'The Forsytes' Showrunner Explains How the PBS Series Will Differ From the Books
'The Forsytes' Showrunner Explains How the PBS Series Will Differ From the Books
Alexandria InghamSat, March 21, 2026 at 7:17 PM UTC
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Whenever a TV series is based on books, there are often some changes to the plotlines. That was always going to be the case with The Forsytes, the upcoming PBS adaptation of John Galsworthy’s novels. After all, it was promoted as a prequel series to the books rather than a retelling of the original story.
It turns out that there are going to be more changes, and they will be substantial. However, that doesn’t mean the series won’t be fun for fans of the original novels or the other TV shows that had been based on them.
‘The Forsytes’ Is a Retelling for the Women
According to TV Insider, The Forsytes showrunner, Debbie Horsfield, shares that this new series is inspired by the books, but by the parts of the books that haven’t been told in much detail. The main focus will be on the women, who didn’t get a lot of attention or development throughout Galsworthy’s novels.
She doesn’t mark this as a problem with the books. After all, the time when the books were written meant that there was less interest in the female characters. However, the series is set during a time when women realized that they could be more than mothers and wives. They could gain more in life and start to step out in the world alone, although not everyone was comfortable with that. It’s something Horsfield wanted to focus on.
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PBS Masterpiece/Sean Gleason (PBS Masterpiece/Sean Gleason)More Development for Relationships
There will also be a little more development for the relationships in the story. The Forsyte Saga introduces a relationship between Soames and Irene, but they can’t be together due to Irene’s position in society. Horsfield also shares that she doesn’t understand why Irene even wants to marry Soames in the novels, and that was something she needed to change in the series. It’s important to give a character reasons for their actions.
On top of that, it’s important to make characters more sympathetic, and that means changing another element of the story. Horsfield didn’t think that Jolyon was portrayed well in the books, especially with him having an affair and leaving his family, so she wanted to make him a character people could root for and like.
Some may worry that the changes will affect the overall story. However, in the end, the aim is to create something that works for today’s world, and it’s sure to connect to Downton Abbey fans.
This story was originally published by Parade on Mar 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Books section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
