Texting Tess, Digital Darcy and Hashtagging Heathcliff; would classic romance survive in a digital age?
Thursday 18th February
Reworkings of classic love stories by Jane Austen, Emily Bront and Thomas Hardy illustrate how digital communication could have ruined romance
Literature experts have updated the books which now feature internet dating, Tinder swipes, selfies, instant messaging addiction and dodgy Wi-Fi
Distraction by digital devices is revealed as one of the biggest romance killers for modern Brits
One in five plan to say I love you via text, instant message or email this Valentines Day
TV channel Drama commissions updated classic romance novels ahead of its Romantic Sundays season every Sunday from 11th February
The modernised classics, which include rewritten passages and new cover illustrations, are free to download from drama.uktv.co.uk/modern-romance
Three of the nations favourite love stories have been given a dramatic digital makeover to show the devastating effect that digital devices could be having on modern romance.
Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), Wuthering Heights (Emily Bront ) and Tess of the dUrbervilles (Thomas Hardy) have all been meticulously reworked to incorporate modern digital memes such as internet dating, social media addiction and Wi-Fi issues. The revised novels provide a stark warning for modern love as new research reveals that overuse of digital devices is one of the biggest passion killers for Brits.
Academic Professor John Sutherland (Lord Northcliffe Professor Emeritus of Literature, University College London) worked closely with a team of writers from TV channel Drama to reimagine key passages from each of the books. The project was commissioned to celebrate the channels Romantic Sundays season including classic love stories such as Pride and Prejudice, Emma and North & South (Sundays from 11th February, 12pm on Drama).
The updated books feature new and rewritten passages to show how these famous romances could have played out in a world of Tinder swipes, WhatsApp distraction and social media addiction and suggest that a Digital Darcy and Hashtagging Heathcliff may have been a turn off.
Examples of the modern additions to the reimagined classics include: Pride and Prejudice
The reimagining explores how Darcys narcissistic personality is accentuated by his popularity on Tinder, as well as how Elizabeths courtship of him is affected by WhatsApp distraction and the perils of accidental tagging.
Example passage - Elizabeth accidentally causes a Twitter storm of epic proportions by inadvertently tagging Mr. Darcy in a photo she takes of him swimming in the lake:
She immediately reached for her phone to take a photo of Mr. Darcy emerging, white shirt clinging to his chest, water falling from his thick dark hair, rendering him absolutely the most exquisite sample of male perfection she - and later Twitter - would ever see.
Indeed, out of pure habit, she immediately posted the image on Twitter with the caption: OMG. Neither was she conscious of the fact she had also tagged Mr. Darcy himself!
It was only when they were within twenty yards of each other, that he seemed to notice her and what she was doing. Their eyes instantly met, and the cheeks of both were overspread with the deepest blush. He absolutely started, and for a moment seemed immovable from surprise; but shortly recovering himself, advanced towards the party, and spoke to Elizabeth, if not in terms of perfect composure, at least of perfect civility managing to ignore the phone in her hand that had just incited - unbeknownst to either - a Twitter storm of epic proportions.
Wuthering Heights
Heathcliffs stubborn pride drives him to leave discourteous comments on Nellys Twitter poll: Who should Catherine choose?. The novel is reimagined as a series of blog entries posted by Mr Lockwood - which amass both welcome and unwanted attention in the Comments section.
Example passage - Nelly cannot believe that Cathy has fallen for Edgar Linton after he displays such bad manners on social media:
Worst of all. And now, say how you love him? You cant have happened to miss the fact that he never comments on any of your Facebook photos, doesnt watch your Instagram stories and scarcely replied to your WhatsApps even though he knows you can see the blue ticks?
Tess of the dUrbervilles
Angel ignores matching with Tess on Tinder, setting in motion a chain of unhappy events which could have easily been averted. Readers are left questioning the depth of Angels love for Tess after seeing his preoccupation with Instagram and Pinterest.
Example passage - A dead phone battery leads Angel Clare to miss a chance of a dance with Tess at the May Ball:
His phone, now in his pocket, retired from his secret filming, did vibrate, causing him to rummage for it and look upon the screen mournfully. He had meant to turn off his Tinder notifications, but alas had forgot. Somebody Super Liked you! the screen read. Find out who. Angel swiped and once swiped his strange melancholy intensified. It was the girl he had grossly neglected in the dance. The pretty maiden who watched him still from afar. However, before he could respond, his phone battery died. It could not be helped, and turning, and bending himself to a rapid walk, he dismissed the subject from his mind.
The new novels also include bespoke cover artwork featuring the romantic heroes and heroines interacting as they may have done using digital devices. The eBooks are available to download for free at drama.uktv.co.uk/modern-romance.
Professor John Sutherland says: Even though were certainly a nation that uses modern technology to communicate, by inserting these devices and methods of communication into a series of classic romances - themselves believed to be some of the most romantic novels according to the nation - highlights
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...
08/05/2026
COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content
Brie Clayton May 7, 2026
0 Comments
UGC, On-Camera Video Content
April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
At BroadcastAsia 2026, Interra Systems will demonstrate its latest innovations in automated quality control (QC), real-time monitoring, and captioning. The comp...
07/05/2026
At this year's Broadcast Asia, PlayBox Neo is set to unveil recent innovations across its PlayBox Neo Suite and integrated range of broadcast media solution...
Texting Tess, Digital Darcy and Hashtagging Heathcliff; would classic romance survive in a digital age? 
