Forsyte Saga
by Allison Keene & Staff | Paste Magazine | October 15, 2020
The Forsyte Saga (2002)
Available on Amazon here via a PBS Masterpiece Subscription (7-day free trial available)
Created by: John Galsworthy, Stephen Mallatratt
Stars: Damian Lewis, Rupert Graves, Gina McKee, Corin Redgrave, Ioan Gruffudd
Before Downton Abbey, there was The Forsyte Saga. Chronicling the lives of three generations of a wealthy family from the late 1800s through early 1900s, The Forsyte Saga is based on the John Galsworthy trilogy of the same name. It is, in some ways, a British version of Dynasty. The 2002 version is fantastically dramatic and heartbreaking, full of schemers and dreamers and a grandly charming cast as it spins its dizzying tale of romance and woe. Lushly produced, it should not be mistaken for high art so much as engrossing melodrama. While it may drag a little as it goes, including the repetition of a number of relationship quandaries, not enough can be said about Damian Lewis’ lead performance as the jealous, difficult Soames. If series about the scandals and foibles of the uppercrust appeal to you, you cannot go wrong with Forsyte. —Allison Keene
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