The new Forsyte Saga is not a straight adaptation of “male-centric novels”, says Poldark creator

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Like many great stories, this one started with a simple idea. In the summer of 2021, writer Debbie Horsfield and producer Damien Timmer were walking and talking in Hampstead Heath, a large park in north London, brainstorming their next project. They had recently finished the popular series *Poldark* and, as Timmer explained, were looking for a compelling story that Debbie would be excited to write.

Horsfield recalls that Damien was the one who originally suggested reading *The Forsyte Saga*. He adds with a laugh that he’s generally drawn to books with ‘saga’ in the title.

Horsfield and Timmer were already aware of the earlier TV adaptations of John Galsworthy’s novels, which aired in 1967 and 2002. The 1967 BBC series, a lengthy 26 episodes, is often considered a classic, as Timmer points out, and the Granada version from around the year 2000 is also well-known.

Tuppence Middleton, who portrays Frances Forsyte, notes that while this story isn’t as frequently adapted as other well-known classics, it still carries a certain expectation of quality.

Timmer aimed to create a contemporary adaptation, drawing parallels between today’s increasingly polarized society and the late Victorian period. The project focused on closely examining a very wealthy family, representing the one percent of the population.

Before creating the popular series *Poldark*, based on Winston Graham’s books, Debbie Horsfield was known for writing large-scale, complex family dramas such as *Making Out*, *The Riff Raff Element*, and *Cutting It*. She explains that, coming from a large family herself, she’s always been interested in how families interact, particularly the conflicts between different generations. Her previous work focused on original, contemporary stories, almost always set in her hometown of Manchester. *Poldark* offered a completely different challenge, taking her into unfamiliar creative territory.

Initially, Horsfield felt anxious about playing established characters, but soon realized she needed to approach them as if they were her own to truly understand their motivations. She felt this approach worked well with the character of Poldark.

Horsfield clearly excels at adapting complex stories. According to Timmer, she’s skilled at simplifying lengthy narratives, managing numerous characters, and understanding each one’s individual journey. These are precisely the talents needed to successfully tackle Galsworthy’s stories about the wealthy, problematic, and frequently unpleasant Forsyte family.

The Forsyte family is full of complex characters – from the dominant and sometimes harsh Soames and his quietly rebellious wife Irene, to their son Young Jolyon, who chooses artistic pursuits over the family business despite being the eldest son. They are a truly remarkable group.

Timmer explains they’re drawing inspiration from several sources: Galsworthy’s novels, a touch of Edith Wharton’s *The Age of Innocence*, and a strong dose of the dramatic style of *Dallas*. He envisions a lavish, over-the-top atmosphere, similar to the ‘Oil Barons’ Ball’ scene, and says that’s just the beginning of what they have planned.

You know, when I revisited the source material, I was surprised by how much of the good stuff was actually *implied* rather than explicitly shown. And the women, especially Irene, felt surprisingly underdeveloped. She’s this enigmatic character, and honestly, it’s hard to connect with her because her reasons for doing things just aren’t clear. It’s like she’s deliberately kept at a distance, which makes it tough to really invest in her story.

According to the author, it took Horsfield and Timmer another two years of discussing the novels and their characters while walking on the Heath to fully understand the stories and the relationships between the family members – who was present and who wasn’t.

From the beginning, we knew we didn’t want to simply retell these stories, which originally focused on men,” explains Horsfield. “Our goal was to give the women more developed roles and stories, while still respecting the male characters.”

Timmer had a clear idea for the project and, because the source material was freely available, didn’t have to worry about copyright costs. His next challenge was finding funding. He decided against approaching UK broadcasters, believing they wouldn’t be very interested, and instead focused on PBS, who were enthusiastic about the idea.

As a huge fan of period dramas, I always knew PBS’s *Masterpiece* relied heavily on co-productions with the UK. Basically, they’d help finance these British shows – things like *Pride and Prejudice* – and in return, get the US broadcast rights. Apparently, when it came to a recent project, the producers made it clear to PBS that they were going to need a bigger investment than usual. But PBS really wanted the show, so they agreed to pay up. It’s good to see them supporting quality programming, even if it costs a bit more!

Timmer declined to reveal the exact budget for *The Forsytes*, but confirmed it’s significantly larger than their past PBS series like *Poldark*, *Victoria*, and *Endeavour*. He added that, a decade ago, the cost would have been considered extremely high.

Creating TV shows is much more expensive now. With companies like Apple and Netflix also making high-budget shows, there’s been a significant increase in production costs – almost like a competition to spend more and more.

Is *The Forsytes* intended for viewers in America? The creator explains they’re aiming for a wide, international audience who appreciate British period dramas, but also creating a show they themselves would enjoy.

Writer Maggie Horsfield has delivered on her promise for the new adaptation of *The Forsyte Saga*, simply titled *The Forsytes* – a name chosen because ‘saga’ felt outdated. This isn’t a direct retelling of the original story. While the families of James and Jolyon are still rivals, they now live next door to each other, and a family stockbroking firm has been added. These changes are relatively small compared to the biggest shift: this first series acts as a prequel to the novels. Notably, Young Jolyon’s first wife, Frances, is still alive and caught in a love triangle with her husband and his former love. (The original novels depict Young Jolyon having an affair with the nanny.)

Past adaptations of *The Forsyte Saga* have largely centered on the difficult marriage of Soames and Irene. However, this new version by Horsfield only introduces them in the first episode. As Stephen Moyer, playing Jolyon Senior, explains, this approach—going back to the beginning—allows the series to explore the roots of the story and build drama over multiple seasons. By expanding the timeline beyond the original novels, Horsfield has created a fresh, captivating, and surprisingly contemporary period drama.

Jack Davenport, who plays James Forsyte, was particularly impressed by how the series examines power dynamics. He noted that women in the story have a strong understanding of power because it isn’t easily given to them, unlike the men. Davenport described the men as powerful but unaware, which he felt created compelling tension.

Now that the funding was secured and Horsfield felt deeply connected to the characters – even creating some of them herself – it was time to begin casting the actors who would bring them to life.

Timmer enjoys putting together a cast, describing it as both exciting and nerve-wracking because the final result is always uncertain. Casting the older characters was straightforward, as they usually got their first choice, which isn’t always the case. The biggest challenge was finding the right actors for the lead roles of Young Jolyon and Soames. They auditioned a huge number of performers – around 300 actors, including nearly every young, attractive British actor and a significant number from Australia. Danny Griffin and Joshua Orpin were among those who auditioned.

As a film buff, I always find it fascinating to hear about casting choices. Apparently, when Peter Orpin auditioned for ‘The Forsyte Saga,’ he originally went in for the role of Young Jolyon – you know, the typical romantic hero type he often gets asked to play. But then they asked him to read for Soames, and that’s when things got really interesting. He immediately preferred Soames because he saw him as a much more complex and morally gray character – someone far more compelling to portray, honestly.

Griffin was thrilled to be cast as Young Jolyon, especially because he has many scenes with Tuppence Middleton, who plays his wife, Frances. Middleton, recently acclaimed for her role in the National Theatre’s production of *The Motive and the Cue* (written by Jack Thorne and directed by Sam Mendes), was the creators’ first choice for the part of Frances.

What really struck me about this reimagining of *The Forsytes* is the way they’ve handled Irene. She’s no longer just a victim defined by a terrible act, but a fully realized character with her own inner life. The original series famously – and shockingly for 1967 – depicted the marital rape committed by Soames. Looking back, I think the outrage wasn’t necessarily about the violence itself, but the fact that it was *shown* on television. It’s a sobering reminder that marital rape wasn’t even a crime in many places until decades later – something many viewers likely experienced or knew someone who did, even if no one talked about it. And interestingly, that incredibly difficult scene isn’t even in the first series – we’ll see it unfold in the second.

Millie Gibson, known for her roles in Doctor Who and Coronation Street, is thrilled to play Irene, even though it’s a demanding role. She explains that she’s often not considered for ‘heroine’ types of characters, so it was a welcome change. She initially thought her Zoom audition had gone poorly, and was surprised when she received a call just a week later offering her the part of Irene.

When casting for the important role of Louisa, the seamstress with a connection to Young Jolyon, Horsfield needed an actress who could portray a complex character – someone both delicate and strong, funny and vulnerable. The writer felt this role was a departure from the actress’s previous work but was confident she would excel. That actress turned out to be Eleanor Tomlinson, known for her role as Demelza in *Poldark*.

I was so surprised when Damien called and invited me to lunch! As soon as they sent over the scripts, I just got this really excited feeling. We talked about the character – who she was, and what she’d be going through – and honestly, that was all it took. I was completely captivated.

The first season of *The Forsytes* was filmed last summer, and the cast recently finished filming the second. At least one more season is planned, and the writer, Horsfield, feels inspired enough by Galsworthy’s novels to create several more. The source novels follow the family through multiple generations, and while the current storyline focuses on the children growing up, the story could continue beyond that – perhaps with the title updated to emphasize its epic scope.

Ultimately, *The Forsytes* by John Galsworthy explores the clashes between generations, the pressures family members put on each other, and how much the past influences the present. The novel also suggests that the future is open and full of potential, and that progress happens one step at a time.

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2025-10-14 03:19