| Genre: | Historical Drama |
| Developer: | Andrew Davies |
| Composer: | Ruth Barrett |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 3 |
| Num Episodes: | 20 |
| List Episodes: |
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| Runtime: | 60 minutes |
| Company: | Red Planet Pictures |
| Network: | Britbox PBS ITV |
Sanditon is a British historical drama television series adapted by Andrew Davies from an unfinished manuscript by Jane Austen and starring Rose Williams, Crystal Clarke, Theo James, and Ben Lloyd-Hughes. Set during the Regency era, the plot follows a young and naive heroine as she navigates the new seaside resort of Sanditon.
Due to the unfinished nature of the novel, the original work was used for the majority of the first episode, and then Davies used the developed characters to complete the story.[1] The novel is 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, amounting to eleven chapters together with part of a twelfth.[2]
The series first aired on ITV in the United Kingdom on 25 August 2019 in eight parts, and in the United States on 12 January 2020 on PBS, which supported the production as part of its Masterpiece anthology. A second and third series were commissioned in May 2021, as part of a collaboration between PBS and BritBox, with ITV acquiring the series for later linear broadcast (i.e., broadcast programming; compare, OTT).[3]
A chance accident brings Charlotte Heywood to Sanditon, a seaside resort on the cusp of dramatic change. Spirited and unconventional, Charlotte is initially keen to experience everything the town has to offer but is then shocked by its scheming and ambitious inhabitants and intrigued by the secrets they share. When Charlotte is tactlessly forthright about the family of enthusiastic entrepreneur Tom Parker, she immediately clashes with his handsome but wild younger brother Sidney. Amidst the rival suitors and unexpected danger, can Charlotte and Sidney see past each other's flaws and find love?
Nine months on from Charlotte's dramatic exit from Sanditon, the seaside town is growing in popularity and brimming with lively characters, romance and intrigue. Charlotte soon attracts the attention of two new suitors, while Georgiana Lambe is determined to get up to mischief in the name of love. Tom Parker strives to rebuild Sanditon, while the secrets and lies of the dysfunctional Denhams continue to rock the foundations of Sanditon.
Accompanied by her new fiance, Charlotte returns to a now thriving Sanditon. It is Georgiana's 21st birthday, and while a lavish party awaits, an awkward reunion between Charlotte and Alexander Colbourne raises old feelings and new questions. And it is not all celebration for Georgiana, who is called on to meet a startling new challenge but finds support from unlikely sources.
Series (Season) 2 and 3 were commissioned by the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) for its Masterpiece anthology series. Season 2 premiered on 20 March 2022 in the US and Series 2 was broadcast from 22 July 2022 in the UK.
Many 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 the location for Sanditon House. The bridge at Iford Manor was used in the first episode.[4] Most of the interior filming was on interior and exterior sets built at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol.[5]
Before the first series premiered in the United States, ITV cancelled it in December 2019.[6] With the help of Masterpiece (PBS) and fans of the show, Sanditon was able to fundraise enough money to continue the series. Series two was announced to be released on 20 March 2022, followed by a third series.[7] Three main actors from series one, Theo James, Mark Stanley, and Leo Suter had all moved on to new projects and did not return for series two.[8]
With Theo James’ (Sidney Parker) departure from the series, new cast members were announced, with Rose Williams reprising her role as Charlotte Heywood. Series 2 began filming in July 2021.[9] Season 2 premiered on PBS on March 20, 2022 and Series 2 aired on ITV on 22 July 2022. Season 3 premiered on PBS on March 19, 2023.
Critical reception has been mixed. 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.[10] Many viewers critiqued the ending as unusual and very "un-Austen-like". Viewers claimed Austen would have liked a happy ending for all the characters, as she has happy endings in all of her stories; however, this could have been a set up for a second series.[11] [12] [13] Series 2 has had a generally positive reception.[14]