The New 'Sanditon' Trailer Promises Romance and Intrigue

Leo Suter and Rose Williams in "Sanditon" (Photo:  Courtesy of Photographer: Simon Ridgway/© Red Planet Pictures / ITV 2019)

As the U.S. premiere of Jane Austen drama Sanditon creeps closer, PBS has released a trailer that showcases the series' beautiful setting, spunky new heroine, and hints of romance. 

Based on the eleven existing chapters of Austen's unfinished final novel of the same name, Sanditon tells the story of Charlotte Heywood, a "farmer's daughter who reads books" that trades in her small rural hometown for life in this up and coming seaside resort village

The new teaser features several sweeping views of the gorgeous countryside and multiple meaningful glances between a variety of possible couples - Charlotte herself meets not one, but two, attractive and apparently eligible men. And Last Tango in Halfax star Anne Reid steals the show as Lady Denton, a character who feels almost as though she's been created solely to be the subject of GIFs and memes about the show. A rich woman who achieved her status by marrying well, Lady Denton is clearly meant to be the Dowager Countess of this particular series. (I'm not even entirely upset about htis fact, because it looks like Reid is having a great time.)

Watch for yourselves below. 

 

The PBS synopsis indicates that we can expect all sorts of intriguing characters to pop up in Sanditon. 

Experience Jane Austen's last, fragmented work, where entrepreneurs, love interests, legacy hunters, hypochondriacs and medical mountebanks come together at a struggling resort aimed to be the next fashionable playground in early 1800s England.

This is the first ever adaptation of Austen’s incomplete last work, which she abandoned due to poor health just before her death in 1817.Emmy and BAFTA-winning writer Andrew Davies has expanded the story to fill eight hour-long installments, and it sounds as though there's certainly story enough for more than one season should the show find ratings success here in the States in the wake of its U.K. debut earlier this year. 

Rose Williams stars as Austen heroine Charlotte, joined by Theo JamesCrystal ClarkeKris Marshall, Leo Suter and more. 

The series kicks off with two back-to-back episodes on PBS' Masterpiece, beginning Sunday, January 12, 2020 at 9pm EST. 


Lacy Baugher

Lacy's love of British TV is embarrassingly extensive, but primarily centers around evangelizing all things Doctor Who, and watching as many period dramas as possible.

Digital media type by day, she also has a fairly useless degree in British medieval literature, and dearly loves to talk about dream poetry, liminality, and the medieval religious vision. (Sadly, that opportunity presents itself very infrequently.) York apologist, Ninth Doctor enthusiast, and unabashed Ravenclaw. Say hi on Threads or Blue Sky at @LacyMB. 

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