Latest news with #ColdFeet
ITV News
5 hours ago
- Business
- ITV News
James Nesbitt 'disappointed' at closure of 'iconic' Coleraine theatre where career began
Hollywood actor and Coleraine native James Nesbitt says he is 'disappointed' over a decision by Ulster University to close the Riverside Theatre. Nesbitt, who honed his craft at the venue and was Chancellor of the university for 10 years also expressed his sadness at the long term reduction in arts investment across the North West. Ulster University says the cost of running the theatre does not align with their academic goals and available funding stating the building would require significant capital investment to remain in use, with refurbishment works estimated to cost nearly £750,000, in addition to annual running costs of almost £500,000. The Riverside Theatre at Ulster University's Coleraine campus has been at the heart of performing arts in the town since it was opened by Queen Elizabeth II almost 50 years ago. Its stage has been graced by the likes of Liam Neeson and of course James Nesbitt. After hitting the stage in Coleraine, he went on to superstardom with hits including ITV's Cold Feet and the Hobbit movies. In January 2025, the university announced that it was looking into how the theatre was funded. In March it proposed Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council consider a lease agreement for the venue with a meeting expected to take place in June. However on 29 May the university announced the closure in August. Mr Nesbitt expressed his sadness at the closure: 'It's so disappointing that the university of which I was Chancellor for 10 years finds itself in the position that it feels it necessary to close this iconic arts venue which was the launch pad of my career. "However, I'm also disappointed in the long- term reduction in investment in the arts by the arts council, the NI Executive and the local authority in performing arts in the North West. "I think the agencies involved need to get together to invest in the future of the arts in this community. It will be sorely missed.' Mr Nesbitt is not the only one disappointed by the news of the theatres imminent closure. A protest outside Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council offices in Coleraine is planned while a petition to save the venue has got more than 3,500 signatures. In a statement Ulster University added: "We remain focused on the university's core purpose: to deliver high-quality teaching and impactful research across our multiple campuses; and in the face of unprecedented financial challenges, with the funding model in Northern Ireland acknowledged as unsustainable, it is more important than ever that we focus our resources on core academic activities. "Having supported and delivered this civic asset for 50 years, the building itself has now come to the end of its life and requires significant capital investment to remain in use. "This is estimated at £745,000 in the immediate term alone and is in addition to the annual running costs of £495,000. "While we appreciate that this news will come as a disappointment to many, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the artists, audiences, staff, and supporters who have made the Riverside Theatre such a special place for so many years." Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Daisy Edgar-Jones looks totally different in throwback snap as star turns 27
Fans have noticed that Daisy Edgar-Jones, who celebrates her 27th birthday today, is looking completely different these days - and is almost unrecognisable in a throwback snap from January 2020 when she was in her early 20s Daisy Edgar-Jones, best known for her roles in Normal People and Where the Crawdads Sing, turns 27 today (May 24). She first burst onto the scene in Cold Feet and War of the Worlds, and has had an illustrious career since. She has an Instagram following of almost three million fans. The glamorous actress, from London, is no stranger to posting stunning snaps on social media. But in a picture of her from five years ago, she looks totally different, and fans can't get enough. Back in 2020, she posted a photo captioned: "Vanity Fair Bafta Rising Star Party," and Daisy looks like a different person. The photo was posted to her Instagram in January of that year, just before the Covid pandemic. Sporting cropped brunette hair and wearing a silky pink gown with a sweet floral pattern across the bust, she looked youthful and adorable, and received many comments complimenting her at the time she posted it. "I love this photo, you look stunning," one fan penned, with another adding: "Bleeeeedin hell here she is," followed by fire emojis. People even called her "magic" thanks to her natural beauty. Now, Daisy sports a more mature look, opting for longer hair and even more pared-back, fashionable clothing. During a recent trip to Cannes, she sported a black figure-hugging bandeau dress with embellishments all over it as she smiled for the cameras. But what fans were more obsessed with was the fact that she was seen with Normal People co-star Paul Mescal. While the pair have always maintained that they are friends, some fans have always hoped the pair might share a romantic bond. Someone wrote: "The way Paul & Daisy always have the biggest smile when they're together". "He's never going to beat the allegations," another added, but a fan responded: "This is just a picture," suggesting that it didn't actually mean anything that the pair had been photographed together. The pair have spoken about their relationship several times. They have always maintained that they share a close friendship, with Daisy saying Paul is one of her "lifetime best friends," and that she loves him platonically. Paul Mescal is currently dating singer and songwriter Gracie Abrams, who made headlines when she joined Taylor Swift's Eras Tour as an opening act in 2023 and 2024. She then released the song 'That's So True,' which went on to become a viral sound on TikTok thanks to hundreds of thousands of people using it in their videos. Daisy is also in a happy relationship with her partner, photographer Ben Seed. They were first publicly seen together during an outing in London, where they were photographed embracing, kissing, and holding hands in 2023.
Black America Web
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
‘Moviefone' Is Back: Rahsan-Rahsan Lindsay On Reviving The Iconic '90s Brand For Today's Media World
Source: Rahsan-Rahsan Lindsay (President & COO of 'Moviefone.') Rahsan-Rahsan Lindsay's journey through the entertainment industry has been nothing short of amazing. Over the past two decades, the Brooklyn resident has navigated a career filled with bold moves and unexpected turns—from major media networks to groundbreaking new ventures. He spent a decade at TV One, driving advertising revenue across national linear, digital, VOD, app, direct response, and paid programming platforms. Before that, he spent eight years at Viacom Media Networks as Vice President of Client Strategy, holding key roles at MTV, Comedy Central, Spike TV, and more. But in 2020, Lindsay's career took an exciting new direction when award-winning film producer and entrepreneur Cleveland O'Neal III approached him with a game-changing opportunity: helping to revive Moviefone, the iconic '90s dial-in entertainment platform that once shaped how audiences discovered films and bought tickets. O'Neal—best known for his syndicated talk show, Made in Hollywood —acquired Moviefone out of bankruptcy for $1 million and tapped Lindsay to help reimagine it as the ultimate movie discovery hub. Now poised for a major comeback, Moviefone is being rebranded as a go-to guide for showtimes, streaming, reviews, and more—and it's proudly the only Black-owned movie service of its kind. Lindsay sat down with NewsOne to talk about his dynamic career, the evolution of Moviefone, and what's next in the platform's ambitious revival. NewsOne (NO): Mr. Lindsay, it's a pleasure to speak with you today. Your resume is incredibly impressive, with key roles at TV One, MTV, and now as President and COO of Moviefone. But I couldn't help but notice—you also had a brief stint in acting. Tell us about that! Rahsan-Rahsan Lindsay (RL): Yeah! I mean, I don't even know if it was brief. I was acting probably for a good 15 years, but, you know, like a lot of people, you have to [juggle] a job and you're auditioning and trying to see what's what. I did the soap operas, commercials— and unfortunately, never got that big break, so to speak. It was still a lot of fun. I still do it now and then, but I just do it for fun, which is nice. It's nice to have something you love, but not have any pressure to make money at it. NO: What was your favorite project to work on during that time? The most exciting thing I did was this film called Cold Feet . The reason it was so exciting is because I had only been in New York for about six months or so when I booked it, and I had a short period where I booked, like, three different projects. Cold Feet was the biggest of the three. I was a lead in the film. That was probably the most exciting thing in the world at that point. That was also when—I mean, this is going to sound really old—when people would still read actual magazines. Variety would list all the castings and my name showed up three times in a very short period. That's probably the biggest thing that I did, but it didn't make me the most money. You know, the funny thing is, the commercials made me the most money. I did a Miller Genuine Draft commercial that paid pretty well over time. I did a Lowes commercial and some other stuff. Those were a lot of fun because you get treated like a movie star, even if it's just for a couple of days—it was a lot of fun. NO: With all of this incredible experience underneath your belt, you've now become a driving force behind Moviefone's revival. How did you and Cleveland O'Neal III meet? I've known the owner, Cleveland, for about 25 years. [We] have never worked together formally, but always kind of bounced ideas off each other. I've always had a lot of respect for him. He's one of those entrepreneurs who really has done it on his own. He started out making after-school specials—that's really what they were— the first of which was called, What About Your Friends? It ended up winning an Image Award. It was the first Black after-school special. And at the time when he did it, not only did he get to make it, but he actually got to own the IP. So, he started to build a library. He shot this movie called Phat Beach , which he did on his own as well. It was one of those things where he probably could have signed a deal, but he didn't. He wanted to continue to do things on his own because he's an entrepreneur. Eventually, he started a show called Made in Hollywood , which has been on the air now for about 20 years. I was a correspondent for the show for probably 10 years or so, which I also really enjoyed. [I] got to sit down with a lot of A-list actors, directors, producers. I just loved it as a fan and as a creative person, but never thought, he and I were going to work together in the capacity we are now. NO: So, how did the two of you first start talking about bringing Moviefone back? I mean, it's crazy! I remember over the years, we kept in touch, periodically. And five years ago, Cleveland called me and said, 'Oh guess what? I just bought Moviefone. I go, 'What? Like the Moviefone that we all know?' I couldn't believe it. I mean, first of all, a Black man owning an entity like that? It's just not very common. Several companies were looking at [buying] Moviefone , including the big boys like the NBCUniversals and those guys of the world. Cleveland and his team thought they might have a shot. There were a number of people in it, and then the pandemic hit. And what happened in the pandemic? The stock market tanked—lots of uncertainty. So, they instantly bowed out and [Cleveland] ended up being the winning bid. NO: What are you and Cleveland's vision for Moviefone's role in today's crowded media landscape? Well, we still sell tickets, but now we also have all this content that people come to us for. They come to watch trailers. They come to watch interviews. It's not just about theatrical films, right? You think about how much content now is in streaming. When you go to if you type in a film or a show, now, it will tell you exactly where it's playing. If it's in theaters, obviously that'll pop up, but if it's streaming or digital, it'll tell you where it's playing. It'll even tell you if it has a cost, too! The goal, now, is really more to be a discovery tool, especially because there's so much content out there. NO: I hear you're also launching a TV show and an app as well for the platform. Yes! We're launching a new show called Moviefone TV in the fall, and that's a huge part of the strategy. One, because everything kind of lives at the Moviefone studio level. Moviefone Studios produces content for Made in Hollywood , for Moviefone TV , for the app, obviously, and for social. But this is going to be a weekly show that is very much a lean-back experience. We tell you what's playing, what's hot, what to expect at the box office, etc. But then there's all that content that we can push out over all the other channels. It's also a way to market the name. Believe it or not, there's a whole generation of people who don't know about Moviefone. In today's world, people are so used to doing everything on their phones, like buying movie tickets, sometimes they're watching on their phones. So, we're probably about 60% mobile now [thanks to the forthcoming app.] We think once we launch, we'll be more like 90% mobile. Right now, it's just in beta. NO: That's amazing. Looking back on your journey with Moviefone and your broader career in entertainment, what are some key lessons or insights you've picked up along the way that have stuck with you? There are a lot of people who want to be in this space, right? It seems really sexy. It can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a real slog. There are plenty of opportunities for things to go well and also not to. I think the biggest thing is to stay true to yourself and know what your brand is about. Also being willing to bet on yourself. A great example for me and somebody I admire, is Cathy Hughes. Ms. Hughes bet on herself. Everybody was counting her out as a young Black woman to do what she did. But that's because she bet on herself. There are plenty of people who paint inside the lines and follow all the rules and things don't work out anyway. So, if nothing else, at least, take a shot and see where you land. NO: That was beautifully said. To wrap things up—what's the last movie you watched that got you excited or left a big impression? The last thing I saw was Sinners. I mean, I hadn't seen anything like it in a while. One, it was pretty original. It's beautifully shot and I care about stuff like that. The cinematography, the music was incredible. I also thought Michael B. Jordan was really good. There's something about him in general that's magnetic. But this was different. Every time he was on screen, you just had to wait for what was gonna happen next. I'm gonna watch it again because I'm sure I didn't take it all in. SEE MORE: Black Movie Soundtracks As Good As The Film Itself Ryan Coogler Thanks Fans For 'Sinners' Box Office Win SEE ALSO 'Moviefone' Is Back: Rahsan-Rahsan Lindsay On Reviving The Iconic '90s Brand For Today's Media World was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Daily Mirror
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Where Cold Feet cast are now from Hollywood movies to shocking revival demands
Cold Feet became a cult show in the '90s and was so popular it made a return in 2016, but with the series now on a 'prolonged hiatus' the cast strayed onto very different paths TV shows have often struggled to get across the reality of relationships on screen, but one show that managed to show the ups and downs was Cold Feet. The original series ran from 1997 to 2003, and was equally likely to make you cry as it was to make you laugh as it followed three realistic couples in Manchester. Revolving around couples Adam and Rachel (James Nesbitt and Helen Baxendale), Pete and Jenny (John Thomson and Fay Ripley), and David and Karen (Robert Bathurst and Hermione Norris), the ITV show was an instant hit. Alongside providing laughs, Cold Feet was also known for tackling hard-hitting storylines including fertility issues, illness, and financial woes - and went even further by killing off main character Rachel in a car crash. Considering its popularity, Cold Feet came back for a revival in 2016, with all the main stars returning apart from Helen. Like the cast, the characters all had very different lives compared to the original, with teen kids and career changes alongside new partners. Ending in 2020, the show is now on a 'prolonged hiatus' with no confirmation about whether it will return or not. That doesn't mean that the stars of the show haven't been busy with other projects, with some having launched incredible careers after Cold Feet set them on the path to fame.. James Nesbitt James Nesbitt's first major TV role was playing the charming Adam Williams in Cold Feet. The serial womaniser settled down with Rachel while still having an eye for his next-door neighbour, but became a single dad to their son Matthew when Rachel was tragically killed. At the start of the revived series we saw Adam marrying a woman he met in Singapore but the relationship fell apart and he eventually started a romance with his late partner's best friend Karen. Nesbitt won the British Comedy Award for Best TV Comedy Actor in 2000 and NTA for Most Popular Comedy Performance in 2003 for his role. Thanks to his success, the Northern Irish actor continued getting TV roles in shows such as Murphy's Law, Jekyll and TV movie Bloody Sunday. Away from TV he also became a movie star, appearing in Danny Boyle drama Millions in 2004 and a small role in Woody Allen's thriller Match Point in 2005. Then, in 2012, Nesbitt really hit the big time when he was cast as the Bofur the dwarf in all the three of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit films. He is also well known for his appearances in Sky's Premier League coverage TV adverts and plenty of crime show hits. He's recently starred in Stan Lee's Lucky Man, BBC dramas The Missing and Bloodlands, Line of Duty, and this year's Netflix hit Missing You. Nesbitt has also opened up about working on his looks to stay Hollywood-ready after noticing that his hairline was receding. In 2019, he admitted: "I began losing hair several years ago. I felt it could affect my career." That February it was reported that the actor was having his sixth £20,000 hair transplant, and he has openly discussed how he believes it has "probably helped" his ability to get leading roles. Fay Ripley Ripley's character Jenny Gifford spent most of Cold Feet being on and off with husband Pete. The ballsy character threw Pete out after discovering his affair, let him back, separated again, started dating a millionaire, got back together, then divorced when she went off to America. Jenny came back for Rachel's funeral, moved back in with Pete and they actually stuck together this time, with Pete being her rock through her cancer ordeal. Ripley left the show to take more varied roles and spend more time with her family, telling writers to either kill Jenny off or have her lose a limb. Luckily they decided to send her character to New York so she could return for a guest appearance in the final episode of the original seasons and then come back for the revived series. Fay went on to play a murderer in BBC drama Green-Eyed Monster and was also in Fungus The Bogeyman, Hustle, New Tricks, Reggie Perrin and Moving On. She has also fronted her own ground-breaking drama series Suspects on Channel 5, appeared in comedy The Delivery Man and been a guest host on The One Show. Most recently, she bagged a role in the Channel 4 drama Finders Keepers. John Thompson Pete Gifford was Adam's childhood friend and Jenny's husband, whom he cheated on in series two with colleague Amy. When Jenny left for America with their son Adam he got into a relationship with Jo and they got married, but it was doomed. In the revived series, we saw Pete struggling with crippling depression while struggling to hold down multiple jobs. Before Cold Feet, John Thompson was best known for his comedy turns in sketch hit The Fast Show, particularly as a black polo-necked jazz expert. After five years as Pete, John spent some time on stage and appeared in various one-off dramas as well as New Street Law and the third series of ITV show Kingdom. The Mancunian actor returned to high-profile telly with a role in Coronation Street as struggling children's entertainer Jesse Chadwick. After his stint in Corrie he moved onto Waterloo Road, and has also been in The Keith Lemon Sketch Show, Casualty and Trollied. He changed things up when he was unmasked as Bush Baby in the second series of singing contest The Masked Singer, before getting back to acting with roles in Father Brown and Silent Witness. Hermione Norris Karen Marsden was the well-to-do and very middle-class mum who had a successful career as a publishing editor. Karen's husband David sadly became an alcoholic and had an affair - with her also cheating in return. The couple got divorced but remained friends while bringing up their son and twin girls, but there were tensions in the later series when Karen got into a relationship with David's pal Adam. After Cold Feet, Norris went on to become the queen of TV dramas, starring in Robson Green police thriller Wire In The Blood. She then moved over to the BBC to star as super spy Ros Myers in Spooks, Kingdom, Outcasts, In the Club and Doctor Who. She also delighted fans by reuniting with her Cold Feet co-star Robert Bathurst in Sky One's Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death, and also appeared in series five of Luther. She went on to star in Doc Martin and Riches, and joined Thompson with a 2024 feature in Silent Witness. Robert Bathurst Bumbling David Marsden had a high-paying management consultant job but his life was turned upside down when he got made redundant in series two. David went on to have an affair, with wife Karen then cheating on him afterwards. They soon divorced and he got into a relationship with his solicitor Robyn, but that also ended. Before Cold Feet, actor Robert Bathurst has been a theatre star and appeared in Red Dwarf, The Lenny Henry Show and Joking Apart. He joined the cast of the popular children's sitcom My Dad's The Prime Minister, playing a bedraggled PM, then had a role in Kingdom, alongside former Feet co-stars Hermione Norris and John Thompson. Bathurst's television career went from strength to strength with roles in The Pillars of the Earth, Wild at Heart and Downton Abbey. More recently he appeared in Mrs Brown's Boys D'Movie, Sky One's adaptation of best-selling novel Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death alongside fellow Cold Feet star Hermione Norris and Channel 4 comedy Toast of London. He reunited with Matt Berry for the spin-off Toast of Tinseltown, and has most recently appeared in Casualty. Helen Baxendale Baxendale played Rachel Bradley, who shocked boyfriend Adam when she admitted that she was already married. She got a divorce but slept with her ex and had an abortion which caused her to become infertile, but she married Adam and they had a miracle baby together. The infertility plot was rewritten because actress Helen Baxendale was pregnant in real life while filming series four. Rachel tragically died in a car crash in series five, which obviously meant Helen couldn't come back for the revived series aside from a guest appearance in series eight. The acclaimed actress, who shot to fame in series Cardiac Arrest, is best known for playing Ross Geller's demanding wife in Friends. She only appeared in 14 episodes but her character dated, married then divorced Ross, and her appearance made Baxendale well-known on the other side of the pond. Since then Helen has appeared in Cuckoo and Kidnap and Ransom, Poirot and Noughts + Crosses.
Los Angeles Times
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Miss Austen' imagines the motives behind Jane Austen's sister burning her letters
For decades, English novelist Jane Austen has been a constant source of inspiration for filmmakers and TV creators looking to adapt her work, but also authors who want to expand her world and our understanding of it. Such is the case with 'Miss Austen,' the 2020 novel by Gill Hornby. The fictional account focuses on Jane's sister, Cassandra, and her decision to destroy much of Jane's correspondence from over the years — something rooted in fact. 'Miss Austen' is the first of three novels by Hornby that immerses readers in the lives of Jane and her close-knit family, which the author found 'completely captivating.' 'They were all bright and all rather extraordinary, although Jane was the most extraordinary of all,' Hornby said. 'She would write in the day and then read aloud in the family circle at night, which they all did.' Hornby's novel is not unlike a Jane Austen novel, filled with wit, playful bickering, tragedy and romance. But it was the love between sisters Jane and Cassandra that inspired this particular book, which has now been adapted for television. 'Miss Austen,' a four-part miniseries, will premiere at 9 p.m. PST Sunday on PBS as part of 'Masterpiece.' (Subsequent episodes will air on Sundays, with the final two airing May 18; they also will stream on the PBS app and The period drama, starring actor Keeley Hawes as Cassandra Austen, premiered in the U.K. on BBC One in February to favorable reviews. Hornby was joined by executive producer Christine Langan of Bonnie Productions, which produced the series for 'Masterpiece,' at a screening of 'Miss Austen' at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Sunday, where they discussed Jane's legacy and adapting the book for TV. It's the production company's first TV series. 'I absolutely loved the read,' Langan said about why she chose to produce it. 'I was moved to tears by the end, and I found it a completely unique angle on a writer I have adored for decades, and very immediate and gripping and relatable.' Langan, who has previously produced award-winning series and films including 'Cold Feet,' 'The Deal' and 'The Queen,' said she loved the idea of rehabilitating the reputation of Cassandra, who was 'an ever-present good influence, good source of support and love to one of the world's most famous writers.' In the series, Cassandra is slightly younger than her counterpart in the book, and that partly had to do with Hawes, whose dramatic and comedic abilities were crucial to the role. 'We had already decided to make Cassandra a little younger than she is in the novel, the feeling being that middle-aged women are every bit as invisible in this society as elderly women,' Langan said. 'We loved [Hawes'] versatility and her grace, and then she met us on an equal footing with the same vision and passion.' 'Keely has a huge and brilliant reputation in the U.K. She's hugely loved,' she added. That stands in contrast with Cassandra, who has long been viewed with some consternation by historians of her sister. She burned all but 160 of Jane's letters, which could have provided scholars and fans alike with more details about the author and her life. There are various theories as to why Cassandra chose to destroy them, including preventing negative scrutiny of Jane and wanting to preserve her sister's legacy. The series, like the book, attempts to recast Cassandra more positively, along with her motive for destroying Jane's letters, which includes keeping them away from family members like the sly Mary Austen (played by Jessica Hynes), who was married to James Austen, brother to Cassandra and Jane. We also see flashbacks of young Cassandra (Synnøve Karlsen) and Jane (Patsy Ferran) as the events in the letters come to life, revealing their true nature. The story is mostly set in Kintbury, a village in Hampshire, England, where Hornby has resided for more than 30 years and where she first learned about Cassandra. 'I feel that Cassandra found me,' she said. While the letters are central to the drama, 'Miss Austen' is also about Cassandra and her fiancé, Tom Fowle (Calam Lynch), whose family resided in Kintbury. He died of yellow fever during a voyage to the Caribbean, and Cassandra never married. 'I knew that she [Cassandra] was there on the last Christmas that they had together, and that she went down to our gate at dawn on a January morning and said goodbye to Tom and never saw him again,' Hornby said. 'And she began slightly to haunt me because I've always been quite obsessed about those women in history.' It's a notable time to reconsider Cassandra's role in Jane's life: This year marks the 250th anniversary of Jane's birth. Hornby said it was Cassandra who gave Jane the ability to produce 'six of the greatest novels in the English language' by taking care of her when she was sick and running the household so Jane could write. And two and a half centuries later, Jane's stories continue to delight readers and inspire creators like Hornby and Langan. 'She wrote about what it's like to have a mom, a sister, to fall in love, have a roof over your head, what the weather's like and how annoying the neighbors are — all stuff we all still do,' Hornby said. 'She speaks to us in a way that none of her contemporaries do.' 'And she's fantastically funny,' Langan adds. Imagining the Austens and their lives has been fruitful territory for Hornby, whose subsequent works, 'Godmersham Park' and the upcoming novel 'The Elopement,' slated for release in the U.K. in May and in the U.S. in October, also are centered on the family. And Hornby's partnership with Langan will continue; the producer has already optioned 'The Elopement.' This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the TV adaptation of 'Pride and Prejudice' that starred Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle and the 20th anniversary of the film version, with Keira Knightley and Matthew MacFadyen. (Netflix recently greenlighted a limited series too.) 'Miss Austen' also contains references the novel — making the show's premiere this year feel like a full-circle moment. 'It's so fascinating that she's still going,' Hornby said. 'She's very much a posthumous success, and she really wanted success. She was clever enough to know that what she was writing was really good.'
