<P> Between 10 and 11 million people watched the original six - episode broadcast on BBC One on Sunday evenings from 24 September to 29 October 1995 . The episodes were repeated each week on BBC Two . The final episode of Pride and Prejudice had a market share of about 40 percent in Britain, by which time eight foreign countries had bought the rights to the serial . 3.7 million Americans watched the first broadcast on the A&E Network, which aired the serial in double episodes on three consecutive evenings beginning 14 January 1996 . </P> <P> The serial was released on VHS in the UK in the week running up to the original transmission of the final episode . The entire first run of 12,000 copies of the double - video set sold out within two hours of release . 70,000 copies had been sold by the end of the first week of sales, increasing to 200,000 sold units within the first year of the original airing . A BBC spokeswoman called the initial sale results "a huge phenomenon", as "it is unheard of for a video to sell even half as well, especially when viewers are able to tape the episodes at home for free". The CD soundtrack was also popular, and 20,000 copies of an official making - of book were sold within days . The serial was released on DVD four times, initially in 2000, as a digitally remastered "Tenth Anniversary Edition" in September 2005, and in April 2007 as part of a "Classic Drama DVD" magazine collection . A high - definition transfer was produced from the original negatives and released as a Blu - ray in October 2008 . The HD version has not been broadcast on television; the BBC refuses to broadcast anything shot in 16mm in HD . The same restored version was released on DVD in March 2009 . The Blu - ray was released on 14 April 2009 . </P> <P> The critical response to Pride and Prejudice was overwhelmingly positive . Gerard Gilbert of The Independent recommended the opening episode of the serial one day before the British premiere, saying the television adaptation is "probably as good as it (can get for a literary classic). The casting in particular deserves a tilt at a BAFTA, Firth not being in the slightest bit soft and fluffy--and Jennifer Ehle showing the right brand of spirited intelligence as Elizabeth ." He considered Benjamin Whitrow a "real scene - stealer with his Mr. Bennet", but was undecided about Alison Steadman's portrayal of Mrs. Bennet . Reviewing the first episode for the same newspaper on the day after transmission, Jim White praised Andrew Davies for "injecting into the proceedings a pace and energy which at last provides a visual setting to do justice to the wit of the book . With everyone slinging themselves about at high speed (the dances, in a first for the genre, actually involve a bit of sweat), it looks like people are doing something you would never have suspected they did in Austen's time: having fun ." </P> <P> A few days before the American premiere, Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times considered the adaptation "decidedly agreeable" despite its incidental liberties with Austen's novel, and named Elizabeth's parents and Mr. Collins as the main source of humour . John O'Connor of The New York Times lauded the serial as a "splendid adaptation, with a remarkably faithful and sensitively nuanced script". He commented on Jennifer Ehle's ability to make Elizabeth "strikingly intelligent and authoritative without being overbearing", and noted how Firth "brilliantly captures Mr. Darcy's snobbish pride while conveying, largely through intense stares, that he is falling in love despite himself". O'Connor praised Barbara Leigh - Hunt's portrayal of Lady Catherine as "a marvellously imperious witch" and considered her scenes with David Bamber (Mr. Collins) "hilarious". </P>

Who played mr bennet in pride and prejudice 1995