Writer: Guy Andrews
Director: Dan Zeff
Cast: Jemima Rooper (Amanda Price), Alex Kingston (Mrs. Bennet), Hugh Bonneville (Mr. Bennet), Elliot Cowan (Mr. Darcy), Morven Christie (Jane Bennet), Tom Riley (Wickham), Perdita Weeks (Lydia Bennet), Gemma Arterton (Elizabeth Bennet), Christina Cole (Caroline Bingley), Lindsay Duncan (Lady Catherine de Bourgh), Guy Henry (Mr. Collins), Michelle Duncan (Charlotte Lucas) & Tom Mison (Mr. Bingley)
Director: Dan Zeff
Cast: Jemima Rooper (Amanda Price), Alex Kingston (Mrs. Bennet), Hugh Bonneville (Mr. Bennet), Elliot Cowan (Mr. Darcy), Morven Christie (Jane Bennet), Tom Riley (Wickham), Perdita Weeks (Lydia Bennet), Gemma Arterton (Elizabeth Bennet), Christina Cole (Caroline Bingley), Lindsay Duncan (Lady Catherine de Bourgh), Guy Henry (Mr. Collins), Michelle Duncan (Charlotte Lucas) & Tom Mison (Mr. Bingley)
With the exposition dealt with last week, Lost In Austen's free to cut loose with some amusing farcical scenarios, as modern-day time/dimension traveller Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper) turns matchmaker...Amanda's arrival in Jane Austen's "Pride & Prejudice" has inevitably upset the course of true love -- meaning Mr. Darcy (Elliot Cowan) has yet to meet his sweetheart Elizabeth (she's stuck in contemporary London); Mr. Bingley (Tom Mison) has been distracted by Amanda, making him blind to Jane's (Morven Christie) affections; and the arrival of creepy, wealthy bachelor Mr. Collins (Guy Henry) forces Amanda to take drastic measures, before he fixates on Jane…
As far as knockabout romantic comedy goes, Part 2 washes over you -- leaving you charmed, but not particularly gripped. But the actors are doing a great job; particularly Jemima Rooper, whose open expressiveness and heartfelt determination to get Austen's narrative back on-track is what keeps the whole thing moving along.
I'm not acquainted with every "Pride & Prejudice" adaptation to make insightful comparisons regarding these interpretation of Austen's characters, but Mr. Bingley is a likeable fop, Mr. Darcy is gruffly annoying, Mrs. Bingley (Christina Cole) is wonderfully icy, Jane is beautifully played, and Mr. Collins is unpleasant without becoming a caricature. Sadly, Alex Kingston and Hugh Bonneville don't get as much to do this week as the Bennett parents.
There are lots of dances, horse-drawn carriages, gazing out of windows, polite but sharp arguments, crying and bitter misunderstandings. Still, while some of the period goings-on can become repetitive, and knowledge of "Pride & Prejudice" is more essential this week with the introduction of Captain Wickham (Tom Riley), it remains watchable thanks to the out-of-time fun. Here, Amanda's £27,000 salary caused a mighty stir (as it eclipsed Mr. Darcy's formidable fortune), she halts Mr. Bingley's advances by saying she's a lesbian, and during an evening of entertainment she opts to sing Petula Clark's "Downtown" to the puzzled audience.
Overall, this is easily ITV1's most enjoyable home-grown drama for ages - faint praise, but true. I was disappointed to see Part 1's ratings were so low (3.8 million; 17% share), but that's mainly because it's competing with BBC1's Who Do You Think You Are? (6.2 million; 27% share). It would do far better as early-evening Sunday night entertainment, surely. Oh well. While not as enjoyable as Part 1 (and I suspect Lost In Austen might have worked better as a couplet of 90-minute episodes shown over a weekend), this is still cheerful, silly, well-written fun.
10 September 2008
ITV1, 9pm
