The Portrait of a Lady has been announced as the latest period piece headed to Masterpiece and the BBC!
The six-part limited series will be based on Henry James‘ classic novel. Aisling Walsh will be directing all six episodes.
Game of Thrones‘ Nell Tiger Free will lead the cast as Isabel Archer, “a vivacious New World ingénue who leaves America for Old World Europe, keen to experience all that life has to offer. A young woman with charm and an innate intellectual curiosity, Isabel rejects a series of marriage proposals, but when she inherits an unexpected fortune that promises to grant her freedom, she falls prey to two American ex-pat schemers.”
Those “schemers” are: Gemma Arterton as the sophisticated Madame Merle, and Jim Sturgess as Gilbert Osmond, a charismatic but calculating man.
The cast will also feature Bill Nighy as Mr. Touchett, “who is enamored with Isabel’s youth and spirit and hopes to help her in her quest for freedom,” and Miranda Richardson as Mrs. Touchett, “Isabel’s fantastically eccentric aunt, who takes her to Europe in search of a husband.”
The supporting cast includes Jack Wolfe as Ralph Touchett, Calypso Cragg as Pansy Osmond, Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Henrietta Stackpole, Hugh Skinner as Lord Warburton, Hamish Frew as Casper Goodwood, Thomas Coombes as Mr. Bantling, Lydia Leonard as Countess Gemini and Dean-Charles Chapman as Edward Rosier.
No premiere date has been announced at this time. The series will air on MASTERPIECE on PBS in the United States and Canada, where it will also stream on the PBS app and the PBS MASTERPIECE channel on Prime Video. In the United Kingdom, the drama will premiere on BBC One and stream on BBC iPlayer.
We have more information about PBS’ slate of television shows.
Posted To:Bill Nighy Gemma Arterton Jack Wolfe Jim Sturgess Nell Tiger Free PBS PBS Masterpiece Television The Portrait Of A Lady