The Forsyte Saga, as seen on TV (2002)

[mme_hardy]

 The plot so far:

Jolyon's Wife:  You are messing with the governess.
Jolyon [Rupert Graves]:  I am not messing with the governess.  But now you mention it...
(mad snog)
Jolyon: I AM messing with the governess, and in fact I'm leaving with her.  You can keep the kid!  Toodles!
Jolyon's Wife: ...

Random Sister:  I am going to marry this gorgeous cad with no money!
All the other Forsytes:  Hmmm.
Daddy Forsyte:  Should I give her some money?
Damian Lewis's eyebrows:  Hell, no.

Time passes.
Jolyon:  I have grown a large beard and wear a floppy tie.  I am  a happy living-in-sin artist, and we're about to have a lust-baby.   Can I have money?
Damian Lewis:  Hell, no.

Pretty girl:  Is at musicalw.
Damien:  Tex Avery Wolf double-take.
Pretty girl:  Is Irene.  Is very poor.  Lives with stepmother.
Damien:  Hubbba hubba bow-wow.
Irene: ...
Damien: Follows Irene to Bournemouth.   Stalks Irene.  Chews on Irene's wrist at a garden party.  No, really.
Damien:  Bow chikka wow-wow marry me.
Irene:  I don't like you and you are a Philistine.  Nope.
Irene's Stepmom:  Marry him or starve.
Irene:  Okay, Damien, I'll marry you, but you have to know that (A) I do not love you and (B) you have to let me screw around if I don't start loving you.
Damien: (wolf goggle eyes, bow chikka wow-wow, hump hump)  I'm sorry, did you say something?

Time passes.
Jolyon:  Is still poor and has a child and two-thirds.
Jolyon's wife:  Look!  Here is a newspaper!  It announces your wife's death!  Wow, you really are on bad terms with the family!
Jolyon:  Now we can get married!  Yay!

Sister who didn't marry money:  Is very happy and having lots of sex.  Talks about sex ALL THE TIME.
Rest of Forsyte family:  Eyeroll.

Damien: Bow chikka wow-wow hump hump.
Irene:  Are you through yet?

Jolyon's daughter by first marriage:  Gets engaged.
Fiance:  Sees Irene.  
Fiance:  Bow chikka wow-wow.

END OF EPISODE ONE.

I can see that there is no way that any of this could end badly.    Have any of you read the books?  Does the prose make up for the oncoming FREIGHT TRAIN OF MISERY?

Comments

[legionseagle]

Have we had the rape and throwing downstairs bit yet?

Channeling Arthur Knapp-Shappey

[nanila]

I've never read the books and thus have no idea, but your summary is brilliant.

[nineveh_uk]

It never gets less miserable and Gina McKee, of whom I am otherwise a great admirer, never gets less miscast. But I still enjoyed it.
I have the books and have so far only dipped in, but the prose is pretty good

[ironed_orchid]

I remember seeing bits of the 80s version. But I don't remember enough.

[tigerflower]

I read all the books a very long time ago, under the following circumstances: they were the only English-language books in a tiny hostel on the Baltic Sea, and I had a terrific case of the flu. What you describe sounds only slightly less fulminant than what I remember.

[lilysea]

I watched the recent BBC version, and no, it goes from some misery to more misery to even more misery.

Your summary amused me, thank you. ^_^

[kore]

Whoah, they remade this? I remember my parents struggling through it on PBS loooooong ago.

I don't think I've ever read them, or didn't get very far into the books if I did, but I think maybe the series is not considered Galsworthy's Best?.....never mind, since even a cursory glance at Wiki confirms 1) I did not know he won the Nobel or much else about him because 2) I was mixing him up with George Gissing somehow. Need more coffee.

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

I read and enjoyed the book (though long enough ago that I couldn't discuss plot specifics with any good recall), but misery is its business.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Brilliant! I had to read this dog in high school. (Goddesses know why.). Your precis is a vast improvement. And hilarious.

Nine

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

the prose makes the above look like Shakespeare. It is the most male gazey of saga soaps.

[melusinehr.livejournal.com]

I have read the book AND seen the series (though not since it aired). Your summary is excellent. More, please!

There is definitely misery a plenty, but it's more comparable to Forster-style misery than Flaubertian misery (if that comparison is at all useful). I'd say the prose is Forster-lite, actually. I've read it twice; it's not what I'd call a favorite, but I liked it.

[auriaephiala.livejournal.com]

I read the entire 9-book series when I was 13, which was quite a while ago, and I haven't read them since. Your summary seems accurate enough so far...

[irontongue.livejournal.com]

Oh hahaha.

You might also check out the 1967 black & white TV version of the Saga. It is in many more episodes and has a more leisurely pace. Also, no sneering Damien Lewis.