What is streaming, and until when
Emma. (2020) is Autumn de Wilde's take on Jane Austen's novel, written for the screen by Eleanor Catton. Anya Taylor-Joy plays Emma Woodhouse, Johnny Flynn is Mr Knightley, Mia Goth is Harriet Smith, Bill Nighy is a gloriously draught-fearing Mr Woodhouse and Miranda Hart is Miss Bates. It runs 1 hour 54 minutes and is audio described.
It is free on BBC iPlayer with a TV licence until 8 November. On 19 October the listing counted 21 days left, so there are three Sundays to pick from. Choose one, send the invitation and put the kettle on.
Set a drawing-room tea table
Austen's Highbury runs on visits, picnics and very small cakes. Your table can do the same with things you can buy or bake on the morning.
- Earl Grey with lemon
- Scones, jam and clotted cream
- Lemon drizzle loaf
- Cucumber sandwiches
- Strawberries and cream
- Shortbread fingers
- Elderflower fizz
- Cheese, oatcakes and chutney
Strawberries earn their place: the novel sends everyone strawberry picking before the famous Box Hill picnic. Put the good cups out, light a few candles on the mantel and let the shawls come out of the cupboard.
Play drawing-room bingo
Period dramas repeat their pleasures the way holiday movies do, which makes them perfect for bingo. Hand out a card and a pencil and mark each square as it happens on screen.
- A ball is announced
- A letter changes everything
- Someone plays the pianoforte
- A disapproving relative
- A match made wrongly
- A picnic outing
- A long look across the room
- Tea poured mid-argument
Five in a row wins, called politely. The winner chooses the next film, or takes the last scone, whichever matters more in your house.
The matchmaker's game
Emma is a matchmaker who gets nearly everything wrong, so let your guests try their luck. Before the opening scene, everyone writes one prediction on a slip of paper: who ends up with whom. The slips go into an empty teacup, unread.
After the credits, read them out. Every correct match wins first pick of the last scone, and a wrong guess that was wonderfully argued can be rescued by a vote of the room. Guests who have read the book are allowed to play, but they have to keep a straight face.
Timing the evening
7:00 Tea and predictions
Pour the first pot, hand out bingo cards and fill the teacup with matchmaking slips.
7:20 Press play
With 1 hour 54 minutes of film, one ten-minute pause about an hour in gives time for a refill and a bingo check.
9:25 Reveal
Read the slips, crown the bingo winner and plan the next title on the list.
Keep a list of what is leaving
Free streaming titles come and go, and costume dramas tend to arrive in the autumn schedules and leave quietly. Each title page on iPlayer shows how many days are left. Write the title, where it is streaming and the date it leaves, then tick it off when it is watched. A list like that turns one Sunday into a whole season of them. For more ideas on running the evening itself, see how to host a cozy movie night from invitations to clean-up.
Quick answers
Is Emma free on BBC iPlayer?
Yes. The 2020 film is streaming on BBC iPlayer, which is free to use in the UK with a TV licence.
When does Emma leave iPlayer?
Reports give 8 November 2026, and the listing showed 21 days left on 19 October. The days-left counter on the title page is the final word, so check it before you plan the night.
How long is the film?
1 hour 54 minutes. Press play at 7:20 with one ten-minute tea break and the credits roll at about 9:25.
Can I print the bingo cards on A4?
Yes. The PDF is US Letter; choose fit to page in the print dialog and every card prints whole on A4.
Does the pack only work for this film?
No. The tea menu, bingo card and leaving-soon list are written for any costume drama, film or series, so they work all winter.