Plot Synopsis

In this period drama -- adapted from Jane Austen's novel by Sandy Welch -- Emma Woodhouse is a radiant, privileged girl who develops a remarkable talent for matchmaking, as observed by her loving, but disapproving, father and childhood friend Mr. Knightley. 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? BBC1 showed the world premiere of this miniseries in four parts in October 2009, and PBS aired its US premiere on three consecutive Sundays, starting January 24, 2010.