Viewers in the UK may have seen Andrew Davies' new three part adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, which began on Tuesday night.
One of the few advantages of the post-Christmas period of torpor is that the BBC usually wheels out some decent new shows in honour of the New Year. This year's treat is a lavish new adaptation of Jane Austen's first novel Sense and Sensibility, originally published in 1811. A new production by Andrew Davies is always worth a look, as he has been responsible for some of the most enjoyable period dramas of recent years including, most famously, his 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice - who can forget Colin Firth's wet shirt?
His latest series began promisingly, managing to stay faithful to the original text whilst compressing the novel into three hours. Hattie Morahan makes for an engaging Elinor, and Dominic Cooper promises to be a suitably caddish Willoughby. The only controversial note was the addition of a steamy sex scene in the opeing moments, calling some critics to pronounce the whole thing far too raunchy. Watch it again on the BBC's iplayer in the next few days and see what you think.
Keep an eye out for a new series of Jane Austen articles on British/UK fiction over the next few weeks.
