5 has released first look images for their upcoming Victorian period drama The Forsytes.
Based on John Galsworthy’s Nobel Prize–winning trilogy The Forsyte Saga, the six-part series will follow the upper-middle-class Forsytes from the 1880s onwards as they face romantic turmoil, family feuds, and other potential scandals.
The official synopsis reveals: “Sticklers for tradition and status, the older Forsytes prize duty and reputation above all else, whilst the younger members rail against the rigidity of family expectations.
“The question of who will take over the family firm puts Soames Forsyte and his cousin Jolyon in conflict just as their lives are turned upside down by the arrival of two remarkable women. Ultimately, each Forsyte family member grapples with the same dilemma—is it better to be ruled by the head or the heart?”
Set to be released this autumn, The Forsytes will star former Doctor Who companion Millie Gibson as Irene Heron and Australian actor Joshua Orpin (Titans) as Soames.
Having previously released a photo of the pair in wedding outfits, the nine new images show fellow cast members including historical drama alumni Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey: A New Era) and Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark) as Frances Forsyte and Louisa Byrne respectively.
Also seen are Stephen Moyer (True Blood) as Jolyon Forsyte Snr., Danny Griffin (Fate: The Winx Saga) as his son Jolyon Jnr., and Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean) as Soames’s father James, alongside four more shots of Gibson and Orpin.
Other confirmed cast members not pictured include BAFTA–winner Francesca Annis (Lillie) as Ann Forsyte, Tom Durant-Pritchard (The Windsors) as Montague Dartie, and Josette Simon OBE (Anatomy of a Scandal) as Ellen Parker Barrington.
Despite not having an official release date yet, the show has already been recommissioned for a second series, which is currently being filmed in Bristol.
The novels were most recently adapted for television by ITV in 2002, starring Damian Lewis, Rupert Graves, and Gina McKee. They were also previously adapted by the BBC in 1967 with Eric Porter, Kenneth More, and Nyree Dawn Porter.
The Forsytes will broadcast on 5 in the UK and Masterpiece in the US.
Words by Eleanor Harvey
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.