Pride and Prejudice (new Netflix series)

[VibeCurator]

Not sure when this is being released (?) but I’m really looking forward to it. I loved the old BBC series and afaik there’s not really been a remake (besides the films) so this is quite exciting.

The cast has just been released too. What do we all think?

I am going to defend Keira Knightley!

I watched it again recently and thought that her performance was good although Donald Sutherland overshadowed everyone of course!

Edited: could not agree more about Alison Steadman as Mrs Bennett though! Hopefully Olivia Colman will play it with more nuance and be less screechy!

I think this could be a groundbreaking adaptation, purely for the fact some of us will fancy Mr Bennett more than Mr Darcy

Whoever applied Keira Knightley’s eye liner needed to tone it down however 😃

I saw Rufus Sewell play Darcy in Manchester when I was the impressionable age of 14, and no one else has ever measured up to him as Darcy for me. I still haven’t watched all the BBC adaptation as Colin Firth just didn’t hold a candle to him.

The Keira Knightley film is getting some shade here but Donald Sutherland was very good as Mr Bennett, will be interesting to see how RS plays him.

When you put it like that Medlar....it does seem dull 🤔

I think the first time I saw Olivia Colman was when she was the wife in 'Rev' and I liked her. For reasons which I can't explain and which are probably very unreasonable, I feel as if I want to steer clear of anything she's in now.

That was the first time I remember seeing her in anything, too. I thought she was brilliant. Excellent cast in general, though — Simon McBurney was a particular highlight.

Andrew Davies wrote that in the screenplay.

I really liked the Keira Knightley version, but I do remember being a bit distracted by Donald Sutherland’s big white Hollywood teeth.

I think they might have coloured them in a bit for Mr Bennett.

"Hopefully Olivia Colman will play it with more nuance and be less screechy!" Have you seen OC doing history/comedy? It's her default setting.
Emma Corrin? K'in 'ell. Simpery, wet,miserable (attention seeking)flavour of the month.

These are maybe controversial opinions but my tuppenceworth:

I wish they wouldn't keep casting KK in corset parts. To me she has a very "modern" look, even in historical dramas.

Also while Matthew MacFadyen comes across as a lovely bloke, I think he's a very wooden actor. The only thing I remember liking him in was he had a short part in Ashes to Ashes as a guy who baths in baked beans for charity, which was funny. Maybe he needs to do fewer dramas and more comedy.

ETA: I feel bad typing that as MM does come across as a nice guy IRL.

I thought he was wonderful in Ripper Street @Mochudubh

Edited to add - he was superb on stage as Jeeves to Stephen Mangan's Bertie. One of the funniest plays I've ever seen.

Sorry, I thought he was wooden in Ripper Street too. I really wanted to enjoy that series as it would normally be right up my er, street but never bothered after the first series.

Your other comment seems to second my opinion that he should stick to comedy.

That's just my personal opinion and probably a minority one as he's obviously popular.

You need to watch him in Succession. He’s astonishing.

Sorry, corporate/dynastic dramas aren't really my thing so I'll give it a miss. I'm more into dark historical themed stuff like Ripper Street (if he wasn't in it).

Anyway, I didn't intend to de-rail the thread into the acting chops of Matthew MacFadyen. Just that the MM/KK version of P&P is my least favourite.

eta: Apologies again to Matthew, I just read a review of (the making of) Succession and he really does come across as a lovely bloke.

Nothing against Olivia Coleman but Mrs Bennett was a looker.

Matthew MacFadyean really was amazing in Succession. Everyone was. Not suggesting anyone watch it, just want to echo the sentiment.

I'm in a small, select group of people who doesn't find Kiera Knightly annoying 😂 I've liked her in pretty much everything I've seen her in.She had an archness as EB that worked, I thought.

I think Emma Corrin wowed as Diana but I haven't seen any performance as good since then. And I really don't like her style.

Jack Lowden was very funny on the one show about copying Matthew MacFadyean's performance "but make it ginger" I like him a lot, he's so dry.

I couldn't get past Matthew MacFadyen's awful wig. I am so over Olivia Colman now. she's in bloody everything and helped to ruin Paddington in Peru for me.
The 1995 Persuasion is absolute bliss. Why isn't Amanda Root a megastar? She was glorious in the 2002 Forsyte Saga too (not looking forward to the new version 0f that).

I did not spot a wig!!

@Mochudubh I thought his Ripper Street character was so repressed and awkward that it suited Matthew McFadyen very well. And I love his diction, it's beautiful.

Then again, I have met him and he was charm incarnate so I am probably quite biased.

The 1995 series wasn’t the original. There were several before, though I expect many are lost. I love the 1980 adaptation by Fay Weldon, David Rintoul is fabulous as Darcy.

The cast are great in that one, DR and Elizabeth Garvie in particular, but the sets, costumes etc now look very dated and non-naturalistic. There are also some good things about the (early 80s?) Mansfield Park adaptation with Sylvestra Le Touzel as Fanny, but likewise looks very dated. Walls shake when someone shuts a door.

He’s brilliant in Perfect Strangers (short drama that was on years ago), but I didn’t really like him as Darcy

Gripewater57
If Kiera Knightly stops doing that scrunchy thing with her nose, or maybe it's pouring, I might be able to dislike her less.
That whole film got on my nerves, the repetitive music, the dresses that looked almost Victorian and the mega scruffy hair of the daughters. And don't get me started on the tan Judy Dench had as an aristocratic elderly woman who would hardly have stepped out of doors.

I am struggling to believe that the Kiera Knightly version was 20 years ago, but I appear to be in the wrong. I did enjoy it and the 90's Jennifer Ehle one. On the 20 year cycle, it seems to be about time to remake. I am disappointed they have gone with such old actresses for the Bennett sisters, that's one thing the KK one got right.

Moving on, the version I really want to see is from Mrs Bennett's point of view. Poor woman spends all the time trying to keep her children from destitution while they and her husband try to thwart her at every turn! I have also heard that there will be a tv series of The Other Bennett Sister, which will be interesting to check out.