The BBC’s adaptation, also known as the A&E version, of Jane Austen’s novel is one of the corporation’s most successful and enduringly popular period dramas. For this Pride and Prejudice TV series, screenwriter Andrew Davies ‘wanted to emphasize the men in the story.’ In doing so, he created some of the show’s most memorable scenes. In particular, there was the famous ‘lake scene’ in which Colin Firth, drenched after his swim, bumps into Elizabeth Bennet. Elizabeth was visiting Darcy’s Pemberley estate on the assumption that the master of the house was absent. Other scenes featuring the male characters of the novel, such as the opening footage of Darcy and Bingley galloping through the fields, were similarly invented or embellished for the screen.

Darcy and Lizzy ride off together

The Cast

Jennifer Ehle won a BAFTA for her portrayal of Lizzy, while Colin Firth’s performance catapulted the British actor to international fame. Firth has since been voted the best Darcy. The originality of the interpretation, the sensuality of the show, and the chemistry between the two leads, attracted record UK audiences for a period drama. Andrew Davies’ talent for seamlessly integrating his own dialog (see, for example, his wording of Mr. Darcy’s first proposal) also appealed to die-hard Jane Austen fans.

No More Wobbly Sets

Pace and movement were also at the heart of this 1995 adaptation, with Andrew Davies claiming that:

All of the previous Jane Austen adaptations had been, I suppose, very Crawford-like. They’d sort of concentrated on the little details and they’d always been about young ladies and gentlemen, buttoned up to the neck, having polite conversations in wobbly sets.

By contrast, many scenes in the 1995 version are outdoors or involve motion in some way. Below you can see one of the opening scenes from the BBC series, in which the Bennets are shown striding along while discussing the new arrivals at Netherfield. From this lively beginning, the pace rarely drops throughout the show’s six episodes.

The show was produced by Sue Birtwistle, who has said in interviews that it is her favorite book. It was directed by Simon Langton and also stars Alison Steadman as Mrs Bennet, Benjamin Whitrow as Mr. Bennet, and Julia Sawalha as Lydia. It has been released on VHS and DVD, and most recently, in the high definition Blu-ray format, for which it was re-mastered from the original film negative.