Episode I

There are several absent scenes leading up to the Assembly Room Ball that give more insight into the characters of the members of the Bennet family.

• After Mrs. Bennet has tried and seemingly failed to persuade Mr. Bennet to visit Mr. Bingley, their new neighbour, she laments to her daughters about having no sons. Jane assures her mother that Mr. Bennet is teasing her, Mary gives a speech about how "misfortunes are sent to test our fortitude" and Lydia complains "Lord, I'm so hungry!"
  
  
• After the conversation in Jane's bedroom between Jane and Elizabeth about their futures (i.e. Jane: "I should like to marry for love..." Elizabeth: "I am determined that only the deepest love will induce me to matrimony..."), Elizabeth leaves Jane, walks from room to room and says "Goodnight" to her mother, Kitty and Lydia. Her mother is in bed and replies that she is feeling "very ill". Lydia and Kitty are joking around but reply cheerfully. We see Mr. Bennet working in his study and then have one last look at Elizabeth examining herself in the mirror before she blows out the candle, leaving us in darkness.
  
  
• Mrs. Bennet rejoices with her daughters after discovering that Mr. Bennet has called on Mr. Bingley after all. She happily exclaims that her daughters will "all dance Mr. Bingley". Mr. Bennet comments that Kitty may cough as much as she wishes now (previously, Mrs. Bennet had been complaining about Kitty's coughs).

Scenes in the Assembly Room Ball sequence are shortened. Mr. Bingley and Jane dance together much more than shown in the shortened version and more of the ball is shown from Mr. Darcy's perspective.

• We see Mr. Bingley's grand carriage driving up along the dark streets of the town and stopping in front of the Assembly Room before he, Darcy and Miss Bingley dismount. His carriage is followed by a second, carrying Mr. and Mrs. Hurst.
  
  
• A dance between Bingley and Jane is missing. Bingley and Jane dance happily. Bingley grins at Darcy, who is standing nearby watching. Darcy smiles back and shakes his head slightly, almost hopelessly (as if thinking: Bingley will be Bingley!) before continuing his survey of the room. He looks with disapproval at Mrs. Bennet who is gossiping and overhears her talking about him. He also looks askance at Lydia and Kitty who are, as usual, acting quite foolishly.
  
  
• After the scene in which we see some drunks in the street outside the ballroom, Bingley introduces Jane to his sisters (Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst) and there is a second missing dance between Bingley and Jane. Darcy continues in his scrutiny of the ballroom and its occupants while wandering around the room. Elizabeth and Mary are sitting in chairs at the side of the room, watching the dancing. Mary remarks that she takes "little pleasure in a ball" and "wonders at Kitty and Lydia" who have been merrily dancing every dance. Elizabeth answers that she would take more pleasure in this ball if "there were more partners as agreeable as Jane's." Mary lectures that the "rewards of observation and reflection are much greater" and Elizabeth humourously replies: "So they are, when there are none others to be had; we shall have to be philosophers, Mary."

After the ball, the scene in the Netherfield sitting room is longer. We become more intimately acquainted with the members of the "Netherfield party" and see that Darcy is a more agreeable person in a setting in which he is more comfortable.

• After Darcy wonders why Bingley is so quick to approve of everyone that he meets, Bingley declares that Darcy will not make him "think ill of Miss Bennet" (Jane). Miss Bingley agrees, says she will dare Darcy's disapproval and describes Jane as "a dear, sweet girl, despite her unfortunate relations." Mrs. Hurst also agrees and says: "You see, Mr. Darcy, we are not afraid of you." Darcy replies (with a hint of a smile): "I would not have you so." Mr. Hurst (lying lazily on the sofa) snorts and complains that the ball was a "damn, tedious waste of an evening!"

One line of Jane and Elizabeth's conversation in the garden about Bingley is cut out (probably because it overlapped with the end of the previous Netherfield scene).

• Jane begins the conversation by saying: "He is everything a young man ought to be... sensible, lively... and I never saw such happy manners..."

The Lucas Lodge party has miscellaneous conversations and images that are missing including:

• Mary playing a serious piece on the piano.
• Darcy standing alone in the corner watching.
• Mrs. Bennet gloating to Lady Lucas and her other friends that Bingley has 5000 pounds a year, that he is very agreeable and that he "would dance every dance with Jane" (at the last ball).
• Colonel Forster talking about how pleased he is with Meryton.
• After Lydia demands that Mary play more lively music so that she and Kitty can dance, Mary is reluctant to play until Sir William Lucas persuades her with: "their taste is not as fine as yours or mine but let us oblige them for there is no one here who plays as well as you."

We see Elizabeth, Kitty and Lydia arriving in Meryton before Elizabeth continues alone on her muddy walk to Netherfield to inquire after Jane.

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The Missing Scenes

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