'Lavish' period drama based on much-loved books airs on TV tonight

A "lavish" period drama based on a much-loved book series airs on Channel 5 tonight. Adapted from John Galsworthy's novels, The Forsytes is returning to screens after the BBC aired The Forsyte Saga between 1967 and 1969. While the likes of Susan Hampshire, Kenneth More and Eric Porter starred in the initial series, the Channel 5 remake will see Coronation Street star Millie Gibson, Home and Away actor Joshua Orpin, One Day's Eleanor Tomlinson, This Life actor Jack Davenport, and Downton Abbey actress Tuppence Middleton, as well as Francesca Annis, and Jamie Flatters.

Set in the late Victorian-era, the steamy drama follows familial tensions and marriages erupting as years-long secrets come to life. The six-part series begins with Soames Forsyte (Joshua) battling against his cousin Jolyon (Danny) about taking over the family firm, while Danny's step-daughter June (Justine Emma Moore) finds herself gaining independence and rebelling against societal expectations, and Soamus begins courting Millie's character as she transforms into an ambitious wife.

The synopsis previously teased: "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.

"Ultimately each Forsyte family member grapples with the same dilemma - is it better to be ruled by the head or the heart?"

Speaking ahead of the series airing, director Meena Gaur revealed that The Forsytes will be different to its previous adaptation and the books in its modern outlook.

She shared: "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 went on: "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."

Praising writer Debbie Horsfield, she continued: "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 added: "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.