Web Series: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”

Most of you probably recognize that as the first line to Jane Austen’s immortal “Pride and Prejudice.” In the first episode of “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries” (LBD), Lizzie (Ashley Clements) shows us that her mother had it put on a t-shirt she gave to each of her daughters. She explains her mother’s obsession with seeing her daughters married off while Lizzie eschews such an old-fashion notion. It’s not that she doesn’t want to get married, she just believes it isn’t the be-all end-all for her as a woman. And she discusses this on camera in a vlog style as part of her classes for her masters in communications, namely in new media, with the help of her best friend Charlotte Lu (Julia Cho).

My New Obsession: Web Series

I love web series. And I’ve discovered my share in the past year and a half.

Starting with The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. I discovered this show on tumblr and was shocked to learn it existed. I’m an Austenite—you’d think I’d know about a Pride and Prejudice adaptation! So I went to YouTube and binge-watched all the available episodes. And then I continued watching each episode. Even the ones that were released in between, filling in gaps in the story. Like Lydia’s heartbreaking videos or Gigi’s heartbreaking videos. Yeah, these videos could take you on an emotional and angst-filled rollercoaster sometimes.