Web Series Moment: The Lizzie Bennett Diaries

The Lizzie Bennett Diaries…why does this sound familiar? That’s because, while you may not be familiar with this YouTube web series, you’re probably familiar with the story at its heart. Yep, you guessed it: Designed by Hank Green and Bernie Sue, The Lizzie Bennett Diaries is a modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved classic novel, Pride and Prejudice. The story follows 24-year-old mass communications student Lizzie Bennett (Ashley Clements) in the US, not the UK, as she creates a video blog for her studies. The vlogs chronicle his life with sisters Jane (Laura Spencer) and Lydia (Mary Kate Wills), best friend Charlotte Lou (Julia Cho), and new rich neighbors Bing Lee (Christopher Shawn), Caroline Lee (Jessica Jade Andres), and William Darcy (Daniel Vincent Gordy). Although Bing and Jane hit it off instantly, Lizzie and Darcy’s first meeting is practically hate at first sight – but the story soon shows that first impressions don’t tell the whole story…

At this point, I should mention that I am a huge Austin fan and Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books of all time. I take adaptations seriously and can give you a range of opinions on the many period screen versions of this novel (Jennifer Elle and Colin Firth’s BBC series? Smash. Keira Knightley’s movie? Pass). Needless to say, when I heard about it The Lizzie Bennett Diaries (which is uploaded from 9e April 28, 2012e March 2013), I was interested. How has Austin’s nineteenth-century history translated into today?

Luckily for me, the creators have done a great job of turning the 200-year-old novel into a new, relevant YouTube series. Elements of the novel are very cleverly changed to better fit America today – for example, Mr. Darcy is transformed from the wealthy landowner of Pemberley Manor to the wealthy CEO of Pemberley Digital. The series also uses other characters who make videos to enrich the story: Lydia keeps an engaging but inconsistently uploaded blog, and Pemberley Digital itself uploads several videos to help advance the story. That’s why I recommend watching the full playlist curated by Pemberley Digital, as it contains all of these videos in order.

Casting for it The Lizzie Bennett Diaries Highlights: Each actor shines in this web series. Wills does a wonderful job in the many subtleties of Lydia’s character, and Clements is the perfect choice for one of my favorite characters. The chemistry between the key couples is good, and I’m especially happy that they were able to introduce an interracial couple with Jane and Bing. While this may seem like a small thing, as a child of an interracial marriage, I know how important this representation is.

Whether you’re a die-hard Austen fanatic or have never touched a copy Pride and PrejudiceI recommend watching The Lizzie Bennett Diaries. Engaging, creative, and full of humor and grit, this Emmy-winning web series deserves a place in your life.

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