Guest Author - Lauren Evans
It is a truth universally acknowledged… that every review of a Jane Austen adaptation must begin with these six words. So with that out of the way, let us begin. ITV’s brand new four-part series, Lost in Austen, stars Jemima Rooper as Amanda Price, a woman who escapes from the reality of her dreary job and loutish boyfriend by immersing herself in Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ at the end of a hard day.
Leaping onto the Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes bandwagon, she finds herself transported to Meryton via her magical bathroom cupboard and the machinations of the mischievous Lizzie Bennet. Unlike the aforementioned BBC time-slip dramas, Amanda knows the world that she now inhabits inside-out, and therefore doesn’t spend an inordinate amount of time screaming like a girl and wailing that no-one understands her (I’m looking at you, Keeley Hawes). Instead, she throws herself into the Meryton social scene with gay abandon, while also trying to ensure that the story unfolds as it is supposed to (a difficult task with Lizzie Bennet stuck in a Darcy-free contemporary Hammersmith). She glibly explains away her anachronistic clothes and behaviour, and on the whole, the characters take her at face value, and get on with the serious business of finding themselves some husbands.
Lost in Austen owes a huge debt to the BBC adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, and the producers aren’t afraid to give a sly wink in its direction (Amanda’s mobile ringtone is also the BBC P & P theme music). While it seems to lift some scenes directly from the 1995 TV series, it also makes a few improvements. ER’s Alex Kingston plays a much tougher Mrs Bennet than the ear-splitting Alison Steadman and Hugh Bonneville injects Mr Bennet with some life, establishing him firmly within the plot as an ally of Amanda’s, rather than as an extra with a dry sense of humour.
While ‘Pride and Prejudice’ fans will undoubtedly love the in-jokes (such as the revelation that Mr. Bennet’s first name is actually Claude!), the uninitiated are also led through the story, as Amanda helpfully provides full explanations of what should actually be happening in the novel as things progress. Fans of Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series will find themselves on familiar territory, although this is strictly light-hearted primetime fare, and die-hard lit-geeks might be disappointed that the story is allowed to unravel quite so dangerously.
At one point in the first episode, Lost in Austen nearly forgets its place, and tries its hand at a bit of social commentary, on the type of modern woman who expects her men to display Bingley-style courtesy along with Darcy-grade pecs, but isn’t prepared to wear a bustle and behave like a real lady in return. Happily, it catches itself just in time and lets our protagonist get on with giving Bingley an illicit drunken snogging instead. Overall, Lost in Austen is a good ITV programme (there’s an oxymoron for you!) - don’t expect anything more than an enjoyable period romp, and you won’t be disappointed.
