ITV have announced an upcoming new drama based on Jane Austen's final, incomplete novel, which is being brought to television for the very first time in the exciting new adaptation. The eight-part miniseries will be written by Andrew Davies, who adapted Colin Firth's Pride and Prejudice for TV, and ITV's head of drama, Polly Hill, said: "It's a rich, romantic, family saga built upon the foundations Jane Austen laid. There is no one better to adapt her unfinished novel than Andrew who has an incredible track record for bold and original adaptations."
© Photo: Getty ImagesWill you be tuning in?
Andrew said: "Jane Austen managed to write only a fragment of her last novel before she died - but what a fragment! Sanditontells the story of the transformation of a sleepy fishing village into a fashionable seaside resort, with a spirited young heroine, a couple of entrepreneurial brothers, some dodgy financial dealings, a West Indian heiress, and quite a bit of nude bathing. It's been a privilege and a thrill for me to develop Sanditon into a TV drama for a modern audience."
What is Jane Austen's final novel about?
The incomplete novel follows Charlotte Heywood, an impulsive and unconventional character, and her relationship with the charming Sidney Parker, after an accident sends her from her rural hometown to the seaside town of Sanditon, where characters' fortunes depend on the commercial success of the coastal resort. The adaptation will take viewers from the West Indies to London, but will have the classic Austen theme of finding true love.
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When will the series be released?
Fans of Jane Austen will have quite the while to wait for the new series, since production is due to begin in Spring 2019 and has yet to be cast. Speaking about the series, RED Planet Pictures' Executive Producer, Belinda Campbell, said: "Sanditon's themes of class divide, ambition, power play and matters of the heart are as relevant today as they were in the early 19th century and we can't wait to bring this incredible adaptation to life for ITV audiences to enjoy."
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