THE FORSYTES - Mon 9pm ch 5 - TV PACE NO SPOILERS

[Blondeshavemorefun]

5 has announced the release date for new period drama The Forsytes, which features the likes of Doctor Who (https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/doctor-who-season-15-release-date/)'s Millie Gibson among the cast

The series, which is an adaptation of John Galsworthy’s Forsyte Saga novels, will launch on Monday 20th October at 9pm, with each episode airing weekly.

Penned by Poldark screenwriter Debbie Horsfield, The Forsytes (https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/forsyte-saga-millie-gibson-uk-broadcast-newsupdate/) follows an upper-class family of stockbrokers across multiple generations, set against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving late-Victorian world.

The show (https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/downton-abbey-star-joins-forsytes-newsupdate/) focuses on the battle between Soames Forsyte (Home and Away (https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/home-and-away/)’s Joshua Orpin) and his cousin Jolyon (Fate: The Winx Saga (https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/fantasy/wheel-of-time-what-to-watch-after-cancellation/)’s Danny Griffin) as they clash over who will take over the family firm.

James and his son Soames have been edged out of the family stockbrocking company now run by JAMES‘s older brother jolyon and his son Junior

This doesn’t sit well with JAMES and Soames

Plus Jolyon marriage to Frances and becoming step dad to her daughter June , is threatened by the return of Louisa , from his past.

Lousia is a dressmaker and has a big secret

A trailer was previously unveiled (https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/the-forsytes-5-trailer-exclusive-newsupdate/), giving fans a first look at this clash between the cousins, as well as a glimpse at Gibson as Soames's wife, Irene Heron, and Eleanor Tomlinson (The Couple Next Door (https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/couple-next-door-season-2-ending-explained/)) as Louisa Byrne, Jo's first love.

The cast also features Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey: A New Era (https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/downton-abbey-3-release-date/)) as Frances Forsyte and Stephen Moyer (True Blood) as Jolyon Forsyte Sr.

A second instalment was confirmed back in June, despite the first series not having aired yet.

Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, Drama, 5, said at the time: “We are excited to announce that production has begun on the second series of The Forsytes.

"With the first series set to air soon, this early commitment to a second chapter is a testament to the strength of the stories and characters that we know our audience will embrace.

"We look forward to sharing even more of this rich and compelling series.”

Damien Timmer, CCO & Founder of Mammoth Screen, added: “We can’t wait for the world to see series 1 of The Forsytes, and we’re so pleased to be getting ahead of ourselves and starting on this thrilling second series with Debbie Horsfield’s irresistible scripts and our glorious – and ever expanding – cast.”

Did anyone see the trailer for Play For Today. BBC did that in the Sixties. Channel 5 seem to be sort of raiding the BBCs old ideas

Well I rather enjoyed it. I think we have to take it as it comes with a C5 drama and suspend belief a lot of the time. The actors on TM said it was a prequel so I’m guessing they won’t be that faithful to the book though I’ve never read it

That’s it. I did enjoy that and hope for s2

i wil watch the F tomorrow as too much on tonight at 9 and now ready for bed

haven’t read any more relies so hope people enjoyed and was good

I thought it was dire. I have read the books, but a long time ago, and can't remember much about what happens. That's not the issue. The actor playing Jolyon is like a male model. Rupert Graves played that part in the previous adaptation and was much better cast. A lot of the backgrounds looked very obviously like CGI. If it was actually filmed in London, or even in the UK, I'll eat my hat. And talking of hats, I am not an expert on Edwardian costume but I really don't believe that a man of Soames Forsyte's standing would go about hatless, especially to a funeral. I also don't believe that Edwardian stockbrokers worked in their shirt sleeves. They'd all have had jackets on. Jolyon went to Soho to find the ex-lady's maid without a tie on! Come on. These are trivial details to get right. And yes, as someone else has said, his hair is all wrong. Short back and sides unless you were someone like Oscar Wilde.

Don't think I'll bother with more.

This is where I was confused. I went between thinking he was variously her step brother and then her stepdad and then back to brother again.

Think it was shot in Bristol.

The wisteria on the front of he house was giving downscale Bridgerton vibes.
I've perhaps been spoilt with glorious period dramas like Bridgerton, Downton Abbey and The Buccaneers (and of course the Hardakers!) but this felt a bit rubbish. The men especially didn't appear to have much differential in ages so 8 couldn't work out who where brothers and who were sons. The houses didn't appear glamorous enough, the party wasn't very party like, there was a decided lack of servants. For a drama it had little drama. Even at the scene in the dressmakers shop when the penny dropped. I'd spent the whole time thinking the kids of the dressmaker were about 8 and 10 and hey guess what, they turn out to be twins. By that point I didn't really care that Jo's wife was having her whole world turned upside down.

Yeah, he was acting more like her brother at times and before the children at the end, I would have said that him and June would have had some sort of frisson (not saying that still can’t happen) because he certainly wasn’t acting like her stepfather at times

I did like he had principles though and I did like his drawings. I’m guessing scandal and divorce, especially in those times with a name like Forsyte would be very damaging so even though the wife would want to do something, she would have to turn a blind eye to the dressmaker and the children

The whole point of the Forsytes was that they owned property.
They weren't stockbrokers.

The books' plots centre on the way the men of the family treated their wives as property also.

I'm not going to watch this drivel.

I’m so disappointed.

After watching the first espsode tonight I prefer the 2002 version. The delineation of the different generations was much better. However I will probably stick with it because of my interest in historical drama.

I watched the early 1967 version in which Eric Porter played Soames and Nyree Dawn Porter (no relation) played Irenie Heron. The 1967 adaptation was a 26-episode black-and-white series based on the novels, chronicling the lives of the upper-middle-class Forsyte family from the 1870s to the 1920s. Unfortunately its not available to stream at the moment.

A previous poster mentioned CGI and to me it seemed like it had been filmed using CGI. The film quality (which I keep going on about) was lacking. Frances and Irene had very obvious modern make up. One of the men had a very modern hairstyle. When Irene was dancing, it was pretty obvious that the actress was no dancer. Why did the seamstress have her hair loose? Even working class women would have had their hair up in Victorian England. (At least "seamstress" was pronounced correctly in the programme. Often it isn't.)

Yes, I thought that about the seamstress, no way would her hair be loose.

In the books, the seamstress was actually Junes (his biological child’s) governess and Jolyon left his wife who he had never loved and married her (the family cut him off) as he fell in love and didn’t want to have an affair. Then they had two children Holly and Jolly. I don’t know or see the point in changing details like this which don’t affect the plot…

Yes hair/make-up/costumes were so inadequate/inappropriate/historically incorrect.

It reminded me of historical TV plays and films that we watched in the 60’s and seventies, that no matter what era the drama was set, the actresses had back-combed hair, thick black-winged eyeliner and bright blue powdered eye shadow!

Among other sins,I found the use of glossy cream brow highlighter, and the coffered hair of the handsome lead, styled for the 2020’s, particularly lazy and distracting.

I really thought TV production accuracy values had moved on from this amateurism.

I could not get past young Jo's Disney Prince styling! I much, much preferred Rupert Graves.

The whole thing made no sense.

The Forsytes are meant to be in property and very middle class. In the second gen books one of the main characters marries into the aristocracy and it's a big deal.

The Elinor Thomlinson dressmaker character is the German or French governess in the books and June is just Jolyen's biological kid and he runs off with Helene when she's a child. He's a flawed character but ultimately one of the goodies.

I can't see this Soames having any of the nuance of Damien Lewis. Too handsome to begin with (DL is handsome but hides it well in the FS).

They are great books with very modern themes so why change them?!

I know, @Fifiesta ! Like those 40s biblical epics with the women in frosted lipstick and slingbacks! Nowadays, they should really get it better.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWzIjl-RsZKsgeYEXK6zxXhODhguj9-vb&si=bf-Bmam0xwrpEcSZ

The whole thing is on YouTube - I’ve just spent a lovely two weeks watching it!

The 2002 version is excellent. Damian Lewis was very good as Soames, and as pp said, Rupert Graves as Jolyon.

Yes. I thought that. Some of the CGI was terrible quality. And the radiators in the dance studio were definitely not from the 1870s! Otherwise enjoyed it though.

I also thought the same.

I saw the trailer, it looked like an upmarket Facebook video drama! If there's any slapping and secret heiress I'll know what their model is.

There's something very candyfloss about it, and the amount of ads absolutely did my head in! Not sure I'll bother with the rest.

I loved the 2002 version, but at least in this version Irene is well cast, Gina McKie is a wonderful actress but quite wrong for Irene.

The 2002 version is on Netflix atm. It's pretty good, but ot good enough for us to follow up with the second series.

comments here are not encouraging me to watch the Chanel 5 version though...

There is a 1949 film too - "That Forsyte Woman" with Greer Garson and Errol Flynn as Irene and Soames. I watched it many years ago and enjoyed it.