(Disclaimer: I do have a Mr. Collins plot bunny I might write sometime, in which he commits Obfuscating Stupidity and is actually a pretty smart guy underneath, but I don’t intend to invalidate the Bennets’ experiences of him, or demonize Charlotte in the process.)
Rather than give us what would be the first traditional P&P adaptation in 20 years, and the first BBC adaptation in 30 years, the Beeb opts to adapt some fan novel that tries to nice-ify the self-centered hipster known as Mary Bennet, and the clueless buffoon known as Mr. Collins, at the expense of more interesting characters like Charlotte Lucas. And of course, flawed but self-aware Mr. Bennet has horns and a tail. (Although in fairness, it sounds like the author is an equal opportunity hater when it comes to the Bennet parents, which is a reasonable take). And somehow this deserves to be ten episodes(1) long, nearly twice as long as any actual P&P miniseries ever made? And it’s from the modern Dr. Who(2) people?
No, thank you.
(1) of an unspecified length, but it seems like the BBC’s norm in recent years has been for episodes to run about an hour.
(2) Disclaimer: am not a Doctor Who fan in general, so I generally don’t see the involvement of behind-the-scenes people from that franchise in other stuff as being a good thing.
Jaglion Press 
Poor old Charlotte – I have always been so conflicted about her…. Linda xx
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In the book, she makes what both Austen and Elizabeth seem to feel is ultimately a mistake, in that she’s potentially sacrificing her emotional well-being for material security. And the blowback from the Lady Catherine drama late in the book, at a time when Charlotte is apparently pregnant (“expecting a young olive branch” is the way Mr. Collins puts it in a letter to Mr. Bennet) must be rough on her. But she’s also calculating enough to see the ways in which Elizabeth and Darcy marrying can benefit the Collins family. She’s certainly out for the main chance, but The Other Bennet Sister supposedly portrays her as kind of a Lucy Steele type, too insensitive to understand the “real” Mr. Collins, and too territorial to allow him a platonic friendship with Mary. Book Charlotte wouldn’t care what got him out of her hair, as long as it didn’t lead to disease, loss of income, or scandal.
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I’m with you – she knew what she was doing – it was part of makes it so bitter-sweet: save yourself by clinging to that raft – yikes – what a choice… but survival was her main goal and survive she did. I have no doubt that for the rest of their marriage she kept pulling strings to make things as bearable as possible!
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