It’s not the first time this story has been told, with the original lying within the pages of beloved books, and it’s brought to life on screen yet again for this 2025 series
It has been renewed for a third season (Image: Channel 5/Paramount)
Downton Abbey and period drama fans can sink their teeth into a whole new world as this series, set in the Victorian era, transports viewers across six episodes.
John Galsworthy’s The Forsyte Saga was a series of three captivating novels published in the early 1900s through to the 1920s, and the stories live on through several adaptations. This time, the books were adapted into a TV series, first released in 2025, which is expected to see three seasons of TV.
The Forsytes was created and written by Debbie Horsfield, inspired by the Galsworthy novels but adding new and modernised touches to the beloved story. For those who have read the books, some found it hard the series wasn’t true to the original, while others appreciated this sense of freshness.
Set in late-Victorian England, the show details the lives of an incredibly wealthy and upper-class family of stockbrokers across different generations as they evolve. The bloodline is defined by a toxic and loveless marriage formed with Soames and Irene Forsyte, where the husband sees his wife as just his property.
The series is set in the Victorian era(Image: Channel 5/Paramount)
After her desperate affair with an architect, it sparks a decades-long generational feud and plenty more forbidden romances. As a new generation of children happen to fall in love with the wrong person, it brings up a lot of trauma from the past for the family as they see history repeating itself.
One fan of the series wrote on Rotten Tomatoes: “The The Forsyte Saga is a beautifully crafted drama that captures the complexity of love, family, and social expectations.
“The performances are outstanding, especially in the way the characters evolve through emotional conflict and moral dilemmas. The cinematography and costumes perfectly recreate the time period, making the story feel immersive and authentic.”
The 2025 show is led by an ensemble cast made up of what many viewers have described as “pretty faces”, some familiar and others new. You can expect to see Francesca Annis, Jack Davenport, Millie Gibson, Danny Griffin, Tuppence Middleton and Eleanor Tomlinson on screen, to name a few. Period drama fans will remember Tomlinson for her previous standout role in Poldark.
The same story was adapted for a 2002 production(Image: Channel 5/Paramount)
An IMDb review from a viewer says: “This version of the Forsyte saga is a fresh, naturalistic interpretation that gets more intriguing as the period’s new ideas seep into the family’s fragile social fabric. The changes to the story – such as the circumstances of Jolyon’s true love – are improvements in my opinion.”
Meanwhile, another said: “It looks expensive, and for a Channel 5 show that’s a nice surprise. Bridgertonesque with the narrator, beautiful actors and gowns, but it’s not necessarily a hindrance. Adds to the enjoyment of watching.
“It’s difficult when a show has such a big history and people obviously love the original material, but it’s unfair for it to get scathing reviews. It’s just not true.”
Many people have criticised the show in comparison to the 2002 production starring Damian Lewis, which is arguably more true to the original novels. However, with the release of the 2025 series, it has been confirmed that both a second and third season are already in the works, so fans can see the story play out further.
Series one of The Forsytes is available to stream now for free on Channel 5.
