A completely dotty but fun new TV show about Amanda Price, obsessed with her favourite novel Pride and Prejudice, who finds Lizzy Bennett in her bathroom one night having entered into the 21st century through the door at the back of the shower (as you do). Convinced she is hallucinating, Amanda goes through the door and finds herself at Longbourn slap bang in the middle of the Bennett family who assume she is a friend of Elizabeth and on a visit. The door shuts behind her and she is stuck.
So here you have a modern girl with long straight hair, leggings, boots and a tunic with a mobile in her pocket and a packet of fags in the other, and how is she going to cope with finding herself a character in one of the most famous books on the planet? Well, she does and is taken in hand by Jane Bennett, who surely must be one of the sweetest, nicest characters ever. Mr Bennett also confides in her, he is played wonderfully well by Hugh Bonneville (Notting Hill, Daniel Deronda and many others), but Mrs Bennett is not so happy with this unexpected arrival and when Mr Bingley appears and starts giving Amanda the eye, is furious and warns her off in no uncertain terms.
When attending the ball at Netherfield, she meets Darcy and while she admits he is no Colin Firth, he is certainly pretty smouldering. However, it becomes increasingly clear that it is her Bingley fancies not Jane and she is distraught at the thought that she is changing the plot and outcome of P&P.
It outrageous and silly and I loved every single moment of it. But the thought that crossed my mind towards the end of the first episode was - how is Lizzy Bennett getting on in Amanda's world? She had slipped a letter to her father under the bathroom door and seems content to stay where she is. As Amanda left behind her burping, farting boyfriend watching football on the sofa, one does wonder what he makes of Elizabeth's arrival. I suspect she can probably deal with him with one hand tied behind her back. I do hope we find out.
This programme has been trailed to high heaven and I have already seen bits of next week's episode so many times that it renders actually watching it almost unnecessary (just why DO TV companies insist on doing this), but as Amanda knees Mr Collins in a tender place in the second episode and I am reliably informed impresses her host with an after dinner rendition of Downtown, I daresay I shall tune in to find out.
I am thoroughly enjoying it, though the critics have had a field day. But oh dear just how much longer can this book be milked for dramatisation? I think we are P&P'd out by now.