Death Comes to Pemberley BBC1

[bisjo]

Anyone watching? It is so slow. I'm not sure I'll be watching parts 2 and 3 or even the whole of part 1.

I'm still watching it but only to count how many times the characters say 'of course' - I counted 26 last night.

I don't think it's very credible that Lizzie and Darcy would only have one child - they popped them out at the rate of one a year in those days

Well, people did still have all manner of fertility problem. Henry VII's mother Margaret Beaufort only had one child despite 3 husbands, as she nearly died in the first childbirth. Plus look at the later Tudor queens - no popping one out every year for them either.

In this case I can't see why they only have one child, unless it's to increase the importance of Georgiana making a dynastic marriage?

Lydia - who married before Lizzie appears to have none either.

True, although Lydia and Wickham are so feckless I would have expected them to park any offspring with Jane and Bingley for safekeeping.

In the book the Darcy's have two children, and they are expecting another by the end.

I think Colin and Jennifer are both well preserved enough to play their characters! In fact I think Jennifer Ehle looks younger than the actress who is playing Elizabeth.

Margaret Beaufort was very (too) young when she had her first, and only child.

I thought I remembered them having two children before I gave up on the book.

The only woman I can remember in P&P who Lizzy doesn't meet, is a wealthy woman who Wickham dangles after briefly. Mad hissy woods woman could be her. Maybe he married her secretly and his marriage to Lydia is bigamous?

Wowzers, I was thinking Elizabeth was going to spend every episode in the same dress but it turns out she can afford a change of clothes after all.

I think the televisation is better than the book TBH.

Aww, lovely

I woz wrong.

Thank god that's over with. Completely expected plot development of the conveniently dying brother. D&E shagging - good lord. And Lydia "we always find a way through, you know?" - so exactly as Austen would have written. Not. In fact they might as well have had the characters using terms like 'not'.

I am most seriously displeased (in the manner of Lady Catherine) to have Colonel F's good name blackened and Wickham somehow redeemed despite being a feckless shagger the same as always. I'm also most seriously displeased that Pen Keith only got one scene as Lady C when Maggie Smith has had 4 seasons as the most appalling old aristo on TV.

So Mrs Younge, how utterly random, and almost completely superfluous to the needs of the plot.

Bah humbug.

Plus, why did AMM get the crappest costumes? And look like she spent zero time on her hair, like we're meant to believe she's some frazzled working mum. Where did Mr and Mrs Bennet go, why were they in in the first place? Where was Jane, curse you programme makers?? (I know she was in a bit yesterday).

Why was Lizzie so affectionate towards Lydia? She's never liked her.

Tribpot, I don't get why you think Lizzie wouldn't advocate a love match for someone of Georgiana's rank? Surely having entered a love match herself with someone of the same rank she'd be all for it?

Yes, the mrs young plot was shoe-horned in somewhat.

And the sexy time was a bit eww.

However aww, lizzie and darcy

But Lizzie had no fortune. She barely had two halfpennies to rub together by the standards of her world. Remember her family expected her to marry the appalling Mr Collins because it would have seen them not chucked out on their arses once Mr Bennet died. Mr Bennet himself is intended as an example of the imprudence of a love match.

These were overtly materialistic people - hence why the description of each person includes their annual income. Austen would never have had one of her heroines marrying outside the gentry. Very few of her heroines had any capital to protect, probably only Emma Woodhouse? And god knows there was no chance she would marry into the middle classes :)

Darcy was also intended to make a strategic marriage (Miss Bingley according to - well, Miss Bingley, Miss de Bourgh according to Lady C). But as a man there wasn't much anyone could do to prevent him making a love match, although Lady C did her best. And a man marrying a woman of no fortune was far more acceptable than the reverse - then and to some extent now.

Oh and also, there was no point at all to the Mrs Riley subplot, surely? Except to set up the arrival of Trevor Eve.

Staggered through all the episodes as I love anything to do with P and P. However, not a fan of this. Read the book a couple of years ago and forgot all that happened so just bought it on kindle to see if it was as bad as the adaptation.

What happened to Lizzie? She looks so haggard and no chemistry with her and Darcy. Georgiana seemed very old too. No Jane and Bingley and poor Colonel F's character maligned!

Mind you, I didn't like KK P and P either. I think I'll stick to the 1995 version and Lizzie Bennet Diaries. I think there is always a risk that it is just not what you pictured. Generally not a fan of sequels, although I love all the variations out there (the 'what if') books are great.

Oh, and it seems I can't use brackets either!

I've got the book on my Kindle too, Gigi - am tempted to at least skim it to see if the dialogue was truer to Austen, to read the Jane and Bingley bits, and see if they made up all the stuff about Darcy bellowing around the house for the telly. I agree about no chemistry, though. Poor AMM just looked knackered throughout. And certainly none of the lively spirit of Ms Ehle.

It really could have done with a lot more comedy. Not the easiest thing to shoehorn into a murder mystery, admittedly.

Read the book ages ago (yes,the tv version is definitely better) and seem to remember Lydia and Wickham had four children?

Maybe, (reaching here) she looked haggard due to being up-duffed?

Had a quick skim through the first few chapters and Jane and Bingley are fairly prominent Can't see any bellowing either!

I think on the whole my favourite moment was when DH and I realised Lydia was being played by Clara from Dr Who! She was good, thought she captured Lydia well. I have nothing against AMM but she was not well cast.

Why was Lizzie so affectionate towards Lydia? She's never liked her.

Because Lydia was having to cope with the fact that her husband was in danger of being hanged imminently, and also that he had got another woman pregnant. And finally, because she admired the way Lydia was dealing with it.

However, there was a bit of a horrendous blooper in the bit where Wickham was shown giving evidence and being cross examined. Neither was possible until the 1880s, and this woud have had to be set around 1820. Was that in the original book, or was it the dozy scriptwriter's fault?

Lizzie running about on the gallows-hahahaha!

Bit OTT for me.

Didn't like the Col FW bit-was that the same in the book?

Surely having a murder commited in the woods by an ex worker/son of a worker wasn't much worse than a BIL with a "child out of wedlock".

And as for Louisa keeping the baby-was it suddenly rewritten for Hollywood??!!