'The Forsyte Saga', made in 1967, and one of the last programmes to be filmed in black and white, is part of television legend. On its first showing in the UK it gripped the nation and even made a recorded impact on the National Grid (one which has been a benchmark ever since).
Based on a series of books by John Galsworthy, and set over a period of more than 30 years, the tale follows a family of property, the Forsytes, and their trials and tribulations during the Victorian age, the Edwardian age, the First World War, the Great Strike of 1926, and other milestones. It covers new industry, the art world, the smart set, the world of politics and boardrooms, the legal profession, and the status of servants, all in a bottom-numbing 26 hours, should you watch it all in one go.
Beautifully scripted and directed, and daring not just for its own time but in all television (with Soames rape of Irene), this finely cast drama lives up to its well-deserved reputation. Kenneth More as Jo and Eric Porter as Soames stand out in a cast who complement each other perfectly. There are no wrong notes and no weak moments throughout the saga.
As regards Galsworthy's books, the writers do an admirable job of filling them out with appropriate dialogue and in setting the scene so perfectly you can almost imagine yourself in middle-class England when people still stood for the Queen and refused to serve a court notice on a woman. In the three generations of the central Forsyte branch (old Jolyon, Jo, and his sons Jolly and Jon) we see a changing world with changing priorities ... while in the relationship between Soames and Irene we get a chance to feel sympathy, empathy, and change our perspective as the series progresses.
A wonderful series, presented on DVD in a beautiful transfer with lots of extras from the time (such as Cliff Michelmore on 'Talkback' and sections from 'Late Night Line Up').
Based on a series of books by John Galsworthy, and set over a period of more than 30 years, the tale follows a family of property, the Forsytes, and their trials and tribulations during the Victorian age, the Edwardian age, the First World War, the Great Strike of 1926, and other milestones. It covers new industry, the art world, the smart set, the world of politics and boardrooms, the legal profession, and the status of servants, all in a bottom-numbing 26 hours, should you watch it all in one go.
Beautifully scripted and directed, and daring not just for its own time but in all television (with Soames rape of Irene), this finely cast drama lives up to its well-deserved reputation. Kenneth More as Jo and Eric Porter as Soames stand out in a cast who complement each other perfectly. There are no wrong notes and no weak moments throughout the saga.
As regards Galsworthy's books, the writers do an admirable job of filling them out with appropriate dialogue and in setting the scene so perfectly you can almost imagine yourself in middle-class England when people still stood for the Queen and refused to serve a court notice on a woman. In the three generations of the central Forsyte branch (old Jolyon, Jo, and his sons Jolly and Jon) we see a changing world with changing priorities ... while in the relationship between Soames and Irene we get a chance to feel sympathy, empathy, and change our perspective as the series progresses.
A wonderful series, presented on DVD in a beautiful transfer with lots of extras from the time (such as Cliff Michelmore on 'Talkback' and sections from 'Late Night Line Up').