Sense and Sensibility 

Two sisters of opposing temperaments find love and some heartbreak in Jane Austen's 18th century classic.

Stars:

Irene Richard, Tracey Childs, Annie Leon

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Irene Richard	...	Elinor Dashwood 7 episodes, 1981
Tracey Childs	...	Marianne Dashwood 7 episodes, 1981
Annie Leon	...	Mrs. Jennings 7 episodes, 1981
Robert Swann	...	Colonel Brandon 6 episodes, 1981
Donald Douglas	...	Sir John Middleton 5 episodes, 1981
Marjorie Bland	...	Lady Middleton 5 episodes, 1981
Bosco Hogan	...	Edward Ferrars 5 episodes, 1981
Peter Woodward	...	John Willoughby 4 episodes, 1981
John Owens	...	Tom 4 episodes, 1981
Gina Rowe	...	Susan 4 episodes, 1981
Diana Fairfax	...	Mrs. Dashwood 4 episodes, 1981
Peter Gale	...	John Dashwood 3 episodes, 1981

Storyline

The Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne, must search for a new house with their mother; their former home and the majority of the money having been inherited by their half-brother at the passing of their father. The family is given the lease of a cottage by a kind cousin. Disciplined and restrained Elinor forms an attachment to quiet Edward Ferrars, while her impetuous and emotional sister Marianne falls for dashing John Willoughby. However, the Dashwoods' lack of fortune and the strict social structure of 18th century England affects the marriage prospects of both sisters.

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Plot Keywords:

love | heartbreak | half brother | england | cottage | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed in Devon over a particularly wet summer. Most of the scenes that take place in the rain were naturally occurring.

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Goofs

The fine mesh diffusing filter is very clearly visible in many exterior and interior scenes - it is very distracting.

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Quotes

Elinor Dashwood: Are you closely acquainted with Mr. Robert Ferrars?
Lucy Steele: Robert Ferrars? That great coxcomb - although I've never met him. No, with his elder brother, Edward.

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Connections

Version of Sense and Sensibility (1971)

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Soundtracks

Piano Sonatina in G Major: II. Rondo - Allegro
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven

User Reviews

Not the best version for me, but I still liked it very much

I love the book, and as much as I do love the 1995 Ang Lee film my favourite version to date is the 2008 version. This 1981 series is very good though, only let down in my opinion by an abrupt ending and Robert Swann's dull Colonel Brandon. However, it is handsomely photographed, and the scenery and costumes look absolutely gorgeous. The music is also effective in its simplicity. The script while not as witty as the Ang Lee film is still literate and true in spirit to Jane Austen's language, and the story while not quite exploring a couple of scenes as well as the 2008 series is still moving and not too rushed or leisurely, in fact it adopts a slow(but never laborious) pace that was perfect considering how the story of the book unfolds. Apart from Swann, I thought the acting was fine. Of the two sisters Mariann and Elinor the Mariann of Tracey Childs I found better. Winslet in the 1995 film is more subtle, but Childs is still quite affecting. Irene Richard is excellent in her scenes between Julia Chambers' Lucy Steele, and is closer than age than Emma Thompson as well as spikier and more confrontational, an approach I liked. Julia Chambers' Lucy is wonderfully catty, Donald Douglas gives a performance of jollity as Sir John, Peter Gale is a sympathetic John Dashwood and Bosco Hogan and Peter Woodward are a dashing Edward and Willoughby respectively. All in all, I liked it very much, though of the three Sense and Sensibility adaptations I've seen thus far it is my least favourite. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 1981 (UK)

Also Known As:

Разум и чувства

Filming Locations:

Babington House, Babington, Somerset, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

174 min 30 min (7 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color