Emma Twitter Party Redux on Sunday, January 31st 9-11 PM

Emma (2009), the new adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel Emma premiered last Sunday and continues for the next two Sundays on Masterpeice Classic PBS. (check local listings) The Emma Twitter Party during the broadcast was such a screaming success that it will be duplicated in a bi-coastal celebration on January 31st 9-11 PM ET & PT at TweetGrid. Use hashtag #emma_pbs.

In conjunction with Masterpiece Classic PBS, Vic & I will be hosting the east coast party and Laurie Viera Rigler and Kali Pappas will be hosting the west coast party. In addition to all the great commentary and reactions by Tweeters, Masterpiece PBS and your co-hosts, there will be an Emma quiz and giveaway contest of Jane Austen Action Figures drawn from Tweeps who answer correctly. PBS is also offering a special 25% off merchandise at ShopPBS.org for the participants of the event. The special purchase code will be revealed during the event, so you can pony up and buy that Emma (2009) DVD which is released on February 9th, 2010.

Visit the Emma Twitter Party page at the Masterpiece Classic for details.
Join us at TweetGrid or your favorite aggregator for the Emma Twitter Party.
Vic tweets as janeaustenworld
Laurel tweets as Austenprose
Kail tweets as magicskyway
Laurie tweets as austen_addict
Masterpiece tweets as masterpiecepbs

Don’t miss out on all the merriment. “Seize the pleasure at once” and join the fun!

Cheers, Laurel Ann Austenprose

Emma (2009) Music Video to Crystallised Beauty

This week is all about Emma (2009) the new adaptation of Jane Austen's 1815 novel of the the same name which begins on Sunday, January 24th on Masterpiece Classic/PBS. Enjoy this music video by cherrycakesbaybee featuring scenes from the mini-series set to the beautiful music Crystallised Beauty by Philip Sheppard.

"Why not seize the pleasure at once?" and join the red carpet premiere Emma Twitter Party on Sunday, January 24th 9:00-11:00 PM ET on Tweetgrid and Twitter presented by Masterpiece Classic. Use hashtag #emma_pbs to join in the fun.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Emma (2009) begins next Sunday on Masterpiece Classic

The wait is almost over! Emma (2009), the new 3 part mini-series adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel staring Romola Garai and Jonny Lee Miller will premiere on Masterpiece Classic next Sunday, January 24th, 2010 at 9:00 pm on PBS. Read a preview and see a slide show of the production stills at Austenprose.

Visit the official Emma website at Masterpiece Classic
Join the Masterpiece Classic red carpet premiere Emma Twitter Party

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

The endearing ladies of Cranford return on Sunday

The new season on Masterpiece Classic begins on Sunday, January 10th, 2010 at 9:00 pm with Return to Cranford, the continuation of Victorian-era author Elizabeth Gaskell's stories about Cranford, an English village in Cheshire populated by endearing characters with traditional views facing the challenge of change during the industrial revolution in England during the 1840's. Here is a preview at Austenprose of the new two episode series which premieres on PBS. Since this is the last bonnet drama that the BBC/WGBH will be producing for some time, don't miss it!

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Cranford reprise on Masterpiece Classic

This Sunday December 20th, Masterpiece Classic returns to PBS with a reprise of last season’s highly acclaimed presentation of the mini-series Cranford based on Elizabeth Gaskell's classic novel airing in three parts on consecutive Sundays through January 3rd. Here is the description from the PBS website.

Welcome to Cranford, circa 1840 ... a rural English town where etiquette rules, undergirded by a healthy amount of gossip. Modernity is making a move in town as construction of a railway comes harrowingly close. Cranford's eclectic residents, among them Matty Jenkyns (Dame Judi Dench) her sister Deborah (Dame Eileen Atkins), and Miss Pole (Imelda Staunton), stay immersed in the sweet pleasures and sometimes heartbreaking realities of simple village life. But when a handsome, young doctor arrives with cutting-edge new techniques, it rapidly becomes clear that as the world changes, so Cranford will change with it. Based on three Elizabeth Gaskell novels (Cranford, My Lady Ludlow and Mr. Harrison's Confessions), and boasting an all-star cast, Cranford breathes life into one town during one extraordinary year.

This is really the wind up to the premiere on January 10th of the next two episodes of the saga, Return to Cranford. Yes, Miss Matty, Miss Pole, Mrs. Forrester and Miss Tomkinson, the amazons of the early Victorian small-town Cranford, return in a new production that is sure to charm and delight us. Produced by the estimable team of Sue Birtwistle and Susie Conklin who brought us Pride and Prejudice (1995), Emma (1996) and Wives and Daughters (1999), it may be the last bonnet drama produced by BBC/PBS for some time, so cherish every moment.

Visit the official Cranford site at Masterpiece Classic
Read Vic’s preview of Cranford at Jane Austen Today
Cranford is a Delightful Place to Visit at Jane Austen’s World
Some Say that Gaskell is Austen embellished with Dickens at Austenprose

Enjoy, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Masterpiece Classic 2010 Season

The Masterpiece Classic new winter-spring season will begin this month. Check out all the great bonnet & contemporary drama's in the line-up previewed at Austenprose and this new Emma 2009 video.

Enjoy! Laurel Ann, Austenprose