Key facts
- Writer Andrew Davies drew inspiration from the reality TV show 'Made in Chelsea' for his adaptation of Jane Austen's 'The Watsons'.
- Davies described the young men and women in 'The Watsons' as analogous to the characters on 'Made in Chelsea'.
- He previously described his 2019 adaptation of 'Sanditon' as 'Love Island' in Austen's world.
Writer Andrew Davies, known for his modern adaptations of British period dramas, revealed that he drew inspiration from the reality television series 'Made in Chelsea' while working on an adaptation of Jane Austen's unfinished novel, 'The Watsons'. Davies stated that the social dynamics and relationships depicted in the show are analogous to those found in Austen's novels.
Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme, Davies explained that Austen's works, with their focus on social worlds, courtship rituals, status anxiety, and gossip, find a contemporary parallel in reality television. He previously described his 2019 adaptation of 'Sanditon' as akin to 'Love Island' within Austen's universe.
Austen scholars and other writers have also noted the parallels between Austen's social observations and the themes of modern reality dating shows. Joe Bray, a professor of English, suggested that Austen was a shrewd observer of fashionable manners and that her plots are often driven by sexual attraction and secret liaisons, making her characters suitable for reality show formats. An academic essay also described 'Made in Chelsea' as a 'kind of homage' to Austen, focusing on the courtship rituals of wealthy young people.
Further connections have been drawn between Austen adaptations and reality television. Dolly Alderton, who began her career as a story producer on 'Made in Chelsea', is the writer and executive producer for Netflix's forthcoming 'Pride and Prejudice'. Novelist Curtis Sittenfeld, in her modernization 'Eligible', made a character a former reality-TV star, highlighting how reality TV can serve as a modern equivalent to Austen's structured romantic encounters. Professor John Mullan of University College London pointed out that while Austen's courtship often occurred under public scrutiny, a key difference lies in the emphasis on propriety and repression in her stories, which may contrast with the uninhibited nature of some reality television.