Emma (2009 TV serial)
Encyclopedia
Emma is a four-part BBC television drama
serial
adaptation of Jane Austen
's novel Emma
, first published in 1815. The episodes were written by Sandy Welch
, acclaimed writer of previous BBC costume-dramas Jane Eyre and North and South, and directed by Jim O'Hanlon. The serial stars Romola Garai
as the titular heroine Emma Woodhouse
, Jonny Lee Miller
as her loyal lifelong friend Mr. Knightley
and Michael Gambon
as Emma's father, Mr. Woodhouse. The serial originally ran weekly on Sunday nights on BBC One
from the 4 to 25 October 2009.
Austen's classic comic novel follows the story of the "handsome, clever and rich" Emma Woodhouse. Dominating the small provincial world of Highbury, Emma believes she is a skilled matchmaker and repeatedly attempts to pair up her friends and acquaintances. Nothing delights her more than meddling in the love lives of others. But when she takes protege Harriet Smith under her wing, her interference has a detrimental effect.
Brought up sharply against the folly of her own immaturity, the consequent crisis and her bitter regrets are brought to a happy resolution in a sharp and sparkling comedy of self-deceit and self-discovery.
village of Chilham
from 14 to 18 April 2009. Production design staff covered several roads with gravel to disguise the 21-century road markings, and erected a fountain in the village square. Filming occurred from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day and was scheduled to coincide with the Easter school holiday to minimise local disruption.
Filming continued at the parish church of St Mary the Virgin in Send, Surrey
on 24 and 28 April, where scenes of a wedding and a Sunday service were completed. Further filming took place at Squerryes Court
, Westerham
, Kent where many interior scenes were shot.
BBC television drama
BBC television dramas have been produced and broadcast since even before the public service company had an officially established television broadcasting network in the United Kingdom...
serial
Serial (radio and television)
Serials are series of television programs and radio programs that rely on a continuing plot that unfolds in a sequential episode by episode fashion. Serials typically follow main story arcs that span entire television seasons or even the full run of the series, which distinguishes them from...
adaptation of Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...
's novel Emma
Emma
Emma, by Jane Austen, is a novel about the perils of misconstrued romance. The novel was first published in December 1815. As in her other novels, Austen explores the concerns and difficulties of genteel women living in Georgian-Regency England; she also creates a lively 'comedy of manners' among...
, first published in 1815. The episodes were written by Sandy Welch
Sandy Welch
Sandy Welch is a British television writer and screenwriter.Sandy Welch's works for the BBC have included The Magnificent 7, adaptations of Charles Dickens' novel Our Mutual Friend and Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South, and most recently the BBC's well-received 2006 interpretation of Charlotte...
, acclaimed writer of previous BBC costume-dramas Jane Eyre and North and South, and directed by Jim O'Hanlon. The serial stars Romola Garai
Romola Garai
Romola Sadie Garai is an English actress. She is known for appearing in the movies Amazing Grace, Atonement, and Glorious 39, and for appearing in the BBC adaptation of Emma.-Early life:...
as the titular heroine Emma Woodhouse
Emma Woodhouse
Emma Woodhouse is the 20-year old protagonist of Jane Austen's novel Emma. She is described in the novel's opening sentence as "handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and a happy disposition."...
, Jonny Lee Miller
Jonny Lee Miller
Jonathan "Jonny" Lee Miller is an English actor. During the initial days he was best known for his roles in the 1996 films Trainspotting and Hackers...
as her loyal lifelong friend Mr. Knightley
George Knightley
George Knightley is a principal character depicted by Jane Austen in her novel Emma, written in 1816. He is a very wealthy landowner and a lifetime friend of Emma's, though he is nearly seventeen years older than her...
and Michael Gambon
Michael Gambon
Sir Michael John Gambon, CBE is an Irish actor who has worked in theatre, television and film. A highly respected theatre actor, Gambon is recognised for his roles as Philip Marlowe in the BBC television serial The Singing Detective, as Jules Maigret in the 1990s ITV serial Maigret, and as...
as Emma's father, Mr. Woodhouse. The serial originally ran weekly on Sunday nights on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
from the 4 to 25 October 2009.
Plot
For an in-depth account of the plot, See Main Article: EmmaEmma
Emma, by Jane Austen, is a novel about the perils of misconstrued romance. The novel was first published in December 1815. As in her other novels, Austen explores the concerns and difficulties of genteel women living in Georgian-Regency England; she also creates a lively 'comedy of manners' among...
Austen's classic comic novel follows the story of the "handsome, clever and rich" Emma Woodhouse. Dominating the small provincial world of Highbury, Emma believes she is a skilled matchmaker and repeatedly attempts to pair up her friends and acquaintances. Nothing delights her more than meddling in the love lives of others. But when she takes protege Harriet Smith under her wing, her interference has a detrimental effect.
Brought up sharply against the folly of her own immaturity, the consequent crisis and her bitter regrets are brought to a happy resolution in a sharp and sparkling comedy of self-deceit and self-discovery.
Primary characters
- Romola GaraiRomola GaraiRomola Sadie Garai is an English actress. She is known for appearing in the movies Amazing Grace, Atonement, and Glorious 39, and for appearing in the BBC adaptation of Emma.-Early life:...
as Emma WoodhouseEmma WoodhouseEmma Woodhouse is the 20-year old protagonist of Jane Austen's novel Emma. She is described in the novel's opening sentence as "handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and a happy disposition."...
- In Austen's opening lines of the novel: "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her." Emma has no need to marry, being head of her own household, and having plenty of money, but she delights in matchmaking those around her — and credits herself with being very good at it, despite Mr Knightley's scepticism.
- Jonny Lee MillerJonny Lee MillerJonathan "Jonny" Lee Miller is an English actor. During the initial days he was best known for his roles in the 1996 films Trainspotting and Hackers...
as Mr George Knightley - Mr Knightley is Emma's only social and intellectual equal in Highbury, living at Donwell Abbey, a rambling country estate a short walk from Hartfield. He has known Emma since she was a baby, and there's an easy familiarity between them. He is an individual, quick-witted, with a dry sense of humour — often used in sparring with Emma. But he also has a strong moral compass — and at times he strongly disagrees with Emma over her behaviour.
- Michael GambonMichael GambonSir Michael John Gambon, CBE is an Irish actor who has worked in theatre, television and film. A highly respected theatre actor, Gambon is recognised for his roles as Philip Marlowe in the BBC television serial The Singing Detective, as Jules Maigret in the 1990s ITV serial Maigret, and as...
as Mr. Woodhouse - Mr Woodhouse is described by Austen as a valetudinarian — old before his time. He lost his wife when his two daughters were very young, and has developed an extremely nervous disposition. He is a loving and kind father, but he worries constantly, especially about health. He hardly ever leaves Hartfield, and hates the thought of Emma ever leaving him.
- Louise Dylan as Harriet Smith - Harriet is a parlour boarder at Mrs Goddard’s School. She has been sent there to be educated by her father, who remains anonymous, because Harriet is his “natural daughter” — i.e., she’s illegitimate. Being a parlour boarder means that she has stayed on at the school to help out with the other girls. She’s pretty, but in reality, she has little prospect of marrying a gentleman. Emma, however, is sure that Harriet’s anonymous father must be a gentleman, and takes her under her wing.
- Jodhi MayJodhi MayJodhi May is an English actress.-Early life:Born in Camden Town, London, May first acted at the age of 12 in 1988's A World Apart. The role earned her a Best Actress award at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival, shared with her co-stars Barbara Hershey and Linda Mvusi...
as Anne Taylor/Weston - Anne has been Emma’s governess since her mother died when Emma was a baby. More like a sister than a governess, Anne is wise and caring, but devoted to Emma and perhaps a little indulgent. When she marries Mr Weston, she is worried about leaving Emma on her own at Hartfield.
- Robert BathurstRobert BathurstRobert Guy Bathurst is an English actor. Bathurst was born in the Gold Coast in 1957, where his father was working as a management consultant. His family moved to Dublin, Ireland, in 1959 and Bathurst was enrolled at an Anglican boarding school...
as Mr. Weston - Mr Weston is an eternal optimist, despite the fact that his life has not always run smoothly. He married young, to a woman who spent all his money, who was disowned by her family, and then died, leaving him with Frank, his two-year-old son. He agreed for Frank to be adopted by his wife’s estranged sister, who insisted that he change his name to Frank Churchill. Frank has lived in the lap of luxury ever since.
- Rupert EvansRupert EvansRupert Evans is an English actor, who is well known in the United Kingdom for his television career.Evans was born in Staffordshire, England. He attended Milton Abbey School, in Dorset, and went on to train at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art...
as Frank Churchill- Frank is a ball of energy, charming, mischievous, and spoilt. He has been kept at his manipulative aunt’s beck and call for most of his life, and often seems to be called back to her bedside whenever he ventures away — although it is never entirely clear whether this is just a convenient excuse for not visiting Highbury and his father. At his worst, he could be a rogue — and he seems to delight in gossiping about Jane Fairfax.
- Laura PyperLaura PyperLaura Pyper is a Northern Irish actress, known for portraying Ella Dee in the second season of Hex, Jane Fairfax in Emma and Lexine in the video game Dead Space: Extraction.-Background:...
as Jane Fairfax - Jane's parents died when she was a toddler. Her aunt, Miss Bates, and grandmother Mrs Bates sent her from Highbury to live with the Campbells, who could offer greater advantages. Captain Campbell knew she would be a good companion for his only daughter, Miss Campbell. Ever since, Jane has excelled at everything a girl should, and Miss Bates has bored Emma rigid with Jane’s virtues at every opportunity. Now Jane has reached the age where she must leave the Campbells and return to Highbury — but what is the real reason for her return?
- Tamsin GreigTamsin GreigTamsin Greig is an English actress principally known for two Channel 4 television comedy parts: Fran Katzenjammer in Black Books and Dr. Caroline Todd in Green Wing...
as Miss Bates - Miss Bates is the daughter of the former vicar of Highbury, who died many years ago. She has never married, and now never will. Without a husband to provide an income, she faces ever-increasing poverty. Despite her woes, Miss Bates has a perennially cheerful disposition. She fills any silence with incessant talk.
- Valerie LilleyValerie LilleyValerie Lilley is a Northern Irish actress who has played many television roles on dramas such as Doctors and Grange Hill.Lilley currently appears on Channel 4's serial drama Shameless....
as Mrs. Bates - Where Miss Bates talks non stop, her aged mother, Mrs Bates, never speaks. She sits quietly in the corner of the room, or is wheeled from place to place by Miss Bates, revealing very little of what she really thinks of their situation.
- Blake RitsonBlake Ritson-Early life:Blake attended the Dolphin School in Reading, Berkshire until 1993, before going to St Paul's School, an independent school for boys in Barnes in West London on an academic scholarship. He then attended the University of Cambridge, where he studied English and Medieval Italian, Dante...
as Mr. Elton - Mr Elton is the vicar of Highbury. In the early 19th century, the post of vicar could be given, inherited, or bought, and conferred a certain social status as well as an annual income. Mr Elton is a dashing young man, aware of his status in the village, and his eligibility. He’s charming — perhaps, at times, a little too charming.
- Christina ColeChristina ColeChristina Cole is an English actress known for portraying Cassie Hughes in the Sky One supernatural television series Hex.-Background:...
as Augusta Elton - Mrs Elton is rich, and a good catch for Mr Elton in many ways. But she’s also vulgar and interfering, and one-upmanship is second nature to her. She arrives in Highbury keen to prove her social standing, and immediately puts Emma’s nose out of joint.
Secondary characters
- John Knightley — Dan Fredenburgh
- Isabella Knightley — Poppy MillerPoppy MillerPoppy Miller is a British actress. Miller was born in Norwich, UK and studied philosophy and English at Cambridge University and later attended the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. She is mostly known for her role as DI Carol Browning in the British detective series The Commander...
- Robert Martin — Jefferson Hall
- Mrs Goddard — Veronica RobertsVeronica RobertsVeronica Roberts is a British actress, best known for playing Dorothy Bennett in the BBC drama Tenko and Laura Elliott in the ITV series Peak Practice....
- Mrs Cole — Liza Sadovy
- Miss Martin 1 — Eileen O'Higgins
- Miss Martin 2 — Sarah Ovens
- Mrs Churchill — Susie Trayling
- Mr Dixon — Frank Doody
- Miss Campbell / Mrs Dixon — Amy Loughton
Filming
Principal photography commenced with a four-day shoot in the KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
village of Chilham
Chilham
Chilham is a parish in the English county of Kent. Visited by tourists worldwide, it is known for its beauty. Chilham has been a location for a number of films and television dramas...
from 14 to 18 April 2009. Production design staff covered several roads with gravel to disguise the 21-century road markings, and erected a fountain in the village square. Filming occurred from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day and was scheduled to coincide with the Easter school holiday to minimise local disruption.
Filming continued at the parish church of St Mary the Virgin in Send, Surrey
Send, Surrey
Send is a village in the English county of Surrey. It reputedly got its name as a corruption of the word sand, which was extracted until the 1990s for construction and other purposes at pits nearby. Send is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 where it is named Sande.-History:Send appears in...
on 24 and 28 April, where scenes of a wedding and a Sunday service were completed. Further filming took place at Squerryes Court
Squerryes Court
Squerryes Court is a late 17th century manor house that stands just outside the town of Westerham in Kent. The house, which has been held by the same family for over 280 years, is surrounded by extensive gardens and parkland.-History:...
, Westerham
Westerham
Westerham is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, in South East England with 5,000 people. The parish is south of the North Downs, ten miles west of Sevenoaks. It covers 5800 acres . It is recorded as early as the 9th century, and was mentioned in the Domesday Book in a...
, Kent where many interior scenes were shot.
Episodes
| # | |Writer | |Original Airdate | The Guardian The Guardian The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format... called it "very good... even if it's not necessary," wishing the BBC would adapt some lesser-known novels rather than churning out the same adaptations again and again. He nevertheless praised the acting, suggesting Garai's "eyes alone deserve a BAFTA" and that Michael Gambon made "a splendid old Mr. Woodhouse." John Preston of The Telegraph The Daily Telegraph The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B... also noted Romola Garai as "particularly good" in the titular role, and noted that while Jim O Hanlon's direction was perhaps a little too "steady and sure" there was still "plenty of sprightliness there too." After the third episode of the series, however, he wrote that "[it] was a disaster, becoming ever more coarse and clumsy as it went on. The narration was obtrusive, the charm next to non-existent and the secondary characters insufficiently delineated." Emma he deemed "too bovine, too cocksure" in order for her to be truly in doubt. He didn't find that Jonny Lee Miller, "who could have been a first-class Mr Knightley, was given "enough screen time to make an impact." He concluded: "Contrivance ha[d] taken over. Sprightliness ha[d] disappeared. The soufflé ha[d] fallen." Tom Sutcliffe Tom Sutcliffe (broadcaster) Thomas Sutcliffe is a British journalist and arts broadcaster.Sutcliffe studied English at Emmanuel College, Cambridge... of The Independent The Independent The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily... wrote in a review that "the primary-colour brightness seems to have carried over into some the performances." He found that Garai "[did]n't capture the sense of frustrated intelligence that makes Emma bearable on the page," but blamed the script for it. He also saw a casting problem with Emma and Knightley in the sense that Miller "still carrie[d] too much of the seductive bad boy about him" so that he was not convincing as a "surprising love object," and "that threatens one of the novel's great achievements, which is to educate us alongside its heroine." Some critics also noted the dip in ratings following the first episode. In The Independent The Independent The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily... , Jonathon Brown observed that while "the critics have given it a qualified nod of approval" the second installment of the serial "pulled in only 3.5 million viewers – down nearly 1 million on the opening episode the previous week – while the third episode saw another 200,000 switch off". He suggests this may be due to the "13 million-strong audience from ITV1 ITV1 ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their... 's all-conquering X Factor The X Factor (UK) The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date... " which had launched a Sunday night results show for the first time, or that "the days of bonnet and bustle are [simply] over." SoundtrackThe original soundtrack with music composed by Samuel Sim was released on 8 December 2009 and features numerous themes featured in the series, including music from the dance sequences during the ball at the Crown Inn. A track listing for the album is as follows:
External links
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