According to former Executive Producer of MASTERPIECE, Rebecca Eaton, in her book "Making MASTERPIECE," “Masterpiece Theatre would never have been born without the 1969 broadcast of The Forsyte Saga.” 

Indeed, it is a trilogy of novels by Nobel Prize-winning author John Galsworthy that captivated audiences in the United States and around the world, airing on what was then NET, National Education Television, a few years before PBS as we know it today came into existence. It appealed to an “intelligent audience,” one who was so invested in a long-form drama that, according to Eaton, “People canceled evening plans and stopped answering the phones on the evenings it aired.”  

 If this sounds reminiscent of when Downton Abbey premiered on MASTERPIECE, that’s not a coincidence. The Forsyte Saga walked so Downton Abbey could run, and both were unexpected successes for public media. Themes of love, loyalty, ambition and betrayal, all wrapped up in the high society glamour of Victorian England, have captivated audiences for decades, including three different television productions based on Galsworthy’s novels.  

Shown L-R: Soames Forsyte (Joshua Orpin), Jolyon Forsyte, Jr (Danny Griffin)

Shown L-R: Soames Forsyte (Joshua Orpin), Jolyon Forsyte, Jr (Danny Griffin)

Credit: Sean Gleason

Here’s what all three TV series have in common: focusing on a wealthy English family starting in the 1880s, the story revolves around multiple generations of Forsytes. At the novels’ core are the second generation, notably the calculated and cunning Soames and his cousin, the bohemian artist Jolyon. The Forsyte family has recently become rich and are considered new money, eager to make their mark on society and the old money English gentry. Soames and Jolyon find themselves at odds in business, family and romance, much of which circles around the beautiful Irene Heron, whom Galsworthy purposely left enigmatic in the text, using her as a catalyst to drive a wedge through the Forsytes.  

While the 1969 television series was a worldwide obsession, if public media fans don’t remember the serial drama, they may likely remember the MASTERPIECE production from the early 2000s featuring Damian Lewis, Rupert Graves and Gina McKee as Soames, Jolyon and Irene, respectively. I vividly remember spending my weekends in high school glued to MASTERPIECE, eager to discover how Irene would carve out a life of her own away from Soames’ control and how Jolyon would forge a family away from the societal demands of his father. 

The Forsytes, premiering Sunday, March 22 on GPB, considers a new angle. With Debbie Horsfield (the screenwriter behind Poldark), Mammoth Screen and MASTERPIECE at the helm, it’s clear that this is a love letter to the original story, using it as inspiration to craft a broader narrative beyond the books’ pages. As Horsfield explained in the show’s press release, “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 center stage.”  

Shown L-R: Frances (Tuppence Middleton), Irene (Millie Gibson)

Shown L-R: Frances (Tuppence Middleton), Irene (Millie Gibson)

Credit: Sean Gleason

That the series does, giving the likes of Irene, Frances and new character, Louisa, plenty of drama and character growth. The show is jam-packed with a cast that appeals to both drama fans and pop culture loving-millennials alike, with MASTERPIECE favorites Francesca Annis (Home Fires), Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark), Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey: A New Era) and Tom Durant-Pritchard (Miss Scarlet) starring alongside Millie Gibson (Doctor Who), Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Stephen Moyer (True Blood). The goal isn’t to retell the same story for a third time, but to capture a new generation of MASTERPIECE and period drama fans that both honor a public media legacy while looking ahead to its future. 

Shown L-R: Jolyon Forsyte, Jr (Danny Griffin), Louisa Byrne (Eleanor Tomlinson)

Shown L-R: Jolyon Forsyte, Jr (Danny Griffin), Louisa Byrne (Eleanor Tomlinson)

Credit: Massimo Fabris

And frankly, it’s not difficult to get swept away by beautiful ballrooms, harrowing horse races and lush scenery across England, Wales and Italy, each episode filled with glamour, excitement and emotion that keeps fans hooked, eager to find out what will happen next. If this is you, don’t worry: MASTERPIECE has already announced that Season 2 of The Forsytes is in production. 

The Forsytes premieres March 22 on GPB and will air Sundays this spring for six episodes. All episodes will be available for streaming on GPB Passport.

From the creators of Poldark comes a sumptuous new period drama that explores the intricate lives of a wealthy Victorian family. Step into the lush world of The Forsytes where legacy coexists with longing.  The Forsytes premieres Sunday, March 22, 2026, 9/8c, only on MASTERPIECE on PBS.  Watch on air and stream full episodes online and on the PBS app.