We’ve received a few communications from concerned Janeites about the upcoming BBC adaptation of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. We are seeing so much news about the ITV films that does not mention S&S, there is some concern that the series has been canceled or somehow lost in the shuffle.

Alert Janeite Elizabeth took matters into her own hands and wrote to the BBC, trying to get some more information. She shared the response with AustenBlog.

“We understand you would like to know whether this adaptation is being produced by Anne Pivcevic and whether casting has already been done for it…. [And we] must advice that BBC Information receives thousands of requests each year for information about production and cast details for our programmes. [The BBC is] pleased that we can provide answers to nearly all the enquiries we receive.

“However, on this occasion the information requested is not available on our very comprehensive database and, due to limitations of time and resource, we are unable to conduct the further research necessary to provide a comprehensive response. As you can appreciate, the expenditure to do this can only come from the licence fee, resulting in resources being diverted from the primary function of the BBC, which is to provide programmes.

“We realise that this may be of some disappointment, however, as a viewer of this programme you may find the following website of some interest:

“http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4311734.stm“

Elizabeth goes on to say:

The link provided goes to the original announcement about the new Austen Season that came out MANY months ago. My interpretation of what I was told was that S&S is probably in the very early production stages, still; by the time that there is enough information about S&S3 available that BBC Info workers would not have to waste valuable time and money researching it, however, the news will likely have seeped the the fanblogs online.

We agree with Elizabeth’s assessment and that it does seem as if the Beeb is still planning to make the series. Considering everything else that is going on, as well as the popularity of the recent JANE EYRE and BLEAK HOUSE miniseries, there certainly is a market for well-made period productions. They would be very silly to cancel it at this stage. We are certainly keeping an eye out for S&S information, but just to reiterate:

• MANSFIELD PARK, PERSUASION, and NORTHANGER ABBEY are being produced for ITV, a British television network. Each will be a 90-minute or so film. They seem to be mostly done shooting.
• SENSE AND SENSIBILITY will be produced for the BBC, which is a different British television network. We believe it will be a multi-part miniseries but are not yet sure how long it will be. It is in pre-production and no cast or filming information is yet available.
• We have no firm news yet on when the ITV films will be broadcast in the UK. Most indications point to late spring 2007. The “Jane Austen Season,” as ITV is calling it, will also include a broadcast of their previously-produced film of EMMA starring Kate Beckinsale in the title role.
• We have no firm news yet on when S&S will be broadcast in the UK though we believe in the autumn of 2007, similar to this year’s time slot for JANE EYRE. Based on that information, it will most likely start filming within a few months.
• The three NEW ITV films and S&S will be broadcast in the U.S. on Masterpiece Theatre on PBS beginning in November 2007 as part of a “Jane Austen Festival.” (Now that’s OUR kind of party!) An AustenBlog poster received this information direct from WGBH, the PBS station that produces Masterpiece Theatre, so we consider it firm information. EMMA will not be included in this broadcast because A&E owns the U.S. television rights.
• Unfortunately, we have no information for broadcast of the new films in other countries. If anyone gets this news, please share it with us.

ETA: Masterpiece Theatre will broadcast the films starting in January 2008.

We hope this post clears up any confusion about the upcoming new Jane Austen adaptations.