The Other Bennet Sister starts tonight on BBC1 8pm

[IwantToRetire]

Seemingly unremarkable and often overlooked, Mary Bennet longs to win her family’s approval.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002qkp3

Is this going to be a spoof or some sort of spin off ?

2nd episode tonight at 8:30

Couldn't see a thread so hope this isn't a duplicate!

Tonights episodes were pretty dire. Like a production from a very amateur dramatic society. All round what a disappointment.

Yes that’s exactly what happens. The casting director approaches agents with the brief for the part and asks them to suggest any of their clients that would be suitable. The casting director then considers the suggestions and makes an audition request for any they think are suitable. Usually a self tape reading a scene from the script initially. This is how DD auditioned for another of the parts in this production.

I liked it but can it really be true that private balls (like Lady whoever’s ‘weekly ball’ referred to in episode 5) were held weekly? That would have annoyed other hosts surely.

Agree the bright red dress wasn’t what I imagined to have been worn in polite society either. Must have been awful the years of adult women wearing diaphanous white muslin to go out of an evening, though.

The minuet dance scene in episode 5 worked very well for the story symbolically. I don’t know how historically accurate it was. Charles Ryder character is a creep.

That's exactly what I thought. The similarity is uncanny.
I immediately Googled both actors but there's no family connection.
Excellent series so far. Can't wait for the next 5 episodes to be released on iPlayer on 29th March.

@IwantToRetire I don't think the other episodes come out until next Sunday.

I think I am enjoying this more than I possibly will like the forthcoming Netflix P&P adaption (Olivia Colman as Mrs. B., Emma Corrin as Elizabeth). The only thing I'm looking forward to in that is Fiona Shaw as Lady Catherine. I'm not sure the 1995 series can really be bettered. Happy to be proved wrong though.

I don't think I'm ever going to watch P&P the same way again.

I have always wondered about the Mary character, but I think this has well and truly 'spoiled' the traditional P&P for me.

Not sure that's a bad thing?

Also, I feel like the Caroline character in this series is much more like a 'Caroline' at the time would have behaved: sharp elbowed and opportunistic with the relationship with the Bennet's more realistic.

she was great in Present Laughter

I’ve watched the first four episodes and am really enjoying it. It’s kinda easy watching/charming.

I feel like I'm watching a different series to everyone else. I'm finding it really very slow. I know women's lives weren't particularly interesting in the early 1800s, but because Mary is such a dull character I'm not loving it and tbh I keep feeling like I'm watching Bridgerton with the way it's been cast.

Ruth Jones' portrayal of Mrs Bennet was understanding and nuanced

Really? I feel like she's a one-dimensional pantomime baddie. She's just SO vile to Mary the whole time, so selfish and awful. I'm fully prepared for her to not be ill at all after Mary has been hustled off to Pemberley - just that she received Mary's letter and didn't like the fact that the poor girl is finally having some fun. [I haven't read the book, nor P&P and I can't remember the earlier adaptations so have no memory of what happens at this point].

Had the house to myself over the weekend so watched all five in the same day. Loved it !

I enjoyed the book and started watching the series last night, but hadn't realised only the first 5 episodes were on iplayer, so will have to patiently wait until next Sunday I liked it. Perfect Sunday evening entertainment, though why the episodes are 2 x 30 minutes rather than an hour is a bit odd.

DH said exactly the same thing

I know. I'm really upset. Sat down ready to binge the 2nd 5 episode and nothing there.

I dont know where I got the idea they would be!

re Mrs Bennet - I sort assumed from the early episodes that we are seeing life through Mary's eyes, rather than JA as a story teller.

So just as the sister's are all shown as silly and mindless (which isn't how they are written about) and Mrs B being unsympathetic is because that is Mary's experience as a member of the family.

I had the same idea and was equally disappointed!

It’s funny that there are a range of views on this series. Posters are either liking it or hating it.

I liked it. Two things to criticise are the dresses which seem to have adopted the Bridgerton ethos of costuming. I love Bridgerton, a big fan, but it’s an alternative universe. This is supposed to be a bit more realistic. Mary’s dresses were terrible. Was that intentional?

Another thing was Ruth Jones as Mrs B. I didn’t like her portrayal. Ruth seemed to look like she wasn’t really invested in the role. Maybe I’m biased, because the only Mrs B I have ever liked was Alison Steadman in the 1995 version of P&P.

I dont love it or hate it.

I am watching as much because as I said in an earlier post, I think tv series have spoilt a lot of story telling.

They are so caught up with either directly imitating or taking as fact the representation of a period of time as being how previous tv series have portrayed them.

So each new series is a dilution of the original.

I've not read the book and it may be more substantial, but from the tv production after the first 2 episodes which relied on the book itself, what has followed seems less substantial. But then the purpose maybe just to create scenarios to reflect how someone like Mary Bennet who does not "fit in" experiences life.

Mrs Bennet is so obnoxious in this!

People who don’t feel strongly either way are unlikely to comment.

Knightly says he’s been in love with her since she was 13. 🤮

Knightly says he’s been in love with her since she was 13

I think he has loved her as in cared about her since then.

I think that that is when her sister marries his brother.

I don't think he loves her romantically until she is interested in Frank Churchill & he is jealous.

There is an age gap though as she is 21 & him mid/late 30s I think.

So excited to watch this with a glass of (non-alcoholic!) prosecco xx

Rosamund Pike's partner is 18 years older than she is, not Mr. Bingley, but in real life.

Is that creepy?