Sanditon (TV series)
| Sanditon | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Drama |
| Based on | Sanditon by Jane Austen |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Production company | Red Planet Pictures |
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV |
| Release | 25 August – 13 October 2019 |
Sanditon is a British historical period drama television series adapted by Andrew Davies from an unfinished manuscript by Jane Austen and starring Rose Williams and Theo James in the lead roles. Set during the Regency era, the plot follows a young and naive heroine as she navigates the new seaside resort of Sanditon.
The series first aired on ITV in the United Kingdom on 25 August 2019 in eight parts, and in January 2020 will air on PBS in the United States, which supports the production, as part of its Masterpiece anthology.
Due to the unfinished nature of the novel (Austen only completed eleven chapters in her lifetime), the original work is used for the majority of the first episode, and then Davies used the developed characters to complete the story.[1] Set in a seaside town during a time of social change, at the time of her death in 1817 Austen had completed 24,000 words of the novel.
Overview
Charlotte Heywood is delighted to be invited to stay as the Parkers' guest in the fishing village of Sanditon, situated on the South Coast of England, which Tom Parker hopes to make a fashionable seaside resort, with his business partner, Lady Denham. Charlotte, however, soon discovers that the inhabitants of the town behave in curious and unpredictable ways that she could never have imagined, including the highly strung and cold Sidney Parker.
Cast
Main
- Rose Williams as Charlotte Heywood
- Theo James as Sidney Parker
- Kate Ashfield as Mary Parker
- Crystal Clarke as Miss Georgiana Lambe
- Turlough Convery as Arthur Parker
- Jack Fox as Sir Edward Denham
- Kris Marshall as Tom Parker
- Matthew Needham as Mr. Crowe
- Anne Reid as Lady Denham
- Alexandra Roach as Diana Parker
- Lily Sacofsky as Clara Brereton
- Charlotte Spencer as Esther Denham
- Mark Stanley as Lord Babington
- Leo Suter as James Stringer
Recurring Cast
- James Atherton as Fred Robinson
- Elizabeth Berrington as Mrs. Griffiths
- Jack Brady as Mr. Howard
- Kevin Eldon as Mr. Hankins
- Mollie Holder as Phillida Beaufort
- Rob Jarvis as Isaac Stringer
- Jyuddah Jaymes as Otis Molyneux
- Ruth Kearney as Eliza Campion
- Kayleigh-Paige Rees as Julia Beaufort
- Adrian Scarborough as Dr. Fuchs
- Sophie Winkleman as Lady Susan
- Isobel Hawkridge, Molly Bishop, Isaac Vincent-Norgate as the Parker children: Alicia, Jenny & Henry
Guest Cast
- Sarah Belcher as Mrs. Heywood
- Clinton Blake as Sam Sidaway
- Liz May Brice as Mrs. Harries
- Jon Foster as Beecroft
- Adrian Rawlins as Mr. Heywood
- Tessa Stephens as Alison Heywood
Episodes
| No. | Episode | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [2] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Episode 1 | Oliver Blackburn | Andrew Davies | 25 August 2019 | 5.37 | |
|
When a coach accident introduces Charlotte Heywood to the Parker family, she quickly seizes the opportunity to throw herself into the adventure she has craved by returning with them to Sanditon, a seaside resort on the cusp of dramatic change. Charlotte, however, soon discovers that the inhabitants of the town behave in curious and unpredictable ways that she could never have imagined. | ||||||
| 2 | Episode 2 | Oliver Blackburn | Andrew Davies | 1 September 2019 | 4.52 | |
|
Charlotte and Sidney Parker clash again, only for Charlotte to be left confused by a chance encounter. Tensions surrounding Miss Georgiana Lambe's arrival in Sanditon erupt at Lady Denham's grand pineapple luncheon, and Sir Edward and Esther Denham realise that Clara Brereton poses a significant threat to their ambitions. | ||||||
| 3 | Episode 3 | Oliver Blackburn | Andrew Davies & Justin Young | 8 September 2019 | 4.14 | |
|
Charlotte sets out to avoid Sidney, until a serious accident forces them together, and to reappraise each other. When Tom Parker brings a new doctor to the town, he and Lady Denham clash, while Clara makes a bold move in her bid to outplay Edward and Esther. | ||||||
| 4 | Episode 4 | Lisa Clarke | Justin Young | 15 September 2019 | 3.83 | |
|
The arrival of Georgiana's forbidden love causes Charlotte to question her opinion of Sidney. Meanwhile, Clara witnesses a moment between Esther and Edward that raises her suspicions about their relationship, with devastating consequences for Esther. | ||||||
| 5 | Episode 5 | Lisa Clarke | Andrea Gibb | 22 September 2019 | N/A | |
|
Tensions between Tom and his labourers erupt during the Sanditon cricket match. Charlotte and Sidney continue to clash, resulting in Georgiana being placed in terrible danger, while Lord Babington offers Esther a glimpse of a better future. | ||||||
| 6 | Episode 6 | Lisa Clarke | Justin Young | 29 September 2019 | 3.74 | |
|
Charlotte and Sidney find themselves at loggerheads, but must work together in an attempt to rescue an abducted Georgiana. Tom tries to save Sanditon and his marriage. As Lady Denham falls gravely ill Edward and Clara enter into a scandalous arrangement to finally get their hands on her inheritance. Charlotte begins to see Sidney in a new light, and vice versa. | ||||||
| 7 | Episode 7 | Charles Sturridge | Justin Young | 6 October 2019 | 3.87 | |
|
As the Sanditon summer regatta approaches, Sidney wrestles with his feelings towards an old flame, and Young Stringer reveals his feelings to Charlotte. With Lady Denham at death's door, the tensions between Edward, Clara and Esther finally come to a head - with surprising consequences. | ||||||
| 8 | Episode 8 | Charles Sturridge | Andrew Davies | 13 October 2019 | TBC | |
|
On the night of the Midsummer Ball, romantic interests are resolved. However, the fate of Sanditon is in the balance when events conspire to leave Charlotte and the Parker family facing down impossible choices. | ||||||
Production
A lot of the Sanditon scenes were filmed in Somerset including the seaside towns of Clevedon, Brean and Weston Super Mare. Dyrham Park near Bath, Somerset was used as the location for Sanditon House. The majority of interior filming took place on interior and exterior sets built at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol.[3]
Critical reception
Critical reception has been mixed.
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2019) |
[4] Some UK media outlets reported that viewers were shocked at the depictions of sex and nudity in the opening episode, considering it to be untrue to the works of Jane Austen.[5]
Many viewers were upset with the final episode for ending in an unusual and very “un-Austenlike” manner due to it not having a happy ending which many viewers said Austen would have liked as she has a happy ending in all of her stories.[6][7]
References
- ^ "When is Sanditon on TV? Who's in the cast and what's it about?". Radio Times.
- ^ "Four-screen dashboard (based on 28-day data) - BARB". www.barb.co.uk. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
- ^ Duffy, Nick. "Where is Sanditon filmed? Filming locations for the Jane Austen adaptation".
- ^ "Sanditon: Series 1".
- ^ "Sanditon sex scene shocks Jane Austen fans as ITV adaptation premieres". Digital Spy. 25 August 2019.
- ^ Midgley, Carol (14 October 2019). "Celebrity Hunted review — how to understand Boris: Just watch his father".
- ^ "Andrew Davies gave Austen a touch of reality with ITV's Sanditon – and I'm much vexed".
External links
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