Doctor Who, Poldark, and True Blood are all coming together in the upcoming adaptation of The Forsyte Saga. It’s the third adaptation of the 1920s novel, and we’ll be able to watch it on PBS.
The Forsyte Saga is a series of books by John Galsworthy. As the name suggests, is a saga of books that follow the Forsyte family, an upper-middle-class family at the turn of the 21st century. The Forsytes rose in wealth and success through business and profession rather than through old money, and we get a chance to see the lives of three generations.
There have been two on-screen adaptations of the novels so far. One of those was on the BBC in 1967 and the second was in 2002 on ITV. The first adaptation is important as it includes one of the actresses who will be in this third version: Susan Hampshire.
Who stars in The Forsyte Saga?
Joining Hampshire is a list of well-known and up-and-coming actors in the UK. This series is going to combine actors from many different shows and worlds, drawing fans around the world into it.
Stephen Moyer will star as Jolyon Senior, the eldest son of Ann Forsyte, and the man who now heads the family stockbroking first. Danny Griffin will play his son Jo, with Tuppence Middleton as his daughter-in-law Frances.
Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson has landed another role after The Couple Next Door and The Outlaws. She’ll play Louisa Byrne, who is Jo’s first love. However, she’s a dressmaker in Soho, and we all know what the upper class think of dressmakers.
Jack Davenport is the younger brother of Moyer’s Jolyon, James. Titans star Joshua Orpin will play his son Soames with Millie Gibson from Doctor Who as his love interest. Tom Durant Pritchard, who recently landed the male lead in Miss Scarlet Season 5, will take on the role of Monty Dartie, son-in-law to James.
Need more to pull you in? Deadline confirms the following:
Josette Simon as Mrs. Ellen Parker Barrington
Jamie Flatters as Philip Bosineey
Owen Igiehon as Isaac Cole
This series is more of a prequel to the books
You know the books, but what came before them? That’s something the new adaptation will have a chance to delve into. The show is part prequel to the first book, expanding the world of the Forsyte family and the period of history.
There is also more of a focus on the women in the family, bringing them to the center of the story. We all know what the men did, and it’s time to see how the men wouldn’t have been able to manage it all without the women in their lives.
ITV will have the distribution rights in the UK, while PBS will handle the North American distribution.