It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Jane Austen fan in possession of a television (or really just an internet connection) must be in want of a really good modern day version of Pride and Prejudice. Well Janeites, we might be hearing the answers to our prayers very soon.

According to The Hollywood Reporter Jennifer Love Hewitt is working with Lifetime to produce a modern day Pride and Prejudice adaptation set in a small Virginia town. The series, titled Darcy’s Town, is being written by Sheryl Anderson, writer of one of my favorite TV series ever, Charmed. [via The Hollywood Reporter]

I don’t know about you, but I’m super excited about this new adaptation. I’m generally a big fan of anything Jane Austen related and I think there have been quite a few really good adaptations of Austen’s classics. These include movies like Clueless, which is  a modern retelling of Emma and From Prada to Nada, a spin on Sense and Sensibility, as well as books such as the YA novel Prom and Prejudice (which I have to say I was skeptical about but was pleased to find it extraordinarily well done in my opinion).

I’m also loving the YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries in which Lizzie is a grad student of mass communications making video logs of her crazy family and her encounters with people like Bing Lee, Ricky Collins and William Darcy.

This isn’t the first made-for-TV retelling, however. One of my favorite retellings of all time is the British mini-series Lost in Austen, in which a Jane Austen devotee is transported into the world Pride and Prejudice and switches places with Elizabeth Bennet. As you can probably imagine, hilarity inevitably ensues. There are also rumors of CBS bringing Sense and Sensibility into the modern day as a medical drama. 

I know some of you Austen purists out there might not be enthusiastic and wary of anything that has the potential to taint the reputation or integrity of this classic, but I plan on keeping an open mind. I think this could be, if done correctly, an awesome way to expose more people to what we all know as the awesomeness of this timeless story. I’m psyched and I can’t wait to see a pilot!

Are you guys excited or doubtful about this adaptation? Will you watch?

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