Pride and Prejudice
1995 · 1 season · 6 episodes · Drama
Created by Andrew Davies
“The celebrated BBC dramatisation of a classic romance”
Set in England in the early 19th century, Pride and Prejudice tells the story of Mr and Mrs Bennet's five unmarried daughters after the rich and eligible Mr Bingley and his status-conscious friend, Mr Darcy, have moved into their neighbourhood. While Bingley takes an immediate liking to the eldest Bennet daughter, Jane, Darcy has difficulty adapting to local society and repeatedly clashes with the second-eldest Bennet daughter, Elizabeth.
Why it's worth watching
This masterful adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel is a brilliant exploration of character, humility, and personal growth. It beautifully captures the journey of two people overcoming their own pride and prejudices to find genuine, respectful love. The superb acting and faithful adherence to the source material make it an enduring masterpiece of television.
What it praises
It praises humility, self-examination, the sanctity of marriage based on mutual respect, and the importance of moral integrity over social status.
For discernment
This adaptation earns its reputation: Elizabeth and Darcy's arc is genuinely about pride humbled and prejudice corrected, and the story treats marriage as a serious moral matter, holding up unions built on respect while exposing those built on money or lust (Charlotte's pragmatic match, Lydia's ruinous elopement). The discerning viewer should notice the show is not naive about it — Lydia and Wickham are shown living together and caressing in bed before their forced marriage, and the story frames that as scandal, not romance, but it lingers on her giddy foolishness. Costuming (especially Lydia's low-cut gowns) foregrounds cleavage, and Mrs. Bennet's man-hunting for her daughters is a running study in worldly scheming played half for comedy. Note too the famous 'wet shirt' scene and the general romantic charge, which some viewers use to feed idle infatuation rather than admire genuine virtue. On the whole this is edifying period drama that rewards patience and rewards a viewer thinking about character and marriage — just don't let the swoon crowd out the actual lesson Austen is teaching.
- SexualityWickham and Lydia are shown living together and caressing in bed (clothed) before their forced marriage, and a flashback shows Wickham with a scantily-dressed woman on his lap.
- SexualitySeveral women's gowns, especially Lydia's, are cut low to display cleavage throughout.
- LanguageFrequent exclamations of 'Lord!' and one reference to a 'Demon from Hell.'
- SubstancesMild social drinking at balls; Mrs. Bennet and Lydia get drunk and behave foolishly, and Mr. Hurst is repeatedly shown passed out.
- WorldviewMrs. Bennet's relentless husband-hunting and Charlotte's marriage-for-security are portrayed with a worldly pragmatism the viewer must weigh rather than admire.
Cast
Jennifer Ehle
Elizabeth Bennet
Colin Firth
Mr. Darcy
Susannah Harker
Jane Bennet
Crispin Bonham-Carter
Charles Bingley
Benjamin Whitrow
Mr. Bennet
Alison Steadman
Mrs. Bennet
Adrian Lukis
Mr. Wickham
Julia Sawalha
Lydia Bennet
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