British series The Forsytes renewed for a second season before premiere

The Forsytes looks set to become a permanent fixture on PBS Masterpiece as the network prepares to renew the series before its first season even premieres. The Forsytes is a glossy adaptation of The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy's sweeping portrait of a wealthy British family in 1880s London.

©Deadline - Masterpiece

Sources have heard that filming for a second season is expected to begin in the UK this summer, although PBS Masterpiece has yet to confirm the revival of the period drama. A premiere date for the first season has not yet been announced.

The news comes after Paramount-owned channel Channel 5 revealed it had acquired The Forsytes in the UK. Channel 5 also collaborated with PBS Masterpiece on the hit series All Creatures Great and Small (2020).

Produced by Poldark creator Mammoth Screen, The Forsytes’ cast is led by BAFTA winner Francesca Annis (Lillie), who plays the formidable matriarch Ann.

True Blood actor Stephen Moyer and Doctor Who actress Millie Gibson also star in the series, as do Jack Davenport (The Morning Show) and Eleanor Tomlinson (The Nevers).

BAFTA-nominated Poldark writer Debbie Horsfield wrote the adaptation, which was intended as a recurring series.

It is the third television adaptation of The Forsyte Saga in less than sixty years. The 1967 BBC retelling was watched by an audience of 18 million viewers. The 2002 version aired on ITV and featured a cast including Damian Lewis and Gina McKee.