Move over babies biting fingers, Rebecca Black, and dancing cats! There's a new sheriff in town! Hank Green's latest project, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, a modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, is the latest mini-series to make a big splash on the YouTube scene.
Since April 2012, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries has been telling the story of Lizzie Bennet, a graduate student studying mass communications, as she shares the details of her crazy family, romantic endeavors, and struggles to finish school and find a well-paying job through video blogs. Living at home, especially when your mother is constantly harassing you about not having found a wealthy man to marry, and going to school can be pretty stressful. Don't think it can get any more stressful? You're wrong!
When Bing Lee, a wealthy medical student, rolls into town and wins the heart of Lizzie's older sister, Jane, the Bennet household turns upside-down. Bing's stiff, critical friend William Darcy is also new in town and is getting on Lizzie's last nerve. Meanwhile, Lizzie's younger sister, Lydia, can't seem to stay out of trouble as she parties herself dry and pesters Lizzie constantly for a chance at Internet fame. Can Lizzie sort out Jane's love life, tame Lydia's party-loving ways, and avoid William Darcy at all costs? You'll just have to watch to find out!
Hank Green, the producer of the series, is a big name on YouTube already. Making his Internet debut with Brotherhood 2.0, a video blog project he started in 2007 with his brother, novelist John Green, Green has since created DFTBA Records, a record label inspired by YouTube musicians, educational YouTube series SciShow and Crash Course, 2-D glasses, Vidcon, the first YouTube convention, and many other great projects. He is also a musician and has released four albums available to purchase on iTunes. Green was featured on the promotional book tours for John Green's Papertowns in 2008 and The Fault in Our Stars in 2012.
Already being a fan of Hank Green's work for several years, I had no doubts that I would fall in love with the classic story of the Bennets in his modernized retelling. While I can't relate very well with Jane Austen's novel, I feel seeing a modern Lizzie makes forming both a mental and emotional connection much easier. As a fan of the film adaptations of the story, I can say that even the ladies claiming Colin Firth is the only Darcy for them will love this story. The talent and quality of the writers, actors, and technical crew are phenomenal. Half the time I forget that the episodes are based off a book from the 1800s because the acting is so realistic and the transition from book to modern screenplay is seamless.
Having met Hank Green on tour in 2012, I can say from experience that he puts forth a tremendous amount of effort and time into everything he does. His passion and enthusiasm for creative expression on both YouTube and all over the Internet is outstanding and apparent in each individual project he begins. Like his many other accomplishments, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries is bound to keep you coming back for more.
Green's latest project, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, is a must-see series for everyone. A new episode, each between three and six minutes long, is posted every Monday and Thursday morning.
