Web Series Spotlight: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and Beyond

Darcy and Lizzie

On April 9, 2012 the first episode of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries debuted online. This web series is a modernized adaptation of Jane Austen’s legendary story “Pride and Prejudice”, created for the web by Hank Green, one of the most active and prolific leaders of a new generation of Web entrepreneurs and personalities and Bernie Su, a Streamy Award winner. Green and Su are executive producers of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries while Green also serves as editor and post supervisor and Su is also head writer and director of the online project.

Every Monday and Thursday from that April date in 2012 through March 28 of this year, a new episode of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries was posted online, focusing on the title character, Lizzie Bennet, and her two sisters, Jane and Lydia, who lived at home with their protective (albeit proud and never seen) parents especially their marriage-minded mother (who didn’t show up until briefly in the final episode).

During that time period, there were 100 episodes of the web series as well as Q&A’s and special episodes centered on Lizzie’s younger sister Lydia. The characters that populated The Lizzie Bennet Diaries were very much like those depicted in the classic novel, but – obviously – with a 21st Century approach.

A group of newcomers starred in all of the roles in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, including actress Ashley Clements as the title character and actor Daniel Gordh as William Darcy. Lizzie’s sisters Jane and Lydia were played by actresses Laura Spencer and Mary Kate Wiles respectively.

Lizzie’s best friend Charlotte Lu was played by actress Julia Cho while actress Janice Lee played the new character Maria Lu, Charlotte’s younger sister. In the role of Mr. (Ricky) Collins was actor Maxwell Glick, who, in this telling, is a (rather unwelcome) childhood friend of Lizzie and Charlotte.

In the role of Jane’s love interest Bing Lee (sans Charles Bingley) was played by actor Christopher Sean and his somewhat duplicitous sister Caroline Lee (sans Caroline Bingley) was played by actress Jessica Jade Andres. And, in the despised role of George Wickham – who takes advantage of youngest sister Lydia – was played by actor Wes Aderhold.

Darcy’s younger sister Georgina aka GiGi was played by actress Allison Paige, who worked side-by-side with her older brother at their digital company known as Pemberley Digital and Darcy’s best friend Fitz Williams was played by actor Craig Frank.

The one change to the original line-up of characters was that of Mary Bennet, who rather than being one of the Bennet sisters, was actually a cousin with whom youngest sister Lydia stayed with throughout part of the 100-long episode online series. Mary was played by actress Briana Cuoco.

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries DVD’s

Those who want to check out The Lizzie Bennet Diaries for the first time or revisit any of the 100 episodes can visit here.

NOTE: Please pay close attention to episode 98 as it is the one fans of the online series had waited nearly a year to see (wink!)

As mentioned earlier, Darcy and his sister run a company known as Pemberley Digital, which was a fictional company created for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries; but is now a real company that – thanks to a very successful Kickstarter campaign – is not only bringing the popular online series to DVD for its worldwide fans as well as a book and new shows, including the new web series that started in May of 2013 known as Welcome to Sanditon. Sanditon is based on the unfinished Jane Austen manuscript that will allow viewers to create their own characters and finish the work by Austen.

Welcome to Sanditon take place in Sanditon, California, a beach town aiming to reinvent itself as a desired resort destination. Fans will be able to follow the story through videos done by GiGi Darcy (actress Allison Paige).

You can check out all the details of Welcome to Sanditon here.

Another Pemberley Digital series is expected to launch later this summer.

You can learn more about the Kickstarter campaign that made the above possible here.

[Source: The Wrap]