The Forsytes: Everything we know about PBS' latest drama adaptation 

PBS Masterpiece will make television history with The Forsytes, a new period drama that has already been greenlit for a second season before the first has even been broadcast. Based on John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga, this new take is the third TV adaptation of the classic novels, following the 1967 BBC series and ITV's 2002 adaptation.

The Forsytes is also a unique instance of an American network green-lighting a British production before a UK channel—Channel 5—acquiring it for distribution.

Called by PBS "a lavish reimagining" of Galsworthy's work, the six-episode first season of The Forsytes is a chronicle of the wealthy Forsyte family in 1880s London, looking into the world of love, ambition, loyalty, and betrayal.

With its A-list cast that includes Francesca Annis, Millie Gibson, Jack Davenport, and Stephen Moyer, among others, the show promises to enthrall viewers with its lavish storytelling and period-true grandeur. As per Deadline, production for Season 2 is already set to begin this summer in the UK.

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PBS' The Forsytes: What sets this adaptation apart?

In contrast to past adaptations, PBS and Mammoth Screen's The Forsytes is a series rather than a limited series drama. Screenwriter Debbie Horsfield, who has worked on Poldark, leads the adaptation, promising a contemporary but true-to-the-source adaptation of Galsworthy's novels.

According to Deadline, the series will have its sweeping narrative but with greater emphasis on nuanced female characters and a more in-depth examination of class tensions in Victorian society. One of the key attractions of this adaptation is its dedication to visual truthfulness.

Under the direction of Meenu Gaur (Murder Is Easy) and Annetta Laufer (Get Millie Black), production is underway in the UK and Venice, Italy—settings that add period authenticity to the show.

Producer Sarah Lewis (The Long Shadow) has also taken great care that costumes and set design carefully echo the late 19th-century world of aristocracy. Also, PBS' The Forsytes brings back principal creatives from Poldark, something that is likely to be popular with the latter's fans.

With Francesca Annis playing the powerful Ann Forsyte and Stephen Moyer as the leader of the family's stockbroking company, The Forsytes is ready to bring high-stakes drama laced with historical depth.

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The all-star cast of The Forsytes

The cast features a combination of experienced actors and up-and-comers. Jack Davenport is James Forsyte, a younger competitive son, and Joshua Orpin is his ambitious, occasionally ruthless son Soames.

Millie Gibson plays Irene, a dancer who catches the eye of Soames, laying the groundwork for one of the novel's most important storylines.

Other familiar cast members are Tom Durant-Pritchard (Miss Scarlet and The Duke) as Monty Dartie, Eleanor Tomlinson (One Day) as Jo's first love Louisa Byrne, and Josette Simon as Mrs. Ellen Parker Barrington, a high-society heiress.

One of the highlights is the return of Susan Hampshire OBE, who appeared in the 1967 Forsyte Saga, but now plays Lady Carteret—a throwback treat for loyalists.

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Although no official premiere date has been confirmed, the series will air on PBS in the United States before being on Channel 5 in the UK.

More for period drama fans: Netflix's The Leopard | Dark Winds Season 3