The Forsytes is the Victorian family drama Bridgerton fans may want to watch

If you enjoy the lavish costumes, forbidden romances and complicated family politics of Bridgerton, Downton Abbey or The Crown, The Forsytes could be a natural addition to your period-drama watchlist.

Created by Debbie Horsfield, the writer behind Poldark, the series brings the Forsyte family to the screen in a fresh adaptation inspired by John Galsworthy’s celebrated Forsyte Saga novels. Set in late-Victorian England, the drama combines wealth, social expectations, family loyalty and affairs of the heart.

The six-part first season features an ensemble cast led by Francesca Annis, Jack Davenport, Millie Gibson, Danny Griffin, Tuppence Middleton, Stephen Moyer, Joshua Orpin and Eleanor Tomlinson.

A wealthy family with plenty of secrets

At the centre of the story is the powerful Forsyte dynasty, a wealthy Victorian stockbroking family whose carefully maintained reputation begins to come under pressure as personal desires clash with family expectations.

Marriage, love and duty repeatedly pull the characters in different directions. The older generation is marked by relationships that are far from straightforward, while forbidden romances threaten to create divisions that can last for years.

The younger members of the family then begin to experience first love of their own. Their choices bring them into relationships that some relatives consider unsuitable, while also forcing them to confront painful secrets and unresolved problems from the past.

As those buried tensions begin to surface, the question becomes whether the next generation can avoid repeating the mistakes of those who came before them.

The series is set in 1880s London and offers a glossy new interpretation of the Forsyte family, with the adaptation deliberately reimagining material inspired by Galsworthy’s novels.

Millie Gibson and Eleanor Tomlinson lead a strong ensemble

Millie Gibson stars as Irene Heron, opposite Joshua Orpin as Soames Forsyte. Eleanor Tomlinson plays Louisa Byrne, while Danny Griffin appears as Jolyon Forsyte Jr.

The wider cast includes Francesca Annis as Ann Forsyte, Stephen Moyer as Jolyon Forsyte Sr., Jack Davenport as James Forsyte, Tuppence Middleton as Frances Forsyte and Justine Moore as June Forsyte.

The production also features Naomi Frederick, Jamie Flatters, Eleanor Jackson, Owen Igiehon, Tom Durant-Pritchard, Josette Simon and Susan Hampshire.

For viewers who know Tomlinson from Poldark or Gibson from Doctor Who, the series provides another chance to see both actors in a lavish historical setting.

Viewers have praised the costumes and performances

Reaction to the first season has been mixed, but some viewers have been particularly positive about the production’s presentation and performances.

One Rotten Tomatoes viewer described The Forsyte Saga as a beautifully crafted drama, praising the way it explores love, family and social expectations. The same viewer highlighted the performances, cinematography and costumes, saying they helped create an immersive sense of the period.

Another viewer on IMDb focused more on the entertainment value, praising the cast and suggesting that the story was heading towards increasingly complicated territory.

That enthusiasm is reflected in the show’s wider critical reception. Rotten Tomatoes currently lists the first season at 77% from 13 critic reviews, although its audience score is based on fewer than 50 ratings, so the viewer figure should be treated with some caution.

Not everyone has embraced the new adaptation

The series has also faced criticism from viewers who are familiar with earlier versions of The Forsyte Saga.

The 2002 adaptation, which starred Damian Lewis, is an obvious point of comparison because both productions draw from the same literary source. Some viewers have argued that the earlier version stays closer to Galsworthy’s novels, while the newer adaptation takes greater creative liberties.

One dissatisfied viewer described the new series as a weaker representation of the novels, arguing that the changes make it feel more like a soap opera than the intricate Victorian family drama found in the books.

Others have taken a very different view.

Another viewer gave the series a 7.8 rating and praised the acting, storyline and visual production. They also welcomed the glamorous costumes and attractive cast, comparing some aspects of the presentation to Bridgerton while arguing that this added to the show’s entertainment value.

The contrast between those reactions reflects one of the main points of discussion around the new adaptation: how much freedom a modern television version should take when reworking a well-known period story.

Season 2 is on the way

The first season consists of six episodes, but the story is set to continue.

Season 2 was filmed in 2025 and is currently in post-production. It is scheduled to arrive on Channel 5 in the UK and Masterpiece PBS in the US in 2027.

There is more beyond that, too. The Forsytes was renewed for a third season, with production beginning in 2026. Mammoth Screen confirmed that filming for Season 3 began in Croatia, where locations in the Kvarner region, Istria and Zagreb were used to represent the French Riviera of the late 19th century.

That means viewers who become invested in the family’s rivalries and romances have considerably more of the story ahead.

Where to watch The Forsytes

The series originally premiered on Channel 5 in the UK in October 2025, with all six episodes making up the first season.

It is also available through Apple TV, where the first season is listed with Francesca Annis, Danny Griffin, Joshua Orpin, Tuppence Middleton, Millie Gibson, Stephen Moyer, Jack Davenport and Eleanor Tomlinson among its cast.

For anyone drawn to sumptuous period settings, complicated family relationships and romances that threaten carefully protected reputations, The Forsytes offers plenty to get into.

Watch the official trailer

The official trailer comes from MASTERPIECE PBS and features Francesca Annis, Stephen Moyer, Danny Griffin, Tuppence Middleton, Eleanor Tomlinson, Jack Davenport, Joshua Orpin and Millie Gibson.