Austen drama will return to screens by popular demand
SANDITON, the Jane Austen drama cancelled by ITV after one series, is to be revived after a campaign by fans.
ITV announced at the end of 2019 that the costume drama, based on Austen’s unfinished novel, would not return because its ratings were poor.
A group of women calling themselves the Sanditon Sisterhood are trying to keep the show alive.
Over 18 months they mobilised on social media, commissioned a giant beach art installation in praise of the series, held weekly “rewatch tweet-alongs” and emailed television executives. A petition got 90,000 signatures.
It was announced this week that the period drama is being revived for two more series. It will be broadcast first on Brit Box and PBS Masterpiece, before showing on ITV.
Andrew Davies, the veteran screenwriter who devised series one, will remain as executive producer and writer, while Justin Young – who wrote four episodes for the first series – will be promoted to lead writer.
Mr Young said: “The first series didn’t get the ratings we hoped for and the critics were not universally kind. When ITV decided it wasn’t going to continue, we were very disappointed, because we had always envisaged another series.
“Meanwhile, this remarkable thing was happening online, which was that the Sanditon Sisterhood mobilised. And they snowballed into this phenomenal taskforce.
“The online clamour certainly helped convince [the networks] it was a good idea. It was honestly so gratifying and heartwarming.”
The seven-person steering group of the Sanditon Sisterhood includes members from the UK, US, Finland, Australia and the Netherlands.
Juliet Creese, 45, an administrator from Warwickshire, is one of them. She said: “When the show was cancelled in 2019, we really didn’t think that there was much chance of it coming back.
“But we started the campaign and we were undaunted, even though there were plenty suggesting it was an uphill battle. And after 18 months we’ve finally done it. We’re absolutely elated.”
The women were united in a desire to see the story continue after series one failed to secure a happy ending.