The popularity of the adaptations of Jane Austen's novels, over two hundred years after their original publication, is staggering. Much is attributed to her use of such universal themes as marriage, social pressure, and the generation gap; many love her strong, spirited and unpretentious heroines and her emphasis on reason, moderation, fidelity and consideration; but most of all it is her sparkling dialogue, razor-sharp wit, marvelous characters and ingeniously intricate plots that have made her a small screen success.