There's a new adaptation of Emma starting tonight - a few points . . .

[bran]

Firstly, don't we already have enough versions of Emma? There's the Gwynnie Paltrow film, which I quite liked to my surprise, and the TV version with the stuck-up pretty girl (Kate something, her dad was in Porridge). It's a bit soon for another version isn't it?

On the other hand, this one has Jonny Lee Miller in it, whom I have quite fancied for a while now. Tamsin Grieg is in it too, and I find her hypnotically watchable, she's just fantastic and I think will be amazing as Miss Bates.

Lastly, why has there been so much fuss about the BBC not doing any more costume dramas when they are obviously still churning them out? Is this the last one in the pipeline?

oh god i hated Keira's Elizabeth. And I can't even remember that charmless Darcy.

smallwhitecat - if you have freeview or similar, watch Kevin McCloud on BBC4+1, once Emma's finished.

D'oh - Channel 4+1, of course, sorry .

I love Johnny Lee Miller and Tamsin Grieg, I like Romola Garai.

I am looking forward to this adaptation!

(Have to confess I did like Matthew MacFadyen as Mr Darcy, sorry!)

Matthew M WAY better than Colin F - but I have been shouted down for saying that sevral times on here! I liked Keira too.

Oooh, I still remember the steaming rage I felt when watching the Keira P&P. In the scene where she is playing the piano and Mr Darcy is talking about how difficult he finds it to make small talk and get to know new people. Elizabeth should reply with spiel about how she doesn't play well but assumes it's to do with a disinclination to practise rather than a lack of ability. Keira says "You should practise". WTF? The film was like that the whole way through, and Keira was whingy and long-suffering when she should have been feisty and witty. Awful, really, really awful.

bran - i found it so awful that i seem to have blocked all memory of actually seeing the film, i just remember i hated it!

what did you think of the billie piper version of mansfield park?

Emma Thompson's "Sense and Sensibility" is my favourite Austen adaptation ever - don't even care that she was too old for the part. Just love it. Quite enjoyed the more recent "S&S" but didn't really see the point of it - it was too similar.

Keira's "P&P" was just too short - they couldn't develop the characters properly at all - Wickham was almost a minor character.

Love Toni Collette but thought she was totally miscast in "Emma" - for that reason I much prefer the Kate B version with Samantha Morton in that role.

Whoever plays Harriet in the Kate B version is absolutely perfect - all sweet and naive and in awe of Emma - just lovely.

We'll have to agree to disagree about Miss Knightley!

And Kate Winslet is perfect as Marianne.

OMG watching it now who is that playing Emma?

She's bug-eyed and pasty faced, sorry but soooo not Emma?!

She was Cassandra Mortmain in I Capture the Castle & she was in Vanity Fair too.

Well? I thought that, on the whole, it was pretty hideous.

Bleeuurrgghhhh... Worse than the Gwynnie one.

God I HATE it when they narrate a whole load of back story, or pass comments on character's feelings whilst the actress looks emotional. Gah.

I like and admire Sandy Welch immensely, but I thought she'd adapted far too much of the language in the screen play.

Gambon was good, but I didn't like the actress playing Emma at all. She kept pulling ugly faces, and it was impossible to have any empathy for her at all.

Oh yes, I didn't like the start at all. What an odd and unnecessary way to begin: it was very clumsy.

Gambon was better in this than he is as Dumbledore but really too 'substantial' looking and sounding to be Mr Woodhouse. The girl playing Emma was baaaaad. Mr Elton was the best.

Not good imo. Too sloppy and modern, and badly cast.

I hated the KK P&P too, but thought Brenda Blethyn was the only person who's ever made Mrs Bennett a believeable rounded character.

Oh I loved it. Loved the back story, Emma was ghastly but Mr Knightly is gorgeous so I'm happy.

I liked MG as Mr Woodhouse, he played down the cartoon element and I could believe he existed. Infinitely better than his Dumbledore.

Oh dear, oh dear, it was dreadful. Was it "based on an original idea by Jane Austen". Mr Knightley was far too young for the 17 years difference in age between them, Emma would have only been a child when Isabella married as her children seemed to be quite old. Tamsin Greig seems an odd choice for poor Miss Bates.
The dialogue was completely wrong and had lots of modern day phrases. And as for that dreadful prequel bit at the beginning, that was ghastly.

And Miss Bates also v. real.

Dp told me off when I shouted 'He's too OLD' re Mr Knightley!

Miss Bates not bad.

I thought it was brilliant
witty and well acted
Agree Knightley is too youn though

I thought it was brilliant
witty and well acted
Agree Knightley is too youn though