BBC’s 1995 ‘Pride and Prejudice’ series voted best EVER adaptation of Austen’s novel

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, BritishPeriodDramas.com has announced the results of an exclusive recent poll to discover the most popular dramatisation of Jane Austen’s classic novel.

It’s 106 years since Pride and Prejudice was originally published and readers first encountered timeless heroine Elizabeth Bennet.

Over the past century, the classic romantic novel has been brought to the screen numerous times on TV and film, with another mini-series currently in development from the makers of Poldark.

For now, though, the most popular adaptation is without a doubt the BBC’s 1995 mini-series, starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth.

Adapted by Welsh screenwriter Andrew Davies, who recently penned ITV’s Vanity Fair adaptation, the six-part drama picked up an overwhelming 62.53% of the votes in our poll.

Nearly 25 years after it first aired in the autumn of 1995, this is still seen as the definitive adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel for many British period drama fans, with Firth’s wet shirt scene recently recognised as “one of the most unforgettable moments in British TV history.”

Jennifer Ehle won a BAFTA for ‘Best Actress’ with her portrayal of Elizabeth Bennet, and the mini-series won an Emmy for ‘Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Miniseries or a Special.’

Following in second place, with 27.79% of the votes, is the 2005 film starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen.

Directed by Joe Wright (Atonement, Darkest Hour), the movie received four Oscar nominations in 2006, including a Best Actress nomination for Knightley.

Rounding out the Top 5 are the BBC’s 1980 TV series, 2016’s historical action comedy horror Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and YouTube series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.

Take a look at the complete list of results from our poll here.

The BBC’s 1995 Pride and Prejudice mini-series is available on DVD on Amazon.