TV Review: Emma

By Sian Brewis

It is a truth universally acknowledged that autumn telly means at least one Jane Austen adaptation. Ever since Pride and Prejudice brought its undeniably phwoarsome Darcy-lake combo to popular culture, it seems Austen is as much a part of Sunday drama as the roast potatoes.

Emma (Sunday, BBC 1, 9pm) may not be in that league but it's good, frothy chick-flick fun with lashings of gorgeous scenery, and more bonnets than you can shake a ribbon at in vexation.

You pretty much know what to expect here, and it doesn't disappoint: charming country houses with long gravel drives for carriages to drive up; girls shrieking about with bonnets on, mazes and marriage proposals aplenty.

Last night scored two marriages, one rejected proposal and one would-be love match that's headed for disaster.

Matchmaker Emma (Romola Garai) was trying to marry off her poor friend Harriet Smith to the deliciously pompous Mr Elton (Blake Ritson). It must have been a struggle for the costume department finding a big hat to fit his huge head.

"That man," observes the lovely Mr Knightley (Jonny Lee Miller), "is so full of himself I am surprised he can stay on that horse."

In Austen, it was always the women who were the central figures; but in the opening episode they were in danger of being overshadowed by Miller and Ritson who stole every scene they were in.

Michael Gambon's Mr Woodhouse appeared to be having a wittering competition with Miss Bates (Tamsein Greig) over who can fuss the most: him about his hypochondria; her over just about everything.

She's perfect as the stammering, nervy woman whose social standing has been reduced to a charity case.

But there's a darker side to this version: the lonely fate of young Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill, seen at the beginning of the programme, abandoned as children, and a crueller edge to Emma's jibes and snobbery.

She callously lays into Harriet's farmer admirer and hints at a well of jealous hatred for her unseen nemesis: "I am sick of the very name Jane Fairfax," she hisses, her voice dripping venom. "She bores me to death."

Bet she'll be delighted to see her when she turns up next week, then.

In Merlin (BBC 1, Saturday, 6.15pm) Morgana's turning into Carrie, starting fires with her mind. Eeek.

Sent off into a spooky forest to "find herself" she's stung by giant scorpions until the nice Druid (Colin Salmon) turns up to save her with lots of Obe Wan Kenobi-style advice.

The creepy child, Mordred, is still running about in a cloak, mind. That can't be good.

It's the first one I've seen of the new series, and jolly entertaining it is too. Richard Wilson's always muttering portents of doom and the dragon (John Hurt) is still bitter and stroppy. I don't know why – last night, he showed up for less than three minutes and still got paid. That's magic.