Victorian London is about to get a new dose of passion, pride and scandal, as ‘The Forsytes’, a sweeping new adaptation of John Galsworthy’s Nobel Prize-winning novels, now has a confirmed UK premiere date. The lavish period drama from Debbie Horsfield (Poldark, Cutting It) will debut on 5 on Monday, 20th October 2025, ahead of its PBS Masterpiece launch in the USA next year.
Set in the opulent but morally conflicted world of the 1880s, ‘The Forsytes’ explores desire, ambition and betrayal at the heart of one of London’s most powerful stockbroking dynasties. Spanning multiple generations, the saga follows the family’s pursuit of love and happiness as it collides with the expectations of duty, wealth and respectability in a society teetering on the edge of change.
The series boasts an impressive all-star cast led by Francesca Annis (Lillie, Showtrial, Cranford) as matriarch Ann Forsyte, Jack Davenport (Coupling, The Morning Show, Ten Percent) as James Forsyte, Stephen Moyer (True Blood) as Jolyon Forsyte Sr., Millie Gibson (Doctor Who) as Irene Heron, Joshua Orpin (Titans, Home and Away) as Soames Forsyte, Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey: A New Era) as Frances Forsyte, and Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark, One Day) as Louisa Byrne. They are joined by Danny Griffin (Fate: The Winx Saga) as Jo Forsyte Jr., Josette Simon OBE (Anatomy of a Scandal) as Mrs. Ellen Parker Barrington, Susan Hampshire (The Forsyte Saga, Monarch of the Glen) as Lady Carteret, Jamie Flatters (Avatar: The Way of Water) as Philip Bosinney, Naomi Frederick (Belgravia) as Emily Forsyte, Fiona Button (The Split) as Mrs. Clarissa Heron, and Owen Igiehon (Disclaimer) as Isaac Cole.
Behind the camera, Horsfield is joined by executive producers Meenu Gaur, Michael Ray, and Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, part of ITV Studios, with Susanne Simpson executive producing for Masterpiece. The series is produced in association with ITV Studios, which handles international distribution, while PBS Distribution will oversee North American rights.
A second season of ‘The Forsytes’ has already been ordered ahead of its UK debut, confirming plans for an ongoing saga filled with romance, scandal and social tension, and promising viewers a long stay with the gilded yet troubled Forsyte family.
‘The Forsytes’ premieres Monday, 20th October 2025 on 5 in the UK and will air on PBS Masterpiece in the USA in 2026.
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