Possibility of ‘Sanditon’ returning now rests on American audiences

The creator of Sandition has given fans an update on the chances of a second season.

Based on Jane Austen’s unfinished final novel, the new period drama launched in the UK last autumn and the series concludes in the US tomorrow night on PBS.

The eight-part adaptation starred Theo James (Downton Abbey), Kris Marshall (Death in Paradise) and Anne Reid (Last Tango in Halifax).

Sanditon was a co-production between ITV and PBS Masterpiece, but sadly ITV announced recently that they wouldn’t be ordering another season.

The show’s future is now reliant on PBS finding a new production partner to fund making more episodes, but the positive news is that PBS are keen.

Austen’s original 11-chapter manuscript, written only months before her death in 1817, was brought to screen by award-winning writer Andrew Davies (Pride & Prejudice, Les Misérables).

Davies told Decider: “We’d love to carry on with a second series and even more if there was an appetite for it. Because certainly the people in the UK who saw it, absolutely loved it.”

He added: “So it had some very passionate fans, but for ITV, we didn’t quite get enough numbers. So we just hope it’s a big hit in the States and that it makes ITV reconsider.”

Discussing whether ITV’s involvement was essential for a second season or if a streaming service, like Netflix or Amazon, could renew Sanditon independently, Davies revealed: “Yes, it might be the latter, yes.”

The writer reassured fans with this hopeful message: “Hang on in there. Keep giving the show all your love because we’d love to give you lots more of it.”

Sanditon is available on DVD on Amazon.