ITV Jane Austen Season: Northanger Abbey

So it looks like Mansfield Park was not great, although possibly an improvement from the 1999 movie (I only managed to catch the last 30 minutes so I cannot be too categorical) .

But last night things seemed vastly improved: Northanger Abbey was a delightful and funny adaptation, with a smart screenplay by Andrew Davies, real chemistry between the lead characters and a good supporting cast. Admittedly these productions lack the sophistication and polish of the recent BBC offerings, but if ITV continues at this progressive rate, then we shall be able to reach Austen Nirvana next Sunday with Persuasion.

Here's a tiny little extract from Northanger Abbey, where Catherine Morland (Felicity Jones) and Henry Tilney (JJ Feild) take a country walk and muse about books vs. real life. Henry proves to be just the coolest clergyman in Austendom by professing (in his velvety smooth voice) that there's "more life and truth and feeling in a good novel than in 100 dull sermons". Indeed, bravo Tilney!
(NB: apologies for the audio delay, this seems to happen with all my youtube videos, sigh!)