The Portrait of a Lady on PBS: Plot Details, Cast Announcements, Behind the Scenes, and More.
A new classic book adaptation is in the works, and it’s a good one! There will finally be a new take on a beloved but underrated Henry James novel. The upcoming period drama is sure to be full of tension, romance, strong characterization, and even some psychological suspense, if the book is anything to go by.
PBS MASTERPIECE, Number 9 Films TV, the BBC, and FOX Entertainment Global have just announced a major co-production of The Portrait of a Lady. The series will air on PBS in the U.S. and the BBC in the UK.
The creative team behind the camera is absolutely fantastic: Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Colette, The Salt Path, She Said) is adapting the novel, with Aisling Walsh (Miss Austen, Maudie) directing. BAFTA winners Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen are executive producing alongside series producers Richard Tulk-Hart (High Road Entertainment) and Rhonda Smith (The Pursuit of Love).
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The Portrait of a Lady was previously adapted by the BBC in 1968 and was also adapted by Jane Campion as a feature film in 1996, starring Nicole Kidman. It will be interesting to see how this new approach as a six-part television event of James’ progressive novel will compare.
So, let’s get right into it and take a look at The Portrait of a Lady, certainly a new series that will likely become one of the buzziest new period dramas in recent years.
Here is everything you need to know about The Portrait of a Lady on MASTERPIECE on PBS…
Table of Contents
About The Portrait Of A Lady By Henry James
For readers unfamiliar with the source material, Penguin Random House describes the classic novel:
One of the great heroines of American literature, Isabel Archer, journeys to Europe in order to, as Henry James writes in his 1908 Preface, “affront her destiny.” James began The Portrait of a Lady without a plot or subject, only the slim but provocative notion of a young woman taking control of her fate. The result is a richly imagined study of an American heiress who turns away her suitors in an effort to first establish—and then protect—her independence.
But Isabel’s pursuit of spiritual freedom collapses when she meets the captivating Gilbert Osmond. “James’s formidable powers of observation, his stance as a kind of bachelor recorder of human doings in which he is not involved,” writes Hortense Calisher, “make him a first-class documentarian, joining him to that great body of storytellers who amass what formal history cannot.”
If you haven’t read the classic book yet, now is the perfect time to add it to your reading list before the series debuts!
The Portrait Of A Lady Release Date on PBS
Because The Portrait of a Lady was recently announced and is currently in production, an official release date has not yet been set.
When it premieres:
- In the U.S.: It will air on PBS MASTERPIECE and stream on the PBS App and the PBS Masterpiece Amazon Prime Video Channel.
- In the UK: It will broadcast on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer.
Episode Count: The period drama will consist of six episodes.
The Portrait Of A Lady PBS Cast
PBS has announced a phenomenal ensemble cast, and it is incredibly exciting, especially with Bill Nighy on board! It’s the perfect mix of period drama veterans and rising young stars.
Nell Tiger Free leads the prestigious ensemble as Isabel Archer, the American ingénue who moves to Europe in search of new experiences. She’s wild, independent, but naïve – which leads to some unexpected outcomes.
The ensemble cast includes Gemma Arterton as the scheming but elegant Madame Merle, Jim Sturgess as the manipulative but charming Gilbert Osmond, Bill Nighy as Mr. Touchett, the benevolent and kind man who helps Isabel, and Miranda Richardson as Mrs. Touchett, Isabel’s aunt.
The rest of the cast includes Jack Wolfe from Shadow and Bone as Ralph Touchett, Calypso Cragg (An American in Austen) as Pansy Osmond, Maisie Richardson-Sellers (Nine Perfect Strangers, The Originals) as Henrietta Stackpole, Hugh Skinner as Lord Warburton, Hamish Frew as Casper Goodwood, Thomas Coombes as Mr. Bantling, Lydia Leonard (A Woman of Substance) as Countess Gemini, and Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones) as Edward Rosier.
Based on the list of characters and cast members, it’s so far sounding like it might be a faithful adaptation!
Official Plot Synopsis
Nell Tiger Free (The First Omen, Servant) leads the ensemble as Isabel Archer, a vivacious New World ingénue who leaves America for Old World Europe, keen to experience all that life has to offer.
A charming young woman with an innate wildness and a burning desire to be independent, Isabel rejects a series of marriage proposals, but when she inherits an unexpected fortune that promises to grant her freedom, she falls prey to two American ex-pat schemers: the elegant Madame Merle, played by Bafta-nominee Gemma Arterton (Secret Service, Their Finest), and the charming but calculating Gilbert Osmond, played by Jim Sturgess (Mix Tape, One Day), Oscar nominee and Bafta winner, Bill Nighy (Joy, Living) plays Mr. Touchett, who is enamored with Isabel’s youth and spirit and hopes to help her in her quest for freedom, while Oscar-nominee and Bafta winner, Miranda Richardson (The Last Anniversary, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) plays Mrs. Touchett, Isabel’s fantastically eccentric aunt, who takes her to Europe in search of a husband.
Behind the Scenes and Filming Locations
The Portrait of a Lady is officially underway and currently filming in the UK, Hungary, and Croatia.
Executive producers Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen shared their excitement about bringing the novel back to television:
“We are so pleased to be finally making this Henry James classic, which was far ahead of its time, with our friends at MASTERPIECE and the BBC. It’s wonderful to be reunited with Rebecca Lenkiewicz who we worked closely with on Colette and The Salt Path and to work with Aisling Walsh, whom we’ve admired from afar for many years. It’s also wonderful that we can reunite with some of the actors that we know so well from our movies in our first TV show: Bill Nighy, Gemma Arterton, and Miranda Richardson. We’re excited to see Nell Tiger Free in the iconic role of Isabel Archer and Jim Sturgess in the equally iconic role of Gilbert Osmond. We find it astonishing that James’ prescient story has not been made for television for nearly 60 years, but like all great things, it will definitely be worth the wait.”
Susanne Simpson, Executive Producer and Head of Scripted Content for MASTERPIECE, added:
“The caliber of talent behind this series is exceptional. It is a special pleasure to be working with Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen, who are remarkable award-winning filmmakers, and with writer Rebecca Lenkiewicz, whose scripts are as beautiful as they are insightful. Director Aisling Walsh has brought together a stellar cast led by Nell Tiger Free, Gemma Arterton, and Jim Sturgess. They will all bring the nuance and beauty of Henry James’ story to the screen in an unforgettable piece of television.”
Well, we personally can’t wait to see this one! The Portrait of a Lady has an incredible cast and a talented filmmaking team and is sure to be a high-quality romantic period drama to remember.
Bookmark this page for future updates, trailer reveals, and official release dates for The Portrait of a Lady on PBS!
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