© Red Planet Pictures / ITV 2019, Photographer: Simon Ridgway.

This just in! The first ever television adaptation of Jane Austen’s final and unfinished novel Sanditon is coming to Masterpiece on PBS during the 2020 season! Written before her death in 1817, Sanditon tells the story of the joyously impulsive, spirited and unconventional Charlotte Heywood and her spiky relationship with the humorous, charming and slightly wild, Sidney Parker.

When a chance accident transports her from her rural hometown of Willingden to the would-be coastal resort of the eponymous title, it exposes Charlotte to the intrigues and dalliances of a seaside town on the make, and the characters whose fortunes depend on its commercial success.

The twists and turns of the plot will take viewers from the West Indies to the rotting alleys of London, expose the hidden agendas of each character and see Charlotte discover herself… and ultimately find love. Written by Emmy® and BAFTA award-winning screenwriter Andrew Davies (House of Cards, Pride and Prejudice, War & Peace, Les Misérables, Mr. Selfridge), Sanditon stars Rose Williams, Theo James, Kris Marshall and Anne Reid among others.

Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams):
Rose Williams (Curfew, Changeland) will star as Charlotte. Excited by the promise of adventure that Sanditon offers, Charlotte is a young woman of enormous energy who builds a reputation as an integral part of the new town. Open and optimistic in spirit, she’s excited by the changes the nineteenth century promises and she’s ready for a new life; she’s a truly modern Austen heroine. Confident in her opinions but unfamiliar with the rules of high society, Charlotte’s self-assurance is knocked when she meets Sidney. Will Sanditon give her somewhere, and someone, to love?

© Red Planet Pictures / ITV 2019, Photographer: Simon Ridgway.

Sidney Parker (Theo James):
Theo James (Downton Abbey, Divergent) plays Sidney, a man never the same from one moment to the next. Selfmade man Sidney finds his responsibilities to his family in Sanditon somewhat tiresome. In the company of Charlotte, Sidney must rediscover who he is and crucially, learn to trust again.

© Red Planet Pictures / ITV 2019, Photographer: Simon Ridgway.

Tom Parker (Kris Marshall):
Kris Marshall (Death in Paradise, Love Actually) stars as Tom Parker, an enthusiastic and happily married man to Mary Parker (Kate Ashfield) with a vision of putting Sanditon on the map. Tom’s a risk-taker although his unbending belief in his venture could see his obsession land him in trouble.

Lady Denham (Anne Reid):
Anne Reid (Ladies of Letters, Last Tango in Halifax, Hold the Sunset) will play the deliciously direct Lady Denham. She advanced her position through marriage and expects to be treated with a great deal of deference.

© Red Planet Pictures / ITV 2019, Photographer: Simon Ridgway.

Sanditon — coming to PBS Masterpiece in 2020! Given Austen fans have waited over 200 years for Sanditon to be completed, 2020 doesn’t sound that far off!