Of the four film and TV miniseries productions available of Jane Austen's "Emma," this one is the second best. This and the 1996 independent film that stars Gwyneth Paltrow are the only two that bring out the best of the comedy and characters as Jane Austen wrote and saw them. The 1996 movie is superior. But this 1972 miniseries is very good in all aspects. The screenplay is very good, the casting is very good and the performances mostly are very good.
The cast for this BBC production was not one of big names in film. Some were more prominent on the stage, and others had short careers in film and/or TV. But, for their lack of notoriety, several gave fine performances. Doran Godwin was exceptional as Emma Woodhouse. Donald Eccles played Mr. Woodhouse to perfection – as one could see him coming right off the pages of Austen's novel. No one else has equaled that performance. It should be noted that this early miniseries gave considerable time to his character, where most later productions saved time by reducing his film time.
Debbie Bowen presents a more girlish picture of Harriet Smith than most renditions. That's not a negative, but it's worth noting where all other productions have a somewhat more adult or serious character, none of which are quite as attractive though. The rest of the cast of this series are good. At four hours, this TV series didn't add anything that the best film (1996 with Gwyneth Paltrow) might have missed, but it expanded some of the scenes and developed a couple of the characters a little more.
Very few people have rated this production. Even though it is a few decades back, it would be sure to please those who enjoy Jane Austen and any of the other productions of "Emma." And, for any who haven't yet seen the 1996 independent film with Gwyneth Paltrow, be sure to do so. It stands alone at the top of the class of "Emma" films.
