Webseries Discovery: The Cate Morland Chronicles

Production Company: Apple Juice Productions
Cast: Madeline Thatcher, Amanda Taylor, Charla Cochran
Writer: Ellen Lloyd
Director: Kailee Brown
Director and Producer: Amanda Taylor
Producer: Chelsey Saatkamp
Genre: novel adaptation, vlog

Synopsis

Leo Tolstoy once said, “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

The same concept applies to webseries.

Luckily for me, The Catherine Morland Chronicles is a fantastic adaptation – and that’s precisely what makes it so difficult to write a review. There are too many good things and not enough synonyms for ‘fantastic.’

So fans of Northanger Abbey, The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, and Emma Approved, listen up!

Another fantastic novel webseries adaptation has arrived, and it’s headed by none other than the sparkling Catherine Morland (played by Madeline Thatcher). That’s right – Northanger Abbey, Jane Austen’s satirical take on gothic romance, is the latest Austen book to be given the vlogger treatment.

And can I say that after almost 200 years since it’s initial publication, Catherine Morland has never looked better?

Our girl Cate puts the ‘fan’ in ‘fandom,’ and she’s been taking the digital media industry by storm. After landing a prime editorial assistant job at Persona magazine, she’s getting the ultimate fangirl opportunity to meet and interview actors from her favorite shows.

Her fandom? Besides Harry Potter and Doctor Who and Buffy and Firefly? It’s a little show called The Mysteries of Udolpho, a dark drama/romance in the vein of the CW’s supernatural showings.

Catherine gets to meet her childhood crush, star of Udolpho, Henry Tilney – but will rumors of his strained relationship with his family and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his mother’s death douse their burgeoning romance?

Pros

Honestly, I can’t be effusive enough about this webseries. Production quality is fantastic, the dialogue is natural, the wardrobe is stunning, and the performance by Madeline as Cate is earnest, charming, and completely magnetic.

The trans-media aspect of the show isn’t integral to the plotline, but in LBD fashion, the characters have Twitter and Tumblr accounts that interact with each other, which is a nice touch.

Cons

The only detractor from completely enjoying this series is that Eleanor’s character is a little wooden – but I have so much faith in the casting and directing choices of this series that I trust that her portrayal will evolve or her demeanor will be integral to the plot.

Final Thoughts

Watch this one and subscribe for more, especially if you’re a fan of Jane Austen and other novel webseries adaptations.

As a fan of LBD and Emma Approved, I can definitely say that Pemberley Digital has met its equal in The Catherine Morland Chronicles. I can’t wait to see where the story goes!