Recent telly

[caz963]

Anyone who's ever read any meme I've done about "my favourite book(s)" will know that Jane Austen's Emma almost always tops my list. I like Pride and Prejudice very much, too, but Emma usually pips it to the post.

So when I saw that the Beeb was making another TV version, I wasn't sure whether to jump for joy or groan and shake my head. There were two pretty good versions made not so long ago - the Kate Beckinsale/Andrew Davies adapation for ITV, and the movie that starred Gwynneth Paltrow, which, unusually for a movie adaptation, was very well done.

Then I realised that "not so long ago" was, in fact, 1996.

So maybe it's time for another one. Not that I'm complaning, but there are so many fabulous books out there that never get a look in. My other favourite author, Anthony Trollope is sadly neglected, given that he wrote 47 full-length novels to Austen's 6. An honourable mention has to go here to the fantastic version of The Way We Live Now that starred David Suchet, and also He Knew He Was Right, which I suppose is now most notable for the appearance of one Mr D Tennant as the oily local vicar!

(But apart from Alan Plater's dramatisation of the first two Barchester novels back in 1982, which starred a young Alan Rickman as Obadiah Slope, that's it for "recent" adaptations of Trollope!)

But I digress. I was a bit worried about this new adaptation of Emma - having been so disappointed in the Jane Eyre a couple of years back, which I remember seemed to contain very little of Bronte's original text. Even the presence of the magnificently brooding Toby Stephens couldn't rescue that one, I'm afraid.

So, I've watched the 2 episodes of Emma that have aired so far and I'm... not disappointed, but not wildly enthusiastic either. I think it's that I'm finding Romola Garai rather annoying. I can't put my finger on it really, there's just something not quite right about her. Sure, she looks the part, but she's not... I don't know, sophisticated enough? I know that Emma is only 21 in the story, but I get the impression Garai is being directed to act younger and a bit less sure of herself - which doesn't sit right for me. Surely the point is that Emma is usually TOO sure of herself, and that's how the majority of the misunderstandings in the book originate.

I was also unsure about the casting of Johnny-Lee Miller as Mr Knightly. I wonder if TPTB weare worried about the fact that Knightly is 37 and Emma is 21 (their ages are specifically stated in the book, and such large gaps were nothing usual at the time Austen was writing) and so are trying to make him appear younger, too? I have to admit that I do like the extra note of humour and mischieviousness they've injected into his character, without taking away the fact that he's a gentleman who will always do the right thing. It remains to be seen whether he can inject sufficient gravitas into the scenes where he has to tear Emma off a strip.

As is usual with these big Beeb costume dramas, the supporting cast is excellent. Tamsin Grieg as Miss Bates, Michael Gambon as Mr Woodhouse... the actor playing Mr Elton was good, too; cringemakingly obsequious and slimy as the role demands.

So I'll keep watching. It's still a nice way to spend my last hour of freedom on a Sunday night (!) and the locations and scenery are - again, as is usual with these things - stunning.



I have yet to see this week's FlashForward - I had stuff to get ready for tomorrow so I've recorded it. It's early days with that show - it's not completely grabbed me yet I admit, although the premise is interesting. (And there are very pretty men to look at!) I've resisted reading spoilers (or the book!) so I have no idea where it's going, although I'm already curious about how the premise can be sustained.


I'm still enjoying Fringe a lot, too. We're only up to episode 2 here and sure, there were some very predictable things going on in the season opener (like shapeshifter!Charlie), but there were some good changes, too - like the fact that Peter appears to be a bit of a driving force behind Fringe Division now, having a hand in deciding which cases they should investigate. And of course, Walter continues to be delightfully batty.


Merlin is... well, also delightfully batty in its own way. The writers are clearly aware of all the slash and are playing up to it - as well as making the most of what is clearly a good relationship between Colin Morgan and Bradley James. I like what they're doing with the whole Arthur and Gwen thing - although I'm not sure they haven't jumped the gun a bit there. I mean, last season, there was pretty much nothing and in only the second epidode this season, there's full on snogging and a realisation that there can be nothing between them because she's only a servant. Add to that, Lancelot turning up this week, and all the angst that accompanied that, and I'm inclined to cry "enough already!" And I have to say, it doesn't paint Gwen in an exactly sympathetic light, does it? I mean, one week she's sucking-face with the once-and-future-king, and two weeks later she's lusting after Lancelot. Not that I'm blaming her for either - they're both really cute! - it's just a bit too much too soon, in my book. I think they need to put that on the back-burner now and concentrate on what's going on with Morgana, which is far more interesting. Oh, and the Uther/Arthur, father/son thing which was working so well at the end of last season.


I've only managed to watch the season premiere of Dollhouse. I still like it, but IMHO the same thing that was wrong with it before is still wrong with it - too much Eliza Dushku. I don't hate her or anything like that, I'm just... meh... about her. Let's hope the focus shifts again, to encompass the other "dolls". The best bits in the opener had to be the scenes between Topher and Saunders - his telling her that he'd purposely engineered her to dislike him and to disagree with him was really quite something, and both actors were awesome. Oh, and Jamie Bamber. *drool*.


I'm amazed that I've managed to watch all of about 6 hours of telly in the last 3 weeks!