La dynastie des Forsyte

I was absolutely delighted to have an opportunity recently to see the original `Forsyte Saga' on the ‘Ovation' channel on cable TV in Australia.

Forget the recent remake and after about ten minutes you'll certainly forget that this is thirty-odd years old and made in black and white. Maybe its high-class soap opera but even so its all class.

Truly a saga spanning four or five generations, the story is dominated by Eric Porter's Soames, the cold venal rapist who eventually commands our grudging respect and the truly beautiful Irene played by Nyree Dawn Porter, Soames' victim who later finds love. And then there's Susan Hampshire's pretty but totally selfish Fleur, drawing you eye whenever she's on-screen. Incidentally, Nicholas Pennell plays Fleur's husband as if he was Wilfred Hyde-White in My Fair Lady! There are many other major characters, all well portrayed and you'll really care what happens to them.

Even the make-up of the two Porters is worth a word of praise as they age convincingly.

A minor criticism I could make is the rather eccentric recording of the sound. The dialogue level soars and drops as if the microphones were concealed in flowerpots like the early talkies. Doors slam loudly and there are unidentified knocks and bangs in the background.

See this masterpiece of television if you can, I don't think it has been bettered.

Please, oh please, watch this original b/w 1967 British version of The Forsyte Saga instead of the 2002 mini-series. You cannot compare the two; the modern version has terrible casting, lacks charm, and has a terrible script. The actors in that version try but do not reflect the authenticity of the characters in this Galsworthy classic. This 1967 version in contrast has perfect casting, a completely amazing script, multi-dimensional characters, why even the house at Robin Hill is more gorgeous in the original version! The DVD box set you can purchase off Amazon is well worth the price. Buy it before it goes out of print. Do yourself a favor and enjoy this sirloin steak version, instead of the 2002 chopped liver disaster.

`The Forsyte Saga' was a landmark in the history of television, not just in the UK, but globally. It was apparently the first miniseries to be produced anywhere. It was produced in part to start up the BBC's highbrow BBC2 channel. It was the BBC's most ambitious and expensive series up to that time. It was also the BBC's last major production in black and white, although plenty of color publicity stills were shot for it and BBC2 was intended to inaugurate color television in Britain. The series was originally aired in early 1967 on BBC2, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of author John Galsworthy's birth. It was so popular that it was quickly repeated on the more popular BBC1 channel. The series' popularity was phenomenal. The entire country seemed to rearrange its collective schedule around the show and the streets were empty when it was on. In the following years, the BBC would produce a slew of other period piece miniseries such as `The Six Wives of Henry VIII' and `Elizabeth R.' Britain's commercial network, Independent Television (ITV), got into the act with works like `Upstairs, Downstairs.'

`The Forsyte Saga' was exported and had a major impact abroad. Networks in other countries were soon producing their own period miniseries. `The Forsyte Saga' was the first television series from a Western country to be shown in the Soviet Union.

`The Forsyte Saga' was first shown in the United States in 1969 on the National Educational Television (NET) network and was its first prime time hit. It was repeated on NET's successor, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), which was soon importing and airing similar series under the `Masterpiece Theatre' banner. A few years later, the commercial networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) were busy producing their own period miniseries like `Rich Man, Poor Man' and `Once An Eagle.'

`The Forsyte Saga' had a profound influence on the careers of its cast. It greatly boosted the fortunes of Eric Porter, Nyree Dawn Porter, and Margaret Tyzack, made Susan Hampshire the uncrowned queen of BBC2, and gave Michael York and Martin Jarvis their big breaks. The series gave Kenneth More his best role during the long and inexplicable twilight of his career. On the other hand, June Barry, Dalia Penn, and Nicholas Pennell all had prominent parts in the series, but were little seen in subsequent years.

In fact, the same can be said about the series itself. `The Forsyte Saga' hasn't been aired in the Washington, D.C., area in 20 or more years and is currently not available in this country on video or DVD. Its importance in television history is great and undisputed, but it's now spoken about more than seen.

The entire Forsyte Saga written between 1906 and 1933 (last 2 books were published after his death) earned John Galsworthy his Nobel prize. The version that the BBC produced is true to the story and the characters. Eric Porter's Soames is brilliant. Nyree Dawn Porter, who I never saw again, brings quintisential elegance to the role of Irene. Kenneth More plays Jolyon to the hilt. The remaining cast is solid and binds the 26 hours of TV history together as well.

This program was the forerunner of the extended series. It broke new ground and captivated audiences at the time. The BBC version was based on 6 of the 9 books. That is OK, since the last three books extend the story to relations of the main Forsyte characters.

It is available on video. However the video is PAL format and you need to get it converted to NTSC. (If interested in the details of this please e-mail to me. I do not sell or convert the tapes but I'll tell you how.)

There also is a set of 9 Audio Tapes where the entire book is read by David Case (Books on Tape). Mr. Case does a truly excellent job in bringing every character to life.

I recommend that you get the family tree prior to reading, listening, or viewing the tapes.

This is a real treat to those that like Victorian/Edwardian period pieces.

You'll enjoy

To my knowledge this series was the first of its kind, and established the style and tone for all the programs which the term "Masterpiece Theater" now stands for. It is a mystery to me why it seems to have been forgotten completely, and why videos of the series are not available. Its successor, "Upstairs, Downstairs" seems to have usurped The Forsyte Saga's rightful place as the favorite high-toned soaper. Because it was the first, it should be honored for that reason alone.