Sanditon is a British historical drama television series created by Andrew Davies based on an unfinished story by Jane Austen. The series stars Rose Williams, Crystal Clarke, Theo James, and Ben Lloyd-Hughes. It is set during the Regency era and follows a young, inexperienced heroine as she experiences life in the new seaside town of Sanditon.

Because the original story was not completed, the first episode of the series mostly used the text Austen wrote. Davies then used the characters he developed to finish the story. The novel takes place in a seaside town during a time of social change. When Austen died in 1817, she had written 24,000 words, which includes eleven chapters and part of a twelfth chapter.

The series first aired on ITV in the United Kingdom on August 25, 2019, in eight episodes. It was later shown in the United States on PBS on January 12, 2020. PBS supported the production as part of its Masterpiece series. In May 2021, PBS and BritBox commissioned a second and third series. ITV acquired the series for later linear broadcast, which refers to regular TV programming, as opposed to OTT.

Overview

A chance event brings Charlotte Heywood to Sanditon, a seaside resort on the edge of big changes. Charlotte is lively and different from most people, and at first, she is excited to explore everything the town has to offer. However, she is surprised by the tricky and ambitious people who live there and becomes curious about the secrets they share. When Charlotte is too honest without thinking about how it might hurt others when speaking about Tom Parker’s family, she quickly has a disagreement with Sidney, Tom’s attractive but wild younger brother. As competing love interests and unexpected problems arise, can Charlotte and Sidney learn to overlook each other’s mistakes and find love?

Nine months later, Sanditon has become more popular and is filled with lively people, romantic situations, and mysteries. Charlotte draws the interest of two new love interests, while Georgiana Lambe is determined to act in ways that help her find love. Tom Parker works hard to rebuild Sanditon, and the dishonest actions of the troubled Denham family continue to cause problems in the town.

Accompanied by her new husband-to-be, Charlotte returns to Sanditon, which is now successful and busy. It is Georgiana’s 21st birthday, and a grand celebration is planned. However, a difficult meeting between Charlotte and Alexander Colbourne brings back old emotions and raises new questions. Georgiana also faces a surprising challenge on her birthday but receives help from unexpected people.

Episodes

Series 2 and 3 were ordered by the U.S. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) for its Masterpiece anthology series. Season 2 first aired in the United States on March 20, 2022, and Series 2 was shown in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2022.

Production

Many scenes from Sanditon were filmed in Somerset, England. This includes seaside towns like Clevedon, Brean, and Weston-super-Mare. Sanditon House was filmed at Dyrham Park, which is near Bath, Somerset. The bridge at Iford Manor was used in the first episode. Most of the scenes inside buildings were filmed on sets built at The Bottle Yard Studios in Bristol, England.

Before the first series started showing in the United States, ITV canceled it in December 2019. With help from Masterpiece (PBS) and fans of the show, enough money was raised to continue the series. A second series was planned to be released on March 20, 2022, followed by a third series. Three actors from the first series—Theo James, Mark Stanley, and Leo Suter—left the show to work on other projects and did not return for the second series.

After Theo James left the show, new actors were added. Rose Williams returned to play Charlotte Heywood again. The second series began filming in July 2021. It first aired on PBS on March 20, 2022, and later on ITV on July 22, 2022. The third series premiered on PBS on March 19, 2023.

Critical reception

The series received mixed reviews when it first started on Rotten Tomatoes but later received a 100% Fresh rating for its third season. Some UK media reported that viewers were surprised by the way the first episode showed sex and nudity, as they believed it did not match the style of Jane Austen's original works.