The Mr. Darcy of a generation turns 30
- GutBer English
- Sep 23
- 4 min read
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
It is a truth universally acknowledged that on September 24, 1995, the BBC began broadcasting a six-part miniseries based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. And since then, in the minds of many, Mr Darcy has a specific identity and wears a damp white shirt when he emerges from the lake. This year also marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of the writer who brought the Bennets and company to life, so the BBC will broadcast a special video featuring the cast on the same day at the same time to celebrate the occasion.
It's also a truth universally acknowledged that British productions have a particularly good taste when it comes to recreating period pieces. Good examples of this are series like the more recent Downton Abbey, Poldark, and The Crown. Pride and Prejudice was a milestone in BBC programming, captivating the imagination of an entire generation and influencing later creations such as Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones novels.
It wasn't the first audiovisual version of Pride and Prejudice and many will argue that it's not the best either, but it's possibly the one that has had the most consequences. Since its broadcast on British public television, the actor who plays Mr Darcy, the Oscar-winning Colin Firth, rose to absolute stardom as a sex symbol, despite the fact that Firth already had a career in film and television of more than 10 years behind him with works such as Another Country (with Rupert Everett and Carey Elwes in 1984), Lost Empires (with Lawrence Olivier in 1986), A Month in the Country (with Kenneth Branagh and Natasha Richardson in 1987) or the wonderful Valmont by Milos Forman in 1989. The actor himself, showing off his famous sense of humour, doesn't avoid joking about his fame as a result of the series.
Helen Fielding picks up on echoes of that series in her works about Bridget Jones, where the leading man is a modern Mr Darcy constrained by his social class and family, as well as his own prejudices, which give him a peculiar relationship with the protagonist, to say the least. Thus, Bridget Jones's Diary is a recreation that pays homage to Pride and Prejudice brought into the modern day. The parallel is accentuated when, in the films, Colin Firth is chosen to play Mr. Darcy in Bridget Jones. The author of the novels herself has confessed that he was the actor she had in mind when she wrote them, influenced by the BBC series that celebrates its 30th anniversary today. The references to this modern Mr Darcy, both in the novels and in the films, are only fully understood if you are familiar with the series; otherwise, they lose their comic effect, but the author was counting on a collective imagination fully aware of the wink. Bridget Jones, being the good journalist that she is, couldn't resist the temptation of interviewing Colin Firth in a film recorded as an extra with continuous references to the series.
The series received rave reviews at the time and was a huge hit with audiences and the general public, receiving several awards from the British industry, including the BAFTA for Best Actress for Jennifer Ehle for her performance as Elizabeth Bennet, as well as several nominations in various categories. It also garnered other accolades, such as an Emmy for costume design. It was watched by at least eleven million people in its first broadcast on the BBC, and the final episode achieved a 40% audience share. A fever of excitement arose around the series, known as "Austen-mania," with numerous articles published about it. This led to a revival of appreciation for the novel itself, which became a favourite read among Britons. Even today, the Cheshire area where the Pemberley exteriors were filmed continues to receive visitors thanks to the series. It is also included among the 40 most influential TV series. The famous lake scene is recognized as one of the most unforgettable moments in the history of British television, one of those "you had to be there" moments.
(Yes, we've left it for last. It would be interesting to know how many of you searched for the video before finishing this article...) You can see more context here.
Happy birthday, Mr. Darcy! Here's to another 30!
Cast
Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet
Colin Firth as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy
Adrian Lukis as Mr. George Wickham
Alison Steadman as Mrs. Bennet
Benjamin Whitrow as Mr. Bennet
David Bamber as Mr. William Collins
Susannah Harker as Jane Bennet
Julia Sawalha as Lydia Bennet
Polly Maberly as Catherine "Kitty" Bennet
Lucy Briers as Mary Bennet
Crispin Bonham-Carter as Mr. Charles Bingley
Lucy Scott as Charlotte Lucas
Anna Chancellor as Caroline Bingley
Lucy Robinson as Mrs. Hurst
Barbara Leigh-Hunt as Lady Catherine de Bourgh
Anthony Calf as Colonel Fitzwilliam
Joanna David as Mrs. Gardiner
Tim Wylton as Mr. Gardiner
Emilia Fox as Georgiana Darcy
Bridget Turner as Mrs. Reynolds
David Bark-Jones as Lieutenant Denny
Lynn Farleigh as Mrs. Phillips
Lucy Davis as Maria Lucas
Christopher Benjamin as Sir William Lucas
Rupert Vansittart as Mr. Hurst
Marlene Sidaway as Hill
Roger Barclay as Captain Carter
Kate O'Malley as Sarah, the maid
Norma Streader as Lady Lucas
Paul Moriarty as Col Forster
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