IT'S often said that the decision to screen a TV costume drama says more about the era in which it is being screened than the time in which it was set.

The BBC's classic Pride and Prejudice went out at a time of national prosperity, rising house prices and the birth of chick-lit. Last autumn's bonnet-fest, Cranford, coincided with the collapse of a bank and rumblings about the economy, but its relatively upbeat message of overcoming adversity and bettering yourself triumphed in the end.

So what are we to make of the fact that the BBC's headline dramatic offering this autumn is Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles, the tale of a poor, single mum who is seduced by one man, rejected by another, loses her baby and is executed for murder after a forced marriage to her former seducer?

And that the other big costume drama, Dickens' Little Dorrit, is about government shortcomings, losing your home, and the horror of life in a debtors' prison?

Media commentator Gareth McLean wonders if it's as simple as this: "Is the appeal and importance of costume dramas overplayed by media types anxious to show off their appreciation of 19th-century novels?"

Whatever the answer, the BBC's new adaptation has delighted the Thomas Hardy Society, which is based in Dorchester.

Spokesman Mike Nixon said: "We're thrilled the BBC has decided to make a welcome return to Thomas Hardy's works."

With the last ITV adaptation in 1998 and the only previous adaptation of note being the 1979 Roman Polanski film, does the society think the new production is long overdue?

"Indeed we do!" says Mike. "We're particularly pleased as we know it will reach a vast audience, at home and abroad. It will be a boost not just for Hardy's novels but for Dorset, which we're very keen to promote. It will really show us off."

The production has been filmed in various West County locations including, it is believed, the Isle of Purbeck. "For controversial reasons Polanski's film was made in Brittany which jarred a bit, but this one will be local," says Mike.

But why has it taken so long for the BBC to return to Hardy?

"I don't know if it's because he's too modern for them, or because his stories can be a bit depressing," says Mike. "But even if that's how people see them, there are important messages in the book."

These are of the hypocrisy and double-standards over morals exhibited during the time. Tess, he says, was chosen by the listeners of Radio 4's Woman's Hour as one of the 10 most influential books for women.

"Hardy was the only male author in that list and that showed how he can resonate with women readers. His books were written over 100 years ago but the powerful messages, especially the one of double-standards towards women, haven't dimmed."

Originally titled Tess Of The D'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented, Hardy's novel was serialised in The Graphic during 1891 - although in censored form as its challenge to the sexual attitudes of the day was considered too overt for general consumption.

The BBC adaptation stars new Bond Girl Gemma Arterton in the starring role.

  • Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles is set in a fictional Dorset known as Wessex and features many real-life locations disguised with different names.

The town of Beaminster reappears as Emminster, where character Angel Clare's father was the vicar.

Woolbridge Manor beside the River Frome at Bindon Abbey has been identified as Wellbridge Manor, scene of Angel and Tess's doomed honeymoon.

The Acorn Inn at Evershot appears in the novel as the Sow and Acorn.

The village of Wool features heavily in the book, most notably its manor, which is believed to be the home of the libertine d'Urberville.

Inspiration for the name appears to have come from the grave of the Turbervilles in the Wool churchyard. Many believe the story of Tess was inspired by that of Martha Browne, described as the last woman to be publicly hanged in Dorset, whose death, it is understood, was witnessed by Hardy.