nobility to his character, it doesn’t mesh with him in canon) I did approve of his teaching and helping Amanda. While Bingley’s fall was rather excessive, it was entertaining, and having him run off with Lydia was a nice twist. (… I still don’t see why Mr Bennet couldn’t have just said he forbade the match between Mr Collins and Jane.) I’ve always been more interested in Bingley/Jane than Darcy/Elizabeth, for some reason.
Maybe part of people’s opinions is related to how much fanfic they’ve read? This was not that bad for fanfiction, aside from the Wickham revisionism. Everyone was reasonably in character and the fix-its of the ending were not terribly implausible. Most importantly, characters the writer(s) didn’t like or who were “mean” to either Elizabeth in the original or Amanda in LiA did not end up being hugely punished (which is normally a big problem with this kind of fic, both self insert OFCs and rewriting the canon).
Very late to this part of the discussion, but: I have never felt that the Editrix (by the way, I got the Handbook for my birthday and loved it!) didn’t want me here when I’ve voiced disagreeing opinions. However, I sometimes do get responses by visitors to said disagreement that imply I’m not a good enough Austenite, I haven’t read the books enough times, &c. Which is to say … moderation, everyone.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
I absolutly loved it - as an ardent Austen fan, i’m sure im supposed to be morally outraged by this invasion of the plot, but in reality i found it funny and beautiful. I have to say, i fell in love with Darcy too, and i really enjoyed watching this! It was entertaining and inovative…i just don’t think it should be condemned for thinking about how to relate to an audience that probably hasn’t read the book.
I’m not saying it was perfect - i felt as a series it was too short and should have been six episodes long; the end felt rushed and crammed in and i think had the story been stretched and filled out a little more the plot would really have benefited. But still, on the whole i adored it - i think it did look at P&P from a new angle, which worked for some and not for others. I happened to think the casting was great and the new lines and scenes perfectly inkeeping with the wonderful characters Jane Austen created.
And…i’m going to completly destroy any credit i might have had with this next sentence but…that lake scene! Brilliant - exactly what i would have asked for, lmao… a great story, not only about Pride and Prejudice, but about why it is such a fantastic book - about the power it has over its readers. It just reminded me how much i care for these fictional characters x
October 9th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Oh well…apart from the Wickham thing…but i quite enjoyed that - a little fanciful, mucking around a bit, but its fiction - thats the point i suppose…interpretation
October 10th, 2008 at 1:51 am
Stumbled upon Lost in Austen” when surfing the ITV website.
Would be grateful for any info on the U.S. release on DVD.
Have already googled to no avail, Amazon doesn’t have it either.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Janet M.
October 10th, 2008 at 2:26 am
Don’t worry, you’re not missing anything.
Information about U.S. DVD in this post.
October 10th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Mags: a lot of people have enjoyed Lost In Austen and I think it’s very wrong of you to try to persuade someone to miss it just because of your own opinion on the show. Before you tell me I’m putting words in your mouth, why don’t you go iron your big girl panties instead…
October 10th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
So, we’re back to the Evil Mags Is Going To Control The Janeite Universe With Her L33t Mind Control Skillz meme again, are we? Last time I heard that, I was going to persuade everyone to not see Pride and Prejudice 2005. See how well that worked? And I never did get the sharks with the frickin’ laser beams in their heads that I asked for, either. My minions are falling down on the job.
I guess it wouldn’t be worth while for me to point out that I gave janet the information she was looking for, would it? No, of course not.
October 10th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I’ve suspected this for a while… but I’m not suggesting that your evil plot will actually work, most people seem to have enough sense to disagree with you. Yes you gave Janet the information but only after you mention purchasing the DVD’s would be a waste of time. Why can’t you let people make up their own minds? So you didn’t enjoy LIA, maybe because your big girl panties are too tight, but let others find out for themselves.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:06 pm
Why are you so threatened by the opinion of one blogger? Though it seems to me that those who are most exercised about my snark fail to recognize it as such. You’re taking it all way too seriously, dearie.
October 11th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
A question referring to the “Lost in Austen”-DVD : Does it happen to have German subtitles? And what about special/extra features? Thanks in advance for your replies.
October 12th, 2008 at 2:54 am
Mags: That’s funny that you accuse me of being too serious when I’ve heard you described as having a major stick up a certain part of your anatomy. What makes you think I didn’t understand your snark? It’s obviously your trademark. Snark and big girl panties, what a way to get through life. I bet you have a lot of friends. But you’re right Mags, your opinion doesn’t matter and probably never will. Let’s say no more on the subject.
Beatrice: The DVD doesn’t have German subtitles, just English ones. The DVD extra is a behind the scenes feature. Hope this helps
October 12th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Heavens, this obsession with the underpants (and corresponding anatomy) of the Editrix is a tad unseemly. And such righteous indignation over a little tv show! Someone needs to take a deep breath and have a cuppa
October 12th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I’ve heard you described as having a major stick up a certain part of your anatomy.
OH NOES! People are saying MEAN THINGS about me on the Internets? I’m devastated! My faith in human nature is ruined forever!!!!
As far as having a stick in an inconvenient place: I’m not the one who’s all butthurt by a blogger cracking wise about a second-rate television program. How do I know it’s a second-rate television program? Because ITV (or whoever is doing this) probably would have ponied up the license fee for “Downtown” on the DVDs if it were a first-rate television program. However, they did not, though people are paying good money for those DVDs (in some cases, also paying exchange rate tax and international shipping fees). Do you know what that means? It means that ITV (or, again, whoever is doing the DVDs) holds you, the viewer, in contempt. You go right ahead and keep jumping to their defense, though.
October 13th, 2008 at 7:33 am
I skipped most of the bitchy comments on here so forgive me if this has already been said. Jane Austen did not simply record life, nor did she write a fairytale romance. She wrote a subversive, satirical society based book. Many previous adaptations have ignored any revisionist interpretations and have thus missed a lot of the point.
This series may have been a typical ITV slighty-wobbly-camera production and it may not have had as much money thrown at it. But it avoided being stereotyped into a prim and proper drama where no-one thinks about sex or has a sneaky kiss. The modern content i.e. Caroline as a lesbian and Amanda drunkenly snogging Bingley probably has far more truth in it than we realise.
I for one thoroughly enjoyed every second of it and found it mostly hilarious, even if the dialogue was a bit iffy. It is every girls fantasy and there was not a dull moment in it.
Bravo I say!
October 13th, 2008 at 11:06 am
I skipped most of the bitchy comments on here
If you skipped them, how did you know they were bitchy?
SMARTER SOCKPUPPETS, PLZ
October 13th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Maria L: Thanks for the advice but Mags started it. Big girl panties? sock puppets? Someone needs to get over the clothes fetish.
Mags: Maybe she didn’t need to read the bitchy comments, she’s obviously heard of your reputation.
Philippa: I agree, I’m not saying the series is perfect (we can’t all be like Mags). Anyway it certainly wasn’t second rate or cheap, it was quality entertainment with a great cast and plenty of hilarious moments.
I’m ending my part in this discussion because Mags is bringing out the bitch in me and I don’t like the person she’s turning me into. Maybe she is the puppeteer after all…
October 13th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
If you are dissatisfied with your AustenBlog experience, we suggest that you report it to our ombudsman.
October 13th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Back home again, and I’ve now seen the last episode of this ridiculous programme. At least it was not my money (for as a licence payer I help fund BBC productions) being put to an unworthy use. I doubt there will be another series, either sequel or other novel, as I gather the ratings were not very good, but if there is perhaps they will have the honesty to call it by its true name, which is not Lost in Austen at all but Lost In Andrew Davies, Imperfectly Recollected. Or perhaps not, as Mr Davies might ask for royalties. Indeed, as the wet shirt was his sole creation and nothing to do with Jane Austen he really ought to do that now.