‘Sanditon:’ Theo James Said He Never Planned to Film More than 1 Season
Fans everywhere were devastated when PBS announced Sanditon would end after only one season. Based on Jane Austen’s novel by the same name, the show captivated viewers with its compelling storytelling.
When PBS decided to reverse its decision and announced a Sanditon Season 2, many fans were grateful. But sadly, they have had to bid farewell to one of Sanditon‘s core cast members: Theo James.
Jane Austen’s work was used for the first episode of ‘Sanditon’
Sanditon follows Charlotte Heywood who arrives at a seaside resort called Sanditon by accident. She initially takes to the town and is keen to experience all it offers. However, the spirited and unconventional lady is rudely shocked when she discovers the scheming ways of the town’s inhabitants. Charlotte immediately clashes with the handsome Parker brother Sidney, whom she unexpectedly falls in love with.
The show is based on Austen’s unfinished novel by the same name. However, since the beloved author only wrote 11 chapters, the show used a lot of the material in just its first episode.
According to the New York Post, Andrew Davies came up with the rest of the plot. He said, “She didn’t write much story, but she did give us nearly all the principal characters and the premise, which is about the building of a seaside town. There were a lot of promising things to work with.”
Theo James won’t be returning to ‘Sanditon’
Fans were happy when PBS announced it renewed Sanditon for an additional two seasons. However, their joy was undercut when James, who plays a central character, announced that his journey with the period drama had come to an end.
PBS announced on Twitter that James, who played Sidney Parker, wouldn’t return. The network shared a snippet of his statement about his exit from the show. The statement read: “Although I relished playing Sidney, for me, I’ve always maintained that his journey concluded as I wanted it to.”
The 37-year-old told Collider that he wanted Sanditon to be a one-season show. He said, “I actually wanted it to be the single series, in a way. That’s how I saw it. I didn’t enter it as a returning series.”
James told the publication that he loved how the show ended in its first season, saying, “It made so many things, in the earlier part of the story make sense. Once you understand the ending, you start looking back at the body of the film again and understand it in a different way.”
James has joined ‘The White Lotus’ cast
Fans will be able to catch James in a new project soon. The actor is now involved with Mike White’s satirical series The White Lotus.
He is one of the four newly added cast members. He joins The Bold Type‘s Meghann Fahy, Sherlock‘s Will Sharpe, and Parks and Recreation‘s Aubrey Plaza for the HBO show’s second season.
