My latest TV obsession during the Lockdown of 2020 is The Forsyte Saga on Amazon Prime/PBS. The acting is superb, the writing is really tight and true to the classic books by John Galsworthy. Not your usual dry British period series. Gripping drama along with humor and touching interactions with its characters. It's so much better in my opinion than Downton Abbey as the plotlines are much more realistic.
The Forsyte Saga is a 1967 BBC television adaptation of John Galsworthy's series of The Forsyte Saga novels, and its sequel trilogy A Modern Comedy. The series follows the fortunes of the upper-middle-class Forsyte family and stars Eric Porter as Soames, Kenneth More as Young Jolyon, and Nyree Dawn Porter as Irene. Original release: 7 January –; 1 July 1967
Then in 2002, a new version was filmed. The makers of the 2002 version of The Forsyte Saga felt that any new production would be compared with the 1967 version, which set the standards for period drama for the next 25 years.
The idea came initially from David Liddiment, ITV's director of channels, who seized on the Forsyte novels not only as a great achievement in English literature but also for their iconic status in British television.
Granada was thinking big from the outset of the project - this was clearly something that couldn't be dashed off as a two-parter. The initial plan was for two series, the first an adaptation of The Forsyte Saga and the second continuing with A Modern Comedy.
Sita Williams (fabulous!) attached herself to the project in late 1999 and by the start of 2000 was talking to writers and working on the adaptations. Casting began in 2001, first casting the leading roles of Soames, Irene, and Bosinney (Williams had seen Damian Lewis as Captain Winters in Band of Brothers). All of the casting choices are rock solid. The Full Cast is Here. Read the Episode Guide Here
