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The Forsyte Saga

1967

Seasons & Episodes

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EP1 A Family Festival Jan 07, 1967

The elder generation of Forsytes gather at Uncle Timothy's to exchange gossip about two of the younger members of the family: James's daughter Winifred is engaged to the charming but financially questionable Montague Dartie, while Jolyon's married son, Jo, commits adultery with the Austrian governess, Helene. Old Jo overhears the gossip at Winifred's wedding, while Helene has bittersweet news for Young Jo: they are going to have a child.

EP2 A Family Scandal Jan 14, 1967

Young Jo’s decision to divorce his wife to live with Helene and their child shocks the family, and causes Old Jo to adjust his will in favor of his granddaughter June. Elsewhere, stuffy lawyer Soames Forsyte is enchanted with young but penniless Irene Herrin, whose ethereal beauty will be the catalyst for much of the series.

EP3 The Pursuit of Happiness Jan 21, 1967

Two sons are born. Winifred and her profligate husband Monty must appeal to her father James to ease Monty’s debts, as Winifred gives birth to her son, Val. The accidental death of Young Jo’s first wife allows Jo and Helene to legally marry. Helene gives birth to the third generation of Jolyon Forsytes, nicknamed Jolly, while Old Jo assumes parental authority over granddaughter June. Soames methodically and relentlessly pursues an unwilling Irene, who finally accepts his marriage proposal, but with one condition: that he release her from the marriage if they are not happy. Their wedding night sets the stage for despair ahead.

EP4 Dinner at Swithin's Jan 28, 1967

Several years have passed, and the family is abuzz over the engagement of young June Forsyte to bohemian architect Phillip Bosinney. June’s best friend and confidante, Irene, endures an icy marriage to Soames, but sexual sparks fly when she and Bosinney meet. In the poorer part of town, Helene’s extreme guilt over keeping Jo from his daughter June is making her ill, while the estranged Old and Young Jo take tentative steps toward reconciliation.

EP5 A Man of Property Feb 04, 1967

Winifred’s spendthrift husband Monty continues to rack up debts, while Soames has bigger marital problems. Attempting to improve his disastrous marriage, Soames engages Bosinney to build a mansion for Irene at Robin Hill, a country estate far removed from London. June suspects what Soames does not, that a powerful attraction exists between Irene and Bosinney. The attraction ignites a sexual liaison. Meanwhile, Old Jo surprises his son and Helene at their modest home, and attempts to mend the rift in the family. Young Jo astounds his relatives by attending the funeral of the eldest Forsyte, Aunt Ann.

EP6 Decisions Feb 11, 1967

As the affair between Irene and Bosinney becomes more and more public, Soames threatens legal action against the architect regarding cost overruns at Robin Hill. June hides her confusion with stubborn allegiance to Bosinney, while, enraged and frustrated, Soames violently asserts his marital rights.

EP7 Into the Dark Feb 18, 1967

A thick fog envelops London, masking tragedy. Irene waits to run away with Bosinney, who is driven to distraction when hearing the news of Irene's rape. The next day, the Forsyte men gather en masse to support Soames, as the case of Forsyte vs. Bosinney is heard in court. The defendant is nowhere to be found, and he loses the case. June begs Old Jo to save Bosinney by purchasing the house at Robin Hill, now finished but empty. Brothers Old Jo and James, and their sons Young Jo and Soames, gather at the morgue to identify a man who was run down by a carriage in the fog; it is Bosinney.

EP8 Indian Summer of a Forsyte Feb 25, 1967

Distraught, destitute, and alone, Irene returns to Soames for one last night, then deserts him for good. Four years later, Jolyon and his family have settled into the house at Robin Hill. While the others are in Spain, Old Jo comes upon a melancholy Irene, sitting in the copse and remembering her love for Bosinney. A gentle friendship blooms between the old man and the fallen woman. Jolyon dies peacefully, but not before leaving a surprise in his will: a bequest for Irene.

EP9 In Chancery Mar 04, 1967

Eight more years pass, during which Helene dies and June, now financially independent, strikes out on her own. Monty continues his profligate ways, stealing Winifred’s pearls and sailing for Buenos Aires with a Brazilian dancer. On the advice of her brother Soames, Winifred begins divorce proceedings, regretting that the scandal may affect her son Val, now at Oxford. Young Jo’s daughter, Holly, meets Val, and an attraction is sparked. Meanwhile, Soames meets Annette, a young French woman who would welcome a wealthy husband. Determined to remarry and have a son, Soames seeks out Irene, looking for grounds for divorce.

EP10 The Challenge Mar 11, 1967

The South African Boer War creates anxiety for James, while Winifred and Soames attempt to extricate themselves from their marriages. Soames hires a private investigator to follow Irene, in hopes of gathering evidence for a divorce. Irene flees to Paris, where Jo joins her and begins to fall in love. Back home, Val and Holly continue their romance, despite Holly’s brother Jolly, who despises Val and challenges him to join him to fight in the Boer War. Soon Jo is summoned back to Robin Hill: Jolly is headed to South Africa.

EP11 In the Web Mar 18, 1967

Investigators shadowing Irene in Paris detect her growing affection for Jo, and gather enough evidence to proceed with Soames’s divorce. Val and Holly secretly become engaged, while Monty returns from Argentina, burnt out and broken. Against family advice, Winifred takes her wayward husband back. The Boer War galvanizes Uncle Timothy, and Val, Jolly, Holly, and June all head to South Africa to participate.

EP12 Birth of a Forsyte Feb 25, 1967

Queen Victoria’s isn’t the only death in this episode which also includes births, marriages, and divorce. Young Jolly dies in South Africa, while his sister Holly and Val Dartie marry and decide to remain there. Soames’s divorce is granted, uncontested, and he hurries to marry Annette and sire a son. His cousin Jo beats him to the punch when he marries Irene, who gives birth to their own son, Jon. On James’s deathbed, Soames tells a bold lie to allow his father to die in peace. Annette’s pregnancy is a difficult one; she can have no more children. Soames is introduced to the newest Forsyte, his one and only child, Fleur.

EP13 Encounter Apr 01, 1967

Twenty years have passed (the Great War slips by here) as the third generation of Forsytes takes center stage. Jon has grown into an earnest and naive young man who decides to train as a farmer at Holly and Val’s horse farm in Surrey. Fleur has become an impetuous, beautiful, thoroughly spoiled young woman. A chance meeting at June’s art gallery sets the stage for the relationship which will affect the remainder of the series. Fleur manipulates a visit to Holly and Val’s, where she and Jon become infatuated. Aware that a feud exists between their families, but ignorant of the specifics, they promise to hold onto their love forever.

EP14 Conflict Apr 08, 1967

The elder Forsytes continue to hide the details of the family feud from Jon and Fleur. Michael Mont, the perky son of a baronet, courts Fleur and gains the respect of Soames, while Jo hides his ill health from Irene. Belgian profligate Profond discovers the truth behind the feud, courtesy of Forsyte cousin George. He begins an affair with Annette, and drops a bombshell on Fleur: her father was once married to Jon’s mother.

EP15 To Let Apr 15, 1967

The annual cricket match between Eton and Harrow facilitates awkward encounters. Fleur scrambles to get Jon to the altar before he learns the truth behind the family feud. Before he dies, Jo finally tells Jon the entire story of his mother’s first marriage, her adultery, and her rape. Jon chooses Irene over Fleur, and they plan to move abroad, as Fleur, rejected and hurt, finds comfort from Michael Mont.

EP16 A Family Wedding Apr 22, 1967

Jon and Irene relocate to Canada. On the rebound, Fleur marries Michael Mont, who assumes narration of the series. Two years and more pass, during which a new cast of characters arrives on the scene. Michael’s father Sir Lawrence (“Bart”) invites Soames to join the board of directors of an insurance company, where Soames is suspicious of the managing director, Elderson. Poor guttersnipe Bicket is sacked from his position at Michael’s publishing house, and is forced to sell balloons on the street to support his ailing wife, Victorine. Fleur flirts dangerously with Michael’s best friend, moody poet Wilfred Desert.

EP17 The White Monkey Apr 29, 1967

Wilfred confesses his love of Fleur to Michael, as Soames lobbies for a grandchild. The board of directors is slow to act, while Elderson’s subordinate Butterfield confirms Soames’s suspicions. Without her husband’s knowledge, Victorine Bicket agrees to pose nude for artist Aubrey Greene.

EP18 Afternoon of a Dryad Mar 06, 1967

As Michael is tortured by the thought that Fleur may be interested in Wilfred, he encounters June, who lets slip some family history: Fleur was on the rebound from her first great love when she married Michael. All negative thoughts are buried, however, when at long last, Fleur becomes pregnant. Elderson cans Butterfield for confiding in Soames, who feels guilty enough to secure a new job for Butterfield at Michael’s firm. Meanwhile, Victorine’s modeling has brought in enough money for the Bickets to immigrate to Australia, but not before Tony sees the nude portrait of his wife hanging in a gallery.

EP19 No Retreat May 13, 1967

Both Michael and Tony address issues of trust in their marriages. The Bickets leave the squalor of their London slum in favor of a new life in Australia. Elderson admits his larceny, then flees the country, leaving Soames and Bart facing charges at a contentious stock holders’ meeting. Holly makes a tentative move of friendship toward Fleur, who gives birth to a son, Kit.

EP20 A Silent Wooing May 20, 1967

The scene shifts briefly to the Carolinas, where Jon and Irene are guests of young Ann Wilmot and her brother Francis. A gentle romance blooms, and Jon marries Ann. Back in London, Michael is now a member of Parliament and is anxious to advance a new social program called Fogartism. Fleur busies herself throwing fashionable parties and entertaining the visiting Francis Wilmot. At one such affair, society flapper Marjorie Ferrar’s catty remarks about her hostess are overheard by Soames, who causes a scene by ejecting her from the house. The incident snowballs into a libel threat against Fleur.

EP21 Action for Libel May 27, 1967

Marjorie Ferrar’s threats of libel action against Fleur are meant to extract money and a public apology, but Soames contrives to turn the tables and prove Marjorie guilty of immorality. American Francis Wilmot is torn between loyalty to Fleur and infatuation with Marjorie, who strings him along while secretly engaged to Sir Alexander McGowan, a hotheaded member of Parliament. Sir Alex heckles Michael’s maiden speech to the House introducing Fogartism, and a bathroom brawl follows. While Francis suffers with pneumonia, Fleur and Marjorie refuse to settle their differences.

EP22 The Silver Spoon Jun 03, 1967

Michael and Fleur drift further apart as last ditch efforts to settle the libel case fail, and Ferrar vs. Mont is heard in court. The episode is dominated by the bruising cross-examination of Marjorie by Fleur’s attorney, who reveals the plaintiff’s true views on morality, views secretly shared by the Monts. A settlement is reached, but at great cost: Fleur and Michael are ostracized, while Marjorie becomes the victimized belle of the ball.

EP23 Strike Jun 10, 1967

Social fallout from the Ferrar case drives Fleur and Soames on a trip around the world. Michael joins them in Washington, DC, at the very moment when Irene, Jon, and Ann arrive. Soames narrowly averts a close encounter. Back in England, the General Strike of 1926 creates challenges and opportunities. Stainford, a down-and-out school chum of Val's, visits Winifred and pinches an antique snuffbox. Fleur runs a canteen for workers, as Jon and his family return to England for good. Michael seeks specifics about the family feud from June, while Fleur plans a chance meeting with Jon.

EP24 Afternoon at Ascot Jun 17, 1967

June lobbies for Soames to commission a portrait of Fleur. Michael buries himself in social work, but cannot mask his anxiety regarding his marriage. Likewise, Ann fears she is no match for Jon’s first true love, Fleur. Stainford appears at Val’s, asking for a hand-out, and is seen lurking around Val’s prized racehorse. Fleur subtly manipulates circumstances to continually run into Jon, who has trouble resisting her coy advances.

EP25 Portrait of Fleur Jun 24, 1967

This moody episode illuminates Fleur’s restlessness, and Soames’s feelings of mortality. Looking toward the future, Soames installs young Butterfield in his law office to oversee Forsyte affairs, and alerts Fleur where he wishes to be buried. June’s current protege finishes a portrait of Ann, and begins separate pictures of Jon and Fleur. Holly asks Irene to settle with them, while Val deals with Stainford’s newest con, involving forgery.

EP26 Swan Song Jul 01, 1967

The final episode of the series begins with an adulterous consummation, and ends in death. Jon succumbs to Fleur's seduction and immediately regrets his infidelity to his wife, Ann. It's apparent that Fleur will never give up, so Irene intercepts her at June's studio. Giving her a look at what the future will hold, she then drops a bombshell: Ann is pregnant with Jon's child. Soames advises a distraught Michael to stay the course, while Fleur must face the loss of Jon forever. A fire in Soames's picture gallery causes him a fatal injury, and as Fleur and Michael gingerly reconcile, Soames takes his final breath.
8.5| 0h30m| NR| en
Synopsis

The Forsyte Saga is a 1967 BBC television adaptation of John Galsworthy's series of The Forsyte Saga novels, and its sequel trilogy A Modern Comedy. The series follows the fortunes of the upper middle class Forsyte family, and stars Eric Porter as Soames, Kenneth More as Young Jolyon and Nyree Dawn Porter as Irene. It was adapted for television and produced by Donald Wilson and was originally shown in twenty-six episodes on Saturday evenings between 7 January and 1 July 1967 on BBC2, at a time when only a small proportion of the population had television sets able to receive this channel. It was therefore the repeat on Sunday evenings on BBC1 starting on 8 September 1968 that secured the programme's success with 18 million tuning in for the final episode in 1969. It was shown in the United States on public television and broadcast all over the world, and became the first BBC television series to be sold to the Soviet Union.

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Reviews

Ameriatch One of the best films i have seen
SteinMo What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.
Twilightfa Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.
Scotty Burke It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review
didi-5 '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').
frog1384 This 1967 adaptation of Galsworthy is presented in the grand old style of Masterpiece Theatre and is riveting despite its length. At 26 hours, it can afford to spin out the tale in a rather leisurely fashion, thus providing us with a richer and deeper insight into the characters than the more curtailed 2003 version. But it never seems boring. Casting is strong with the possible exception of Irene, played mechanically by Nyree Dawn Porter, who seems more like a Barbie doll than a real woman. The young Susan Hampshire is a delight when she finally arrives on the scene.
overseer-3 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.
MAUDE-8 The series is a marvelous treat. I watched it twice in the 1960s, when my local public television station ran it twice back-to-back. I have since watched it twice again; I found it on video. So I wanted people to know that it is now available.

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