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

[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...

[mme-hardy.livejournal.com]

I read most of the novels of Hardy at that age. My commiserations.