Claim: Kate Beckinsale was directed.

Jane Austen 's Emma is an adaptation of the 1815 novel of the same name . It was adapted for the British television network ITV in 1996 , directed by Diarmuid Lawrence and dramatised by Andrew Davies , the same year as Miramax 's film adaptation of Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow . This production of Emma stars Kate Beckinsale as the title character , and also features Samantha Morton as Harriet Smith and Mark Strong as Mr. Knightley .   Davies had recently adapted another Austen novel as the successful 1995 television serial Pride and Prejudice for BBC when he proposed to adapt the novel Emma for the network . BBC had already made such an agreement with another screenwriter however , leading Davies to approach ITV .   Emma received generally positive reviews from critics , who believed it to be superior to the 1996 Miramax film . Most focused on Beckinsale 's performance as a positive highlight . It aired on ITV on the 24 November 1996 and garnered an estimated 12 million viewers . It also was broadcast on the American channel A&E in 16 February 1997 .