Forsyte Saga, The

The Forsyte Saga charts the lives of the Forsyte family through three or four generations over the 19th and 20th Centuries. It follows the romances, affairs and scandals of the various brothers, sisters, cousins and parents, but for the first half of the series the main focus does tend to be on Soames and Irene Forsyte. Soames is an uptight solicitor who only knows how to love Irene by smothering her. Free-sprited Irene married Soames for money at her mother's insistence and on the understanding that Soames would let her go if the marriage didn't work. Of course the marriage doesn't work but instead of allowing her to leave, Soames becomes abusive which forces Irene into ...  Read the complete review

Years ago I had the misfortune to stumble upon Errol Flynn's "That Forsyte Woman" which had put me off ever reading the book. However, in my teens as I went through my 'classics' phase I decided to give it a go and throughly enjoyed the novel and when I had heard that ITV were making an adaptation of it, I could only hope that it was better than the earlier versions and I was far from disappointed !! I love both the first and second 'Forsyte Saga' parts of the adapation and in my opinion the star of the show is Damian Lewis for his wonderful portrayal of a man obsessed with ownership and control. Soames Forsyte, Damian's character, was to be pitied ...  Read the complete review

Can you imagine a television programme so captivating, so successful that it emptied pubs and forced Churches across the country to alter the time of evensong? A series that changed fashions and dictated womens' hairstyles? Brought look-a-likes into the public consciousness and whose characters divided a nation? A dramatisation that makes such recent successes as 'Pride and Prejudice' look like flops? In todays media climate it is difficult to comprehend the sheer scale and depth of impact that 'The Forsyte Saga' had in 1967. It is almost 35 years sonce the tale of Soames and Irene; of Jolyon and June fist hit our screens. Anyone who saw it ...  Read the complete review