Lost In Austen

Lost In Austen, a new four-part series from ITV, started yesterday evening. The plot is simple: modern woman, sick of the modern man, accidentally swaps places with Elizabeth Bennet, and is thrust into the storyline of Pride and Prejudice. Without Elizabeth gone, and Mr Darcy about to visit, Amanda Price panics at the upcoming Timeline trauma.

Lost In Austen isn't a precise re-telling of the traditional tale. When modern Miss Price swaps places with Miss Bennet, changes immediately begin to immerge. Describing her odd clothing as "Otter hunting gear", curtsying dreadfully whist accidentally showing her cleavage, Amanda scarcely fits in.

The storyline is similar to Life On Mars, in which a modern cop is sent back to 70's England to solve a series of murders whilst trying to get back to modern day. Though with a sharper edge of comedy, and better dress-sense.

In the first episode, our heroine manages to accidentally snog Bingley, insult Miss Caroline Bingley, get a death-threat from Mrs Bennet, and send Jane off in a thunderstorm which could kill her. The end of the episode sees her chasing after Jane in the rain, afraid that she may have just committed manslaughter.

The series seems set up to be incredibly funny, yet heart-warming. I would thoroughly advise watching the next episode- Wednesday, 9pm ITV1.