There have been many, many Jane Austen adaptations through the years. The best ones—"Clueless," the BBC's 1995 "Pride and Prejudice," Keira Knightley's 2005 masterpiece—prove that, when it comes to matters of the heart, Austen's sparkling wit will never go out of style. In recent years, the Hallmark Channel has styled itself a refuge for proper Janeites. This Loveuary, the network debuts four new Austen-inspired films. We decided it's high time to rank every Hallmark Jane Austen movie that's graced the small screen.
Hallmark has been adapting Jane Austen since 2016, when Ryan Paevey played a modern-day version of Mr. Darcy in the quirky dog-showing romance "Unleashing Mr. Darcy." In 2018, the network rolled out two contemporary holiday spins on "Pride and Prejudice." One saw the queen of Hallmark Christmas Lacey Chabert play a snooty female Darcy; the other transformed Lizzie into a city-girl event planner with her eyes on Pemberley Manor.
Every Hallmark Jane Austen movie has been a contemporary retelling that plays fast and loose with Austen's novels — until now. The network will debut a period-specific adaptation of "Sense and Sensibility" in late February, ushering in a new and exciting era for those of us who love the look of Regency England. Doesn't mean we'll love Hallmark's "Sense, Sensibility and Snowmen," starring our faves Erin Krakow and Kimberly Sustad as the Dashwood sisters, any less.
Pop the kettle on and conjure an image of Colin Firth's lake scene! Below, our ranking of every Hallmark Jane Austen movie that paved the way for Loveuary 2024.
#5. 'Marrying Mr. Darcy' (2018)
Hallmark
Starring: Cindy Busby, Ryan Paevey, Frances Fisher
In this sequel to 2016's "Unleashing Mr. Darcy," Elizabeth Scott (Busby) is blissfully in love and newly engaged to the handsome, wealthy Donovan Darcy (Paevey). While planning their autumn nuptials with the help of her mother and sister, Elizabeth can't help but wonder if she and Darcy can overcome their vastly different backgrounds and live happily ever after.
#4. 'Unleashing Mr. Darcy' (2016)
Hallmark
Starring: Cindy Busby, Ryan Paevey, Frances Fisher
In this modern-day P&P, schoolteacher Elizabeth Scott (Busby) is searching for direction in life and decides to professionally show her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in a ritzy New York dog show. But she clashes with the arrogant, complicated judge, Donovan Darcy (Paevey).
#3. 'Pride, Prejudice and Mistletoe' (2018)
Hallmark
Starring: Lacey Chabert, Brendan Penny, Sherry Miller
Based on New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz's novel of the same name, "Pride, Prejudice and Mistletoe" is a gender-swapped retelling of P&P featuring a snobby Miss Darcy. Financial advisor Darcy Fitzwilliam (Chabert) returns home for the holidays and reconnects with her high school nemesis Luke Bennett (Penny). They spend time together helping Darcy's mother plan a Christmas charity gala and realize the judgments they made about one another in high school may be incorrect.
#2. 'Sense, Sensibility and Snowmen' (2019)
Hallmark
Starring: Erin Krakow, Luke Macfarlane, Kimberley Sustad
As frivolous Ella (Krakow) and sensible Marianne (Sustad) Dashwood enter the busy holiday season for the family party planning business they have just inherited, the loving sisters don't always agree on the best way forward. However, when an uptight grinch of a new client named Edward Ferris (Macfarlane) enters their world, Ella seizes the opportunity to prove herself to her sister by taking on the planning and execution of Ferris' very important holiday party with just nine days to pull it off.
#1. 'Christmas at Pemberley Manor' (2018)
Hallmark
Starring: Jessica Lowndes, Michael Rady, Maddie McCormick
Inspired by author Julie Petersen's spin on P&P, "Mr. Darcy's Night Before Christmas," this flick makes Elizabeth a New York event planner and Darcy a high-profile billionaire. Elizabeth (Lowndes) is sent to a small town to organize a holiday festival, and she stumbles upon the perfect venue: The charming Pemberley Manor. Problem is, the estate's Scrooge-like owner, Darcy (Rady), is determined to sell his family seat.
