Sense and Sensibility (2008): A Closer Look at the BBC’s Lavish Jane Austen Adaptation on PBS
Love, money, family obligations and the struggle between reason and emotion take center stage in the BBC’s 2008 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Adapted by Andrew Davies, the screenwriter celebrated for his work on Pride and Prejudice, this five-part period drama revisits one of Austen’s most emotionally complicated stories, following the Dashwood sisters as they navigate financial uncertainty, romantic disappointment and the rigid expectations of English society.
Presented as part of PBS’s Masterpiece Classic, the adaptation was scheduled to premiere in the United States on March 30 and April 6, 2008, at 9 p.m. Its British broadcast had taken place in January, attracting a mixed but generally favorable critical response.
For admirers of Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility has always been more than a conventional love story. It explores the consequences of inheritance laws that leave women financially vulnerable, the conflict between emotional impulses and practical judgment, and the difficult question of whether marriage should be based on genuine affection or economic security.
Andrew Davies brings his own interpretation to these familiar themes, adding provocative scenes and expanding certain relationships to make the story more immediately accessible to contemporary audiences. His approach reflects his belief that sexuality plays an important role in Austen’s fiction, even when the author chooses to suggest rather than explicitly describe it.
Not every admirer of Austen will necessarily agree with these creative decisions. Nevertheless, the adaptation offers an opportunity to revisit a remarkably rich collection of characters, each contributing to the novel’s examination of human behavior, personal weaknesses and the complicated nature of love.
The Dashwood Sisters: Two Very Different Approaches to Love and Life
HATTIE MORAHAN AND CHARITY WAKEFIELD LEAD THE STORY AS THE DASHWOOD SISTERS
At 19, Elinor is the eldest daughter of the late Henry Dashwood of Norland Park, Sussex, and his second wife, Mrs. Dashwood. Following her father’s death, she moves with her mother and sisters to Barton Cottage in Devonshire.
Like her sisters, Elinor has a dowry of £1,000, but her most defining qualities are intelligence, responsibility and emotional restraint.
She consistently puts the needs of her family and friends before her own happiness. Her ability to remain composed during difficult circumstances makes her a dependable presence for those around her. However, her determination to control her feelings can also make her appear distant or even cold.
Elinor represents the principle of sense: the belief that reason, discretion and self-control should guide personal decisions, even when the heart wants something different.
Marianne Dashwood (Charity Wakefield)
At just 16, Marianne is Elinor’s younger sister and almost her complete opposite.
Romantic, impulsive and openly emotional, she tends to follow her feelings rather than consider the practical consequences of her actions. Her passionate nature frequently leads her to disregard social conventions, while her quick judgments make her impatient with people who do not share her temperament.
Marianne’s understanding of love is idealistic. She believes in intense emotional connections and struggles to accept the compromises that society expects women to make.
Her approach to life often worries Elinor, whose more cautious personality provides a constant contrast to Marianne’s unrestricted sensibility.
Mrs. Dashwood (Janet McTeer)
The widowed Mrs. Dashwood, aged 40, is the second wife of Henry Dashwood and mother to Elinor, Marianne and Margaret. She is also the stepmother of John Dashwood, Henry’s son from his first marriage.
After her husband’s death, she must leave the family’s former home at Norland Park and settle at Barton Cottage, a property belonging to her cousin, Sir John Middleton.
The sudden change in her financial circumstances leaves her unprepared for the responsibilities of widowhood. Like Marianne, Mrs. Dashwood is emotional and impulsive, often allowing her feelings to influence important decisions.
Her close resemblance to Marianne in temperament makes her a loving but sometimes impractical influence within the family.
Margaret Dashwood (Lucy Boynton)
At 13, Margaret is the youngest of the Dashwood sisters. She is cheerful, adventurous and generally good-natured, although her romantic imagination has been strongly influenced by Marianne.
In this adaptation, Margaret’s role is expanded beyond her relatively limited presence in the original novel. She becomes an inquisitive young observer who frequently asks questions that other members of the family might consider too improper or uncomfortable to raise.
Her curiosity provides an additional perspective on the events surrounding the Dashwoods, while her youthful innocence offers a lighter contrast to the more serious struggles facing her older sisters.
Edward Ferrars and the Powerful Ferrars Family
DAN STEVENS, JEAN MARSH AND CLAIRE SKINNER
At 23, Edward is an educated, amiable and highly eligible bachelor from Oxford. He is the son of Mrs. Ferrars, brother of Fanny and Robert, and the expected heir to the Ferrars family fortune.
His mother hopes he will achieve distinction in public life and politics, but Edward prefers a quieter existence away from ambition and social competition.
He develops a strong attachment to Elinor, although his reserved personality and occasional emotional distance make his feelings difficult to understand.
There is, however, an important complication: Edward has been secretly engaged to Lucy Steele for four years.
His sense of honor and commitment to his promise place him in an increasingly painful position. Even when his future happiness appears to depend on being with Elinor, he remains determined to keep his word rather than abandon his earlier commitment.
Mrs. Ferrars (Jean Marsh)
Mrs. Ferrars is the wealthy and formidable matriarch of the family, living on Park Street in London. A widow, she is the mother of Edward, Robert and Fanny.
She is described as a thin, upright woman whose serious expression reflects her rigid and often unpleasant temperament.
Controlling, manipulative and deeply concerned with social standing, Mrs. Ferrars believes her children should pursue the kind of success that reflects positively on the family.
Edward is particularly important to her ambitions. Together with Fanny, she hopes to see him achieve political distinction and public recognition. Edward, however, has little interest in the life his mother has planned for him.
Her greatest weapon is the threat of disinheritance. She attempts to control her children’s decisions through financial pressure, although her efforts ultimately prove less effective than she expects.
Fanny Dashwood (Claire Skinner)
Fanny is the wife of John Dashwood, Henry Dashwood’s son from his first marriage, making her the half-sister-in-law of Elinor, Marianne and Margaret.
She is also Mrs. Ferrars’ daughter and Edward’s sister, as well as the mother of young Henry, often called Harry.
Arrogant, selfish and manipulative, Fanny understands the value of money and is determined to protect her family’s financial interests.
After Henry Dashwood’s death, she persuades her weak-willed husband to retain as much of the inherited fortune as possible rather than provide meaningful assistance to his stepmother and half-sisters.
Her actions leave the Dashwood women with very limited financial resources and force them to abandon their former comfortable lifestyle.
Romantic Disappointments, Manipulation and the Search for Wealth
DOMINIC COOPER, LINDA BASSETT, DAISY HAGGARD AND ANNA MADELEY
At 25, Willoughby is a bachelor from Combe Magna, Somersetshire. He is the nephew of Mrs. Smith and stands to inherit her estate, Allenham Court in Devonshire.
At first glance, he appears to be the ideal romantic hero: handsome, charming and possessed of the kind of charisma that easily attracts young women.
But his outward appeal conceals a far less honorable personality. Willoughby enjoys courting women without taking their feelings seriously and is ultimately revealed to be a seducer who has behaved irresponsibly toward young ladies.
His financial circumstances eventually become another source of trouble. Having squandered his own fortune and lost his expected inheritance, he is forced to consider marriage as a means of securing wealth.
Ironically, when his inheritance is later restored, he begins to regret the marriage he has made for financial reasons. His decision to prioritize money over genuine affection becomes one of the defining failures of his character.
Mrs. Jennings (Linda Bassett)
Mrs. Jennings is a wealthy London widow and mother of Lady Middleton of Barton Park, Devonshire, and Charlotte Palmer of Cleveland, Somersetshire.
Talkative, energetic and excessively interested in other people’s romantic affairs, she takes considerable pleasure in arranging potential matches for the Dashwood sisters.
Although her intentions are generally well-meaning, her enthusiasm for gossip and matchmaking frequently makes her an embarrassment to the more reserved members of the Dashwood family.
Having raised her own children and now enjoying the comforts of a wealthy widow, Mrs. Jennings appears determined to occupy herself by becoming involved in the love lives of others.
Her meddling is often unwelcome, but her sociable personality and appetite for a good story make her an entertaining presence.
Anne (Nancy) Steele (Daisy Haggard)
Approaching 30 and unmarried, Anne Steele lives in Exeter. She is the sister of Lucy Steele, niece of Mr. Pratt of Plymouth and cousin of Lady Middleton.
Anne is not particularly distinguished by her appearance or intelligence. Her personality is marked by excessive familiarity, poor judgment and an unfortunate inability to recognize when she should remain silent.
She is constantly interested in finding an impressive husband and eagerly pursues the possibility of attracting a wealthy, handsome and agreeable gentleman.
Her greatest weakness is her inability to keep secrets. Her careless remarks and lack of discretion eventually expose information that her sister would much rather have kept hidden.
Lucy Steele (Anna Madeley)
At 22, Lucy is Anne’s younger sister and another unmarried woman from Exeter. Like Anne, she is connected to Lady Middleton through their cousin, and is the niece of Mr. Pratt of Plymouth.
Unlike her sister, Lucy is naturally attractive and clever, although her education and social refinement leave much to be desired.
Her most important secret is her longstanding engagement to Edward Ferrars. Having maintained this commitment for four years, she uses the relationship to keep Elinor at a distance while carefully protecting her own interests.
Lucy is calculating, adaptable and highly conscious of financial security. She can alter her behavior and alliances whenever circumstances demand it, making her one of the most difficult characters for the Dashwood sisters to navigate.
Her relationship with Edward introduces one of the story’s most significant emotional conflicts, particularly for Elinor, who must endure her feelings in silence.
Colonel Brandon: The Quiet Romantic Hero
DAVID MORRISSEY AS COLONEL BRANDON
At 35, Colonel Brandon is a retired army officer living at Delaford in Dorsetshire. He has an annual income of £2,000 and is financially comfortable, although his age and physical condition lead Marianne to regard him as far too old for romance.
He suffers from rheumatism and frequently wears flannel waistcoats. To Marianne, he appears to have passed the age when passionate love could reasonably be expected.
His quiet, sentimental nature is very different from the romantic ideal she associates with youth and excitement. Yet Brandon’s reserved manner conceals a deeply emotional past.
When he was younger, he fell in love with a woman whose personality reminded him of Marianne. His family disapproved of the relationship, however, and he was sent away to serve in the army.
Those experiences have made him stoic, practical and cautious about expressing his feelings. Nevertheless, his loyalty, kindness and steadfast character gradually reveal qualities that Marianne initially fails to appreciate.
What she first interprets as age and emotional restraint eventually becomes one of his greatest strengths.
A Story of Sense, Sensibility and the Difficult Choices Women Must Make
The appeal of Sense and Sensibility lies in the way its many characters illuminate different aspects of the same central dilemma.
Elinor and Marianne represent two contrasting approaches to emotion. One believes in restraint and reason, while the other embraces passion and spontaneity. Yet neither approach offers a simple solution when love, money and social expectations collide.
The supporting characters make these conflicts even more complicated. Edward’s sense of duty threatens his happiness with Elinor. Lucy’s ambition places her in direct competition with the woman Edward truly cares for. Willoughby’s selfishness demonstrates the damage caused by treating affection as entertainment, while Colonel Brandon offers a quieter example of loyalty and enduring love.
Meanwhile, the Dashwood family’s financial difficulties expose the vulnerability of women living under inheritance customs that favor male heirs. Without independent financial security, marriage becomes more than a romantic choice: it can determine a woman’s entire future.
Andrew Davies’ adaptation brings these issues into sharper focus through its expanded relationships and more provocative interpretation of Austen’s material.
With Hattie Morahan, Charity Wakefield, Janet McTeer and a strong supporting ensemble bringing the Dashwood world to life, the 2008 production offers a compelling return to one of Jane Austen’s most enduring stories.
For viewers who appreciate classic British period dramas, complicated family relationships and romances shaped by social expectations, this Sense and Sensibility remains a particularly worthwhile adaptation to discover or revisit.
