Sanditon Revisited

- [NARRATOR] Jane Austen is one of the world's most beloved authors.

It's been said she's a literary icon who continues to entertain, delight, and inspire generations of readers.

Her novels are timeless classics that have remained critical and popular successes for over two centuries.

Nothing compares to the romance, wit, charm, grace, and elegance of Jane Austen's settings and characters.

(Regency era music and clapping) - People can be so difficult to interpret, don't you find?

(music and clapping continuing) - And what have you observed about me upon our small acquaintance?

(music and clapping continuing) - [Narrator] As her final project, Jane Austen started work on a witty and delightful novel set in a seaside town, but she died before she could finish it.

Nearly 200 years later, legendary screenwriter and director Andrew Davies developed Jane Austen's 11 remarkable chapters into the bold and lavish adaptation of "Sanditon" that viewers have enjoyed over 20 episodes and three seasons on MASTERPIECE.

With four acclaimed Jane Austen adaptations to his credit, Andrew Davies was the perfect candidate to channel the creative spirit of one of the world's most amusing and penetrating novelists.

- She'd given us such a strong start and introduced the characters, so now it's up to me to... fill in the rest.

- [Narrator] The results were everything we could have hoped for.

- [Tom] This is civilization, indeed.

- [Narrator] Today, "Sanditon" is known for having one of the most dedicated fan bases in television.

Viewers fell in love with the first season, and their enthusiasm only grew with Seasons Two and Three.

- [Alison] Are you not excited to be returning?

- [Narrator] As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, we'll head back to the English seaside to recall the most memorable moments of the 20 episodes of "Sanditon."

We'll relive all the most romantic, suspenseful, humorous, and indelible clips from the series, and we'll hear from the cast and creators as they offer behind-the-scenes insight into what makes "Sanditon" so unforgettable.

Join us as we take a trip to "Sanditon Revisited."

(lively string music) (whooshing sound) "Sanditon" began with Jane Austen, but it was brought to life in our time through the artful adaptation of Andrew Davies and the remarkable cast and crew.

- Would you like to see it taking shape?

- (laughing in surprise) Very much!

(intense orchestral music) - [Leo] It's very, very exciting to be involved in a Jane Austen that's never been... shown on screen before.

- "Sanditon" was the last book that Jane Austen was working on before she died.

She wrote 11 chapters.

- [Nick] It starts to take us some of the way towards an exciting story, and then kind of tantalizingly ends halfway through.

- [Jack] She tells you who people are in their rough estimations, and then Andrew and his imagination are let loose on the world.

- [Kevin] He's taken the way it was steering and carried it on down his road, and it's true to the spirit of it.

- [Andrew] "Sanditon" is so... different from Jane Austen's usual novels.

It's exciting to explore.

(gentle piano music) (birds and waves in background) The direction she was going in was a satire on the kind of people who go to the seaside-- hypochondriacs and enthusiasts.

- [Diana] We've all been very ill-- almost at death's door-- haven't we, Arthur?

- I thought I'd never leave my bed.

- [Kris] We carry this vein of humor all the way through.

It's classic Austen.

There's a slight naughtiness to it.

- [Andrew] The Regency period was a particularly licentious age, something that Jane Austen doesn't usually go in for, but it's rich territory.

(ethereal piano and string music) - [Nick] Sir Edward Denham and Esther Denham are stepsiblings.

- They seem, in the novel, to be extremely close.

- [Esther] You have never been reluctant to charm the ladies, Edward-- more's the pity.

- [Andrew] And I thought, wow, that's an unusual story for Jane Austen.

(frantic string music) The other big innovation that she put into it was her first Black character.

- Everyone's shocked when Miss Lambe first turns up.

- [Lady Denham] There's your quarry.

Hunt her down.

- [Crystal] She's this heiress coming from the West Indies, surrounded by a bunch of people she doesn't know.

People who look nothing like her.

- [Georgiana] My money.

I imagine that's what you're after.

- No.

No, no, no, no, no.

- [Crystal] Miss Lambe... has this whole interesting story, one that we've not seen before in a Jane Austen.

- [Olly] Things that audiences may think are bold and edgy, we've embellished that, but the whole core of that is Jane Austen.

- [Andrew] I thought, "What was she going to do with this, and what could we do with it?"

(frantic string music continuing) - [Rose] There's such a place in Britain's heart for a Jane Austen story.

- [Charlotte Spencer] We can take the story wherever it needs to go.

- [Georgina Lowe] We've had the license to take it in all sorts of different directions, which is really exciting.

- [Andrew] It's a special sort of show.

It's Jane Austen, but not as you knew her.

(string music concluding) - [Narrator] Let's learn more about "Sanditon's" most charming resident (whooshing sound) and a prototypical Jane Austen heroine, Charlotte Heywood.

- [Lady Denham] So Miss Heywood, I hear you've had your swim.

How did you find it?

- [Charlotte] Very, uh... invigorating, ma'am.

- My character, Charlotte, eh... finds herself very fortuitously um, stumbling across the place.

She's brought into the town by Tom and Mary Parker, and along the course of the series, the audience-- and my character, Charlotte-- meets all of the different characters that are coming to the town for different reasons.

(dramatic string music) - [Charlotte] "Lady Denham requests your attendance at a luncheon party and pineapple tasting in honor of Miss Lambe."

(string music continuing) That sounds very grand indeed.

- [Olly] You've got a central character, Charlotte-- played beautifully by Rose Williams-- who is this very earthy character from the countryside.

It's like "The Wizard Of Oz."

It's like "Alice in Wonderland."

She is brought from her very, very down-to-earth gentry farming background into this wild... kind of hyper-fueled world that is sexy and intoxicating and has a sting in its tail.

(party guests murmuring) - Well, Miss Heywood, are you not glad you came, after all?

- [Charlotte] I cannot say that I am.

I feel dreadful leaving Georgiana.

(background murmuring and chamber music) At least I'm glad of the mask.

I'm certain I don't belong in this company.

(background murmuring and laughter) - I don't think I do either.

- But this is your natural habitat, is it not?

(background murmuring continuing) - Charlotte Heywood is a modern heroine who I believe will speak to modern audiences because she's a Jane Austen heroine who is predominantly interested in adventure and work as opposed to being interested in men.

Um, she has an understanding that marriage is something that perhaps she'll have to do, but it's not something she's seeking out.

It's not something her parents say that explicitly is something that she has to sort of go and pursue.

- Miss Heywood!

Looking very well, if I may say so.

- Good morning.

(birds chirping) (footsteps on grass) - Through Charlotte Heywood's eyes, we open into this, delicious world, which is full of intrigue and romance and cunning and...and all sorts of stuff.

(laughing) Naked sea bathing... it's all fantastic.

(both laughing) (water splashing) - [Georgina Lowe] We've got Rose Williams playing Charlotte Heywood, and she's a revelation.

It's been an absolute joy to get to know her and to see her work as we've progressed through the series.

And I think she's bringing something very special to our Charlotte Heywood.

(horse nickering) (Charlotte shushing horse) - (whispering) Shh, Hannibal.

(somber string music) (bridle jangling) (string music swells) (string music shifting to hopeful tone) - [Andrew] She's resourceful, she's plucky.

(string music continues) She stands up for herself.

She doesn't know much about the world, but she knows what she thinks.

She's a bit too opinionated in the beginning and, and she gets taught one or two painful lessons, but um, uh, you know, she's entirely lovable and we're totally on her side.

(footsteps) - [Lady Denham] What?

- You insisted on hearing my honest opinion, ma'am.

(footsteps echoing) - [Lady Denham] So I did, and if I don't like it, it's no one's fault but my own, you imply?

Well, off you go.

You got what you came for.

- [Narrator] Charlotte's adventures begin in Season One of "Sanditon."

Let's take a look back at those memorable stories and characters.

- [Rose] The town of Sanditon is a fishing village in the process of being turned into a health resort.

- [Kris] This whole town is being developed on this hope that it's gonna become this fantastic du jour place to go.

- [Tom] Sanditon is, or very soon will be, the finest seaside resort on the whole of the South Coast.

(uplifting string music) (clapboard clapping) (string music continuing) - [Rose] It's so exciting to be part of a Jane Austen adaption that hasn't been seen before.

(horses trotting and snorting) - [Kris] Thomas Parker and his wife, Mary Parker, are on a journey, and they have a carriage crash.

They come across this delightful young lady called Charlotte Heywood.

- [Tom] Good boy.

- [Charlotte] Is anybody hurt?

(carriage door opening) - [Rose] They invite Charlotte to come and stay for a season in Sanditon.

- [Charlotte] Papa, might I go?

- [Rose] Charlotte is... a girl from a farm from a town called Willingden.

She's lived a pretty grounded, rural, country life.

- [Mr. Heywood] Uh, these, uh, seaside resorts can be odd places.

- That sounds... stimulating.

- Just be careful.

- Careful of what, Papa?

- [Kris] Through Charlotte Heywood's eyes, we open into this delicious world... - [Olly] The cranky, wealthy old women, and... entrepreneurs.

- [Kris] Tom Parker is an architect and a visionary.

- [Kate] Tom wants to build up this seaside town.

- Here we are!

- And for all the people from London to come and have all these restorative health treatments.

- Sea air.

Better than any medicine or tonic.

- [Kris] Well, Lady Denham is a rich widow of the parish.

- [Olly] Tom Parker's reliant on her for his whole business venture.

- What about the rest of our empty houses?

- [Tom] They will be taken up soon enough, Lady Denham, mark my words.

- So you keep saying.

- Basically, he needs her money.

- She has it in her power to ruin me.

- He's a charming young man, so I think she probably likes his company, except when he doesn't spend her money wisely, and then she turns and becomes extremely unpleasant, which I love.

- [Lady Denham] I have a good mind to withdraw my entire investment from the Sanditon venture.

- Nobody can do a biting comment the way Anne Reid can do one.

- Better late than never.

- Slightly better.

- [Olly] Lady Denham is like the spider at the center of the web.

- Everybody is waiting for me to shuffle off this mortal coil so they can have my money.

- [Anne] She has a niece and nephew, Edward and Esther.

- [Nick] And there is also Clara Brereton, who is her ward.

Between the three of them, they are all scheming and plotting against each other to try and inherit her estate.

- You and I should not be enemies, Miss Denham.

- How can we be otherwise when we are competing for the same thing?

- [Lily] So this feud really begins.

Who's gonna get the money?

(foreboding orchestral music) (pensive piano and string music) - [Alexandra] "Sanditon" is not like any other period drama.

It feels very modern.

(chattering and carts rolling in background) - [Rose] Charlotte Heywood is a heroine we haven't seen before in a Jane Austen.

She's not interested in marriage.

Her focus is on the vision of the town of Sanditon.

- [Tom] I keep meaning to engage an assistant.

- Perhaps I could be that assistant.

- [Rose] She comes across Sidney Parker.

- Raise the stakes, shall we?

- [Crowe] Yes.

- [Rose] Theo James is a perfect Sidney Parker.

- [Lily] He has this wonderful, mysterious quality to him.

You can't really see what he's thinking.

- [Sidney] Upon my word, Miss Heywood, you are very free with your opinions.

- [Rose] So she's immediately offended by the guy.

- [Charlotte] Mr. Parker, I assure you, you're the last person I wish to see.

- [Rose] And then it becomes a classic Austen "Will they, won't they?"

(soaring orchestral music) (horses trotting) - [Tom] You must come and sample the delights of Sanditon without delay.

- It's a sexy show.

It's great fun.

- [Nick] There's a lot of familiar Jane Austen tropes in it, and there's also some elements that might shock a few people and hopefully keep people guessing.

- [Charlotte Spencer] This is not like anything you've ever seen before.

- Edward, what have you done?

(dreamy orchestral music) - [Narrator] The heart and soul of "Sanditon" is the Parker family, and the center of that family is eldest brother Tom Parker.

(dreamy music continuing) - [Tom] The future of Sanditon when it's complete.

This will be the square... the promenade along the beachfront... (dreamy harpsichord continuing) new shops.

(dreamy music continuing) That will be the new terrace.

(dreamy music continuing) You approve?

- Most heartily.

(Tom chuckling) - Tom Parker is a huge enthusiast.

He's like the guy in "Field of Dreams"-- "If we build it, they will come."

- [Kris] He is the Steve Jobs of his time, trying to do something completely unknown, and he's so confident and so committed to this vision that people, when they meet him, they can't help but be drawn into this world.

(gulls crying) - [Tom] Doesn't it make your spirits soar?

- [Crystal] Kris Marshall has this childlike energy about him, which works perfectly for somebody like Tom.

- Mary Parker is married to Tom Parker, and she's very grounded, and sensible, and supportive of him in his outlandish venture to build this whole town and bring people to Sanditon.

- Your regatta was a huge triumph.

- (chuckling) Come, Mary... you can hardly call it my regatta.

It was our regatta.

Wouldn't have happened without Charlotte.

(footsteps on stones) Couldn't have happened without you.

(sweet orchestral music) - Sidney Parker is the mysterious brother who arrives at the end of the first episode.

- [Sidney] Seem concerned, Tom.

Anything I can help with?

- Sidney!

(chuckling) (echoing footsteps) - [Sidney] Mm.

(Tom sighing) (back patting) - [Tom] Never been so glad to see anyone.

- Well, you didn't doubt I'd come, did you?

- No.

No, no-- not for a moment.

- [Sidney] Mmm.

- [Olly] And what's wonderful about Sidney is he's very imperfect.

He's a conflicted, complicated guy.

- Well, what is it?

(glasses clinking) - I'm anxious to know what progress you've made.

- In what direction?

- [Tom] (chuckling) Why, in securing tenants for our enterprise, of course.

- [Sidney] Your enterprise, Tom.

- From which you stand to profit richly.

- If it succeeds.

(background chatter) (pensive piano music) (horses trotting) - Oh, Miss Heywood!

- [Charlotte] Oh, good morning, Mr. Parker.

Miss Parker.

- And what a splendid morning it is, Miss Heywood.

- It is by no means splendid.

It is quite unbearable.

If we're not blinded by the sun we should be incinerated by the heat.

- Well, can't stop.

Dr. Fuchs is expecting us for our daily repairs.

Toodle-oo!

- [Turlough] Arthur Parker is... a funny... interesting, confused person.

He constantly has a push and pull in him.

- [Arthur] I like the air, you know, as much as anyone, but it doesn't like me.

My sister thinks me bilious, but I doubt it.

If I were bilious, wine would disagree with me, when I've always found it does my nerves good.

Do you know, the more I drink, the better I feel?

Often I wake up in the morning feeling very groggy, but then after a few glass of wine, I feel right as rain.

That's quite remarkable, don't you think?

- Diana's relationship with her brother Arthur is very complex and... not usual really.

They depend on each other an awful lot and some would say it's quite unhealthy how much they depend on each other.

(crowd applauding) - Arthur!

(applause continuing) Arthur, do be careful!

- [Narrator] Our cast will need to depend on their knowledge of Jane Austen's writings as they play "Jane Austen or Not?"

- [Ben] Hi, I'm Ben Lloyd-Hughes.

I play Alexander Colbourne in "Sanditon" and I am going to be playing "Jane Austen or Not?"

- Oh, I'm gonna be terrible.

- I, you're not gonna be as bad as me.

(laughing) (giggling) - Okay, ready?

- "You must be wary of the gentleman suitor who seeks your hand only as a means to best his opponent, for he can never be trusted in life or in love."

Yeah, that sounds... that sounds like Jane Austen.

- Jane Austen.

- Not.

(buzzer sounding) - Oh!

- Not Jane Austen.

- I really should have read all Jane Austen's books before I did this.

- "The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love."

- Not Jane Austeeeeeennnn?

No, it is Jane Austen!

(buzzer sounding) It was just so sad.

- [Sophie] Jane Austen?

- Jane Austen!

(bell dinging) - [Sophie] Oh, phew!

- Jane?

(bell dinging) - Yep.

(laughing) - "If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more."

(exhaling) - 50% chance.

(mysterious orchestral music) - [Sophie] It's very on the nose.

Not Jane Austen.

Jane Austen?

(buzzer sounding) - (whispering) Austen, Emma.

- Insert swear word here.

- Let's say, "Yes, it is."

- Jane Austen, "Emma."

- "What is love if not a never-ending circle of hope and disappointment?"

Jane Austen would not say that.

- Oh, that's gotta be Jane Austen, that is.

What?

- That sounds Austen.

- [Sophie] Nope.

(buzzer sounding) - Nooo!

(Sophie laughing) - God, we're thick.

- Not Jane Austen.

(bell dinging) Yes!

Now we're cooking on gas.

- "What's love got to do, got to do with it?"

- "Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?"

That's Tina Turner.

(bell dinging) - I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that I don't think that's Regency.

- That's Tina Turner.

(bell dinging) - Not Jane Austen.

(Sophie laughing) - "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife."

- I'd say that is her.

- Jane Austen, "Pride- (bell dinging) and Prejudice."

- "You pierce my soul.

I am half agony, half hope.

I have loved none but you."

And now the quote... (Sophie chuckling) - "I'm half agony..." No, that's not Jane Austen, 'cause that sounds like a film script.

(buzzer sounding) That is Jane Austen!

"Persuasion."

- Not Jane Austen.

- Jane Austen, (buzzer sounding) - [Sophie] Sugar!

- "Persuasion."

- [Sophie] She can't be that- oh my God.

- "She liked him, sober-minded as she was.

She thought him agreeable and did not quarrel with the suspicion of his finding her equally so."

- That is Jane Austen, I think.

(bell dinging) Jane Austen, "Sanditon!"

(gasping) - Jane Austen?

(bell dinging) Yes!

(laughing) - Title of the show!

Is it?

(bell dinging) - Yep!

- All right!

I did quite well.

- God, I haven't got a single one.

- To be honest, I thought they were all Austen, including the Tina Turner.

(Sophie laughing) - [Narrator] When we return, we'll meet the incomparable Lady Denham, along with another wealthy Sanditon resident, Miss Lambe.

We'll revisit the many steamy romances throughout the series and we'll get a behind-the-scenes look at the remarkable streets and sets used for filming on "Sanditon Revisited."

(lively string music fading) - [Narrator] Welcome back to "Sanditon Revisited."

Today, we're taking a comprehensive look at all three seasons of the beloved Jane Austen series "Sanditon."

Coming up, we'll meet the irrepressible Miss Lambe.

We'll get an insider's look behind the scenes of the "Sanditon" sets, and we'll relive some of the most heart-pounding romances in this remarkable MASTERPIECE series.

But first, let's catch up with everyone and everything making waves in "Sanditon" Season Two.

(intriguing percussion music) - When we got the call that "Sanditon" was returning for... not one, but two series, it was a reaction of genuine joy and excitement, but also a little bit of a feeling of, wow, how are we gonna do this-- here we go.

We know that something big is on the horizon.

We need to work out how to make it work.

- [Tim] It's based on a, an existing fragment of a novel.

We have liberty to kind of interpret where we take those stories.

And therefore, it's very exciting to work on.

- [Kris] Sanditon's got a lot bigger.

It's becoming more successful, like Tom's vision is starting to become a reality.

- [Tom] As you can see, my dears, Sanditon is fast becoming the most desirable destination on the South Coast.

- [Rose] Charlotte has made a decision that love's not for her She's seeking a way to operate as an independent woman in a time where that was near impossible.

- And through that story, she meets Colbourne, and she meets Lennox, and they become very key to that.

- I know what happens when a woman falls short of society's expectations.

- Then society is wrong, sir.

- [Rose] So, Charlotte and Mr. Colbourne... in true Austen style seem to not understand where each other is coming from.

Colbourne comes across as frosty.

There's an interesting dynamic because he becomes her employer.

So, there's that level of authority, but he also is in observation and respect of her at the same time.

As the series moves on, we see them learn more about each other and themselves with the way that they interact.

- [Ben] At the start of Season Two, Colbourne is... in a very isolated place from the rest of Sanditon.

You gradually, hopefully, will see lots of different sides to him.

Colbourne meets Charlotte when she decides to apply to be the governess for Leonora and Augusta.

- [Augusta] This had better be worth it, child.

- [Rebecca] The army comes to town in Series Two, which brings a whole host of young, handsome redcoats for our female characters to meet.

- Captain Carter meets Charlotte's sister Alison, and she catches his eye.

- Beg you, do me the honor of this next dance.

- [Maxim] He is a fairly privileged young man in the army, and I think kind of with this privilege that brings a sense of immaturity despite his rank, but he's a decent and compassionate person with his flaws.

In seeing Alison for the first time, he's like completely taken away with her.

- Colonel Lennox leads the battalion that's stationed in Sanditon and quite quickly runs into Charlotte, and she really catches his eye.

- [Tom Weston-Jones] He's a real beast of the military.

He fought in Waterloo.

He really made a name for himself there.

So, some people might view him as a war hero, but Lennox is yearning for something different.

When he comes to Sanditon and meets Charlotte Heywood, he finds her instantly quite beguiling and can't really stop himself from pursuing her.

- We cannot leave ourselves so open to intruders.

- [Frank] Captain Fraser is an army captain.

He's a veteran of many battles, and he arrives into Sanditon with Colonel Lennox's regiment.

I think the Army brings with it great excitement.

There's great spectacle to the whole thing.

They have their wonderful uniforms and parades and regimental balls.

- Georgiana!

- [Georgiana] I've been counting the hours.

- [Crystal] Georgiana and Charlotte haven't seen each other for a while.

When they first see each other in Season Two, it's loads of excitement, and it's new and fun for Georgiana because she also gets to meet Alison Heywood.

And Alison and Georgiana are kind of off having fun and flirting with soldiers and meeting people while Charlotte and her, whenever they are able to catch time with each other, are still supporting each other.

- [Rose] I think Charlotte finds... a freedom in her world expanding in Sanditon.

She meets people, particularly women, that go outside the norm.

She sees examples of life in a way that she just would never at home.

(upbeat string music) - [Narrator] Of all the remarkable women in Sanditon, Georgiana Lambe might be the most interesting of them all.

- Miss Lambe, what are your views on matrimony?

(guests murmuring in background) An heiress with 100,000 must be in want of a husband, I think.

- I don't care to be any man's property, Lady Denham.

Oh, hoity-toity.

(chuckling) - Miss Lambe is an heiress from the West Indies.

Her father was a plantation owner, and then her mother was a slave.

(dramatic violin music) Coming from Antigua to the UK is completely, completely different and surrounded by a bunch of people she doesn't know, people who look nothing like her, whose culture is nothing like hers.

And so, she's very, very, very sad.

Her father was friends with Sidney Parker, and Sidney does this favor for him by taking he- her on, being her guardian, and brings her to England.

- [Sidney] What do you have to say for yourself?

- Just that this place is driving me to distraction.

It's like a prison!

- [Sidney] Do you really think I enjoy this, Georgiana?

I have many demands on my time, and I would rather be free of this one, but like it or not, I'm your guardian until you turn 21.

- This woman of color has shown up in this town-- who is richer than every single person around her.

(subdued string music) That is shocking to them.

(string music continuing) - You would offend your hostess for the sake of this absurd sugar boycott?

(chuckling) When will we hear the end of it?

- [Georgiana] When every last slave is freed... my lady.

(string music continuing) - [Crystal] I think that's really relevant to today because it's giving us-- Miss Lambe's journey is giving us a perspective on what it's like to be Black and British.

- Mrs. Griffiths reacts to, um, Miss Lambe, i- to try and contain her, really, because Miss Lambe is this incredible live spark.

(laughing and splashing) - [Mrs. Griffiths] Miss Lambe?

(Georgiana sighing) Miss Lambe?

- My keeper.

- [Mrs. Griffiths] Come here!

Where have you been?

(both giggling) - [Crystal] She... strikes up a friendship with Charlotte Heywood, which is a saving grace-- becomes a saving grace for her-- because she doesn't feel as lonely anymore.

- [Georgiana] My despicable guardian is here, and he is going to ruin everything.

- No, he's not.

We do exactly what we agreed.

Once the game starts, everyone will be distracted anyway.

Listen for the church bells at quarter to four, and you and I will sneak off.

(gulls crying) - I think she is a good influence 'cause I think it's important to have a bit of a wild side, and Georgiana brings that out in Alison.

- [Alison] Are you sure this is wise, Miss Lambe, or appropriate?

- I have had my fill of being told what is and isn't appropriate.

(lively string music) - [Georgiana] Who do you suppose that man is?

- [Charlotte] Charles Lockhart.

He's an artist.

- [Crystal] In Series Two, Georgiana's got her eye out for anything and anybody who seems different where she can get a taste of what freedom is gonna be like, and that's what she gets when she meets Charles Lockhart.

Charles has a way of being in a room where he's breaking the rules, but not always intentionally, and that is something that Georgiana is attracted to.

- [Tom] Good morning, Mr. Lockhart.

- [Charles] It is, Mr. Parker.

Nothing like the sting of salt on skin to rouse the senses.

- Charles initially comes to Sanditon to paint the wealthy, and he immediately falls for Georgiana.

- Come with me.

- [Alexander Vlahos] I think Charles is probably the most modern of all the characters.

He never has a cane.

He never wears a hat.

I sort of tried to really force that I'd have the longest sideburns in Sanditon.

When a character like that penetrates a sort of sleepy seaside resort like Sanditon, it means that he completely shakes up everyone's sort of view of Regency England.

It's been a joy-- I've loved every second of it.

- [Narrator] The town of Sanditon is a central character of the show in and of itself, from its humble beginning in Season One to its later seaside expansion.

Let's take a stroll behind the scenes with Turlough Convery.

- Oh, hey, I didn't see you there.

Welcome to Sanditon.

(laughing) This is the beach.

This is where we have some absolutely amazing set pieces, like balloon rides and some really, really amazing things, but this is all... built.

This is not real sand.

This has been put on here by the art department.

So, they've built this entire working town.

I think that is pretty amazing.

Come and let's see it.

(intriguing orchestral music) Now, for some of the shops of Sanditon, you've got L.F. Griffin Dressmaker & Milliners.

And then we've got Arthur's favorite place, Chawston's Bakery where you can get your Bath buns and your scones or "scones."

I'm not gonna start an argument about that.

And... and yes, you did hear me say Bath buns and that is not something you put in a bath.

It's not a bun you put in a bath like a bath bomb.

It's a specific type of thing.

Then you've got Lightfoot & Hardy.

Tobacco, snuff, pipes, canes, hats, and wristwatches.

Because why the hell wouldn't you want wristwatches whenever you're getting your tobacco?

(snickering) It's genius.

Then you've got The Owl-- that's where you can go get drunk.

Ah... Not that we spend that much time in there.

I'm not going to lie.

Then we've got Wood & Jones's Fruit and Vegetables.

Then you've got, eh, you got J. H. Tyler & Co. bookshop.

You've got the florist here, which doesn't have a lot of flowers in it.

But usually, there's loads of flowers, real and fake here.

And then we come finally to the most important house in all of Sanditon, it is Trafalgar House, the Parkers's residence.

(door opening) (bright string music) - Miss Heywood!

I thought I might've missed you.

- Will you come in?

- Thank you.

- And as you can see, it isn't actually, when you enter it, it's not a house at all.

Ohhh!

It's actually just an empty space where we'll walk through.

Ah... And then whenever we're in the interior of the house, we cut to the studio.

So, there you go.

Isn't that a bit of interesting behind-the-scenes material for you all?

And then we're suddenly back out.

And as you can see behind me, it's not a real beach.

It's a massive hangar.

That's what we have to face with.

Whenever we're looking out at the beach, whenever you see us standing here beautifully staring out to the sea, we're actually staring at a massive hangar.

So... (chuckling) suspend your disbelief, but that's what it is.

- [Narrator] As we finish our stroll through the streets of Sanditon, let's take a trip to Lady Denham's estate, a house that's never short on drama.

- And now, do you see?

Everybody is waiting for me to shuffle off this mortal coil so they can have my money.

What do you say to that, Miss Heywood?

- [Charlotte] If you have no direct heirs, Lady Denham, I suppose you can leave it where you please.

- Quite right-- you're a sharp one, Miss Heywood.

(mischievous string music) But my relations all think they have a claim on it.

The Breretons, 'cause I was a Miss Brereton.

Clara there is one of many Breretons, poor as church mice.

And then there's Sir Harry's nephew and niece, Sir Edward Denham and Miss Esther, all of them hoping to do well by my demise.

(mischievous music continuing) There's one thing they all forget.

And that is that I have no intention at all of dying.

So, my advice to them all is they can fend for themselves.

(mischievous music continuing) - I'd, I'd never been asked to play the lady of the manor before, so... um, and it's something I've always wanted to do.

So, I, I leapt at it.

- You always were a stubborn, shrewd young woman.

- [Lady Denham] Yes, well, now I'm a stubborn, shrewd old woman.

Show Mr. Price out, please.

(cheeky orchestral music) - The wonderful Anne Reid who is just... just a dream to work with.

- You know, she's a... proper living legend.

- [Charlotte Spencer] I have absolutely loved working with Anne Reid.

She has got such a good sense of humor.

- We have kept constant vigil.

- [Lady Denham] Mmm... (dramatic string music) Well, you can dry your eyes.

I found dying highly disagreeable and I have no intention of repeating the experience.

- Edward and Esther are, are, uh, they're stepbrother and sister, not related.

- [Edward] I can't believe that you're not at least a little amused by the letters.

- Is the notion that a man might be in love with me really so laughable?

- [Edward] No... No, it's not that exactly.

- [Esther] Harder, Edward.

(desirous piano music) It's just the very idea that you could ever favor him that I find so deliciously... (corset laces tightening) (Esther gasping) - [Edward] ...preposterous.

(Esther inhaling) - Esther is the mini version of Lady Denham.

Ah...

They are both cutting with their comments.

They're both incredibly honest and they're both fighters.

- [Esther] Even now, that's all you care about.

(suspenseful orchestral music) - No... no.

This is about us-- this is about our future.

- There is no us.

There is no future.

You saw to that when you schemed with Clara.

- I did what I had to.

- For Lady Denham and for the people of Sanditon, she presents herself as very sweet and kind, but wouldn't melt.

But really, she can be extremely manipulative, and... at any cost, will get what she wants.

(suspenseful music continuing) - [Clara] I hope I can trust you to honor our deal.

A quarter of all you inherit.

- We agreed on a fifth.

- It's a lady's prerogative to change her mind.

(echoing footsteps) - You have proved quite conclusively that you are no lady.

- And what about Esther?

Is she a lady?

(trepidatious piano and string music) It's alright.

I haven't breathed a word to anyone.

I know how judgmental people would be if they knew how intimate you really are.

(piano and string music continuing) - [Narrator] Perhaps it's the sea air or those beautiful costumes.

Whatever the reason, romance is around every corner in Sanditon.

- [Rose] I think Charlotte's view of marriage has changed depending on her journey and experiences and relationships.

When we meet her in Series One and she falls head over heels in love with Sidney, I think that she's swept up in, in young love and d- had a deep wish for that to work out.

And obviously, it didn't.

And then after that experience, I'd say that her opinion of marriage has definitely had twists and turns.

She really wants to try and make a tiny change by being defiant to society's pressures.

- [Charlotte] I'll play!

- But isn't this a gentleman's pursuit?

- Women play cricket in Willingden, Reverend.

- [Rose] At the end of Series Two, Charlotte's employment comes to a bit of a brisk end.

- Mr. Colbourne, Miss Heywood is here about the governess position.

- [Rose] They come to get to know each other and develop feelings.

And then instead of exploring them or having an adult conversation about it, he dismisses her.

- [Colbourne] You are the girls' governess and I am master of the estate.

I am your employer.

(distant birds twittering) It was deeply inappropriate and I feel only shame and regret.

(silence) - That is all I am to you.

(sorrowful piano music) A member of your staff?

- [Ben] At the beginning of Season Three, we potentially see a, a different side to Colbourne.

I think he's grown emotionally, partly t- to do with Charlotte Heywood and what being around her has done to him and the lessons he's learned and by the mistakes he made.

And being in love with her essentially has changed him as a person.

And we start to see him potentially as the man that Charlotte always thought he could be.

(intriguing string music) - Miss Heywood.

- [Alison] Captain Carter.

- [Rosie Graham] I think, really initial reaction is... "Wow, he's fit."

(giggling) I think the relationship with Carter is they're both young and it's exciting.

Alison comes to Sanditon, really with the goal of finding a man and marrying him.

That's what she reads about in all of her romance novels.

So, for her, that's how to achieve ultimate happiness.

Within it, she's also discovering a lot about herself.

- Love is not as simple as you seem to think.

- [Alison] Why should it not be?

(optimistic string music) - [Jack] Edward has a series of meet cutes with... Eloise's character, Augusta.

- May I ask what your intentions are, Sir Edward?

- My intentions?

(hoofbeats) (birds chirping) - My uncle is determined to see me married.

- [Eloise] Society starts creeping in on her.

The pressure to marry someone that she might not love and to marry soon.

All of the terrible things he's done in the past, she doesn't hold against him.

She sees him as a really interesting test to put herself through.

(clapboard clapping) He's got, uh, quite a reputation and she wants to see if it's true for herself.

- [Jack] She's smart and clever and funny and charming, but young and inexperienced and he's enjoying that in her, but also thinking, "Could I exploit it?"

(intense string music) - There's no thing on God's earth that can keep us apart.

(string music intensifying) - [Eloise] There's definitely some interesting love stories that I think the audiences have been waiting for, and I'm so happy that Season Three finally let them play out.

(string music continuing) - [Narrator] When we return, we'll take a look at how all those gorgeous costumes come together.

We'll find out which cast members are best at guessing which Regency era customs are real or rubbish.

And we'll explore some of our favorite formal events in "Sanditon Revisited."

- [Narrator] Welcome back to "Sanditon Revisited."

Today, we're taking a look at all three seasons of the Jane Austen inspired series, "Sanditon."

Coming up, we'll take a look at all the fabulous events in the series-- from regattas to weddings.

We'll also find out which cast members really know the time period of the series as we play "Regency or Rubbish?"

But first, let's get an inside look at the jaw-dropping costumes from the series.

(gentle piano music) - [Leo] Costume and wardrobe is a massive part of period drama.

- [Charlotte Spencer] The costumes for "Sanditon"-- are lavish and over-the-top.

- [Crystal] Oh my God, walking onto the set for the first time, you immediately feel like you're in this world.

- [Rose] Combination of being in the costume and being on the set, it really does make it so much easier to step into these characters and into the early 1800s.

(soft piano and string music) - [Sam] I think if you're designing a period drama, you have to keep a modern-day audience in mind.

- [Helen] We were trying to make something look very different than what's been done before, Regency style.

(clapboard clapping) - [Crew Member] Action!

(piano and string music continuing) - [Rose] For me, the costumes always are the big puzzle piece connecting together who the character is.

- [Kris] Putting on these costumes every day is just a joy.

- The color for "Sanditon" is in the title-- we wanted it all to be very beachy and beautiful blues and just quite nice and fresh.

We've tried to keep quite a naturalistic look.

- We particularly wanted to stay well away from wigs, if we could, and also to make people look good.

We wanted to make people look sexy.

- [Leo] I really enjoy those bits of costume and wardrobe because it's very transportative.

It takes you straight away into the period, into the story.

(piano and string music continuing) - [Helen] We've all tried to build this series to have hopefully created something that's really quite magical.

- It's almost like a "golden ticket," isn't it, to do something that's not been done before.

- [Rose] That level of detail makes you feel like you are stepping back in time and into a different world.

(bittersweet string music) - [Augusta] It's the thing I remember best about my aunt-- her beautiful dresses.

How do I look, Miss Heywood?

- Like a lady.

- [Narrator] For Seasons Two and Three, Lauren Miller was brought into "Sanditon" as the new costume designer.

- [Charlotte] I've not seen that gown before.

- It is my May Day dress from home.

(string music continuing) - Lauren Miller, our wonderful designer, has brought in a lot more of a pastel kind of palette and brighter colors for this season.

Charlotte's tones are a bit more muted in alignment with like who her character is.

- [Lauren] It's about taking tho characters, kind of as we know them, and developing them, maturing them in some instances, and then really working on kind of the new characters and developing their style.

There's always little tweaks in the shape that you will make just to make it look nicer for today.

Some of the Regency fashions are actually quite wild.

- There's a lot of playing with like textures on the fabric and yellow and red on the soldier's jackets...

It was really fun, and everything, like, pops a lot on screen.

- [Jack] It's sort of beautiful, regal... waistcoats, high-waisted trousers with braces, strong and bold-fitting tailcoat... that sort of acts in a, in unison with the waistcoat to provide what is essentially a male girdle.

And then, you know, top hats, which I fought tooth and nail to avoid because I'm just too tall anyway.

- [Alexander Vlahos] There's something about period dramas and being dressed up with wonderful assays and, and being surrounded by brilliant locations that immediately gives you quite an easy way into a character.

And it's, it's time travel, isn't it?

It's time travel, it's fun.

(string music continuing) - [Narrator] What's more fun than the new characters, fresh dramas, and more intense love stories of Season Three?

(dramatic orchestral music) - In Series Three, the audience will look forward to a whole rollercoaster ride of events and emotions.

- Georgiana goes through (chuckling) quite a lot of traumas.

- Oh, it's bad.

(laughing) It's very bad.

- There's loads of problems.

- Just because I am Mrs. Tom Parker doesn't mean I'm not entitled to my own opinion.

- There's also a lot of love, lots of clashing energies.

(wooden swords clacking) - Louise Brereton!

- Lady Denham to you.

- Oh, so you have a, a trade.

- [Agnes] I work for an organization that helps former slaves.

They were a great help to me when I was given my freedom.

- [Lady Montrose] But I imagine that's not something you like to dwell on.

- [Agnes] I am not in the least ashamed of who I am.

- Nor should you be.

(intense orchestral music) - [Jack] In Series Three, I think Edward returns back to prove that he's a changed man.

- [Edward] When I look back at the miserable wretch that I once was, I feel only the deepest shame.

- [Lady Denham] I remain unconvinced.

- There comes a point with Edward where people just give up.

Lady Denham is punishing him for the sport of it.

The Hankins' try and reincarnate him as a beneficial person in society.

Obviously, there's a few benefits to religion-- one of them is redemption.

(intense music concluding) - [Lady Montrose] This is my daughter, Lady Lydia Montrose, and my son, Lord Montrose, the Duke of Buckinghamshire.

- The Montrose family are escaping a scandal and our mother was very eager to get us away from that-- put the past behind us and start afresh.

- [Edward Davis] I think Montrose very much realizes the fact that he needs to find a spouse.

He's 29, and in those days, even for a man, that's getting on a bit to not be married, and also there's this huge issue of "Where's the money coming from?"

There is a mounting pressure to find someone to, um, basically foot the bills.

- She's an heiress with 100,000 pounds, so you will find her, Harry, and you will charm her.

- [Alice] I think Lydia would prefer to meet someone that she genuinely connects with.

She would never just marry for money.

That's something that her and her mother do not have in common.

(energetic string music) - [Ben] So Colbourne is back in Sanditon.

The lessons he's learnt and the mistakes he made in Series Two-- and being in love with Charlotte-- has... changed him.

We also meet my brother, played by the amazing Liam Garrigan.

- [Augusta] You still haven't told us who you are.

- I'm your infamous Uncle Samuel.

- He is a lawyer.

He has the opportunity to return back to Sanditon to represent Georgiana in her court case, and it also gives him the opportunity to try and make amends with his brother.

(thoughtful string music) - [Samuel] I suggest the will must stand.

- [Crystal] Georgiana on the stand at the trial... She could have her inheritance taken away and then, then what?

Be sent back to Antigua to be a slave?

They're questioning who she is and what a Black person is in terms of being dangerous in some way.

It's all of those thoughts that were probably in people's heads anyway, being directed at her in a courtroom full of people with her entire fortune and future, all of her opportunities as a Black woman in question.

So it's a very, very intense moment, that trial.

- [Rose] Charlotte returning to Sanditon has to navigate readdressing those painful emotions, also in the company of her new beau, her fiance Ralph.

So... it puts her in a bit of a sticky position.

- [Charlotte] Mr. Colbourne, this is Mr. Starling.

- [Rose] What has felt really important to me is that Series One, Series Two, and Series Three felt like significant chapters of this young woman's life.

Chapter One: adventure, desperation, youth, that wide-eyed joy and awe of, of, of exploring a new place and then the heartbreak at the end.

And then, coming into Series Two, I really wanted it to feel like her transformational chapter, like figuring out who she is as a woman in the world.

And then, Chapter Three, I wanted to make sure that at the end it felt like she came to a sense of harmony with a personal freedom that was unique to her.

- I thought you were to leave Sanditon after the party.

(fire crackling) - No, I stayed for Georgiana.

(fire continuing to softly crackle) - And you're betrothed?

- He had to return to Willingden... to his farm.

- [Colbourne] Oh, he's a farmer... like me.

(Charlotte snickering) - Nothing like you.

(stirring string music) - [Rose] I always like to think that Charlotte would've been a fan of Mary Wollstonecraft, who was a really radical feminist at the time.

There's some awesome quotes that I kind of went through them on mornings where I was trying to find that... might within Charlotte, even if she does go down the road of marrying a man, I wanted it to feel like a full circle so that she really grounded into a sense of who she really... is.

What I love about her is that she does question society.

She is interested in expanding herself as a young woman and not depending on a man.

- I fear sleep will be the last thing on his mind.

He brought her here to ruin her, to force a marriage.

- She will not be ruined.

She will be the same Augusta she ever was.

No less a part of your family and no less deserving of your love.

(background street noises) - [Crystal] So many big events in Season Three.

Lots of parties.

- [Jack] Everyone in this show is dancing 24 hours a day.

It's like Footloose.

- [Ben] Drama, romance, gossip.

- You will not accept one penny of that man's money.

- And it's about what it takes to be redemptive.

(intense music concluding) (whooshing sound) - [Narrator] They have their ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, but in the end, no one becomes as important to Charlotte as Leonora, Augusta, and Alexander Colbourne.

- [Colbourne] Girls, you have met Miss Heywood.

She is to be your new governess.

Allow me to reacquaint you.

My daughter Leonora, and my niece Augusta.

- Pleased to see you both again.

- The part of Alexander Colbourne was just such a gift.

I was really grateful to have been given such a kind of, uh, meaty and complex, but exciting and, uh, romantic part.

(romantic orchestral music swelling) - [Mrs. Wheatley] Mr. Colbourne!

Mr. Colbourne!

(romantic music fading) It is Miss Leonora, sir.

She is nowhere to be found.

(anxious orchestral music) - He has to become a father without his wife.

He doesn't really interact with many people apart from Mrs. Wheatley, his housekeeper, his daughter, Leonora, and his niece Augusta.

- [Eloise] We first meet Augusta when she is running through a field chasing after Leonora on one of their crazy, but probably very irresponsible expeditions.

She is a bit of a rebel-- cheeky.

She's sly and she's super clever.

- [Augusta] See what I've made, just for Miss Heywood.

(mischievous orchestral music) - [Eloise] She feels like she can outsmart Charlotte in certain ways.

I actually think what she doesn't realize is Charlotte is just as smart as she is, if not smarter.

- [Augusta] My parents have been replaced.

My home... my whole life.

(birds chirping) - Then forge a new life, a new path.

That is what I'm trying to do.

- [Liam] My character is Samuel Colbourne, the older brother of Alexander Colbourne.

He is a lawyer, lives and works in London, and is, uh, possibly a little bit of a rogue.

- [Samuel] What are you doing here, of all places?

- [Colbourne] I came to find you.

- We must have a drink, then.

(thoughtful piano and string music) - [Liam] And what drew me to the character?

I've never worked in this period before.

And so, yeah, the opportunity to get to wear these fabulous costumes and, eh, and got to visit some absolutely beautiful sets, is a no-brainer.

Plus it shoots in Bristol and I live in Bristol, so it's 20 minutes up the road from my house.

Win!

(Sophie laughing) - [Samuel] Samuel Colbourne... your new lawyer.

- [Georgiana] I have not instructed you.

- [Samuel] Not yet, but my brother has informed me of the difficulties that you are having.

- [Colbourne] As soon as I heard of your plight, Miss Lambe, it struck me there would be no one better.

(whooshing sound) - [Narrator] Who will be better in the next game with our cast guessing which odd practices of Jane Austen's day are "Regency or Rubbish?"

- Today I'm gonna be reading things and guessing if they're true or not.

- "Pigs' tongues were a delicacy."

- Yeah, I feel like they'd do something weird like that in the Regency era, 100%.

(laughing) - Yeah, I'm gonna say, "Yeah."

Sounds gross and sounds like something they would-- (bell dinging) Yep, it's a yes.

- "A common finger food at dances was chicken stuffed with pig's tongue."

- Yummy, absolutely yummy.

- I'm not a vegan, but that makes me want to go vegan.

- "Women could show their ankles."

- Well, not if Mrs. Griffiths was around.

- Yes, yes, that's very true, they could.

- Yes!

(bell dinging) "...although the ankles would've been stocking-clad."

I'm saying that ain't showing ankle.

- "People reused their tea leaves."

- Probably, tea was quite expensive.

I'm gonna go yes to that.

(bell dinging) - Yes, no, they did-- okay!

- "Its expense meant a homeowner used the leaves first, then the housekeeper collected and dried them for a second or even third use."

- Quite right.

(Alice murmuring) - That's how it should be.

- "Men in the British army were drafted."

- No, I don't believe they were drafted.

- I'm gonna say yes, they were drafted.

(buzzer sounding) "Rubbish."

Great.

Should not have gone so confidently in there.

- "Adult parlor games included pick-up sticks."

- Yeah, well, you'd just throw sticks on the floor and pick them up?

(Edward giggling) - I'm gonna say true because they're a bit zany.

- "Yes."

They had a great name for it, "Spillikins."

Why has no one copyrighted that and giving that for Christmas?

- "Single men and women used first names with each other."

- I would say no-- I would say that's false.

- Not the case-- not Regency.

- "Rubbish!"

- Rubbish.

- "Parmesan cheese ice cream was a thing."

I mean, if pig's tongues are a thing, then Parmesan ice cream is definitely gonna be a thing.

- Not Regency.

(buzzer sounding) - Yes, Regency.

- No!

- [Edward Davis] And so was a rye bread flavor.

- Disgusting.

- That's so trendy.

- God, don't they-- really didn't know how to have fun back then, did they?

(cheeky music concluding) - [Narrator] Whether you love its seaside air or not, you must admit that there is no shortage of excitement in Sanditon.

Let's take a look at the rousing sports, beautiful balls, and gorgeous weddings that make "Sanditon" so much fun.

- [Crowe] Well done, men, you're doing very well.

Looking good-- in, out!

- [Narrator] Whether it's an old-fashioned regatta... (crowd shouting) amateur boxing... (crowd shouting and clapping) beachside cricket... - Gosh, that was close, wasn't it?

(lively string music) - [Narrator] or even archery... (arrow hitting target) Sanditon is full of athletic endeavors... (crowd murmuring and clapping) - Well played, Miss Heywood.

- [Narrator] and cultural events like balloon rides... (crowd clapping) (gulls crying) and world-famous performers also attract the tourists.

(operatic singing in foreign language) - [Narrator] But if there's one thing "Sanditon" is known for, it's the formal dances.

(gentle string music) - [Turlough] Oh, the balls... (laughing) So many of them.

Do you know what?

They're actually great fun.

I love dancing.

I love the balls.

They're really good fun.

Sammy, the choreographer, is just stunning with her work.

(string music continuing) - [Edward Davis] Learning those dances, you know, the very... the thing we've come to, come to recognize in, in sort of Jane Austen and period dramas, it really does imbue your body and your sort of... psyche with, with the manners of the time.

(crowd clapping) - [Ben] What's great is that inevitably you can tell so much story without words.

I think my favorite part of the dance was when we were going round in the circle and the camera was following us, I think, and it just felt really dramatic, and... and cool.

- [Tom Weston-Jones] When I see them dancing together, I'm supposed to be, you know, seething, but it was a really, really beautiful dance.

I thought they did an amazing job.

So, during the first rehearsals, I was actually quite taken by it.

(string music concluding) - [Narrator] Of course, there's no better way to end each season than with a romantic wedding, and "Sanditon" does not disappoint.

Whether it's a lavish affair with the whole town in attendance or something more intimate, nothing else is quite as romantic.

(romantic music swelling) (congregation clapping) (music continuing) (romantic music crescendoing) (congregation clapping) (guests cheering) (gentle orchestral music) - [Narrator] Thank you for joining our celebration of all three seasons of "Sanditon" on MASTERPIECE.

Its stunning locations, beautiful costumes, fiery drama, and simmering romances, all add up to another classic Jane Austen series.

This has been "Sanditon Revisited."

(lively string music) (lively string music fading out)