The screenwriter behind the BBC’s acclaimed adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, starring Colin Firth, has revealed that the impetus for the project stemmed from a former student’s suggestion to make it “really sexy.”
Andrew Davies, the Cardiff-born writer who penned the adaptation 30 years ago, saw his work become a cultural touchstone. The television series based on Jane Austen’s timeless novel captivated audiences, drawing over 11 million viewers in the UK and widespread acclaim in the US.
The series garnered two BAFTA Awards and an Emmy, catapulted Firth to stardom, and famously featured Mr. Darcy’s memorable emergence from a lake in a soaked shirt.
Davies noted that securing the adaptation’s broadcast “took years of perseverance and persuasion” due to network executives deeming costume dramas “quite out of fashion” at the time.
Davies’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1813 novel, Pride and Prejudice, unfolded across six episodes on the BBC in 1995.
Set against the backdrop of Regency England, the narrative centers on Elizabeth Bennet and her complex relationship with the proud Mr. Darcy, delving into themes of love, class, and societal expectations within the lives of affluent individuals in the English countryside during the early 19th Century.
Davies recounted that his former student, Sue Birtwistle, now a television producer, proposed, “You and I should do a really sexy adaptation of Pride and Prejudice.”
“I knew exactly what she meant; it would be an adaptation that acknowledged that the plot of the story is about sex and money when people had the idea that Jane Austen was all about politeness, witty remarks and everyone buttoned up to the neck,” he told Radio Wales Breakfast.
Davies recalled how the critical response and media coverage underscored the show’s significant impact, “causing much more of a stir than most things did.”
“These were the days before ‘binge watching,’ so episodes went out weekly, so there was a sense of a big build-up.”
“More and more people were talking about it as the weeks went on,” he added.
Reflecting on the iconic lake scene, featuring Firth’s Mr. Darcy emerging from the water in a clinging, wet shirt after an impromptu swim, Davies stated, “I never meant for that to be a sexy scene.”
“My thinking was all about giving an insight into Mr. Darcy as the novel is written entirely from Elizabeth’s point of view.”
“I meant for him to dive in naked originally, but somehow we lost that, but we gained the wet shirt.”
“I thought the viewers would see the scene as sweet and comical,” Davies elaborated.
Davies noted that Firth has never fully escaped the impact of the role, despite initially being “quite uncomfortable playing a leading man and a romantic hero.”
Despite this, Davies commended Firth for “taking on the role so well,” lauding his performance as “extraordinary.”
“I’m absolutely thrilled that people are still watching it,” he concluded.
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