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?

Lilymaid - Emma was only 12 when her sister married and 'almost 21' when the story begins so Isabella's oldest could be 8.

I've recorded it but not watched it yet, so am reserving judgement.

It's interesting what you say about Sandy Welch adapting the dialogue too much, roisin - when my sister & I were watching North & South the other day, she said she was worried that's what would happen - apparently she'd done it in N&S (I haven't read it yet, though it is now on my tottering 'to read' pile')

I could find nothing wrong with N&S tbh - bet you can't guess why?

Surley JLM is 17 yrs older than 'Emma' though - he must be in his mid 30s and she is 18 - maybe it is that the actress looks older??

Mr Knightley is 16 years older than Emma - she says "To be sure, our discordancies must always arise from by being in the wrong"
"Yes," said he, smiling "and reason good. I was sixteen years old when you were born"
Emma is twenty, not 18 when the book starts.

But Romola Garai is 27, while JLM is only 36, so the actual age gap isn't as big as it's meant to be.

Thought it was fairly good but then I've never been one to fully understand how Emma is Jane Austen's 'best-loved heroine'. Find it just too annoying that she 'suddenly' realises that she loves Knightley.

My personal favourites are the Persuasion with Rupert Penry Jones and the Firth/Ehle P&P.

Modern turns of speech were quite jarring. But I thought it was quite pleasant. Was just musing about how my reaction to the story has changed - as a teenager, I was so on Emma's side, thinking Mr Knightley was being staid and conventional. Now I'm nodding along with JLM...

Who will be playing the vicar's wife? Need someone to give that part real welly!

I thought Mr Knightly was a bit young too, but I think that is more to do with having seen other versions of Emma than with the book as Jonny is almost exactly the age in rl as his character is. I still fancy him. Especially when he gets angry.

Not at all keen on any of the female characters. Tamsin does a very sympathetic portrayal of Miss Bates, it's very moving and tragic but not the character as she is in the book. There must be better actresses out there to play Emma surely, this one just isn't right at all.

Christina Cole - she was Caroline Bingley in 'Lost in Austen' so has form in playing Austen bitches.

She was also the youngest Carrionite in the Doctor Who Shakespeare episode.

That was in answer to edam, btw, not a suggestion for Emma!

Oh, right. Remember her as a carrionite but despite seeing Lost in Austen didn't notice Christina at all.

I felt v disapointed, and really did not like Emma (character as played by actor) at all. (I do still have a crush on JLM though, probably heightened by his performance last night! ) (oh, that sounded a bit 'Carry On' double entendre!)

However, on a separate issue, I LOVED that episode of Dr Who, and thought the guy who played Shakespeare (Dean something????) was fantastic!

Are we joking on here? Kate Winslet was a frightful Marianne. The only good version of S&S is the 80s one, which is very, very good. The best JA adaptation of all time is surely Persuasion (the early 90s one). Last night's Emma was awful - that actress is too old and too modern, and I don't fancy that man who plays Mr K either. He should be much older and more attractive. The intro bit was unspeakably dire. Bah.

Why do you think Mr Knightley should be older, JBAMH? - JLM is pretty much exactly the right age - as I said above, Emma is 'nearly twenty one' and Mr K is 16 years older, so, nearly 37. JLM will be 37 next month. I's Romola Garai who's too old.

I felt it lacked the subtlety of the novel. Much as I like Johnny Lee Miller the whole crux of the novel is that is comes as a surprise, even a shock, to Emma and the reader that he is in love with her. He is way too attractive, the age difference too little and made acceptable for modern eyes. Also the social strata seemed overly explained - noone discusses Mr Elton's marital aspirations or Harriet Smith's status so openly or early in the original, she is allowed to make her own misjudgements and feel them more keenly accordingly.

How old is Emma's father meant to be? I kept thinking Michael Gambon was old enough to be her grandfather.

He was elderly, but more out of experience than old age iyswim. wary of the world, worried about ill health etc Miss Taylor (Mrs Weston) should have been a little more mature thoguh.

I also thought that much of the casting was wrong - I like Romola Garai but I just don't think she is Emma, also thought the governess was too young. I think the Miss Bates character will grow on me.

Rustybear - I love Sandy Welch's N&S, but that may be because I hadn't read the book in advance. I've watched it loads of times.

Probably for similar reasons to MortBlackCatResident....? One Richard Armitage?

Rusty - yes, you're absolutely right. He seemed too near in age to Emma - but she's the one who's not right. I think that didn't help with the casting of the governess, who at times looked younger than Emma last night. She could reasonably have been the governess of a 21-year-old, though!

Marking my place on this thread:

I really enjoyed it. I see what people mean about the age difference, and agree it is RG who is too old, but I enjoyed her performance. It seemed to keep to the plot, mainly, and I could wallow in it a bit, which is a requirement for Sunday night period dramas for me!

I loved the argument between Emma and Knightly towards the end.

Mr K deffo warns Emma away from setting Harriet's sights on Elton, well before Elton proposes to Emma: that's why she's so ashamed and embarrassed by the proposal, because she's allowed herself to be blinded, despite Mr K's warning.

She'd been the governess since Emma was 5, so think she should have looked older.

Am rereading Emma now as I realised I didn't know the ins and outs of the plot and really, that's what's so fun about it

Yes - Miss Taylor should deffo look older - not enough of an age gap between her and Emma in the version last night.

I am re-reading it too! Probably won't bother watching any more though.

Watched it on catch up this morning. I didn't think it was too bad actually - at least by doing a series rather than squeezing it into a film they get to give more time to the argument scenes between Emma and Mr K.

I just wish the BBC could wave the same magic wand over these adaptations as they did over the 1995 P&P - I don't think they'll ever top that one. As for the BP version of Mansfield Park - well, my dad always said ITV couldn't cast for shit. Less said the better!

What did anybody think of it tonight then?

It is deathly dull. Lacks all of the witty sparkle of the book. Mr Woodhouse is just wrong - they have completely missed the querulous tone and made him into a bit of a tyrant instead, so he doesn't add to the comedy. Emma's flirtation with Frank Weston isn't handled with a particularly light touch either. It's just all a bit clumsy and heavy handed.