Two familiar Tameside names are behind Channel 5’s next big period drama, The Forsytes, a sweeping new reimagining of John Galsworthy’s Forsyte Saga that promises scandal, romance, and family intrigue set against the backdrop of Victorian England.
The highly anticipated series, written and executive produced by Debbie Horsfield of Stalybridge and starring Broadbottom-born actor Millie Gibson as free-spirited dancer Irene Heron, debuts on Monday 20th October at 9pm.
Inspired by Galsworthy’s celebrated novels, The Forsytes follows four generations of an upper-class family of stockbrokers as they grapple with questions of love, loyalty, and legacy. Tradition collides with progress as the family’s younger members rebel against rigid expectations, while their elders cling tightly to reputation and control.
Horsfield, best known for BBC One’s Poldark, brings her trademark blend of passion, politics, and family drama to this sumptuous period piece. Speaking to the Tameside Reporter, she said she was drawn to revisiting Galsworthy’s world because of its rich emotional themes and untold female perspectives.
“The books are amazing, but they’re very much written from a male perspective,” Horsfield explained. “The women are often shadowy figures. I wanted to explore their inner worlds - their motivations, their secrets - and give them equal space to the men.”
Horsfield’s version not only delves deeper into the emotional complexities of characters like Soames and Jolyon Forsyte but also reimagines the women who orbit them from society wives to “fallen” women struggling to forge independence in a restrictive era.
“It’s not about pushing women to the forefront,” Horsfield said. “It’s about balance - giving them the same depth, nuance, and contradictions as the men. Every character here faces the same dilemma: do you follow your heart, or do your duty?”
The show’s first episode, previewed at a special Channel 5 screening, has already impressed early viewers for its fast-paced storytelling, lavish costumes, and striking period detail.
Gibson, who attended Blue Coat school in Oldham and rose to fame in Coronation Street and most recently appeared in Doctor Who, takes on one of the show’s most enigmatic roles as Irene Heron, a young woman whose beauty and independence captivate Soames Forsyte, played by Australian actor Joshua Orpin (Titans).
“Irene is ethereal,” Gibson said. “She’s grown up bohemian, she speaks French, she’s passionate and fiery - a total contrast to Soames’ rigid world. That’s what draws him in.”
To prepare for Irene’s background as a ballet dancer, Gibson trained with professionals from the Royal Ballet.
“Ballet was considered scandalous at the time because dancers were seen as improper,” she said. “I had a lot of ballet lessons before filming - my first scene was on stage in Paris, which was surreal! The Royal Ballet dancers were amazing and made me feel so at home.”
The actress also praised her co-star Orpin for bringing sensitivity to a complex character often painted as possessive and cold.
“Josh is such a generous actor. He makes Soames endearing and intriguing which makes their relationship even more heartbreaking. You want to root for him, even when he lets you down.”
Gibson’s Irene becomes a flashpoint for the Forsyte family, challenging their views on class, womanhood, and propriety. Her friendship with the rebellious June and her uneasy alliance with matriarch Ann Forsyte bring depth to a story already brimming with social tension.
The show’s design team, led by production designer Dafydd Shurmer and costume designer Nic Ede, have recreated late-Victorian life with meticulous attention to detail. Gibson credits the wardrobe and hair departments for helping her step into Irene’s world, quite literally from the moment she donned her red wig, nicknamed “Ophelia.”
“Every time I put the wig on, I was Irene,” she laughed. “It completely transformed me.”
For Horsfield, The Forsytes represents both a tribute to Galsworthy’s vision and a bold reimagining for modern audiences.
“It’s about the eternal tension between progress and tradition, between love and obligation,” she said. “And it’s about how every generation inherits not just wealth or privilege, but the secrets and traumas of the ones before.”
With its stellar cast, stunning visuals, and a script steeped in emotion and social insight, The Forsytes looks set to be another hit for Channel 5’s growing line-up of prestige drama, and a proud moment for local talent both in front of and behind the camera.
The Forsytes airs on Channel 5, Monday 20th October at 9pm.
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