Downton Abbey fans urged to watch steamy drama based on much-loved book series
The Forsytes is a bold reimagining of John Galsworthy's novels and the six-part drama series is set to air on Channel 5 tonight
A "lavish" period drama based on a beloved book series is set to grace Channel 5 tonight.
The Forsytes, adapted from John Galsworthy's novels, is making a comeback after the BBC aired The Forsyte Saga between 1967 and 1969.
The original series boasted stars such as Susan Hampshire, Kenneth More and Eric Porter, while the Channel 5 remake features Coronation Street's Millie Gibson, Home and Away's Joshua Orpin, One Day's Eleanor Tomlinson, This Life's Jack Davenport, and Downton Abbey's Tuppence Middleton, alongside Francesca Annis, and Jamie Flatters.
Set in the late Victorian era, this sizzling drama explores family tensions and marriages imploding as long-held secrets are revealed.
The six-part series kicks off with Soames Forsyte (Joshua) clashing with his cousin Jolyon (Danny) over control of the family business, while Danny's step-daughter June (Justine Emma Moore) seeks independence and defies societal norms, and Soames begins wooing Millie's character as she evolves into an ambitious wife.
The synopsis previously hinted: "Sticklers for tradition and status, the older Forsytes prize duty and reputation above all else, whilst the younger members rail against the rigidity of family expectations.
"The question of who will take over the family firm puts Soames Forsyte and his cousin Jolyon in conflict just as their lives are turned upside down by the arrival of two remarkable women," reports the Express.
"Ultimately each Forsyte family member grapples with the same dilemma - is it better to be ruled by the head or the heart?"
Speaking before the programme's broadcast, director Meena Gaur disclosed that The Forsytes will differ from its earlier adaptation and the novels through its contemporary perspective.
She explained: "The thing that leaped out to me from all the scripts was that while being set in a certain period, all the conversations were quite contemporary and present."
She continued: "For The Forsytes, the conversation we are having through the story is quite contemporary and modern in as much as it's about the tension between following your heart, but does that always lead to happiness? And what about the other people and the hearts you break, and the intergenerational impact of that? I think that is a very relevant conversation, even today."
Commending writer Debbie Horsfield, she went on: "What I think is very special about Debbie's scripts is the heroines, the feminine power that each one of them embody, and it's very different kinds of femininity that each one of them embody.
"It's about having women who are visible, who are not inaccessible, because very often in period dramas, women are so mysterious, and there's such an enigma that you don't know what they want."
She concluded: "But Debbie just changed that, she handed the reins of storytelling to these very different kind of women, and that really got me excited."
Screenwriter Debbie Horsfield previously described it as an "honour to be asked to write a bold new reimagining of Galsworthy's epic saga".
She continued: "Our show is in part a prequel to the events of the first book, but also an opportunity to expand the world and place the women of the family centre stage. It's a love letter to the original story while offering an exciting new perspective."
Susanne Simpson, Executive Producer of Masterpiece, added: "This sweeping, romantic drama portrays how duty binds a family together until it conflicts with matters of the heart. Debbie Horsfield's inspired scripts will be realised by an exceptional cast and supported by a lavish production."
The Forsytes airs on Channel 5 from 9pm.