Call me a dork. Go ahead, do it. I have been one for most of my twenty six years. One indicator of my nerd status is my love of PBS’s Masterpiece Theater. Now, I love PBS even more. Last year, PBS went Jane Austen crazy airing adaptions of each of her works, and a film about Jane herself entitled, Miss. Austen Regrets. This year they have returned with their love of all things Austen with a new adaptation of Austen’s Emma.
Here is a brief synopsis of the classic story:
Emma Woodhouse (Romola Garai, Atonement) was born with the sun shining down on her. The radiant, privileged girl grows into a remarkable talent for matchmaking, as observed by her loving but disapproving father (Michael Gambon, Cranford) and childhood friend Mr. Knightley (Jonny Lee Miller, Endgame). When the decidedly less privileged Harriet Smith arrives, Emma meddles with fate to find her a match, until her flawless intuition is called into question. Dissuaded from more matrimonial predictions, Emma nonetheless continues to cheerfully contemplate superior men — and meets one of her own in the handsome, gleaming Frank Churchill. But after being so busy managing everyone else’s heart, does Emma know her own? A fiercely funny new version of the Jane Austen novel, Emma was adapted by Sandy Welch (Jane Eyre). (from pbs.org)
While the first two episodes of this three episode adaptation have already aired, you can watch the episodes on-line by clicking here. It is a splendid adaptation! The last epsidoe airs this Sunday!
Never read Emma? Have you seen the movie Clueless? Clueless was loosely based on Austen’s Emma. Check out the two trailers below and have fun comparing!
Novel Novice 
So glad there’s another Austenite on Novel Novice!
It would probably be really sacrilegious of me to say that I’ve never been an Austen fan, but that I’ve always loved “Clueless,” right? Maybe if Austen had used more “As if!” I’d have been a bigger fan. 🙂
“You guys have coke here?”
“Yeah, this IS America!”
Oh Sara! I think you have to have the right teacher to make Austen fun. There are so many funny things hidden under the prim exterior!
I think it was the lack of princesses and/or mystical creatures that actually failed to interest me. (Not sure what did it for me with “Clueless.” Maybe it was the whole cultural thing. That, or Paul Rudd. Yes, definitely thinking it was the Paul Rudd.)