Emma (2009)

21-year-old Emma Woodhouse has very little to worry about, being beautiful, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and some of the best blessings of existence. So despite the dry observations of Mr. Knightley, a family friend and surrogate older brother to Emma, she indulges in her one great passion - playing matchmaker to her friends and family. Emma had already fancied herself having brought two couples together successfully; therefore when young, pretty, naive and socially inferior Harriet arrives in Emma's social circle, the matchmaker is delighted that she can practice her skills again. She persuades Harriet to reject an advantageous marriage proposal to a local farmer in favor of dashing Mr. Elton. But Emma is playing with fire as she discovers that Mr. Elton is far more socially ambitious and mercenary than she had ever realized. So begins a story that takes Emma on a journey-challenging her naivety, her social preconceptions, and most of all, her relationship with Knightley.

Episode 1
Nothing delights Emma more than meddling in the love lives of others. But when she takes protégée Harriet Smith under her wing, her plans can only end in disaster...
Rich, independent and kind spirited, Emma Woodhouse has no need to marry herself but nothing delights her more than matchmaking those around her. Once she has married off her close companions, she alights upon the pretty Harriet Smith to fashion into her new playmate and ally. She persuades Harriet that she is too good for her suitor, the farmer Robert Martin, and encourages her to set her sights higher. But close family friend Mr Knightley warns Emma that her meddling will cause great pain - to both Robert and Harriet. Emma refuses to listen, and Mr Knightley is furious with Emma's stubbornness.

Episode 2
A proposal is imminent from Mr Elton, and the legendary Frank Churchill finally visits Highbury.
Emma continues her attempts to marry off Harriet and Mr Elton, vicar of Highbury. Although uninterested in marriage herself, she is intrigued by the mysterious and elusive Frank Churchill, whom she hopes to meet for the first time at a village Christmas party. Frank does not arrive, but instead Emma becomes the subject of unwanted and embarrassing attention from Mr Elton. A few weeks later, village gossip and speculation focuses on the arrival of young Jane Fairfax and a large piano that she has been sent by a mystery admirer. Emma refuses to believe that Mr Knightley could be the secret admirer. Surely he couldn't be, could he?

Episode 3
Emma is adamant that her matchmaking career is over - but is it possible that she is in love herself?
Emma teases Mr Knightley about Jane, but he remains tight-lipped. Meanwhile, Frank and Emma plan a ball, and Emma wonders whether she might be in love with him. Despite having a wonderful time at a village ball, she decides not. With her matchmaking officially abandoned, Emma feels cooped up and bored. Mr Knightley suggests a day trip to Box Hill for a change of scene and some temporary escape. He also tells Emma that he suspects Frank and Jane are secretly in love. Emma rebuffs the suggestion - she can personally vouch for Frank's indifference to Jane - which leaves Knightley feeling hurt at Emma's indifference towards him.

Episode 4
After a disastrous day out on Box Hill everyone is forced to face up to matters of the heart.
What was intended as a day of fun turns into a day of agony for everyone on the Box Hill excursion. Things come to a head when, egged on by Frank, Emma behaves very badly, insulting Miss Bates. She is berated by Knightley and realises that her behaviour was shameful. She tries to repair things with Jane and Miss Bates, but Jane will not see her - although Miss Bates tells her that Jane has accepted a job as a governess, and cried all night. Meanwhile, Knightley goes to stay with his brother in London - he will be away for a while. When Frank's controlling Aunt dies, the Westons expect him to propose to Emma - but his actions set in motion a chain of events that both shock Emma and make her realise something that has been in plain sight all along ...

Adapted by Sandy Welch
Directed by Jim O’Hanlon
Written by Jane Austen
Produced by George Ormond
Executive Produced by Phillippa Giles

"Sing hosanna, for the costume drama stork has deposited a bundle of joy on our collective doorstep. ... Best bits: Mr Woodhouse's (Michael Gambon) cavalcade of twitchily endearing protestations. Miss Bates's (Tamsin Greig) inadvertent proto-Daily Mail leanings ("Oh, Miss Woodhouse. Walking alone? What if you'd met ... the Gypsies?"). The acting (immaculate), the costumes (sumptuous), the departure/loss theme conveyed, beautifully, by a steady stream of characters peering dolefully through the rear window of a rapidly exiting carriage (wibble), and Jim O'Hanlon's wonderful direction: a rich, fluid thing that found hope in shadows and hesitancy in sunlight, thus ensuring that the tone skipped between the required frivolity and profundity with ease. And Jonny Lee Miller's trousers. Obviously." Sarah Dempster, Guardian

"...Delicious interiors, ravishing dresses, gutsy acting from a cast of old favourites and that bloke off Casualty, and of course the endless parade of handsome actors necessitated by Austen's trademark boy-crazy plotting. Happily, the BBC's new four-part adaptation of Emma ticks all those boxes and more. The Bafta-winning writer Sandy Welch ... has updated the everyday story of country matchmakers for modern audiences and thanks to the impossibly, creamily beautiful Romola Garai ... it offers a sumptuous yet intelligent glimpse of bygone village life that only the most hard-hearted viewer could not be entranced by ... Jonny Lee Miller as the quietly swashbuckling Knightley is the first example of male eye-candy (I mean astute interpretations of Regency patriarchal typology) and does not disappoint, filling out his lovely shiny riding boots with an authority that is luscious to behold." Melissa Katsoulis, The Times

"...Sandy Welch's adaptation is lively enough and there are some sparky performances, including Romola Garai as Emma. The supporting cast is excellent, too, especially Blake Ritson as smoothy clergyman Elton and Louise Dylan as Emma's naive protégée Harriet Smith. (4 stars)" Neville Hawcock, Financial Times

"...stately home locations, sumptuous gowns, lush music, a dour voiceover and a jaunty tone, with some high-calibre acting talent (Michael Gambon, Robert Bathurst, Tamsin Greig). Romola Garai has an infectious confidence as the garrulous Emma, taking the weight of this fourparter on her shoulders with seemingly effortless ease, while Jonny Lee Miller is rather good as the suitor-in-waiting Mr Knightley. It's all very entertaining - but then, if there's one thing the BBC know how to do, it's Jane Austen." David Hayles, The Times

"...it is beautifully done, thanks in large part to Sandy Welch's script, a fine cast and the usual lovingly filmed settings." David Chater, The Times

"Romola Garai is a lively and enthusiastic Emma. Her eyes alone deserve a Bafta ... And Michael Gambon may not have read the book, but he's still a splendid old Mr Woodhouse, worried and fussy by the fire. Tamsin Greig is irritating and silly as Miss Bates, which is, I'm told, exactly as she should be. And Jonny Lee Miller looks lovely with his sideburns and his high trousers. It all looks great ... the splendid country houses, the wallpaper, the drawing rooms, the silver tea sets. And the neat lawns, the elegantly clipped box hedges, the cedar trees, the shiny carriages and the steaming horses. And the frocks of course, and yes the bonnets - they're everywhere." Sam Wollaston, Guardian

"Romola Garai as Emma is nothing short of brilliant ... Michael Gambon gives a compelling performance..." AA Gill, Sunday Times

"...Michael Gambon is brilliant as Emma's fussy, lonely old dad, and Tamsin Greig matches him as the nosy, boastful, incessantly chattering Miss Bates." Matt Baylis, Daily Express

Bafta-winning Sandy Welch also adapted successful series Jane Eyre, North and South and Our Mutual Friend.

Emma has not been serialised for television since 1972 and this adaptation provides a rich insight into one of Austen's most complex characters.