Lost in Austen: ITV goes period drama crazy
Thursday, August 21st, 2008Austen Powers
It’s all bonnets, bodices and barouches this autumn as a flurry of period drama adaptations from the likes of Dickens, Austin and Hardy hit our screens in the coming season.
BBC 1 will air a fresh, sexed-up version of Tess of the D’Urbervilles starring Gemma Aterton as Tess and Gavin and Stacey co-writer Ruth Jones as her mother. The new adaptation of Hardy’s magnificent rural tragedy promises to be “big, passionate, violent, romantic, sexual” according to screenwriter David Nicholls. The novel has already been screened several times, most notably by Roman Polanski in a film starring Nastassja Kinski in the title role.
Aterton also stars in ITV1’s Lost in Austin, a drama inspired by various Austin novels. Amanda Price (reference Fanny Price of Mansfield Park fame) is a frustrated romantic who adores Jane Austin novels and wishes she could escape to a world of English country houses, country dances and suppressed passion. Then one day she finds a secret door to the world of her favourite novel, Pride and Prejudice. But the “real” story is in danger of being thrown into disarray by her presence.
Whilst conceding there’s been a lot of Austin on the box in recent years, the show’s producer Kate McKerrell said the show is original in that it is “trying to think of a way of retelling the story on modern television”.
Other historical dramas on this season include an adaptation of Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens, directed by Andrew Davies, and Peter Flannery’s “In the Thick of It”, a political drama starring Peter Capaldi as Charles I. Capaldi also takes a role in Channel 4’s The Devil’s Whore, spanning the English Civil War.
August 22nd, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I wonder if Jasper Fforde is involved in Lost in Austin…it all sounds very much like his Thursday Next novels.
September 4th, 2008 at 6:06 am
Is the first episode of lost in austin going to be repeated. I missed it! I’m a sucker for a good period drama…even if it is very close to ‘Life on Mars’
September 11th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Wendy - ITV has a great catch up webpage where I have just watched eppy 1 of Lost In Austin. just type lost in austin into google you should be able to find it. its only up for another 22 days though
September 23rd, 2008 at 2:21 pm
After being a Colin Firth BBC adaptation lover, I was surprised how much I have enjoyed Lost in Austin so far. Well done ITV!
September 24th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I loved this!! It was brilliant.
September 25th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Best series ive seen for years loved it…will there be any more?
September 25th, 2008 at 9:43 pm
Wonderful, we ladies would all love to meet at Mr Darcy….. maybe we have
October 5th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Will Lost in Austin be released on dvd before christmas?Loved it!!
October 6th, 2008 at 9:17 am
i loved loved loved lost in austin! how about a follow up?
October 10th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
loved it loved it the young girl who played the lead
was brilliant. please can we have more.
October 10th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Jemima Rooper is brilliant best series ever
loved it
November 26th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Woop, I was on this
(background)
November 30th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
LOST IN AUSTIN WAS MARVELLOUS, BEST THING I HAVE SEEN ON TV IN AGES, DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHERE I CAN GET A P&P RINGTONE LIKE THE ONE IN THE SERIES?