It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

good back-story, and good acting

Absolutely brilliant

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Pride and Prejudice (TV Mini-Series 1980) is a BBC production directed by Cyril Coke. It stars Elizabeth Garvie as Miss Elizabeth Bennet, Sabina Franklyn as Miss Jane Bennet, David Rintoul as Mr. Darcy, and Osmund Bullock as Mr. Bingley. Important supporting cast members are Moray Watson as Mr. Bennet, Priscilla Morgan as Mrs. Bennet, Irene Richard as Charlotte Lucas, who is married to the insufferable Mr. Collins (Malcolm Rennie). Peter Settelen portrays Mr. Wickham, a rogue in a gentleman's clothing, and Judy Parfitt plays the hateful Lady Catherine de Bourgh.Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is a superb novel, that has been admired for over 200 years. Transferring it to the screen has been a challenge, because there are so many characters, who are key to the plot, and whom are related to each other in complex ways. The BBC mini-series is 265 minutes long. Even at that length, some characters are introduced briefly and then disappear from view. The 1995 BBC mini-series is 327 minutes long. It will be interesting to see whether the extra hour will allow more character development. Possibly the extra hour will just be used to show off the wonderful BBC production capabilities.If you're familiar with the novel, I think you'll be pleased by the actors and the interpretation of the characters as decided by director Coke. The only character with whom I found a problem was Mr. Bennet. Yes--he's a curmudgeon, but we see him as a rather harsh curmudgeon. I don't think Jane Austen thought of him in that way.If you're not familiar with the novel, you might find it helpful to read the novel, or at least read a synopsis of the novel, so you can keep the characters straight.We saw this movie on the small screen (in a VHS version!) and it worked well enough. Of course, it was made for TV, so it should work on a small screen. Still, if you ever have the opportunity to see it in a theater, I'd take that opportunity. It's a good, solid depiction of a great novel. This BBC Pride and Prejudice is definitely worth seeing.

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite books but this series might just be, not only the worst adaptation of P&P, but one of the worst adaptations of anything. The acting is absolutely horrid. The fact that so much of the dialogue is taken directly from the book is completely ruined by the fact that the actors only seem to be blankly reciting the lines, rather than actually bringing any feeling or nuances to them. In the end, I felt nothing for any of the characters. Mr. Darcy only had one facial expression and tone of voice, and Elizabeth possibly two or three. If the 2005 movie is a poor match to the 1995 miniseries, this is still infinitely worse.

Now don't get me wrong, I absolutely adore the 1995 series, but seeing this version yesterday as part of my Jane Austen marathon this version is even better. The whole series is handsomely photographed, complete with sumptuous costumes and scenery and an evocative atmosphere, and the music is simple and of a beautifully hypnotic quality. The writing is thoughtful, witty and moving, as well as being true to Jane Austen's language, while the timeless story goes at a good length and pace and the crucial scenes and everything that made the book so good intact and with strong emotional impact. Elizabeth Garvie is a spirited Elizabeth, Irene Richard a superb Charlotte(much better than her Elinor in Sense and Sensibility) and David Rintoul a handsome and aloof Darcy. Judy Parfitt is also a sheer delight as Lady Catherine. So all in all, simply amazing and while ratings-wise I'd put this and 1995 on the same level as the best versions of the book, but as of now I give this one the edge. 10/10 Bethany Cox

This is not my favorite P&P (I have perhaps an irrational love for 2005) but it has a lot going for it. It does change a few things from the book (all adaptations do) but I feel it remained true to the spirit throughout. It's much more under-stated and "low-key" than the other adaptations- no real sexed up scenes or over the top caricatures. It's biggest strength, IMO, is its cast, who are almost all close to the book characters' ages and descriptions. The biggest negative is the low production values of the time, which is just something one has to get used to.This version, even though it changes some things around and adds and cuts a few scenes, keeps others that no other adaptation has (unless it's one of those older ones that are not available to the public!). I especially like the scene after the second proposal where Darcy and Elizabeth discuss their attraction to each other and when it began. That's one of my favorite scenes in the book and it always disappoints me that the others don't include it! As with all the older adaptations, if dated, stagy production values turn you off, you probably won't like this version. But if you can look past that, I think you will really like it like I do!