Pride and Prejudice 

While the arrival of wealthy gentlemen sends her marriage-minded mother into a frenzy, willful and opinionated Elizabeth Bennet matches wits with haughty Mr. Darcy.

Stars:

Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle, Susannah Harker

Top Rated TV #47 | Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 8 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Jennifer Ehle	...	Elizabeth Bennet 6 episodes, 1995
Colin Firth	...	Mr Darcy 6 episodes, 1995
Susannah Harker	...	Jane Bennet 6 episodes, 1995
Julia Sawalha	...	Lydia Bennet 6 episodes, 1995
Alison Steadman	...	Mrs. Bennet 6 episodes, 1995
Benjamin Whitrow	...	Mr. Bennet 6 episodes, 1995
Crispin Bonham-Carter	...	Mr Bingley 6 episodes, 1995
Polly Maberly	...	Kitty Bennet 6 episodes, 1995
Lucy Briers	...	Mary Bennet 6 episodes, 1995
Anna Chancellor	...	Miss Bingley 6 episodes, 1995
Lucy Robinson	...	Mrs Hurst 6 episodes, 1995
Adrian Lukis	...	Wickham / ... 5 episodes, 1995
David Bamber	...	Mr Collins 5 episodes, 1995
Lucy Scott	...	Charlotte Lucas 5 episodes, 1995
Lucy Davis	...	Maria Lucas 5 episodes, 1995
Emilia Fox	...	Georgiana Darcy 4 episodes, 1995
Marlene Sidaway	...	Hill / ... 4 episodes, 1995
Barbara Leigh-Hunt	...	Lady Catherine de Bourgh 4 episodes, 1995
Tim Wylton	...	Mr. Gardiner 4 episodes, 1995
Rupert Vansittart	...	Mr Hurst 4 episodes, 1995
Joanna David	...	Mrs. Gardiner 4 episodes, 1995
Nadia Chambers	...	Miss Anne de Bourgh 4 episodes, 1995
David Bark-Jones	...	Lt. Denny 4 episodes, 1995
Lynn Farleigh	...	Mrs Phillips / ... 4 episodes, 1995
Christopher Benjamin	...	Sir William Lucas 4 episodes, 1995
Roger Barclay	...	Capt. Carter 4 episodes, 1995
Kate O'Malley	...	Sarah, the maid / ... 3 episodes, 1995
Norma Streader	...	Lady Lucas 3 episodes, 1995
Paul Moriarty	...	Col. Forster 3 episodes, 1995
Victoria Hamilton	...	Mrs Forster 3 episodes, 1995
Anthony Calf	...	Colonel Fitzwilliam 3 episodes, 1995
Sarah Legg	...	Hannah 2 episodes, 1995
Annabel Taylor	...	Maggie, the maid 2 episodes, 1995
Harriet Eastcott	...	Mrs Jenkinson / ... 2 episodes, 1995
Natasha Isaacs	...	Gardiner Children 2 episodes, 1995
Marie-Louise Flamank	...	Gardiner Children 2 episodes, 1995
Roy Holder	...	Hodge, the gardener 2 episodes, 1995
Julian Erleigh	...	Gardiner Children 2 episodes, 1995
Neville Phillips	...	Fossett, the footman 2 episodes, 1995
Christopher Staines	...	Lt. Sanderson 2 episodes, 1995
Jacob Casselden	...	Gardiner Children 2 episodes, 1995
Melvyn Tan	...	Forte Piano played by 2 episodes, 1995

Storyline

Jane Austen's classic novel about the prejudice that occurred between the 19th century classes and the pride which would keep lovers apart.

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Plot Keywords:

jane austen | tv mini series | class consciousness | love hate | matchmaking | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

BBC [UK] PBS [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 January 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Pride and Prejudice

Filming Locations:

Longnor, Staffordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Chestermead

Technical Specs

Runtime:

327 min (6 parts)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joanna David (Mrs Gardiner) was the protagonist Elinor Dashwood in a 1971 BBC production of Sense and Sensibility.

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Goofs

In the scenes at Mr. Collins' abode, there is a mantle clock whose small hand points to 6 and the large hand to 17 minutes. The clock never changes throughout the entire scenes at the parsonage.

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Quotes

[They are discussing the fact that Wickham has, in essence, extorted from them a fortune for the misery he is likely to face in marrying Lydia]
Mr. Bennet: I should have taken better care of you all.
[Bitterly]
Mr. Bennet: The satisfaction of prevailing upon one of the most worthless young men in Britain might then have rested in its proper place. As it is, the thing is done - with extraordinarily little inconvenience to myself. When you take into account what I shall save on Lydia's board and pocket allowance, I am ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in At Home with the Georgians: A Man's Place (2010)

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Soundtracks

Pride and Prejudice
(Opening title music)
Composed by Carl Davis
Performed by Melvyn Tan

User Reviews

Doing justice to Jane Austen.

This is a drama to rave about. I've not seen its like on television before; nor do I expect to see its like again. It was superb. It was almost perfect - though not quite.

It is rare to find a Jane Austen dramatisation that comes so near to being perfect on every level and that stays so true to the original novel. The greater part of the dialogue in the series is Jane Austen's own and every scene is included and follows the same chronological order. The drama departs from the novel in only two instances. In order to extend our knowledge of the characters of Darcy(Colin Firth), and Mr Collins(David Bamber), two scenes are added; to demonstrate that Darcy is not just an effete aristocrat but a real man worthy of Elizabeth's love we are shown him indulging in manly pursuits; fencing, and swimming in his private lake (it puzzles me why so many women seem to drool over his wet-shirt scene); and to demonstrate that Mr Collins is an idiotic, narrow- minded prude we are shown him trembling with embarrassment and horror when he happens to come across Lydia (Julia Sawalha) in a state of dishabille. David Bamber makes Mr Collins deliciously toadying and obsequious. A remarkable piece of acting.

It is its faithfulness to the original that makes this drama so good. No one has ever written a more tightly plotted novel. Its series of climaxes make the novel difficult to put down; just as one plot-line reaches its climactic conclusion, another is building. And the duel of wits and sharp dialogue between Darcy and Elizabeth (Jennifer Ehle) as they get to know each other is entrancing. And then comes that moment. She is at the piano befriending Darcy's sister, Georgiana (Emilia Fox), when he holds her gaze with a silent declaration of his love and admiration. This involved a fine piece of editor-timing; a split second either way, either too long or too short, and the poignancy of that moment would have been lost. It is interesting to compare Colin Firth's Darcy with that of Lawrence Olivier's Darcy in the Hollywood film. Olivier falsely portraits him as appealingly shy and self-conscious. But Darcy was in no way shy, he was just proud, with every reason to have a good opinion of himself. He found it impossible to imagine that anyone in a lower strata of society, living in a small provincial town, could be his equal - until he met Elizabeth!

However, I felt there was one weak link in the chain of superb acting; Alison steadman. Many will disagree but I think she over-acted, turning her Mrs Bennet into a nerve- grating, neurasthenic caricature. But apart from that, I heartily recommend this video. Don't miss it. You'll not see its like again. I must just mention the charming piano music by Carl Davis, so beautifully evocative of a beautiful period in history (for the rich).