Lost in Austen

I have to admit it's a reasonably clever idea. There have been a number of adaptations of Pride & Prejudice , with perhaps the Andrew Davies/Colin Firth costume drama being the most notorious in the UK. There has also been at least one attempt to update it, Bridget Jones's Diary. Lost in Austen combines the costume drama with the 21st century update, and adds a healthy dose of science fiction staple, the portal to another world.

I'm not entirely convinced yet. Amanda Price, the tranportee who finds the magical portal, is a twenty-something, who loses herself in Jane Austen, and despairs of her hopeless boyfriend. It's a bit of a cliche, and I'm not sure that such a young woman really exists in 2008. She also blunders about Austen World, determined to frustrate the plot with her good intentions. Again, I think we've been here before.

Perhaps more convincingly, we get to see some of these characters, between scenes. It's a nice idea that could be hopelessly clumsy, but so far hasn't come off. Ultimately, the series explore the relationship between Austen and contemporary sensibilities, without telling us anything that the reasonably intelligent Austen reader couldn't work out for her or his (yes there are some) self. It also asks questions about our relationship with the Austen adaptations, I just haven't yet worked out what these questions are.