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The Other Bennet Sister

(142 Posts)
Clawdy Mon 16-Mar-26 08:54:05

Anyone watching? Quite enjoying it so far!

Oreo Mon 16-Mar-26 14:27:53

Aveline

I quite enjoyed it. Mary was excellent casting. As usual there was the anachronistic insertion of various characters of obvious asian origin.

Oh not again! This is happening far too much.

Allira Mon 16-Mar-26 14:29:09

Sorry, I misunderstood!

Oreo Mon 16-Mar-26 14:29:26

shysal

I am a huge fan of the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth, so am finding it difficult to come to terms with the new actors. However, I think the actress who plays Mary gives a good performance so I shall stick with it.

That was the best adaptation wasn’t it 😊

Oreo Mon 16-Mar-26 14:30:01

Allira

Sorry, I misunderstood!

You’re forgiven, just don’t do it again😁

JdotJ Mon 16-Mar-26 14:33:50

Visgir1

Loved it.. And Lucy Briers who play "Hill" was in the Colin Firth one as Mary, clever casting.
Not going to binge, this is a lovely gentle Sunday watch.

Yes, I spotted Lucy straight away.
The daughter of Richard Briers.

Allira Mon 16-Mar-26 14:37:16

tanith

Nannee49

I'm not a fan so far, Mrs Bennett and the girls are too arch and nasty to her, I've not warmed to them at all.
It's also driving me mad that whenever Mary's on screen all I can see is Sam from Corrie.

I had the exact same thought! I wonder ic they are related? I enjoyed it so far but I won't binge watch either.

Just checked out some pictures and I thought that Mary (Ella Bruccoleri) looks very much like Mrs Bennet (Ruth Jones).

Oreo Mon 16-Mar-26 15:10:02

Sparklefizz

Oreo

I didn’t realise it had started either, which channel is it on?

It's on BBC1 and you can binge watch it on iPlayer.

☺️ thanks

Treebee Mon 16-Mar-26 19:14:12

I enjoyed it and will watch further episodes. I’d like to know what Jane Austen would have made of it though.

Aveline Mon 16-Mar-26 20:35:43

I've binge watched five episodes. I wonder when the next lot will be available

J52 Mon 16-Mar-26 21:07:39

Aveline

I've binge watched five episodes. I wonder when the next lot will be available

29th March, apparently. Can’t wait.

Guesswhat Mon 16-Mar-26 21:29:30

Allira

tanith

Nannee49

I'm not a fan so far, Mrs Bennett and the girls are too arch and nasty to her, I've not warmed to them at all.
It's also driving me mad that whenever Mary's on screen all I can see is Sam from Corrie.

I had the exact same thought! I wonder ic they are related? I enjoyed it so far but I won't binge watch either.

Just checked out some pictures and I thought that Mary (Ella Bruccoleri) looks very much like Mrs Bennet (Ruth Jones).

I agree, Allira. Mary and Mrs. Bennet actually looked like daughter and mother. Which makes it all the more sad that the latter was so spiteful and unsympathetic.

MartavTaurus Mon 16-Mar-26 22:36:45

Ella Bruccoleri was on The One Show this evening, but they hardly gave her any time to talk about her role which was a shame.

Maremia Tue 17-Mar-26 08:51:59

Asian actors in English stories?
Didn't Jean Simmons play Kanchi in Black Narcissus?

Caleo Tue 17-Mar-26 09:12:06

Maremia

Asian actors in English stories?
Didn't Jean Simmons play Kanchi in Black Narcissus?

Sure. However Jean Simmons was intended to portray a brown person. The nice optician was not meant to portray a brown person but was meant to portray a lower class person-------My guess is the obvious 'asian' appearance of the nice optician was intended to show us that modern racism is akin to eighteenth -nineteenth century class snobbery.

Maremia Tue 17-Mar-26 09:15:23

Do you know Caleo, I wondered about that particular casting.

MartavTaurus Tue 17-Mar-26 09:22:51

I thought he would actually be quite a "catch"!

Aveline Tue 17-Mar-26 09:29:55

Keep watching. There are many more Asian faces and even a few afro caribbean ones. I know it's not a popular opinion but this just highlights how superficial the production is. It's a good book and is otherwise well televised.

Allira Tue 17-Mar-26 09:40:55

Maremia

Asian actors in English stories?
Didn't Jean Simmons play Kanchi in Black Narcissus?

That was 1947, nearly 80 years England was the norm then. We are more aware now, it would not happen, in fact it has gone the other way to become questionable whether or not the right actor is picked for a specific role to portray someone of that era, or to fill a quota.

In 1947 India was in turmoil and Black Narcissus was filmed in England.

Those are some of the reasons why Jean Simmon, a rising star, was picked for the part.

Allira Tue 17-Mar-26 09:44:46

nearly 80 years England was the norm then
Sorry - gobbledegook, I changed something and autocorrect took over! Not sure how it happened.

That was 1947, nearly 80 years ago, and was the norm then in the film industry.

Maremia Tue 17-Mar-26 09:51:10

Yes 'blackface' was deemed acceptable then.

Maremia Tue 17-Mar-26 09:55:01

Yes Martav/Taurus.
I loved the way Darcy was made to look other than handsome.

Luckygirl3 Tue 17-Mar-26 09:55:25

I binge watched it and was very disappointed that it stopped at the end of episode 5 when there are apparently 10 episodes - frustration!

Maremia Tue 17-Mar-26 09:56:03

Not sure how using a mixed race cast makes a production 'superficial'.

RosiesMawagain Tue 17-Mar-26 10:14:02

Aveline

Keep watching. There are many more Asian faces and even a few afro caribbean ones. I know it's not a popular opinion but this just highlights how superficial the production is. It's a good book and is otherwise well televised.

No, Aveline* it’s not the production that is superficial
Did that make Laurence Olivier superficial for blacking up for Othello? Natalie Wood for playing Maria in West Side Story , who was meant to be Puerto Rican? Or indeed Julie Andrews who was not exactly an 20 year old Austrian nun?
It’s called acting.
Hard as it may be for some, I think we have to look beyond skin colour unless it significantly impacts the plot - or if a real ie historical figure is being depicted.

Casdon Tue 17-Mar-26 10:15:07

Maremia

Yes Martav/Taurus.
I loved the way Darcy was made to look other than handsome.

That was the one thing I didn’t like, Darcy lives in my head as very handsome indeed.
Otherwise I’m enjoying it so far, I think it gets into what Mary’s thoughts might have been quite well. In the original book everybody was very dismissive of her, so I can see that from her perspective her parents in particular would come over as they do in this version.