Jane Eyre (2006 TV serial)
Encyclopedia
Jane Eyre is a 2006 television adaptation of Charlotte Brontë
's 1847 novel of the same name. The story, which has been the subject of numerous television and film adaptations is based on the life of the orphaned titular character. This four-part BBC television drama
serial
adaptation
was broadcast in the United Kingdom
on BBC One
.
The mini-series is generally considered a successful adaptation, garnering critical acclaim and a number of prestigious nominations from various award bodies.
's novel, Jane Eyre
as a young girl (Georgie Henley
) is raised as a poor relation in the household of her aunt, Mrs. Reed (Tara FitzGerald
). As a young woman (Ruth Wilson
), Jane is hired by the housekeeper of Thornfield Hall, Mrs. Fairfax, to be a governess for young Adele (Cosima Littlewood). The owner of the estate is Mr. Rochester (Toby Stephens
), who is courting the beautiful and wealthy Blanche Ingram (Christina Cole
).
As much as in Gateshead Hall, Lowood School is a cold institution. Jane’s only friend dies and she is left alone once again. Convinced to become independent, she takes on the profession of a governess.
At 19 she is able to secure a position as governess to a girl at Thornfield Hall. Here Jane learns that her pupil Adele, a French girl, was left in the care of the master of the house, Edward Rochester. She is also informed that the master of the house is seldom at home.
On one of his journeys back to Thornfield Hall, Jane at last meets Rochester.
One night, Jane wakes to strange noises coming from the room in Rochester’s room. She follows the noise and realizes that Rochester’s room is set on fire and the master in danger.
Rochester receives another unexpected and not wholly welcome guest. Mason, the guest, is one night severely injured. In an attempt to catch a doctor, Jane is left to take care of Mason in the North Tower. Once again strange sounds from the North Tower preceded the incident. While looking after Mason, Jane is startled by loud noises from the other side of the door in the North Tower.
Away from Thornfield Hall, Jane realizes with more clarity that Thornfield has indeed become a home for her, something she never had before. However, the rumours of an upcoming marriage between Blanche Ingram and Mr Rochester immensely disturb her. Is she to leave her beloved Thornfield?
In an attempt to find out about Jane’s real emotions, Rochester constantly teases Jane so that she finally reveals that she loves not only Thornfield Hall but Rochester as well. As these feelings are shared by Rochester, he proposes to Jane and is accepted.
Two days before the marriage Jane’s wedding dress is ruined. Even her seeing a shadow of a woman in her rooms is, according to Rochester, part of her dream. On the wedding day however, Jane is finally told of Rochester’s wife Bertha living in the North Tower. Insanity runs in Bertha's family and as a result she was locked up for the safety of herself and others.This information is revealed by Mason who turns out to be Bertha’s brother. Rochester insists that he still loves Jane and offers to live with her "as brother and sister", however Jane leaves Thornfield in the night.
When Jane is told by St John Rivers that she has inherited some money by her uncle and that they are also related, St John Rivers also informs Jane of his knowing of her past including Thornfield Hall.
Jane cannot come to terms with the marriage proposal by St John Rivers and the prospect to live abroad as missionaries. As she begins to hear Rochester calling her name, Jane immediately knows that she belongs to Thornfield and Rochester.
On her return she finds a weakened and blind Rochester and a burnt down Thornfield. Jane is also told of the circumstances surrounding the fire and Rochester’s blindness. He was injured while trying to rescue his wife Bertha who did not survive. Rochester recognizes Jane upon hearing her voice and is very happy to have her back. The two are married and the entire family - Rochester, Jane, Adele, St. John Rivers' sisters, and the dog Pilot - gather in the garden to have their portrait painted. Because St. John is away on his mission, he is painted on the side of the portrait.
board as a supplement to this game, a scene which was written specifically for the screenplay.
For a full length summary of Charlotte Bronte's novel, see: Jane Eyre plot summary.
on 1 January 2007 as a four-hour program and had an audience of 2,056,000 or some 17.7% of the viewing audience.
Jane Eyre was shown on Masterpiece Theatre
on most PBS
stations compressed into two hours each over two nights, on 21 January and 28 January 2007. Jane Eyre was rebroadcast on 30 December 2007 and 6 January 2008. It was the final broadcast of Masterpiece Theatre
before WGBH
retooled the classic anthology series into Masterpiece.
RTP2 in Portugal
premiered the series on 22 September 2008, 10.40 pm. It also aired on RTS2 (Serbia
) and HTV2 (Croatia
).
states in The Guardian
that, "The new BBC version shows that it is [...] possible to make successful drama by telling the story straight. It features an excellent performance from Toby Stephens, who manages to make Rochester simultaneously macho and vulnerable, and also from Ruth Wilson as a quizzical, strong and un-neurotic Jane." Barry Garron in The Hollywood Reporter
suggests that, "the new adaptation written by Sandy Welch and directed by Susanna White doesn't add new colors to Bronte's romantic novel. Rather, it brings out all the shades and hues of the original portrait, restoring it to its full glory." Dennis Moore of USA Today
, argued that, "The story is splendidly retold [...] From sweeping shots of the English countryside through all seasons to intimate scenes in the recesses of the manor house, this adaptation of Jane Eyre shows off a richness American TV projects rarely attempt. The appeal stretches beyond style. The lean scripting (even at four hours the program can't cover every one of Brontë's plot details), the expeditious pacing and the interaction among the actors are first-class, if not as brilliant as the more ambitious and magnificent Bleak House
from last season."
Charlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood, whose novels are English literature standards...
's 1847 novel of the same name. The story, which has been the subject of numerous television and film adaptations is based on the life of the orphaned titular character. This four-part BBC television drama
BBC television drama
BBC television dramas have been produced and broadcast since even before the public service company had an officially established television broadcasting network in the United Kingdom...
serial
Serial (radio and television)
Serials are series of television programs and radio programs that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode by episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the full run of the series, which distinguishes them from...
adaptation
Adaptation
An adaptation in biology is a trait with a current functional role in the life history of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection. An adaptation refers to both the current state of being adapted and to the dynamic evolutionary process that leads to the adaptation....
was broadcast in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
.
The mini-series is generally considered a successful adaptation, garnering critical acclaim and a number of prestigious nominations from various award bodies.
Plot
In this version of Charlotte BrontëCharlotte Brontë
Charlotte Brontë was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood, whose novels are English literature standards...
's novel, Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre (character)
Jane Eyre is the heroine of Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name.-Appearance:Jane Eyre is described as plain, with an elfin look. She sees herself as "poor, obscure, plain and little". Mr. Rochester once compliments Jane's "hazel eyes and hazel hair", but she tells the reader about Mr...
as a young girl (Georgie Henley
Georgie Henley
Georgina Helen "Georgie" Henley is a British teen actress. She is known for her portrayal of Lucy Pevensie in The Chronicles of Narnia film series, for which she won the Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by a Youth Female in a Lead or Supporting Role in The Lion, the Witch...
) is raised as a poor relation in the household of her aunt, Mrs. Reed (Tara FitzGerald
Tara Fitzgerald
Tara Anne Cassandra Fitzgerald is an English actress who has appeared in feature films, television, radio and the stage....
). As a young woman (Ruth Wilson
Ruth Wilson (actress)
Ruth Wilson is an English actress, perhaps best known for her performance in the title role of Jane Eyre.-Early life and education:...
), Jane is hired by the housekeeper of Thornfield Hall, Mrs. Fairfax, to be a governess for young Adele (Cosima Littlewood). The owner of the estate is Mr. Rochester (Toby Stephens
Toby Stephens
Toby Stephens is an English stage, television and film actor who has appeared in films in both Hollywood and Bollywood. He is best known for playing megavillain Gustav Graves in the James Bond film Die Another Day , Edward Fairfax Rochester in the BBC television adaptation of Jane Eyre and Philip...
), who is courting the beautiful and wealthy Blanche Ingram (Christina Cole
Christina Cole
Christina Cole is an English actress known for portraying Cassie Hughes in the Sky One supernatural television series Hex.-Background:...
).
Episode 1
After the death of her uncle, the orphaned child Jane Eyre is left to the care of her uncaring and cruel aunt Mrs Reed. In their house at Gateshead Hall, Jane is ill-treated by her cousins and aunt alike and never feels at home. After one of many ill-treatments she is accused of being bad blood and in an attempt to get rid of her, Jane is sent to Lowood School by her aunt Mrs Reed.As much as in Gateshead Hall, Lowood School is a cold institution. Jane’s only friend dies and she is left alone once again. Convinced to become independent, she takes on the profession of a governess.
At 19 she is able to secure a position as governess to a girl at Thornfield Hall. Here Jane learns that her pupil Adele, a French girl, was left in the care of the master of the house, Edward Rochester. She is also informed that the master of the house is seldom at home.
On one of his journeys back to Thornfield Hall, Jane at last meets Rochester.
One night, Jane wakes to strange noises coming from the room in Rochester’s room. She follows the noise and realizes that Rochester’s room is set on fire and the master in danger.
Episode 2
After Jane was able to rescue Rochester just in time, she wonders who set the fire and from whom these strange sounds from the North Tower come from. She barely receives an answer from Rochester who instead leaves Thornfield without notice the next morning. On his return to Thornfield, he brings along some acquaintances among whom are the beautiful Blanche Ingram and her mother Lady Ingram.Rochester receives another unexpected and not wholly welcome guest. Mason, the guest, is one night severely injured. In an attempt to catch a doctor, Jane is left to take care of Mason in the North Tower. Once again strange sounds from the North Tower preceded the incident. While looking after Mason, Jane is startled by loud noises from the other side of the door in the North Tower.
Episode 3
Jane receives a visitor from the past. Bessie informs her of her aunt’s illness and the request to see Jane before she dies. When her aunt seems unable to recognize her, Jane asks Mrs. Reed why she always hated her niece. Mrs. Reed replies that it was because her husband had loved Jane more than his own children, even calling out for her on his deathbed. Jane also learns from her aunt Mrs Reed that she has an uncle. This uncle requested to take care of Jane when she was still a child. Her aunt misinformed the uncle and told him that Jane died. Unlike her aunt, Jane is able to forgive Mrs Reed on her aunt’s dying bed.Away from Thornfield Hall, Jane realizes with more clarity that Thornfield has indeed become a home for her, something she never had before. However, the rumours of an upcoming marriage between Blanche Ingram and Mr Rochester immensely disturb her. Is she to leave her beloved Thornfield?
In an attempt to find out about Jane’s real emotions, Rochester constantly teases Jane so that she finally reveals that she loves not only Thornfield Hall but Rochester as well. As these feelings are shared by Rochester, he proposes to Jane and is accepted.
Two days before the marriage Jane’s wedding dress is ruined. Even her seeing a shadow of a woman in her rooms is, according to Rochester, part of her dream. On the wedding day however, Jane is finally told of Rochester’s wife Bertha living in the North Tower. Insanity runs in Bertha's family and as a result she was locked up for the safety of herself and others.This information is revealed by Mason who turns out to be Bertha’s brother. Rochester insists that he still loves Jane and offers to live with her "as brother and sister", however Jane leaves Thornfield in the night.
Episode 4
Jane is left penniless and without any hope. She succumbs and lies down on the moors to die. She is however rescued by the clergyman St John Rivers who takes her home and nurses her back to health with the help of his two sisters. But Jane seems to have lost her memories.When Jane is told by St John Rivers that she has inherited some money by her uncle and that they are also related, St John Rivers also informs Jane of his knowing of her past including Thornfield Hall.
Jane cannot come to terms with the marriage proposal by St John Rivers and the prospect to live abroad as missionaries. As she begins to hear Rochester calling her name, Jane immediately knows that she belongs to Thornfield and Rochester.
On her return she finds a weakened and blind Rochester and a burnt down Thornfield. Jane is also told of the circumstances surrounding the fire and Rochester’s blindness. He was injured while trying to rescue his wife Bertha who did not survive. Rochester recognizes Jane upon hearing her voice and is very happy to have her back. The two are married and the entire family - Rochester, Jane, Adele, St. John Rivers' sisters, and the dog Pilot - gather in the garden to have their portrait painted. Because St. John is away on his mission, he is painted on the side of the portrait.
Differences from the novel
While for the most part a faithful retelling of the novel, the screenplay does contain minor deviations. These include the reduction of time devoted to the first third (Lowood School) and the final third (St. John) of the novel. The middle of the novel is instead developed and a few scenes from the novel are compressed or moved to different times and places in the narrative. The scenes surrounding Jane's flight from the Rochester estate until her gaining of health are treated as a brief flashback sequence, a useful tool that enabled many pages of text to be condensed into a passage of a few minutes' length. Additional scenes were created for the screenplay which underscore the passionate natures of Jane and Rochester (a thematic point implied but not explicated throughout the novel). One of the more significant plot changes occurs during the gypsy sequence as Rochester hires a gypsy rather than portraying one himself. Rochester also uses an ouijaOuija
The Ouija board also known as a spirit/fire key board or talking board, is a flat board marked with the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0-9, the words "yes", "no", "hello" and "goodbye", and other symbols and words are sometimes also added to help personalize the board...
board as a supplement to this game, a scene which was written specifically for the screenplay.
For a full length summary of Charlotte Bronte's novel, see: Jane Eyre plot summary.
Distribution
The worldwide premiere outside of the United Kingdom was in Spain. The production appeared on Antena 3Antena 3 (Spain)
Antena 3 is a Spanish terrestrial television channel owned by Antena 3 de Televisión. Some of the more popular programmes broadcast by Antena 3 include Aquí no hay quien viva, El Barco, Los Protegidos, Los Simpson and El Internado....
on 1 January 2007 as a four-hour program and had an audience of 2,056,000 or some 17.7% of the viewing audience.
Jane Eyre was shown on Masterpiece Theatre
Masterpiece Theatre
Masterpiece is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on Public Broadcasting Service on January 10, 1971, making it America's longest-running weekly prime time drama series. The series has presented numerous acclaimed British productions...
on most PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
stations compressed into two hours each over two nights, on 21 January and 28 January 2007. Jane Eyre was rebroadcast on 30 December 2007 and 6 January 2008. It was the final broadcast of Masterpiece Theatre
Masterpiece Theatre
Masterpiece is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on Public Broadcasting Service on January 10, 1971, making it America's longest-running weekly prime time drama series. The series has presented numerous acclaimed British productions...
before WGBH
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...
retooled the classic anthology series into Masterpiece.
RTP2 in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
premiered the series on 22 September 2008, 10.40 pm. It also aired on RTS2 (Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
) and HTV2 (Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
).
Critical reception
Lucasta MillerLucasta Miller
Lucasta Frances Elizabeth Miller is an English writer and literary journalist.-Education:Miller was educated at Westminster School and Lady Margaret Hall Oxford, receiving a congratulatory first in English in 1988. She was awarded a PhD at the University of East Anglia in 2007.-Career:Miller...
states in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
that, "The new BBC version shows that it is [...] possible to make successful drama by telling the story straight. It features an excellent performance from Toby Stephens, who manages to make Rochester simultaneously macho and vulnerable, and also from Ruth Wilson as a quizzical, strong and un-neurotic Jane." Barry Garron in The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
suggests that, "the new adaptation written by Sandy Welch and directed by Susanna White doesn't add new colors to Bronte's romantic novel. Rather, it brings out all the shades and hues of the original portrait, restoring it to its full glory." Dennis Moore of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, argued that, "The story is splendidly retold [...] From sweeping shots of the English countryside through all seasons to intimate scenes in the recesses of the manor house, this adaptation of Jane Eyre shows off a richness American TV projects rarely attempt. The appeal stretches beyond style. The lean scripting (even at four hours the program can't cover every one of Brontë's plot details), the expeditious pacing and the interaction among the actors are first-class, if not as brilliant as the more ambitious and magnificent Bleak House
Bleak House
Bleak House is the ninth novel by Charles Dickens, published in twenty monthly installments between March 1852 and September 1853. It is held to be one of Dickens's finest novels, containing one of the most vast, complex and engaging arrays of minor characters and sub-plots in his entire canon...
from last season."
Awards and nominations
- BAFTA TV Awards
- Won Best Make-Up and Hair Design - Anne Oldham
- Nominated Best Actress - Ruth WilsonRuth Wilson (actress)Ruth Wilson is an English actress, perhaps best known for her performance in the title role of Jane Eyre.-Early life and education:...
- Nominated Best Original Television Music - Rob Lane
- Nominated Best Production Design - Grenville Horner
- Primetime Emmy Awards
- Won Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie - Grenville Horner (Production Designer), Patrick Rolfe (Art Director), Clare Andrade (Set Decorator)
- Won Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or Special - Andrea Galer (Costume Designer), Sally Crees (Asst. Costume Designer)
- Won Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or Special - Anne Oldham (Dept. Head Hairstylist), Fay De Bremaeker (Key Hairstylist)
- Nominated Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or Special - Di Carling
- Nominated Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie - Mike Eley
- Nominated Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special - Susanna WhiteSusanna WhiteSusanna White is a British television director. She was one of two directors on the BBC adaptation of Bleak House. She won a BAFTA award for best drama serial for her work on the series. She also directed the BBC mini-series Jane Eyre and was nominated for an Emmy award for her work on the series...
- Nominated Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or Movie - Jason Krasucki
- Nominated Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or Movie - Richard Manton (Production Mixer), Stuart Hilliker (Re-Recording Mixer)
- Nominated Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special - Sandy Welch
External links
- An Eyre of Intelligence - New StatesmanNew StatesmanNew Statesman is a British centre-left political and cultural magazine published weekly in London. Founded in 1913, and connected with leading members of the Fabian Society, the magazine reached a circulation peak in the late 1960s....