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Sanditon
  • ISSN: 2044-2823
  • E-ISSN: 2044-2831

Abstract

is unusual as a Jane Austen adaptation because it stems from an unfinished work. This has meant that the writers and filmmakers have had to create a narrative and diegesis that is an authentic continuation of Austen’s original eleven chapters but is also believable to an audience with pre-established ideas about how an Austen adaptation looks. A key part of any heritage media is the setting, and just as within the diegesis is trying to become established by drawing on familiarity and novelty to encourage people to visit and engage, so too does the ITV series by drawing on familiar Austen-adaptation tropes to legitimize and authenticate their narrative. The use of recognizable stately homes such as Dyrham Park, Ston Eston Park and Badminton House lends authority to the narrative, whilst also connecting the wider Austen-adaptation canon. The sets for the interior of Sanditon House draw from Chatsworth, which featured as Pemberley in the 2005 (Joe Wright) and references to other Austen adaptations pervade the series. This article draws from interviews with the owners and managers of the filming locations as well as an analysis of how the use of historical filming locations and heritage imagery authenticate the storylines and characters, despite possibly deviating from Austen’s original plan. By following the tropes from previous adaptations, becomes a legitimate part of the Austen canon.

© 2024 Intellect Ltd
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/content/journals/10.1386/ffc_00069_1
2025-02-28
2025-12-14
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/content/journals/10.1386/ffc_00069_1
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Legitimizing and authenticating a post-heritage Austen diegesis through filming locations
Film, Fashion & Consumption 13, 47 (2024); https://doi.org/10.1386/ffc_00069_1
/content/journals/10.1386/ffc_00069_1
/content/journals/10.1386/ffc_00069_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keyword(s): buildings; heritage; period drama; production design; Sanditon; set dressing

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