Miss Austen

This charming series is a treat for all those of us who love a well-written period drama and, in particular, the works of Jane Austen. It was a delight to see this portrayal of Jane as a person, and her loving bond with her sister Cassandra.

There are funny nods to some of Jane's best-loved characters. The Austen parents, played by real-life couple Phylis Logan and Kevin McNally, were clearly Jane's inspiration for Mr. & Mrs. Bennett - with her constant talk about her ailments and desire to match make, and his benevolent patience! Also, when a would-be suitor for Cassandra tells her his home is in Derbyshire, she smiles as this reminds her of her sister's perfect romantic hero, Mr. Darcy, and the beautiful Pemberley.

Every actress in this gives a brilliant performance - it's just a treat from start to finish. It's poignant but also amusing and I enjoyed every minute.

My wife & I both find it extremely confusing & disorienting, although it redeems itself in the end. This might be a story better read than watched. I found myself constantly wanting to stop & flip back a few pages, "who is she again?" "Which Mr. Fowler is he?" "Mother? Whose mother?"

The most disorienting episode is the first, with two different sets of actors playing the younger & older characters, all with various names for the same characters: proper, given, endearments, & nicknames.

Still, as noted, the series pays off in the end. Wonderful cast, good performances, imaginative story. If only everyone wore a name tag.

I cannot be the only viewer who loves to suspend disbelief and disappear into a well-told story on tv. This is especially the case with period costume dramas, and especially those that are about Jane Austen and her works. Why then must the producers break the spell by casting black actors in white roles? Why do they do it? The real-life Mr. Lidderdale was a white man. Of course he was. By miscasting the role this show elicits a groan and eye-rolling, not eager anticipation. Can you imagine casting Brad Pitt as MLK? Of course not. It would be a distraction. So is the casting of Mr Lidderdale in Miss Austen.

That said, all the actors, including Mr. Lidderdale, do a great job with a cleverly written storyline. I love anything Jane Austen and this is no exception. I hope you enjoy as much as I did spotting the links between the characters in this story and those in Jane Austen's works. The ending was beautiful and moving.

This is a really good adaptation of the novel by Gill Hornby, which explores the relationship between Jane and Cassandra Austen, why Cassandra never married and why she burned Jane's letters after her death. Although largely imagined, the characters are real life personages and the story has been carefully researched. I wasn't initially convinced by the novel, but this adaptation actually does it better and makes a very plausible story. The writing, casting and acting is excellent - especially Patsy Ferran as Jane and Synnove Karlsen as the young Cassandra. Keeley Hawes is good too of course, but some of the "present day" scenes (1830s-40s) drag a bit and are not as interesting as the extensive flashbacks. Once we're in Regency times with Jane and Cassandra and their various suitors, it's utterly enthralling. The "present day" romance between Isabella (Rose Leslie) and the doctor falls a bit flat. However, Max Irons shines as Henry Hobday, a fictionalised but possible love interest for Cassandra. As this is a joint production between PBS Masterpiece and the BBC, I can't help but think that this is PBS wishing to apologise to Austen fans all over the world for the debacle that was Sanditon, particularly the second and third seasons, which were an embarrassment. And perhaps also an apology to Max Irons, who was due to star as Sidney Parker in a film version of Sanditon, which was unfortunately shelved due to the PBS / ITV series. If only the BBC had been involved in that, we might have had something of the quality of this excellent series. Well worth watching for Austen fans and history buffs alike.

Period Drama '' Miss Austen '' follows the lives of Jane and Casandra Austen, as the latter reminisces their relationship years later.

The series is quite short, but it does a good job of creating the perfect atmosphere, with spot on costumes and settings, as well as hair and makeup.

The performances were also great by everyone in the cast, but, especially by the actress portraying Jane Austen and the one performing as the older Casandra Austen. Those two really stood out.

However, and even though the story of the past was interesting to follow, the current one was pushed aside and oddly paced as well as poorly concluded.

So, overall, five out of ten.