Host Allison Thoet de Castillo interviews professors Devoney Looser and George Justice about Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility" and its film adaptations, revealing insights into the novel's themes and enduring appeal.
29 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT
The Count of Monte Cristo: Revenge, Justice, and Adaptation with Claudie Bernard
NYU French professor Claudie Bernard and host Alison Thoet de Castillo explore "The Count of Monte Cristo's" themes of revenge and justice, discussing its novelistic depth and cinematic adaptations.
27 Aug 2026TRANSCRIPT
Netflix’s "Little House on the Prairie"
This summer, Netflix brought Laura Ingalls Wilder’s popular series of books “Little House on the Prairie” back to the small screen with a new 8-episode show. For this episode, we explore this adaptation with Wilder expert and author Pamela Smith Hill. We discuss why generations keep coming back to this story about the American frontier, the modern critiques of Wilder’s books which were largely written in the 1930s, and how this series compares to the beloved NBC adaptation.
30 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT
Emily Wilson on Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey"
Christopher Nolan's latest film, "The Odyssey," is the film of the summer, wowing audiences and critics alike. But this week's guest, renowned classist and translator Emily Wilson, isn't a fan. We discuss why she think's Nolan's adaptation misses the mark, why the story of Odysseus still resonates nearly three thousand years later, and the art of translation.
26 May 2026
The Other Bennet Sister
For this very special episode, we're joined by actress Susannah Harker, who played Jane Bennet in the classic 1995 BBC adaptation of 'Pride and Prejudice' as well as author and Austen expert Gabrielle Malcolm. We discuss their thoughts on "The Other Bennet Sister," a new BBC series (available on Britbox in the U.S.) based on Janice Hadlow's novel of the same name. The series continues 'Pride and Prejudice' through the perspective of perhaps the most overlooked Bennet sister, Mary. We talk abo...
28 Apr 2026
Bridgerton Season 4, Part 2
Now that part 2 of Bridgerton is out, we discuss the entire season, as well as how the show portrays its first East Asian lead character, Sophie Baek. Kat Moon, an entertainment correspondent at TV Guide and long-time Bridgerton fan, joins us to share her thoughts on the season and what she learned after interviewing actor Yerin Ha and showrunner Jess Brownell. If you want to read some of Kat's great reporting, here's a link of her feature for Time Magazine, "How Yerin Ha Became the Bel...
25 Mar 2026
Emerald Fennell's "Wuthering Heights"
Emily Brontë's wild and strange novel, Wuthering Heights, is widely considered a classic in English literature. This week, we explore the latest, controversial adaptation of the novel, 2026's "Wuthering Heights" directed by British filmmaker, Emerald Fennell. Together with Victorian literature professor Catherine Robson, we dive into what we think the film got right, what's missing (spoiler: a lot), and whether it's even possible to adapt Brontë's complex masterpiece.
25 Feb 2026
Bridgerton Season 4, Part 1
With the release of the first half of the fourth season of Netflix's blockbuster period drama Bridgerton, we dive deep into the series with historian and pop culture expert Julie Taddeo. We discuss if Bridgerton is historically accurate, whether that even matters, and our favorite parts of this season so far. If you want to hear more of Julie's great analysis, she co-hosts the podcast "Period Drama Debrief" with Dr. Kate Byrne which focusses on British period dramas. You can also ...
1 Feb 2026
Pride and Prejudice — 1995 vs 2005
In honor of Jane Austen's 250th Birthday, two experts Devoney Looser and George Justice (who are also a couple) come on to talk about all things Pride and Prejudice. We chat about how Austen helped bring our two guests together, their favorite Darcys, the pros and cons of series adaptations and much much more.
Inside a recent episode
Sense and Sensibility
Published 27 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And I don't think this is an either-or novel, and I don't think Jane Austen was an either-or person. There is a poem by her brother James that describes her as the author of Sense and Sensibility and says that she's actually, that that is Jane Austen, his sister, is actually a combination of both heroines. […]
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