'The Forsyte Saga' Remake Cast Revealed with Francesca Annis & Millie Gibson

The first signs of a new remake of The Forsyte Saga appeared on production listings at the beginning of April 2024. While there had been rumors before about the series returning to television, the pre-production announcements were the first sign the project was getting off the ground, with Mammoth Productions most likely behind it. However, it was unclear if the show was a BBC series, an ITV series, or a series made for PBS or Masterpiece, or a combination thereof. But with filming now about to get underway, details are out, and Masterpiece is the one taking the lead on the project, with a stellar cast lined up to star.

The Forsyte Saga is considered the British period piece that allowed the WGBH folks to launch the Masterpiece anthology series as PBS launched nationwide. The series was first aired in the U.K. on the recently launched BBC 2 in 1967, a network most TV viewers did not have yet. It proved so popular that it was rerun on BBC One a few months later, making it technically the first show to make the jump from network to network due to rising ratings. The series then transferred to the U.S. and aired on local PBS stations across the country (which were at that point not under a national umbrella as yet) and proved a massive hit, bringing in numbers that beat out the "Big Three" networks of NBC, CBS, and ABC. Its success proved an appetite for the best of British programming, presaging Masterpiece's launch two years later.

It's now 55 years later, and though Masterpiece aired a new version in 2002, nowadays, it is no longer just an importer. The streaming wars have made it so that the anthology series must co-produce and sometimes take the lead on commissioning shows. The choice to make its own The Forsyte Saga is unsurprising, considering the show's history and its reputation, which means that it has pulled in quite an impressive cast.

One reason Masterpiece has taken charge of the project? This way it can dictate how many seasons there are and when it is renewed. Make no mistake, this is planned as a multi-season venture. Here's the series logline:

The first season of six episodes follows the lives of the wealthy Forsyte family in 1880s London and is based on John Galsworthy’s Nobel Prize-winning tale of love, loyalty, ambition, and betrayal.

The series cast stars Francesca Annis (Flesh & Blood) as formidable Forsyte matriarch Ann; Stephen Moyer (Sexy Beast) as her eldest son, Jolyon Senior, head of the family stockbroking firm Forsyte & Co.; and Jack Davenport (Ten Percent) plays Ann’s competitive younger son James. The next generation down features Danny Griffin (The Gentlemen) as Jolyon Sr.'s bohemian son Jo, Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey) as Jo’s status-driven wife Frances, and Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark) plays Louisa Byrne, a Soho dressmaker and Jo’s first love. Joshua Orpin (Titans) plays James’ shrewd and sometimes ruthless son, Soames; Millie Gibson (Doctor Who) is Irene, the dancer whom Soames falls in love with, and Tom Durant Pritchard (Miss Scarlet) plays Monty Dartie, James’ son-in-law.

Outside of the titular family, Josette Simon (Broadchurch) will play Mrs. Ellen Parker Barrington, a wealthy heiress and friend of the Forsyte family; Jamie Flatters (Liar) is architect Philip Bosinney, Owen Igiehon (Disclaimer) plays lawyer Isaac Cole, and last (but certainly not least), OG 1967 The Forsyte Saga star Susan Hampshire OBE plays Lady Carteret.

Debbie Horsfield (Sanctuary: A Witch's Tale) will pen all six episodes, with directors Meenu Gaur (Murder Is Easy) and Annetta Laufer (Get Millie Black) splitting helming duties and Sarah Lewis (The Long Shadow) producing. Horsfield and Gaur executive produce along with Sheena Bucktowonsing, Damien Timmer for Mammoth Screen, and Susanne Simpson for Masterpiece. 

The Forsyte Saga Season 1 is expected to debut on most PBS stations in 2025.