The Forsytes on PBS: Release Date, Plot Details, Promotional Cast Photos, Behind the Scenes, and a Trailer.
MASTERPIECE on PBS has a new TV series premiering soon: The Forsytes! And we’ve got all the details. If you love addictive character-driven period dramas as much as we do, with talented actors (and beautiful costumes, of course) like Downton Abbey, The Gilded Age, Bridgerton, and Poldark, then you won’t want to miss The Forsytes season one. And good news, season two is already in production!
The Forsytes is an epic and lavish reimagining of John Galsworthy’s Nobel Prize-winning classic novels, full of romance, betrayal, family drama, and desire about the generations of the Forsyte family. And, in fact, takes place in Victorian England (1880s London) before the events of Galsworthy’s books.
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Poldark writer Debbie Horsfield adapts the six-part series with Meenu Gaur (World on Fire) and Annetta Laufer (Doctor Who) directing. The Forsytes is a co-production of MASTERPIECE and Mammoth Screen, a partnership that has brought us successful period dramas before, such as Endeavour and Victoria.
So, let’s get right into it and take a look at The Forsytes, one of the must-watch new period dramas of the year.
Here is everything you need to know about The Forsytes on MASTERPIECE on PBS…
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT THE FORSYTE SAGA BY JOHN GALSWORTHY
Simon & Schuster Book Description:
The three novels which make up The Forsyte Saga chronicle the ebbing social power of the commercial upper-middle class Forsyte family between 1886 and 1920. Galsworthy’s masterly narrative examines not only their fortunes but also the wider developments within society, particularly the changing position of women. This is the only critical edition of the work available, with Notes that explain contemporary artistic and literary allusions and define the slang of the time. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World’s Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford’s commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
THE FORSYTES 2026 RELEASE DATE ON MASTERPIECE ON PBS
While The Forsytes has already aired on Channel 5 in the UK (premiering October 2025), the new period drama series premieres on PBS’ MASTERPIECE in 2026.
The Forsytes premieres on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at 9/8c on MASTERPIECE on PBS and will also be available on the PBS app.
The Forsytes Number of Episodes: There will be six episodes in total in season one, with season two already in production.
OFFICIAL PLOT SYNOPSIS
Inspired by John Galsworthy’s celebrated Forsyte Saga novels, Debbie Horsfield’s reimagining chronicles the lives of four generations of an upper-class family of stockbrokers, against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving late-Victorian world.
Sticklers for tradition and status, the older Forsytes prize duty and reputation, whilst the younger members rail against the rigidity of family expectations. The question of who will succeed in the family firm, Forsyte & Co., looms large, with rival brothers Jolyon Snr and James battling for their respective sons, Jolyon and Soames, to succeed as chairman. But as each berate their offspring for being torn between duty and love, both harbour a scandalous secret of their own which threatens to undermine them.
Artistic and at odds with the world of business, Jolyon’s life is thrown into disarray when he encounters former lover Louisa, a self-made woman who – until now – has meticulously avoided the Forsytes at all costs. Matters are further complicated when Jolyon discovers he has twins, the result of their passionate affair prior to his marriage to high society queen Frances. Torn between wife and lover, Jolyon must decide whether to prioritise duty or heart. Frances, having worked tirelessly to become the wife of a chairman, must fight to retain her supremacy, whilst contending with renegade daughter, June, who defies her mother by falling in love with a penniless architect, Philip.
Meanwhile, ambitious Soames’ well-ordered life is overturned when he falls for the free-spirited dancer Irene. He is determined to win her heart and a whirlwind courtship ensues. Expecting her to fit into her expected role in the Forsyte family, he soon discovers that Irene has dreams of her own, and her natural exuberance and creative yearnings will not be so easily subdued.
Ultimately, every member of the Forsyte family faces the eternal dilemma – to be ruled by the head or the heart.
THE FORSYTES PBS CAST AND PROMOTIONAL CAST PHOTOS
The cast alone makes this new period drama series worth checking out – including Susan Hampshire (who won the Emmy for the Forsyte Saga 1967 adaptation) appearing as Lady Carteret!
The ensemble cast includes Francesca Annis (Lillie, Wives and Daughters) as the family matriarch with secrets, Ann Forsyte, and Stephen Moyer (True Blood) as Jolyon Forsyte Sr., her elder son and the chairman of Forsyte & Co. He’s a family man with a hidden softer side. Danny Griffin (Fate: The Winx Saga) portrays his son, Jolyon Forsyte Jr., a man torn between duty and following his own heart.
Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey: A New Era) plays Frances Forsyte, a widow and now the wife of Jolyon Forsyte Jr., a beautiful, witty lady of high society who has a daughter, June (Justine Moore), from her previous husband.
Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark) plays to type as Louisa Byrne, the former lover (and now independent seamstress) of Jolyon Forsyte Jr.
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The other side of the Forsytes includes Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean) as James Forsyte, the competitive younger brother of Jolyon Sr., with some secrets of his own. Naomi Frederick plays his wife, Emily Forsyte, who especially loves her son and her Pomeranian dog.
Joshua Orpin (Titans) portrays their son, Soames Forsyte, a successful eligible bachelor who falls in love with Irene (Millie Gibson – Doctor Who), a young aspiring dancer who has just lost everything – along with her stepmother, Clarissa (Fiona Button).
The rest of the cast includes Tom Durant-Pritchard (Miss Scarlet) as the social-climbing Monty Dartie, Eleanor Jackson as his gossipy wife Winifred Dartie (she is also the daughter of James and Emily Forsyte), Josette Simon OBE as the heiress Mrs. Ellen Parker Barrington, Jamie Flatters (Avatar: The Way of Water) as architect Philip Bosinney, Owen Igiehon as lawyer Isaac Cole, and Sharon Rose as Alicia Cole, his wife.
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You can check out more photos from the new drama series here at PBS.
BEHIND THE SCENES
The Forsytes began production in May 2024 and was primarily filmed in Bristol at The Bottle Yard Studios and in the surrounding areas, including the Christmas Steps.
As for the reimagining of the famous Forsyte Saga, writer Debbie Horsfield wanted to explore the events and characters that precede the first novel, creating a hinterland for the women in the story.
She explained in an interview:
“The books are amazing, but they’re very much written from a male perspective and the female characters are quite shadowy – there’s not a lot of detail about what’s going on in their minds. I thought it was an opportunity to explore the hinterland of the female characters and redress the balance…
I was looking at what really fascinated me about the novels, the themes of family, trauma, secrets, scandals, the role of women who didn’t want to conform to expectations, and the storylines that illustrated that. But there were also characters who were mentioned in the novels but don’t really feature and haven’t featured in previous TV adaptations. A good example is Frances, the wife of Jolyon who isn’t mentioned except in retrospect in the novels. It got me thinking that it was a great opportunity to imagine who she was. Similarly, Irene is so mysterious and shadowy in the novels – what makes her tick and what is it about her that fascinates Soames so much? Soames is a very complex character, and she must be a similarly complex character to be worthy of his obsession! It was those kinds of areas where I knew there was much more to explore and widen the parameters of this story.”
So, expect the series to be inspired by the books rather than a play-by-play retelling.
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Susanne Simpson, the executive producer of MASTERPIECE, further describes the series and the level of production quality viewers should expect when watching.
On Debbie Horsfield:
Debbie Horsfield has an amazing command of the craft of screenwriting. Among the many things she does brilliantly is to plot stories with so many dramatic twists and turns. Usually, you would expect to have one big turn per episode but sometimes we’ll have three and four turns. Debbie has a deep understanding of character and she writes dialogue for a huge number of major characters in the series. Debbie has the whole package when it comes to writing with humour, warmth, drama for multiple characters without missing a beat.
On the American audience and the production values:
The American audience has a huge appetite for costume drama including Bridergton, The Gilded Age, and Downton Abbey, which was our biggest show ever on MASTERPIECE. Our audience appreciates quality in acting performances, in writing and all aspects of costume and design. Watching costume drama for our audience is about experiencing that time period, so authenticity is essential. Our audience knows a lot about British history so Costume Designer, Nic Ede, Production Designer Dafydd Shurmer and Hair and Makeup Designer, Magi Vaughan, had a major task to create the series. They were so committed to the authenticity of the period, and it was such a pleasure to watch their vision realised on the screen.”
All in all, The Forsytes is bound to be another successful MASTERPIECE period drama, thanks to its talented cast and crew.
PBS’ MASTERPIECE THE FORSYTES TRAILER
Now that you know everything there is to know about The Forsytes, it’s time to check out the trailer! It showcases the all-star cast, the gorgeous costumes and sets, and hints of swoony romances.
We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait!
Bookmark the page for future updates on The Forsytes! And stay tuned for more exclusive content about The Forsytes coming soon.
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