'Masterpiece' period drama based on 'gorgeous book' viewers say is 'best show I've seen'

There's an "addictive" period drama currently streaming on ITVX that you may not have binge-watched yet. Sanditon is a British historical drama television series adapted by Andrew Davies from an unfinished manuscript by Jane Austen and starring Rose Williams, Crystal Clarke, Theo James, and Ben Lloyd-Hughes. It is set during the Regency era, and follows a young and naive heroine as she navigates the new seaside resort of Sanditon. Due to the unfinished nature of the novel, the original work was used for the majority of the first episode, and then Davies used the developed characters to complete the story.

Austen's novel is set in a seaside town during a time of social change. At the time of her death in 1817, Austen had completed 24,000 words of the novel, which amounted to 11 chapters together. The series first aired on ITV in the UK in 2019 and then on PBS in the US the following year.

The series synopsis reads: "A period-drama adaptation of Jane Austen's final novel, written only months before her death in 1817, features Williams and James as the lead characters of Charlotte Heywood and Sidney Parker. The story follows Charlotte as she moves to the quiet fishing village of Sanditon for a fresh start, only to meet Sidney, a charming man who has ambitions to turn the tranquil seaside residence into a luxury resort. Written by Emmy and BAFTA award-winning screenwriter Andrew Davies."

Following the third series, Sanditon has been met with positive reviews and its 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes reflects that.

On IMDb fans of the show have been writing reviews, with one describing the period drama as a "masterpiece", another claimed it was "period drama of the decade", adding "Sanditon has it all, beautifully written, talented cast, captivating storylines, wonderful cinematography, romance. My favourite regency series. A second/ multiple seasons are a must".

A third said it was "addictive" while another said it was "the most compelling, gorgeous TV series for a VERY long time".

"Best show I have ever watched", claimed another viewer. A final fan of the show said: "This beautiful period drama gives you everything you expect of Austen: gorgeous settings, interesting and deep characters, and a feeling of warmth that sets in from the start."

Sanditon is available to stream on ITVX.