Death Comes to Pemberley

This would have been a good series if it had not appropriated Jane Austen's characters and settings. I was surprised at the casting of Darcy and Elizabeth, who were both dour and unattractive. The plot was interesting, but rather than being an homage to "Pride And Prejudice", which, like "Gone with the Wind", should remain intact and untouched by those with less imagination. The production was excellent, with beautiful costumes and sets, as always for British period dramas, but the leads playing the Darcy's were too old. Elizabeth looked like a worn out servant of at least 45, when Elizabeth Bennet would have been 27 at most, with wit and sparkle. They could not rise to the performances of Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, who will always be the only Darcy and Lizzy. And why is the beautiful Georgiana so much taller than her own brother, who looks nothing like her? The mystery was a competent one and the performances of the supporting actors well done. But it does no justice to Jane Austen. This series would have been much improved as a period murder mystery with completely fresh characters.

Had this pvr'd so didn't get to watch it until recently. The main characters were mis-cast. Rhys as Darcy just didn't work, but he would have made a great Wickham. Matthew Goode should have been cast as Darcy, and not as Wickham. And seriously, who would have thought to cast AMM as Lizzie? Her presence was paper-thin, and had difficulty carrying the role and the dialogue to make Lizzie spring to life and be the object of Darcy's adoration. And by the end of even the first episode, I was seriously tired of seeing her in the same, ugly blue dress. I was beginning to think it was the only one she owned until they came up with the same dress in episode two, but this time in green. And that little bolero jacket, and the pickle-barrel bonnet was just too much for me. For a woman of means, after 6 years of being married to a wealthy man and representing the estate, you would think she had more than two daytime dresses, that she wore everywhere. Did she get them at the church jumble sale or the bottom of the missionary barrel? And Rebecca Font as Mrs. Bennett? Really??? That was just too painful to watch.

I am a big P&P fan so I came to this series prepared to love it, although I wasn't a great fan of the book.

Could someone not have had a chat with BBC execs about age appropriate casting? Anna Maxwell Martin was a full ten years older than what Lizzie would have been at the time of the story (i.e. A few years after marrying Darcy at 21). She's a good actress but she definitely looks her age, so she can't play a girl in her mid-twenties. Added to this, she looks tired and dishevelled most of the film, as you'd expect a Dickens character to look, not the witty, happy and bubbly Elizabeth Bennet. It's a complete miscasting and honestly very distracting.

Darcy is also miscast - he is a bit more put together, but has the wrong countenance for Darcy, he does not come across as the imposing figure he is supposed to be.

Georgiana Darcy and Lydia Bennet are far better casting choices, they play their characters fairly well and most importantly look the part (and are the right age...). However Lydia is portrayed as fairly self-aware and certainly not the "silliest girl in Britain", Georgiana is far too relaxed and "modern" for the times.

Add to this some silly plot points, and it's a no from me. However much I enjoy Jane Austen adaptations, this one misses the mark.

So many bad reviews that I'm surprised I watched it at all. I agree it was lacking in the costume department. Elizabeth seemed to wear the same dress or nearly the same one daily. A woman of her means should have better clothing. It also lacked in staff housing. No footman, not butler, not lady's maid. They're should have been a chef and a maid for the chef. All those maids in the kitchen should have been busy I'm the house. It wasn't true to the time. That aside I rather enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for period pieces. I loved seeing it all play out. I wanted more when it was all said and done.

First , I do have to agree with reviewers who noted anachronisms of language and highly unlikely behaviours - Georgiana falling to her knees crying in front of male servants in the public rooms being one of the most obvious. I do not believe for a moment in the central premise that Darcy and family would be cast into Outer Darkness socially because his brother-in-law was a criminal. Gossiped about undoubtedly, but bad apples among the aristocracy are hardly uncommon now or then.

I feel also critical of the costuming and general appearance of Elizabeth , it become clear at the end as to why she might have looked tired but why she should be so badly dressed is beyond me . One coat-like garment resembles nothing so much as a hessian bag and she appears to only wear two plain dresses for weeks on end. Georgiana seems to have only one - though it is a nicer one . And Elizabeth's hair seem so be permanently dishevelled for no good reason. While I'm carping , I also have to say I don't understand why there appears to be almost no upper servants in the vast edifice of Pemberley. Such an establishment would have a steward and/or butler, several footmen and under-footmen and Mrs Reynolds would have many maids under her . Ah well, no matter really I guess.

On the plus side, I thought all the acting was great , especially the female cast. Lydia was beautifully cast and played, as was Lady Catherine and Mrs Bennett . I wish they could have had bigger roles in fact . So, in spite of the above mentioned criticisms, I have to say it was a very watchable period drama and , actually, much more fun than the the book . I like PD James very much , but this was NOT her best work and frankly rather a tedious dry read .