For everyone who is excited about BBC's new Emma adaptation

[kiki1982]

There is coming a new adaptation of Emma on the BBC this Autumn...

... and...

... there is a preview!

It was not watchable on the BBC if you were not in the UK, but it has been put on YouTube.

Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjPMEopKtDs

[Nightshade]

OOOoh, I am so behind on my TV knowledge its a bit ridicculous.( no time no time no time)
Anyway who is that actor playing Knightly? I regonigse him but cant place him , and I just LOVE that actor who is playing Mr woodhous ealthough his name also slips my mind. Hopefully his will be better than that awful other version with whosit and whatsit in it.

[Niamh]

really? i'm not a fan of Emma but i'l watch it.
Johnny lee miller plays Knightly. He was Edmund Bertram in Mansfield Park movie.

[Nightshade]

Meh neither am I, What I don understand is why they always get blonde people to play emma, I never saw her as blonde in my head somehow.

[Niamh]

the version with kate beckinsdale(sp?) in it she is obviously a brunette.

[Nightshade]

Emma? Wasnt emma Gewenth Paltrow?

[Niamh]

she was but there have been more than one version!
think the beckinsdale one is from the late 80's early 90's.

[wessexgirl]

Originally Posted by Niamh

she was but there have been more than one version!
think the beckinsdale one is from the late 80's early 90's.

The Beckinsale one was rushed out on the back of Andrew Davies's success with P&P, which means after 1995, and it was awful. I like the look of this one, although as some commentators have said in the comments, the leads look too near in age, Knightley doesn't look like he could have held her as a baby! Never mind, they are good actors, and at least JL Miller has an appeal about him, unlike Mark Strong had in that dire production. I also spotted Michael Gambon as her father I presume? Wonderful. I do wish we would get some other classics from the canon though, as I would like to see some ones which aren't done as much. Having said that though, I'll be watching, and trying to expunge the Beckinsale version from my mind. Thanks for posting Kiki, as I didn't know about this, (where have I been ?)

[kiki1982]

Glad to see that my thread provoked so many reactions! Amazing.

I recently saw the Beckinsale version (A&E) from 1996 and the Paltrow version also from 1996 (Miramax). This BBC project that is coming out now was already panned in 1996, but they put it in the fridge (can you sa that?) because of the two otehr versions in that same year...

I didn't like the Miramax version, because they toned it down too much, by which it became a sugary romance in the end... (what else can you do if you do not include an Emma and Knightley who are deeper than the arrogant facade? Then your coming to terms inevitably ends in sugary romance with violins in the background). Mark Strong did not have that initial spark, but I don't think Knightley has that in the beginning either. He is deemed handsome, but not stunning. As it seems, he was less pleasant to Emma (at least) than Churchill... Knightley is an old friend and can speak unreservedly and comes across as a jerk sometimes because he tells her off.

I have doubts with blonde Emmas as blonde girls come across as easier and more superficial. No offence to the blondes, but it is like that in film. It was not for nothing that Davies put his Emma on the screen as a brunette and Churchill as a blonde, gay boy. Not that blonde people cannot be normal people with more to it than meets the eye, but it is like the man on the white horse: he is a heroic figure. As such a blonde Emma (like the next one) comes across too girly and not strong enough. I think it islike with their last adaptation of Jane Eyre: their guy looks too young altohugh he is the right age.

But we wlll watch it.

[Nightshade]

Originally Posted by wessexgirl

I do wish we would get some other classics from the canon though, as I would like to see some ones which aren't done as much. Having said that though, I'll be watching, and trying to expunge the Beckinsale version from my mind. Thanks for posting Kiki, as I didn't know about this, (where have I been ?)

The one I would pay good money to see is Belinda. But only if it were well made, which is always the danger I guess.
Humm maybe after I reread the ausetns in my binge this month I should have an adaptations binge.

[wessexgirl]

Originally Posted by kiki1982

Glad to see that my thread provoked so many reactions! Amazing.

I recently saw the Beckinsale version (A&E) from 1996 and the Paltrow version also from 1996 (Miramax). This BBC project that is coming out now was already panned in 1996, but they put it in the fridge (can you sa that?) because of the two otehr versions in that same year...

I didn't like the Miramax version, because they toned it down too much, by which it became a sugary romance in the end... (what else can you do if you do not include an Emma and Knightley who are deeper than the arrogant facade? Then your coming to terms inevitably ends in sugary romance with violins in the background). Mark Strong did not have that initial spark, but I don't think Knightley has that in the beginning either. He is deemed handsome, but not stunning. As it seems, he was less pleasant to Emma (at least) than Churchill... Knightley is an old friend and can speak unreservedly and comes across as a jerk sometimes because he tells her off.

I have doubts with blonde Emmas as blonde girls come across as easier and more superficial. No offence to the blondes, but it is like that in film. It was not for nothing that Davies put his Emma on the screen as a brunette and Churchill as a blonde, gay boy. Not that blonde people cannot be normal people with more to it than meets the eye, but it is like the man on the white horse: he is a heroic figure. As such a blonde Emma (like the next one) comes across too girly and not strong enough. I think it islike with their last adaptation of Jane Eyre: their guy looks too young altohugh he is the right age.
But we wlll watch it.

How dare you madam? I am a blonde, and I think I'm normal and not too girly, and I am pretty strong in character too . I preferred the Gwyneth Paltrow version, and I loved Jeremy Northam as Knightley. He had him down to a tee, well in my eyes anyway. I hope this next version is as good and does the novel justice. As you say we will be watching it nonetheless .

Oh and I think the phrase you were looking for was to put it on ice, or on the back-burner, but to put it in the fridge sounds good .

[kiki1982]

Ah, thank you for the 'putting on ice', Wessexgirl. I'll remember it. Or we could maybe say 'on the rocks'.

Sorry about the blondes. But you can also guess that I did not like the Paltrow-version in the least? I found it much too simple. That said, though, there is no reason whatsoever that a blonde Emma cannot work, but I'm afraid that Sandy Welch will not do the novel justice. But as I said, I will keep an open mind (however it may look strange).

But, there you go, tastes differ. Fortunately, because otherwise, Miramax hadn't had any viewers.

[mollie]

I think "put it in the freezer" was used in an episode of Friends, about a book that everyone found too sad to read and stashed in the freezer to make it go away

I'd think Evelina would make a good TV adaptation, and would appeal to those who liked the Jane Austen adaptations.

ETA I didn't like Gwynneth Paltrow as Emma either - nothing wrong with the way she played the part, it just wasn't how I saw her!

[Niamh]

Mollie that was Rachels copy of Little Women that she gave to Joey to read.

I want to see Ruth by Gaskell adapted.

[wessexgirl]

Originally Posted by Niamh

Mollie that was Rachels copy of Little Women that she gave to Joey to read.

I want to see Ruth by Gaskell adapted.

Ooh Niamh, Ruth is being broadcast on R4 at the moment, as the Classic Serial. Have you been listening? Unfortunately I missed episode 2 this week as I was out, but I will try to get it on iplayer, or the listen again facility. It's repeated on Saturday night too. I have the book on my TBR pile, but needless to say I haven't got around to it yet .