Try GOLD - Free

The Forsytes reboot is the limp lettuce in a 70s prawn cocktail

Lancashire Evening Post

|

October 25, 2025

Channel 5 has long since shed its reputation as the home of football, films and another f-word.

- Philip Cunnington on The Forsytes

The Forsytes reboot is the limp lettuce in a 70s prawn cocktail

In fact, it now seems to be aiming to recreate the BBC of the 1960s and 70s.

A revival of All Creatures Great and Small has been a big hit, while the channel recently announced it was resuscitating Play for Today, and even ran a 1970s season earlier this year.

And now here's The Forsytes (Channel 5, Mon, 9pm) a third TV reboot for John Galsworthy's sweeping saga of Victorian poshos and their tangled love lives, which was a huge hit for the Beeb in the late 60s.

But this is a far cry from the stolid, middle-aged stiff upper lipness of Kenneth More and Eric Porter as feuding Forsytes Jolyon and Soames.

Here, Jolyon (Danny Griffin) is a virile young men with a Princess Diana-style bouffant hairdo and neatly-trimmed beard - maybe another nod to the Beeb of the 1970s, as he channels Top of the Pops-era Noel Edmonds rather than a dashing blade of Victorian high society.

He's also prone to taking his top off in the boxing gym and positioning himself just so in the golden light flooding in through the gym's windows - all the better to catch the glint reflecting off his sweat-sheened pecs.

It's a scene so gratuitous and unnecessary - less than 30 seconds long and with no dialogue - it makes you laugh out loud.

Although, given

MORE STORIES FROM Lancashire Evening Post

Lancashire Evening Post

Best and worst stadiums

We checked out Google reviews to find the the highest and lowest rated (out of five) grounds in the second tier

time to read

1 min

November 15, 2025

Lancashire Evening Post

Emergency hog-hedging

In an extract from his new book, Pete Hartley begins the tale of a brave hedgehog named Rip

time to read

4 mins

November 15, 2025

Lancashire Evening Post

Locked fire exit played a part in club blaze which killed two

A locked fire exit played a part in the deaths of two men killed in a blaze at a Lancashire club, an inquest jury has ruled.

time to read

1 min

November 15, 2025

Lancashire Evening Post

Lancashire Evening Post

Housing estate planned near city centre on long term hold

Ambitious plans to build almost 400 new homes on the outskirts of Preston City Centre appear to have been put on long-term hold.

time to read

1 mins

November 15, 2025

Lancashire Evening Post

Harrison is so mature despite his tender years

Preston North End assistant Stuart McCall hopes Harrison Armstrong will stick around for the full 2025/26 campaign.

time to read

2 mins

November 15, 2025

Lancashire Evening Post

Family needs £40,000 to get dad home from Croatia after accident

A Lancashire man is stranded in a hospital in Croatia after a fall left him with multiple injuries and his insurance company refused to pay out on his policy.

time to read

2 mins

November 15, 2025

Lancashire Evening Post

Pub chain it talks over new owner for venue

Pub giant Wetherspoons has confirmed it is in talks with a potential new owner for a city centre pub in Preston.

time to read

1 min

November 15, 2025

Lancashire Evening Post

Lancashire Evening Post

Play for Today is not an instant classic, but let's give it a chance

The original Play for Today strand, which ran on the BBC for 14 years through the 1970s and into the mid-80s, is one of those things TV connoisseurs like to cite as a demonstration of their TV knowledge.

time to read

2 mins

November 15, 2025

Lancashire Evening Post

Around the world

Thieves broke into Syria's national museum and stole ancient statues dating back to the Roman era.

time to read

1 min

November 15, 2025

Lancashire Evening Post

Deborah: 'We really do hope people can help'

Brian has three sons, who all live in Middlesbrough, where Brian is originally from, and a daughter. He is also a grandfather.

time to read

1 min

November 15, 2025

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size