The Forsytes: cast, plot, first looks and everything we know

The Forsytes is a very famous fictional family saga which has been adapted for television a few times before, most notably for the BBC in 1967.

Now there's a new adaptation of John Galsworthy’s Nobel Prize-winning novel series The Forsyte Saga on its way in 2025 and it has a stellar cast including Francesca Annis, Jack Davenport, Millie Gibson, Eleanor Tomlinson, Danny Griffin and Stephen Moyer.

Written by Poldark’s Debbie Horsfield, it follows four generations of an upper-class family of stockbrokers set against the backdrop of a fast-changing late-Victorian world. The drama also stars Susan Hampshire, OBE, who was in the 1967 series The Forsyte Saga, this time playing Lady Carteret.

The Forsytes season 2 has already been commissioned, so there's confidence that season 1 will be a global.

Here’s everything you need to know about the period drama The Forsytes season 1…

The Forsytes release date

The Forsytes will launch on 5 (formerly called Channel 5) in the UK in late 2025. When a UK date is announced, we’ll update you on this page.

In the US, The Forsytes season 1 is scheduled to premiere as a Masterpiece series on PBS in 2026. Again, we will update with the show's US premiere when we hear.

The Forsytes plot

The Forsytes follows the fictional Forsyte family, which encompasses four generations of upper-class stockbrokers. The older generation are sticklers for tradition and status, prizing duty and reputation above all else, while the younger family members feel constrained by the weight of family expectations.

The question of who will take over the family firm puts Soames Forsyte (Joshua Orpin) and his cousin Jolyon (Danny Griffin) in conflict with one another, just as their lives are turned upside down by two remarkable women. Each family member must decide whether it’s better to follow their heart or their head.

The Forsytes cast and characters

Here's our brief guide to the cast and characters in The Forsytes...

* Francesca Annis (Home Fires, Cranford, Macbeth, Showtrial) is matriarch Ann Forsyte.

* Stephen Moyer (True Blood) is her eldest son Jolyon Snr, head of the family firm, Forsyte and Co.

* Danny Griffin (The Gentlemen) is his bohemian son Jolyon Jnr.

* Tuppence Middleton (Downton Abbey: A New Era) is Jolyon Jnr’s wife, Francis.

* Eleanor Tomlinson (Poldark) is dressmaker Louisa Byrne, Jolyon Jnr’s first love.

* Jack Davenport (This Life, The Morning Show) is Ann’s competitive younger son, James.

* Joshua Orpin (Titans) is James’ ambitious son, Soames.

* Millie Gibson (Doctor Who) is Irene Heron, a dancer Soames falls in love with.

* Tom Durant-Pritchard (Baby Reindeer) is Monty Dartie, James’ son in law.

* Josette Simon (Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy) is wealthy heiress Mrs. Ellen Parker Barrington.

* Jamie Flatters (Avatar: The Way Of Water) is architect Philip Bosinney.

* Owen Igiehon (Disclaimer) is lawyer Isaac Cole.

* Susan Hampshire (The Forsyte Saga form 1967) is Lady Carteret.

Is there a trailer?

There's no trailer for The Forsytes just yet, but we'll post here when it arrives.

Behind the scenes and more on The Forsytes.

The Forsytes is produced by Mammoth in association with and distributed by ITV Studios and is written by Debbie Horsfield (Poldark). This deal was brokered by Jemma Harvey, SVP Global Content & Scripted Coproductions, ITV Studios and Nan Whittingham, VP Production and Commissioning Operations, 5. PBS Distribution handle North American rights.

Paul Testar, Commissioning Editor, Drama, 5 says: “We are excited to give The Forsytes its UK home on 5. This lavish new adaptation is a great addition to our rich portfolio of period dramas. With a stellar cast, stunning production, and rich ensemble of characters, it has all the components our audience loves.”

Damien Timmer, Chief Creative Officer and Founder, Mammoth Screen, adds: “It’s been a joy working with Debbie Horsfield and our magnificent cast on series 1 of The Forsytes for MASTERPIECE on PBS, and we’re thrilled UK viewers are going to be able to watch it on 5, which has become such a destination for drama audiences. Let the saga commence!”

Susanne Simpson, Head of Scripted Content and Executive Producer at MASTERPIECE says: “We can’t wait to bring The Forsytes to our MASTERPIECE viewers in the US, and we’re thrilled that the series has a UK home at 5. With brilliant actors and an amazing crew, Mammoth Screen has created a sumptuous reimagining of a classic that will delight audiences around the world.”

The Forsyte Saga — all about the novels 

The novel series The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy won him the Nobel Prize in 1932 and consisted of three novels and two short stories. It followed the Forsyte family from the late 19th century into the early 20th century.

The saga mainly focussed on Soames Forsyte and his possessive nature and complicated relationship with his wife, the beautiful and independent Irene.

Previous TV adaptations of The Forsyte Saga

The first novel in the saga The Man of Property was adapted into the 1949 film That Forsyte Woman, starring Errol Flynn and Greer Garson.

In 1967, the BBC made its hit series The Forsyte Saga and the subsequent trilogy A Modern Comedy, starring Susan Hampshire, who also stars in the 2025 adaptation, plus Kenneth More, Nyree Dawn Porter, Eric Porter, Nicholas Pennell and Joseph O'Connor. The series moved from BBC2 to BBC1.

In 2002, ITV made the series The Forsyte Saga and The Forsyte Saga: To Let, both starring Damian Lewis, Gina McKee and Rupert Graves. This version is currently available to watch on Netflix.