EXCLUSIVE: The Forsyte family looks set to become a fixture on PBS Masterpiece as the network is ready to renew the period drama before the first season has even premiered.
The Forsytes is a glossy adaptation of The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy’s sweeping portrait of a wealthy British family in 1880s London.
Deadline hears that filming on a second season is expected to take place over the summer in the UK, though PBS Masterpiece has not confirmed the drama’s renewal. A premiere date for Season 1 has yet to be revealed.
It comes after Paramount-owned broadcaster Channel 5 revealed that it had acquired The Forsytes in the UK. Channel 5 also combines with PBS Masterpiece on hit series All Creatures Great and Small.
Produced by Poldark maker Mammoth Screen, The Forsytes‘ ensemble cast is led by BAFTA-winner Francesca Annis (Lillie), who plays formidable matriarch Ann.
True Blood star Stephen Moyer and Doctor Who actress Millie Gibson also feature alongside the likes of Jack Davenport (The Morning Show) and Eleanor Tomlinson (One Day).
BAFTA-nominated Poldark writer Debbie Horsfield penned the adaptation, which was conceived to become a returning series.
It is the third TV adaptation of The Forsyte Saga in less than 60 years. The BBC’s 1967 retelling was watched by audiences of up to 18M. The 2002 version aired on ITV and featured a cast including Damian Lewis and Gina McKee.
Season 1 directors are Meenu Gaur (Murder Is Easy) and Annetta Laufer (Get Millie Black). Executive producers are Sheena Bucktowonsing, Horsfield, Gaur, and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, and Susanne Simpson for Masterpiece. Sarah Lewis (The Long Shadow) is producing.
ITV Studios, which owns Mammoth, is handling international distribution, with PBS Distribution overseeing North American rights.
