Miss Austen - BBC1

[witchycat2]

All episodes are now up on iplayer. It airs weekly on Sunday at 9:05pm from tonight.

I love a period drama. I've watched the first episode on iplayer and liking it so far.

Synopsis below from BBC:

Miss Austen takes a literary mystery – Cassandra Austen notoriously burning her famous sister Jane’s letters – and reimagines it as a fascinating, witty and heart-breaking story of sisterly love.
The drama begins in 1830, many years after Jane has died. Cassandra (Keeley Hawes) rushes to visit Isabella (Rose Leslie), the niece of her long-dead fiancé, who is about to lose her home following her father’s death. Cassandra is ostensibly there to help Isabella, but her real motive is to find a hidden bundle of private letters which, in the wrong hands, she fears could destroy Jane’s reputation. On discovering them, Cassandra is overwhelmed as she is transported back to her youth. In flashbacks, we meet Young Cassy (Synnøve Karlsen) and Jane (Patsy Ferran) as they navigate the romantic infatuations, family feuds and dashed hopes which shaped their lives, and laid the foundations for Jane’s unforgettable stories. Cassandra’s re-evaluation of her past eventually leads her to find a way to guide Isabella towards the path of true happiness.

I walked past the house once many years ago and again last summer. It was a bit bleak-looking last year. I had read that it's going to be open for the festivities this year.
I believe that Mr. Johnny Flynn - Mr. Knightley in the 2020 'Emma', went into that house for violin lessons when he was a lad. Just saying.

Mrs. Austen, Jane's mother, was born in 1739 so if Jane died in 1817 her mother was about 78 by then.

Yes, it looked empty and a bit forlorn but maybe they're starting to renovate for the Jane Austen exhibition in the summer, which I must try to get tickets for, as I live only 20 minutes from Winchester. Still haven't been to Chawton either!

Chawton is lovely, the pub opposite is really good too. Make sure you walk down to the church,about 10 mins from the house,if you go 😊

Thanks!

Last year, when I went to see 'Jane's' house I hadn't realised that Edward's (?) Chawton House was along the lane, so that added an extra day on to my Chawton explorations. Allow time!

I seem to remember in the series she said something like “I'm tired of travelling around and trying to find answers”(I'm paraphrasing). I think I probably wasn't paying enough attention!
Frustratingly, I'm going to be in Winchester a couple of months too early to catch the opening of the house where she died.

Apropos of nothing at all, I saw Mickey 17 yesterday and spotted Patsy Ferrens in the cast. She was very good, she has very distinctive and quirky features and I hope she gets a lot more work!

ps I predict Mark Ruffalo will not be getting invitations to the White House for the next four years.🙂

I'm sure Mark Ruffalo will be devastated
I saw the trailer for that last week. It looks weird!

It is weird, but in a good way!

I thought Patsy Ferran as Jane was captivating and I didnt notice anyone else when she was on the screen. It was heartbreaking when she became ill. Very moving. Those scenes really showed the love between them.

Just watched and enjoyed.
Pity colorful clothes weren't worn then. Everything is so dark and drab.
Lovely friendship between the two sisters.

I rewatched tonight and picked up more than last time when I think I was half watching. I was maddened by Mansfield Park. I'm actually one of few people I know who likes the book and I did it for a level. I realised that after a few minutes on the show I knew more about it and the slavery story than we'd even touched upon in school - it was a lot of years ago but still - to the extent that I could have stood in a lecture hall and given a good half hour lecture, Anyway, I'm going to re-read it, or listen to it to see more.

Oh, or watch it which will be even easier. It's on BBCFour later this week.