Emma (2009) Music Video to Crystallised Beauty

This week is all about Emma (2009) the new adaptation of Jane Austen's 1815 novel of the the same name which begins on Sunday, January 24th on Masterpiece Classic/PBS. Enjoy this music video by cherrycakesbaybee featuring scenes from the mini-series set to the beautiful music Crystallised Beauty by Philip Sheppard.

"Why not seize the pleasure at once?" and join the red carpet premiere Emma Twitter Party on Sunday, January 24th 9:00-11:00 PM ET on Tweetgrid and Twitter presented by Masterpiece Classic. Use hashtag #emma_pbs to join in the fun.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Emma (2009) begins next Sunday on Masterpiece Classic

The wait is almost over! Emma (2009), the new 3 part mini-series adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel staring Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller will premiere on Masterpiece Classic next Sunday, January 24th, 2010 at 9:00 pm on PBS. Read a preview and see a slide show of the production stills at Austenprose.

Visit the official Emma website at Masterpiece Classic
Join the Masterpiece Classic red carpet premiere Emma Twitter Party

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Verdict on Emma 2009

Donwell Abbey on Strawberry Picking day

Polls on Jane Austen's World indicate that viewers voted in favor of Emma 2009. I conducted four polls, one for each week of the series, and from 70-80% of viewers loved or liked the episodes. These numbers do not reflect the ratings, for after the first week, Emma lost over 1 million viewers and its overall performance in the UK was dismal. The first episode seemed to be the most problematic, with its many alterations from Jane Austen's plot, modern gestures, and people disliking the main actors (or getting used to them, which they eventually did). When the series comes to the U.S., I recommend that audiences remain patient, for Episodes 3 & 4 are just lovely.

On Box Hill, the picnickers are hot, bothered, and peevish

At the end of the film, 16% of viewers still had some problems with Romola Garai, who was not universally liked, especially in the first few episodes, and with Laura Pyper, who portrayed Jane Fairfax as a mouse. I was not thrilled with Rupert Evans, and have yet to see an actor who I have as Frank Churchill. Though Rupert was suitably sleazy, he just did not look like the Frank of my imagination. See the results of the polls in this link with peoples' votes for the actors who portrayed the main characters.

The interiors are shot in a way that remind one of a Vermeer painting

Speaking of lovely, I pulled a few visuals. The scenes and settings are breathtaking, and among the best of the Emmas. Viewers who recently watched the series rated it overwhelmingly as their favorite Emma adaptation. (This could be because they have not seen the other versions.)

Emma's just rewards, her own Mr. Knightley

U.S. viewers can look forward to a January 24th airing on PBS Masterpiece Classic. For other lovely images, visit Laurel Ann's slide shows, which are breathtaking.

• Poll: Episode One
• Poll: Episode Two
• Poll: Episode Three
• Poll: Episode Four

• Slideshow One
• Slideshow Two
• Slideshow Three
• Slideshow Four

In this comic scene, the viewer knows that the real donkey Mrs. Elton is riding is not the obvious one.

Jonny Lee Miller Makes a Splash on Both Sides of the Pond

When you're hot, you're everywhere. This Sunday Jonny Lee Miller will appear in the last episode of Emma 2009 on BBC One. Viewers are warming up to his Mr. Knightley, and deservedly so. US fans will have to wait to see this visually lovely series for a few months more.

On the same day, across the pond in the US, Jonny will make an appearance in PBS's Masterpiece Contemporary in Endgame, a political thriller about negotiations that led to the end of apartheid in South Africa. Jonny plays a British businessman and negotiator, Michael Young.

Jonny also recently received fairly decent reviews from NY critics for his first appearance on Broadway in After Miss Julie. View a slide show and listen to Jonny in this New York Times podcast.

It seems that 2009 might well be his year. Read an interview with Jonny about beating his shyness to become an actor in Arts and Entertainment.

Emma 2009: Episode 2 Slideshow

Episode 2 of BBC One's new adaptation of Emma aired on Sunday, October 11th in the UK. Here is a slideshow teaser for non UK viewers and a recap for others. Do not dispair. This four hour serial will air in the US this January on Masterpiece Classic.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Emma 2009: Episode 1 Slideshow

The first episode of BBC One's adaptation of Emma aired on Sunday, October 4th. The jury is still out on my opinion until I can see the complete production. In the meantime, check out the slideshow of screen caps from episode 1 on Austenprose and join the discussion.

Cheers, Laurel Ann

BBC One's Emma: Behind the scenes preview

Emma 2009: A Stuffy Period Drama Rejuvenated?

The new BBC1 miniseries of Emma will shortly become reality when it begins airing in the UK on October 4. This four-part costume drama is being adapted from Jane Austen’s novel by Sandy Welch (Our Mutual Friend) and stars Romola Garai (Atonement) as the "handsome, clever and rich" but misguided Miss Emma Woodhouse and Jonny Lee Miller (Edmund Bertram in Mansfield Park 1999) as her reproachful neighbor Mr. Knightley.

Two weeks away from air date, and very little press so far. Since the BBC announced that it was “moving away from traditional 19th century-set "bonnet" dramas in favor of a grittier look at the period and a new focus on other historical eras,” I am not surprised at the revamping of Emma toward more emotion and drama. A recent headline of an article in the Telegraph proclaimed “BBC banishes stuffy period characters from new Emma drama” and that the new story has been updated to give it a modern romance. Kate Harwood, controller of BBC serials explains their reasons for the changes.

We didn't want stuffy period characters. This is not a high Austen comedy, it's modern. Maybe we are in a period where we are a little bit more relaxed with Austen. We are taking her off the literary shelf and making her seem part of our lives again.

This approach is quite bold and may surprise and irritate Jane Austen’s fans. Honestly, it appears quite condescending to me, implying that our Jane needs a make-over to be accessible to a new generation of viewers. Well fine. But do they have to be so superior about it calling her characters snooty and all? In Austen’s defense Judith Hawley, a professor of English at Royal Holloway University responded that this modern take on Austen’s Emma sounded like as a "strange kind of hybrid Austen".

This business of changing the sensibility seems like a mistake…If you modernise it too far and modernise the social relations that pertained to Austen's day, then some of the behaviour and the plot will not make sense.

My point exactly. This Byronization of the relationships may change the subtle and delicate balance that Austen is known and appreciate for. The producers may be attempting to forestall reproof to soften the shock – but the changes may still be a disappointment to many. We shall see what the miniseries bears. The jury is still out on this one.

Further reading

'Values of Jane Austen novels are as important as the characters'
Jane Austen’s recent adaptations
Watch a preview of Emma 2009

Cheers, Laurel Ann

Seen On the Blogosphere

Georgette Heyer is tweeting The Grand Sophy on Twitter! Follow her as the book is being released. Sample tweet: "He is the kind of odious little toad who kisses the housemaids on the stairs." Click here to read the tweets.

In addition, seen at Wimbledon: Two yummy men. Jonny Lee Miller, our future Mr. Knightley, and Jude Law.

Seen on the Blogosphere

• The Clever Pup features Hugh Laurie's sartorial splendor as Mr. Palmer in Sense & Sensibility. Click here for your Hugh fix of the day.

• Apparently the Brontë patriarch,Patrick, was a mean old gorgon of a man. His children feared him and historians did not view him kindly, to put it mildly. A photograph of Patrick Brontë resurfaced recently in an antiques fair. Click here to read an interesting account of the journey that Patrick's image has taken over the years. Curiously, it is still in quest of a suitable home.

• Juliet Stevenson is wowing the audiences and critics onstage in Duet for One. Known as the mistress of the audio book and for her comedic portrayal of Mrs. Elton in Emma, Juliet continues to entertain us with her immense acting talent.

• Have you seen Jonny Lee Miller as Lord Byron in 2003's Byron? He's made a convert out of me, convincing me that he has the acting chops to play Mr. Knightley in the 2009 BBC adaptation of Emma. Watch his performance on Netflix On Demand. It's a 2-part BBC series also starring Vanessa Redgrave.

• Moving from compelling to cute, look at these Darcy and Lizzy die-cuts. Oh my.

• Lizzy Bennet, er Jennifer Ehle, gave birth to a daughter in March. She named her Tallulah Ryan. How cool.

• Finally, here's a polyvore image inspired by images from Jane Austen's World. Blush.

Posted by Vic, Jane Austen's World

Jane Austen Movie Throwdown

A new Emma is being filmed this spring, so we thought we'd ask you to vote whether the casting directors got the male actor right for the lead role as Mr. Knightley. You may leave a comment if your vote is for someone else. Click here and Click here to view two sets of images of the new production on The Republic of Pemberley.

Emma 2009 Lead MaleActor

Mr. Knightley: Jonny Lee Miller

This is Jonny's third role in a Jane Austen film adaptation. Back in 1983, he played Charles Price in the BBC adaptation of Mansfield Park and, as a reader reminded me, as Edmund in 1999's Mansfield Park. You might recall first seeing him in Trainspotting and Hackers, where he acted alongside Angelina Jolie, who became his wife. Jonnie comes from a long line of actors. His great-great grandfather was an Edwardian music hall performer and his grandfather was the British actor Bernard Lee, who played M in the first 12 James Bond films. His father, Alan Miller, worked as a stage actor and for the BBC for 20 years. Jonny has worked steadily since playing Charles Price. Before filming Emma, he played Eli Stone, a man with a brain aneurism who experiences visions in a weekly ABC drama. Is Jonny your perfect Mr. Knightley? Or would you have cast someone else in the role? You decide. You tell us.

Jane Austen Movie Throwdown: Jonnie Lee Miller as Mr. Knightley
	He's right for the part
	I don't care one way or the other
	He's wrong, wrong, wrong
pollcode.com free polls

Emma casting news for BBC One’s new four hour miniseries of Jane Austen’s masterpiece

British actress Romola Garai (Atonement, Daniel Deronda) will star as the "handsome, clever and rich" Emma Woodhouse in BBC One’s new production of Jane Austen’s comedic masterpiece Emma. The four hour miniseries adapted by Sandy Welch will be filmed on location in Kent and Surry and will air in the UK next autumn. There is a good chance that it will be picked up by PBS for its Masterpiece Classic season next winter, so keep your fingers crossed.

Also staring will be Jonny Lee Miller (Byron, Eli Stone, Trainspotting) as Emma’s reproachful neighbor Mr. Knightley, Michael Gambon (Cranford, Gosford Park) as our favorite valetudinarian Mr. Woodhouse, Tamsin Greig (The Diary Of Anne Frank, Green Wing) as the ever chatty Miss Bates, Jodhi May (The Amazing Mrs. Pritchard, Aristocrats) as Emma’s former governess Miss Taylor who marries Mr. Weston played by Robert Bathurst (Cold Feet, White Teeth, My Dad's The Prime Minister).

No word yet on their choice of a Jane Fairfax or Frank Churchill, two key characters in the novel. Personally, their choice of casting of Harriet Smith will make or break this production for me, so I am all anticipation.

This new adaptation will be the first full length miniseries since the 1972 BBC production staring Doran Godwin as Emma Woodhouse and John Carson as her Mr. Knightley. Interestingly, it is the last of Jane Austen’s six major novels to be filmed since the turn of the century, and appears from its production values, that the last one is certainly not the least.

Emma will be directed by Jim O'Hanlon, produced by George Ormond and executive produced by Phillippa Giles.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose