It'll be a nice change of pace from everything that seems to be dominating TV these days: news about the war and the collapsing economy, game shows about gladiators, and reruns of everything else. Starting yesterday, January, 14, PBS's Masterpiece Theater presents The Complete Jane Austen, adaptations of all six of her novels -- four of them brand new -- plus a new drama about her life.

Hell, it'll be a wonderful respite from modern romantic dramedies and comedies, like 27 Dresses, which suggest that a woman's not a genuine person if she hasn't snagged a guy. For Jane's heroines, making a good marital match really was an urgent matter, and the only option they had for bettering their lives. And yet, for all the genuine pressure of their situations, Austen managed to imbue their stories with a wisdom about human nature beyond that of the mere machinations of romantic intrigue.

So, no, I'm not one of the Austen fans who oohs and aahs over the dresses and the ballrooms -- not that that's not all perfectly lovely -- but I'm looking forward to these new movies, and the old ones again, too, like they're a big box of Godiva chocolates.

Here is a list of the Masterpiece Theater showings:

Persuasion (new; airs on January 13), featuring Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anthony Head.

Northanger Abbey (new; airs on January 20), Austen's rarely filmed satire of the Gothic horror novels her fellow writers were dashing out at the time.

Mansfield Park (new; airs on January 27), starring Doctor Who's Billie Piper and featuring the new Bionic Woman, Michelle Ryan (you knew she was English, right?).

Miss Austen Regrets (new; airs on February 3), stars Olivia Williams as Jane Austen in a Becoming Jane-esque bio adapted from the authors letters and diaries.

Pride and Prejudice (from 1995; airs on February 10, 17, and 24), the Emmy Award-winning miniseries starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle that started the current Austen craze and is unlikely ever to be surpassed; this is the first PBS airing.

Emma (from 1997; airs on March 23), starring Kate Beckinsale in the title role, and featuring Samantha Morton and -- hello, again -- Olivia Williams.

Sense and Sensibility (new; airs on March 30 and April 6), with a fantastic cast including David Morrissey as Colonel Brandon and Janet McTeer as Mrs. Dashwood.

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MaryAnn Johanson (email me)
reviews, reviews, reviews! at FlickFilosopher.com

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