Collin Firth VS. Alan Rickman?

Who will be the Anglo Fan Favorite for 2011? Click on this BBC site to vote!!

"In one corner, we have Alan Rickman. As Die Hard‘s roguish Hans Gruber, he claimed ownership of the Accent of Evil, a prize he’s held for a quarter-century. He menaced a whole new generation as Severus Snape in the Harry Potter movies. But who knew the 65-year-old star commanded such a fervent fan following? If you didn’t know, consider yourself educated. The Rickmaniacs are not to be played with.

On the other side, you have Colin Firth, representing a far “nobler” breed of Britishmen. In 1995′s Pride & Prejudice, his quiet suffering and sopping wet underclothes got viewers hot and bothered, but his Oscar-approved performance as King George VI in 2010′s The King’s Speech signaled his arrival as the Fine British Actor of our time. For much of this week, his defeat at the hands of Doctor Who‘s David Tennant seemed assured, but a late surge lifted him into this week’s finals. Can Colin go Firth into the winner’s circle?"

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

Seen on the Blogosphere

BBC to cut production of 19th Century Bonnet dramas:

A senior BBC drama insider said: "There is to be an evolution in the presentation of period dramas, moving away from classic 19th century so-called 'bonnet' dramas to looking at other periods of history.

"This will allow us to look at other times and places in British and world history. The aim is to give drama audiences something new and different to enjoy."

Click on the above link to The Telegraph to read the rest of the article, or this link to the UK Guardian.

Jane Austen Connection to Mills and Boon Bodice Rippers?

Not being a Brit (sigh) I did not understand the cultural significance of Mills & Boon! What the heck is a Mills & Boon? My American sensibilities imagined it as a cocktail made with Boons Hill Farm wine! Us Yanks are so uncouth, but the Brits may be quickly approaching. The Mills & Boon mystery was clarified by recent news articles announcing a new BBC Four production, Consuming Passion, 100 Years of Mills & Boon, to be aired on UK tellie this autumn. It appears that Mills & Boon are book publishers (duh) and their reputation in Britain and the world for a good bodice ripper is renown (except to this writer who lives in a Austen vacuum). The US equivalent would be Harlequin Romances, which by-the-by, purchased the company in 1971.

Mills & Boon is celebrating their 100th anniversary in business this year, so they must be doing something right! Well, many faithful readers over a century and the BBC seem to think so. The new 90 minute movie focuses on the history of the publishing house with stories of actual women behind the scenes beginning in 1918 to contemporary times. The producers have promised that it will be very raunchy - ahem - one assumes not to disappoint their many faithful readers and the BBC viewers in general since BBC Four’s slogan is “Everybody needs a place to think”. Right. Maybe they should amend that to “Everybody needs a place to _ _ _ _”?

Of note are two Jane Austen connections in the production; director Dan Zeff who brought us the new ITV Lost in Austen mini-series currently airing in the UK under much controversy and discussion, and Emilia Fox, who portrayed the sweet and innocent Georgiana Darcy in the 1995 BBC/A&E production of Pride and Prejudice. Oh my, it appears that Georgiana’s innocence many have progressed, along with the tenor of the times!

The BBC Four is renown for producing critically acclaimed costume dramas over the years such as the recent Sense and Sensibility and Cranford which made their way across the pond and onto to PBS’s Masterpiece Classics series. One wonders out loud what direction UK television is taking to attract a wider and younger audience, and if adaptations of classic novels by Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell are now passé? The BBC recently confirmed its commitment to period drama, so let's hope that we won't be teased with these imitations and parodies such as Lost in Austen which are quite diverting, but not the real thing.

Laurel Ann, Austenprose