I love reading Jane Austen’s books. I re-read them all from time to time, it’s comfort reading. I usually love watching any of the many productions, but even I think that the last thing which we need to see on our screens is yet another version of Emma. I really could scream. Everybody knows the story, upside-down and back to front, so why has the BBC made it again? At least they have made a decent job of the casting and everyone looks and acts the part.
It really is about time that they started taking some risks and giving us something entirely different to view. I know that costume drama is extremely popular, but anyone would think that there were only a handful of authors in the past as we only ever seem to get Austen, Dickens and the Brontes.
I’ve got shelves full of Virago books, any of which could be adapted for television I’m sure. But that isn’t likely to happen. I’ve come to the conclusion that the BBC is run by people who haven’t actually done any reading since they were forced to read for their courses – and guess what they read – Austen, Dickens and the Brontes.
I’ve just read in The Guardian that they are doing another version of David Copperfield. I won’t be watching it.
