Comments on: "Celebrating the Complete Jane Austen" on PBS

By: Reeba

Reeba — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:16:29 +0000

>I cannot get out of my mind the hideous spectre of Andrew Davies flapping his hands in the air opining about sex! Oh my dear lord in heaven, I am sure to have nightmares for a week.

LOL!!! AD flapping his hands about

Janeites are of course aware that JA’s way of sketching characters was such that one finds similarities with almost everyone around.
So it’s not surprising that there might exist similarities between JA’s and sex and city characters.
In fact if one were to pick almost any character from any film, at random, one would be able to find these similarities.

How many times has one thought’ Oh dear – that’s like me.’ or That’s like so and so.’

The underlying themes of JA novels IMO are ‘growing up’ and maturing not just physically but mentally as well – and recognizing ones faults.

By: Deb R.

Deb R. — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:58:09 +0000

Wouldn’t you know — I’ve missed all the new JA “Masterpieces” on previous Sunday nights, but caught the Complete Jane last night. It was, for the most part, a Complete Waste of Time.

Except, as a great fan of Sex & the City, I was hooked into watching Masterpiece to see how they compared JA to S&tC. Best they came up with was underlying sex themes (thanks A.Davies!) and that obsession with fanciful hats = obsession with stilleto heels. I can do much better than that.

I see common underlying themes in both to be searching for true love while avoiding cads, and honoring the deep friendships between girlfriends/sisters who sustain each other during the ups & downs of life.

Yes, Jane Austen would have been shocked at the open sexuality of the S&tC girls, but I think she would have recognized the good qualities of Lizzy/Jane/Charlotte/Elinor/Marianne,etc. in Carrie/Charlotte/Samantha/Miranda. And “Mr. Big” is obviously a Mr. Darcy — considered a real prize, but a man with a lot to learn.

By: Julie P.

Julie P. — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 10:24:34 +0000

I have the game and we changed the rules to make it a little tougher — we required that players answer the question directly instead of giving them the multiple choices. We also required very specific answers rather than something general.

Have I said recently that I think Andrew Davies is an overrated, sex-obsessed hack? I like S&S08 a lot, but I hit the FF button and pass by the first few minutes every time I watch it.

By: Fine-eyed Elizabeth

Fine-eyed Elizabeth — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 08:20:58 +0000

I have endured double-torture this evening; the idiotic “Complete Jane Austen” followed by an absolutely horrendous presentation of P&P ’05 on the Oxygen network. It was seven minutes of film followed by five minutes of commercials for two-and-a-half hours–they broke for commercials at the very deneument of the movie, just after Lizzie’s line “your hands are cold.” Excellent place for twelve 30 second commercials for Glade Flame-free candles, Swiffer, IchiBan Kahn and Crayola Wonder Mess-free coloring pens, don’t you think?!!!! Good God!

As for “Complete Jane” … no matter how hard I try, I cannot get out of my mind the hideous spectre of Andrew Davies flapping his hands in the air opining about sex! Oh my dear lord in heaven, I am sure to have nightmares for a week.

By: Cindy C.

Cindy C. — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 06:38:38 +0000

The game is more fun, btw, (esp. after you’ve either played it straight a few times or had a few beers) if you mix up the couples.

By: Andygrrrl

Andygrrrl — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 03:24:53 +0000

I had a good rant about it on my blog (it totally goes the “men only read Austen to learn how to land a chick” route).

But I want that game!

By: Tina B.

Tina B. — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 01:04:21 +0000

I have that game! It is fun, but hardcore Janeites need harder questions.

By: Ben M

Ben M — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 22:52:15 +0000

Laurel Ann's review of it is much better than the comment I was too hasty to make about it. "The Complete Jane Austen Toture" is very apt.