Colin Firth as Mr Darcy

[Thurlow]

I haven't watched this in years.

Good lord. Has there ever been a better - or fitter - bit of casting than this?

Much as I love Richard Armitage in North and South...

Darcy's hair alone has me going weak at the knees though the wine may have something to do with that too

Exactly - the Mrs Bennet Lydia mirror is much easier to see and understand in the BBC version as compared with, say, the KK version where Mrs B is lovely, but not particularly funny, and Lydia is almost sly/devious/mean girl, and lacks much exuberance.

For all their deeply annoying qualities, the Alison Steadman / Julia Sawalha combo is great craic, viewing-wise. And you can see why their men fell for them, even if they do both live to massively regret it.

P.S. I am not familiar with Richard Armitage, so can't appreciate what he might bring to a show. I have googled N&S, and it looks right up my street, so will have to investigate.

Richard Armitage...fuck me. I love him being all bossy and commanding in N&S and then getting smooshy over Margaret. Although she was a bellend right up until the end. That bit in the train station makes me feel v weepy.

Persuasion is my all time favourite JA book, but I always think the adaptions' castings aren't 100%. The hypochondriac sister, Mary, is only supposed to be in her very early twenties, and the heroine is only 27/28. Yet they cast actors well into their thirties and forties. The Ciaràn Hinds version is a much better adaption, although RPJ is just gorgeous in the later one. Frankly I couldn't get past the fact she'd dumped him in the first place, he's so hot.

Toby Stephens as Rochester is the main reason I can't fancy men unless there's the potential for a bit of witty repartee. He's not conventionally good looking like say RPJ, but the man is hot. I want to lick Michael Fassbender's face at the best of times but aul Toby is just better as Rochester.

Black Sails is worth a watch- complete babe in the guise of a certain Billy Bones. Bizarrely made me realise being a pirate was probably a pretty tough gig in those days. Mist of my knowledge prior to seeing this was however based on Pirates of the Caribbean....

TheCraicDealer, l so agree with you about Toby Stephens Mr Rochester, it's the edge to him, and the wit. I love the scene when Jane asks to go to see her evil aunt, there is so much unsaid amongst the repartee. Right from the first time you see him, it's just oh yes!

I'll look up Black Sails, sounds good.

Japanese couldn't have said it better re Alison Steadman/Julia Sawalha in the BBC P&P.

How can you not be familiar with Richard Armitage and what he brings to anything, he brings himself that's enough:)

I know I'm late to the party but the comments about Jane... SO agree. KK version was a much better Jane. Original Jane looks like the bad guy from Ghost and it weirds me out!

I love Alison Steadman as Mrs Bennett. Whenever I re read the book, it's her voice I hear as Mrs B. Also Mr Bennett was superb casting in this version.

I'm not really a fan of the KK version - it looked gorgeous but KK was too modern in her interpretation of Lizzy. Jane was well cast in looks bur wasn't 'nice' enough and when Mathew Mcfadyen does the 'I love, I love, I love you' line, I want to cringe.

JapaneseM I'm jealous of you getting to enjoy RA for the first time! I just love north and south. Love the way whatshername starts to come into herself and develops her confidence and he just adores her for it.
Toby Stephens as Rochester as I said up thread is my favourite. He brings just enough edge of tortured soul to almost forgive him locking his mad wife away and trying to bigamise jane.

I can't believe how many of you haven't seen Richard Armitage in N&S, you must immediately proceed to Net Flix or Amazon and remedy this. You will be glad you did. But I am with their who say RA in anything is worth watching. John Proctor being the latest .

Love RPJ as Captain Wentworth, no manner of persuasion would have made me dump him!

CF is the only Darcy for me.

As much as I love Michael Fassbender (and I do love him) he is not Rochester, in fact that film was a huge let down. I may have to revisit TS version.

Reader, I did something very controversial yesterday.

I stopped halfway through episode 4 of P&P - and put N&S on instead.

I think I had Thornton being a nicer person in my head. I forgot he beats people up.

I stand by my OP that Colin Firth is the single best and fittest piece of casting and THE Darcy.

But my word, I'd forgotten quite hot under the collar RA in N&S makes me...

Thurlow how could you stop there? Mid ep 4 D and E meet at a Pemberley and that is my favourite part?! I have been known to start there, in fact
I do agree with you about RA though, and you did introduce me to N and S and a lovely Sat pm so you are forgiven as he is truly hot! DH is now trying to use RA to make me rewatch the Hobbit though
I think today (can you tell I don't have children yet? ) may have to include re watching Jane Eyre. I love it but didn't like TS much so don't think I have seen all of it

TheCraicDealer you are right about the Persuasion castings. They never get all the characters quite right and make them older and dowdier than they should be. I do love the Ciaran Hinds version though.
Bit like Mansfield Park, I adore the book but haven't seen a version adapted that I really like yet.
However, P and P has been my favourite book since I was about 12 so at least they got CF right. I really can't watch the KK version though, E is pert and smug and D is wet, literally and figuratively. At least CF has presence and a commanding voice. I like the Bingley and Jane pairing in the new version though.

As we're comparing versions, did anyone else see the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre version of P&P last year? It was excellent, and in fact the girl who played Lydia really brought something new to it, as the actress was only about 17 herself and played her like an over-excitable, silly girl - it really brought home just what a creep Wickham was.

The Mr Darcy was very good too. Not quite Colin Firth standard, but more than acceptable.

Richard Armitage in N&S wins. Definitely. There is no contest.

But CF is a better Darcy and I love Alan Rickman in S&S. Just the bit when he's at the door and Marianne says thank you for bringing her mother. Swoon.

Sounds good hackmum. Lydia seems to be often played by older people whereas in fact she is 15 at the start and I am imagining Wickham as late 20s as he grew with 28 year old Darcy. Yuk.

This thread has made me dream of a sofa day and period dramas. Damn it, the DH won't be happy when I get my box sets out!

Without doubt CF as Mr D is perfect. To be honest I didn't really know the story when I watched that P&P (too busy dreaming up rude things I could do to Mr D). Then watched the KK one and got it.

As soon as I ship out the boyfriend later I'm getting Jane Eyre on the rip. TS version, natch

There's a new version of Far From the Madding Crowd being released next spring, with Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba Everdene and some Belgian bloke as my top-literary totty, Gabriel Oak. Also Michael Sheen as Farmer Boldwood. Not happy with aul Carey there, but we'll see how that pans out.

Did someone set off the Armitage Klaxon? There is a long-running RA thread here on MN, should any of you want to join us :)

N&S is obviously his defining moment (oh yum, all that gorgeously-repressed longing) but for me, even though the character is nothing compared to MrThornton, you can't beat a bit of Spy Candy :)

Ah yes, the Armitage klaxon. The dear boy has done some dreadful tripe in his time, but Mr Thornton is (for all his faults) magnificent.

I agree too about CF as Mr Darcy, TS as Mr Rochester and AR as Colonel Brandon.

:: goes to recline wanly on chaise longue with lavender-soaked hankie on forehead::

I've been re-watching the Jane Eyre series with Timothy Dalton, and while he is too tall and far too gorgeous, Dalton is definitely my all-time favourite Mr Rochester. That scene after the revelation about his wife in the attic and just before Jane flees Thornfield always has me practically screaming "What the hell are you doing, woman?!" I'd have stayed.

Timothy Dalton also played Heathcliff once. The film was awful, but Dalton was delicious and handled the poor material reasonably well.

Colin Firth would take some beating as Mr Darcy, and my main complaint about the version of Persuasion with Rupert Penry Jones is that RPJ isn't on screen enough. (I have all four DVDs of Whitechapel not just because I thought the whole series was excellent but also because you can guarantee RPJ would be shirtless at some point in nearly every episode.)

Did anyone else ever see Clarissa? Sean Bean was an aristocratic villain in that one. In spite of everything, I did still find Lovelace delivishly attractive. Although Richard Sharpe is a good option for a bit of rough.

There is a RA thread Lucas?!

With pictures? < hopeful look>

Can we have a Darcy one too?

Emily, pictures you say? What, like this one? Or this one? Or perhaps this one? Yes, there may be pictures :) But then again, that's not always a good thing :)

Jeanie, I'm halfway through the Clarissa DVD. RA played Lovelace in an audio version of that - he was fantastic in it (of course) but it's a difficult listen at times and Clarissa herself just gets on my sodding nerves.

Also a big RPJ fan here but he's not, um, the best actor around. Series 7 of Spooks - talk about the perfect storm!

Spooky that first image should come with a health warning, I think my ovaries exploded
The last gif was truly hilarious.
It's raining here, it is cool enough to curl up under a blanket and I am trying to lazily decide what to watch next. Not a bad dilemma really!

I'm saving an N&S rewatch for when the kids are back at school - can't wait :) Though it's soooo depressing in parts. Worth it all for THAT scene at the train station though

Emily, if that pic made your ovaries explode,