''Death Comes to Pemberley'' is a three-part

British television Regular television broadcasts in the United Kingdom started in 1936 as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transmitted moving image in 1926. Currently, the United Kingdom has a collection ...

drama based on the best-selling 2011

P.D. James Phyllis Dorothy James, Baroness James of Holland Park, (3 August 1920 – 27 November 2014), known professionally as P. D. James, was an English novelist and life peer. Her rise to fame came with her series of detective novels featuring t ...

novel of the same name. Her murder mystery was based on the style and characters of Jane Austen's 1813 novel ''

Pride and Prejudice ''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...

.'' The series was commissioned by Controller of BBC Drama Commissioning

Ben Stephenson Benjamin Stephenson is a television executive, formerly controller of drama at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and currently Head of Television at Bad Robot Productions in the United States. Personal life Stephenson attended The H ...

and then-Controller of BBC One Danny Cohen, and was first broadcast from 26 to 28 December 2013 on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...

Premise

It is June 1803, six years after the marriage of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Miss Elizabeth Bennet, as recounted in ''Pride and Prejudice.'' One evening, George Wickham and his wife Lydia (Elizabeth's sister) are travelling by carriage to Pemberley for a ball with Captain Denny. Wickham and Denny have an argument, and leave the carriage in anger. The two men disappear into the woodland, where Lydia hears two gunshots. After being informed, Darcy sends out a search party, who find Wickham distraught and hysterical, holding Denny's body and blaming himself for his murder.

Cast

Matthew Rhys Matthew Rhys Evans ( ; born 8 November 1974) is a Welsh actor. He is known for playing Kevin Walker in '' Brothers & Sisters'' (2006–2011) and Philip Jennings in ''The Americans'' (2013–2018), for which he received two Golden Globe Awar ...

Fitzwilliam Darcy Fitzwilliam Darcy Esquire, generally referred to as Mr. Darcy, is one of the two central characters in Jane Austen's 1813 novel '' Pride and Prejudice''. He is an archetype of the aloof romantic hero, and a romantic interest of Elizabeth Benne ...

Anna Maxwell Martin Anna Maxwell Martin (born Anna Charlotte Martin; 27 May 1977),Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1984–2006 listed birth name as ''Anna Charlotte Martin''; Registration year 1977; Registration District Beverley, Yorkshire som ...

as Elizabeth Darcy *

Jenna Coleman Jenna-Louise Coleman (born 27 April 1986), known professionally as Jenna Coleman, is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Jasmine Thomas in the soap opera ''Emmerdale'', Clara Oswald in the science-fiction series ''Doctor Who'', Qu ...

as Lydia Wickham *

Matthew Goode Matthew William Goode (born 3 April 1978) is a British actor. Goode made his screen debut in 2002 with American Broadcasting Company, ABC's TV film feature ''Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister#Adaptation, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister''. His ...

George Wickham George Wickham is a fictional character created by Jane Austen who appears in her 1813 novel ''Pride and Prejudice''. George Wickham is introduced as a militia officer who has a shared history with Mr. Darcy. Wickham's charming demeanour and his ...

Trevor Eve Trevor John Eve (born 1 July 1951) is an English film and television actor. In 1979 he gained fame as the eponymous lead in the detective series '' Shoestring'' and is also known for his role as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd in BBC telev ...

as Sir Selwyn Hardcastle *

Alexandra Moen Alexandra Moen (born 1978) is an English actress, known for her roles as Emily James in the drama series '' Hotel Babylon'', Tamsin in the drama series ''Tripping Over'', and Lucy Saxon in the science fiction series ''Doctor Who''. Early life Moe ...

as Jane Bingley *

Rebecca Front Rebecca Louise Front (born 16 May 1964) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She won the 2010 BAFTA TV Award for Best Female Comedy Performance for ''The Thick of It'' (2009–2012).Jennifer Lipma"Bafta for Jewish actress Rebecca Front" ...

as Mrs Bennet *

James Fleet James Edward Fleet (born 11 March 1952) is an English actor of theatre, radio and screen. He is most famous for his roles as the bumbling and well-meaning Tom in the 1994 British romantic comedy film ''Four Weddings and a Funeral'' and the dim-w ...

Mr Bennet The Bennet family is a fictional family created by the English novelist Jane Austen, in her 1813 novel, ''Pride and Prejudice''. The family consists of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, and their five daughters: Jane, Mary, Catherine, Lydia, and Elizabeth, ...

Penelope Keith Dame Penelope Anne Constance Keith, (née Hatfield; born 2 April 1940) is an English actress and presenter, active in film, radio, stage and television and primarily known for her roles in the British sitcoms '' The Good Life'' and ''To the Man ...

Lady Catherine de Bourgh Lady Catherine de Bourgh (née Fitzwilliam; ; ) is a character in the 1813 novel '' Pride and Prejudice'' by Jane Austen. According to Janet Todd, Lady Catherine can be seen as a foil to the novel's protagonist Elizabeth Bennet. Family Lady ...

Joanna Scanlan Joanna Marion Scanlan (born 27 October 1961) is a British actress. On television, she is known for her roles in British series such as ''The Thick of It'' (2005–2012), '' Getting On'' (2009–2012), ''Puppy Love'' (2014), and ''No Offence'' ( ...

as Mrs Reynolds *

Tom Ward Tom Ward (born 11 January 1971) is a British film, stage and television actor. Early life Tom Ward was born in Swansea, Wales, the son of poet and academic John Powell Ward, and Sarah Ward OBE, a farmer. Ward was sent to the Dragon School i ...

as Colonel Fitzwilliam *

Eleanor Tomlinson Eleanor May Tomlinson (born 19 May 1992) is an English actress and singer. She has appeared in films including '' Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging'' (2008), ''Jack the Giant Slayer'' (2013), ''Colette'' (2018) and ''Love Wedding Repeat'' (20 ...

as Georgiana Darcy * James Norton as Mr Henry Alveston *

Nichola Burley Nichola Ann Burley (born 26 December 1986) is an English actress. She is best known for her roles in ''Born Equal'', '' Drop Dead Gorgeous'', ''Goldplated'', ''Death Comes to Pemberley'', ''Donkey Punch'' and ''StreetDance 3D''.Conway, Sean"Inte ...

as Louisa Bidwell *

Philip Martin Brown Philip Martin Brown (born 9 July 1956) is a British actor from Manchester. He is known for his long-running portrayal of English teacher Grantly Budgen in the hit BBC One school-based drama series ''Waterloo Road (TV series), Waterloo Road'', w ...

as Mr Bidwell *

Kevin Eldon Kevin Eldon (born 2 October 1959) is an English actor and comedian. He featured in British comedy television shows of the 1990s including ''Fist of Fun'', '' This Morning with Richard Not Judy'', '' Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge' ...

as Dr McFee *

Jennifer Hennessy Jennifer Hennessy (born Jennifer Hayes in 1970) is an English actress. She has made numerous television appearances, including as Mrs. Brazendale in the BBC TV series ''Lilies''. Hennessy trained for three years at the Central School of Speech ...

as Mrs Bidwell * Lewis Rainer as Will Bidwell *

Mariah Gale Mariah Gale (born c.1980) is a British actress of film, stage and television. Early life She was born in Australia to an Australian mother and British father, both architects. She grew up in England. She studied at Birmingham University and the G ...

as Mrs Younge *

Teresa Churcher Teresa Churcher (born 7 January) is an English actress whose film credits include ''Gosford Park'', Roman Polanski's ''Oliver Twist'', ''Being Julia'', ''Creation'' and ''The Woman in Black''. Churcher was born in St Albans, Hertfordshire. Churc ...

as Mrs Piggott * Tom Canton as Captain Martin Denny *

Oliver Maltman Oliver Maltman is an English actor notable for his appearances in the TV series ''Star Stories'', ''The Kevin Bishop Show'', ''No Heroics'' and '' Clone''. He has also appeared in Mike Leigh's films ''Happy-Go-Lucky'' in 2008, '' Another Year'' ...

as George Pratt * David Blockley as Footman

Production

Casting

The cast was announced on 18 June 2013. The series was cast by Gary Davy. Actor Tom Ward, who plays Colonel Fitzwilliam, is the only cast member to have previously played a role in an adaptation of ''Pride and Prejudice''. He played Lt Chamberlayne in the 1995 BBC adaptation.

Filming

Filming began in June 2013 on location in Yorkshire and Derbyshire and has been supported with investment from

Screen Yorkshire Following a review of the film infrastructure in England during 2000, the UK Film Council set up nine Regional Screen Agencies, one in each of the regions of England, to deliver support for film-making, exhibition and related media activities. Th ...

Chatsworth House Chatsworth House is a stately home in the Derbyshire Dales, north-east of Bakewell and west of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, Chesterfield, England. The seat of the Duke of Devonshire, it has belonged to the House of Cavendish, Cavendish family sin ...

in Derbyshire was used as the exterior of Pemberley, and rooms at Chatsworth and at

Castle Howard Castle Howard is a stately home in North Yorkshire, England, within the civil parish of Henderskelfe, located north of York. It is a private residence and has been the home of the Carlisle branch of the Howard family for more than 300 years. ...

and

Harewood House Harewood House ( , ) is a country house in Harewood, West Yorkshire, England. Designed by architects John Carr and Robert Adam, it was built, between 1759 and 1771, for Edwin Lascelles, 1st Baron Harewood, a wealthy West Indian plantation a ...

, both in Yorkshire, were used for indoor scenes. Areas of

National Trust The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...

land, including

Hardcastle Crags Hardcastle Crags is a wooded Pennine valley in West Yorkshire, England, owned by the National Trust. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it lies approximately north of the town of Hebden Bridge and west of the town of Halifax. ...

Fountains Abbey Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. It is located approximately south-west of Ripon in North Yorkshire, near to the village of Aldfield. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for 40 ...

and the

Studley Royal Studley Royal Park including the ruins of Fountains Abbey is a designated World Heritage Site in North Yorkshire, England. The site, which has an area of features an 18th-century landscaped garden, some of the largest Cistercian ruins in Europe ...

estate and Treasurer's House, were also used in filming.

Beverley Beverley is a market town, market and minster (church), minster town and a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, of which it is the county town. The town centre is located south-east of York's centre ...

's Guildhall provided the location for a courtroom. The gallows scenes were filmed on a purpose-built scaffold outside York Crown Court, with Wickham emerging from the gate to the old debtors' prison in the York Museum.

Episodes

Reception

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' described the tone of the first episode as respectful of Austen's original, but "not afraid to stand out and be its own very different thing as well", describing it as a "mashup" between period drama and

Agatha Christie Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...

or ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of I ...

''. A later ''Guardian'' review described the series as "pretty much perfect Christmas TV", praising the appearance of the series and the "satisfying plot". Lina Talbot, writing for ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', praised the casting of Mr and Mrs Bennet. The ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in May 1923 by J ...

'' praised the production values of the piece, and noted that they were supported by a "meaty" plot.

References

External links

* Cano-López, Marina. Review ''Death Comes to Pemberley'' (TV series). ''CRITICKS: The British Society for Eighteenth Century Studies''. 14 February 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140227004003/http://www.bsecs.org.uk/criticks/ReviewDetails.aspx?id=181&type=4 * * {{Pride and Prejudice 2010s British drama television series 2010s British television miniseries 2013 British television series debuts 2013 British television series endings BBC high definition shows BBC television dramas BBC television miniseries British crime television series English-language television shows Fiction set in 1803 Historical mystery television series Television series based on Pride and Prejudice Television series set in the 1800s