Lost in Austen
A modern woman enters Pride and Prejudice with disastrous results.
Lost in Austen is a four-episode British television series that aired on ITV in 2008. Written by Guy Andrews, it reimagines Jane Austen’s 1813 novel *Pride and Prejudice* as a fantasy story. The main character, Amanda Price, lives in modern-day London. After discovering a hidden doorway in her bathroom, she steps into the world of the novel and joins the Bennet family. Her attempts to steer the plot back on course usually end in chaos.
In December 2009, *The Times* ranked the show 48th on its list of "The Top 50 TV Shows of the Noughties."
**Episode 1**
Amanda Price, a devoted Jane Austen fan from Hammersmith, has just turned down a drunken, unromantic marriage proposal from her boyfriend. She then finds Elizabeth Bennet, a character from *Pride and Prejudice*, standing in her bathroom in a nightgown. Elizabeth vanishes, and Amanda dismisses it as a dream. She tells her mother that Austen’s novel has taught her to expect more from a husband and to believe in true love. Elizabeth reappears in the bathroom, now dressed for travel. Amanda steps through the secret doorway and arrives at Longbourn, the Bennet family home in Hertfordshire, near the start of the novel. She is trapped in this world, while Elizabeth ends up in 21st-century London. Mr. Bennet welcomes Amanda as his daughter’s friend.
Amanda tries to keep the novel on track, but when Mr. Bingley visits Longbourn, he is more interested in Amanda than in Jane Bennet. At the Meryton Assembly, Amanda tries to reject Bingley by claiming Mr. Darcy has already asked her to dance. Bingley calls her bluff, but Darcy lies and confirms it. As they dance, Amanda asks why he covered for her; Darcy scolds her, thinking she tried to humiliate Bingley, and says he agreed only to spare his friend embarrassment. Amanda gets drunk, kisses Bingley, and immediately regrets it. A furious Mrs. Bennet warns her not to interfere with her daughters’ prospects. Amanda forces Jane to ride to the Bingleys’ home in bad weather to restore the plot, but when she learns this could give Jane a fatal case of influenza, she follows to save her.
**Episode 2**
While nursing a sick Jane at Netherfield Park with paracetamol—a drug unknown in that era—Amanda finally stops Bingley’s advances by claiming she is a lesbian, steering his attention back to Jane.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Comedy-drama / Fantasy / Romance
- Writer
- Guy Andrews
- Director
- Dan Zeff
- Music
- Christian Henson
- Starring
- Jemima Rooper / Alex Kingston / Hugh Bonneville / Morven Christie / Elliot Cowan / Gemma Arterton
- Language
- English
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Num Series
- 1
- Num Episodes
- 4
- Executive Producer
- Guy Andrews / Michele Buck / Damien Timmer
- Producer
- Kate McKerrell / Vinit Kulkarni
- Company
- Mammoth Screen Ltd
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The series begins with Amanda Price, a Jane Austen fan from present-day Hammersmith, who rejects an unromantic marriage proposal from her boozy boyfriend. She discovers Elizabeth Bennet standing in her bathroom in a nightgown, and after Elizabeth disappears and reappears, Amanda steps through a secret doorway and finds herself at Longbourn, the Bennet family home in Hertfordshire, near the beginning of the novel. Amanda becomes trapped in this world while Elizabeth is in 21st-century London. Amanda tries to ensure the novel progresses as it should, but her interventions cause Mr. Bingley to admire her more than Jane Bennet, and she eventually gets drunk and kisses Bingley.
Reader's Guide
The series explores the consequences of an outsider meddling with a classic narrative. Amanda's attempts to restore the plot often backfire: she forces Jane to travel in bad weather, accidentally accepts a proposal from Mr. Collins, and later admits to herself that she loves Mr. Darcy, deciding to be an 'understudy' while Elizabeth is away. The show was placed at 48 in 'The Top 50 TV Shows of the Noughties', a list published in The Times in December 2009. Its significance lies in its playful yet critical engagement with Austen's work, highlighting the rigidity of social structures and the chaos that ensues when a modern sensibility intrudes upon a carefully ordered fictional world.
Did You Know?
- The series was written by Guy Andrews as a fantasy adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.
- Amanda Price enters the novel through a portal in her bathroom.
- Amanda claims to be a lesbian to redirect Bingley's attentions back to Jane.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Lost in Austen?
It is a four-part British fantasy drama that aired on ITV in 2008, written by Guy Andrews. The show reimagines Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as a comedic adventure in which a modern outsider crashes into the novel's world.
Who is the main character in Lost in Austen?
The protagonist is Amanda Price, a Jane Austen obsessive living in contemporary London who finds a hidden passage in her bathroom. Stepping through it drops her into the Bennet household, where she tries to keep the story on track.
What is the central conflict in Lost in Austen?
Amanda keeps attempting to steer the characters back onto their original plot, but every fix she makes spirals into fresh disaster. The series is built around her increasingly desperate efforts to manage a world that refuses to behave as the novel dictates.
Where and when did Lost in Austen air?
The series was produced in the United Kingdom and broadcast on ITV during 2008 across four episodes. It was scripted by Guy Andrews as a fantasy spin on Austen's 1813 novel.
How was Lost in Austen received by critics and audiences?
In December 2009, The Times placed the show at number 48 on its list of the top 50 television programmes of the 2000s. It is generally remembered as a playful, lighthearted take on one of literature's most celebrated stories.
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