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PBS this March will air Season 2 of Sanditon, the acclaimed adaptation of Jane Austen's unfinished novel.
The show has had a dramatic few years since the release date of its first season. Initially canceled by its U.K. network ITV, big U.S. ratings saw it get uncanceled, with PBS renewing it for two more seasons on its Masterpiece strand along with the U.K. version of streaming service BritBox.
In the gap between seasons, Sanditon lost a major cast member, and also gained a few new ones. PBS has also released a trailer and plot summary that hints at the other big changes period drama fans can expect from the new episodes.
When is Sanditon Season 2 coming to PBS?
The release date for the Season 2 premiere has been set for Sunday, March 20 on PBS at 9 p.m. ET (one hour after the Season 11 premiere of Call the Midwife). Cannot wait another week to watch the second episode? The PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel will release the first two episodes on March 20, and will release the remaining episodes a week earlier.
The second season will be slightly shorter than the first, with six episodes to the original's eight. These will air weekly on Sundays, with the season finale airing on April 24.
The show has also been renewed for Season 3, the release date of which has not been announced yet.
Who is in the cast of Sanditon Season 2?
Leading the cast again is Rose Williams as the independent-minded Charlotte Heywood, who is confirmed to return alongside Crystal Clarke (Georgiana Lambe), Anne Reid (Lady Denham), Kris Marshall (Tom Parker), Kate Ashfield (Mary Parker), Jack Fox (Sir Edward Denham), Charlotte Spencer (Esther Denham), Lily Sacofsky (Clara Brereton), Turlough Convery (Arthur Parker), Kevin Eldon (Mr. Hankins) and Adrian Scarborough (Dr. Fuchs).
#SanditonPBS will return w/ seasons 2 & 3 and continue Charlotte’s journey through life & love. While Sidney Parker will not return, rest assured that an abundance of romance & adventure lies ahead for the Sanditon heroine. We can’t wait for you to see what we have in store… ? pic.twitter.com/8ioma0RbwF
— MASTERPIECE | PBS (@masterpiecepbs) May 7, 2021
Fans of the first season may have noticed that there is a name missing from that list. That would be Theo James, who played the dashing Sidney Parker. He announced that he would be leaving the show shortly after it received its renewal, writing on the Masterpiece PBS Twitter page: "Although I relished playing Sidney, for me, I've always maintained that his journey concluded as I wanted it to. The broken fairy-tale like ending between Charlotte and Sidney is different, unique and so interesting to me and I wish the cast and crew of Sanditon every success with future series."
The last season ended with Sidney and Charlotte confessing their love to each other, only for him to reveal that he intended to marry Eliza Campion (Ruth Kearney).
Luckily for Charlotte, some eligible bachelors are taking his place. They are Ben Lloyd-Hughes (from HBO's Industry) as the cerebral, antisocial Alexander Colbourne, and Tom Weston-Jones (Warrior) as Colonel Francis Lennox, who per PBS, "soon shows that first impressions aren't everything."
Wooing Charlotte's sister Alison (played by Rosie Graham), meanwhile, are Frank Blake (from Normal People) as Captain Declan Fraser and newcomer Maxim Ays as Captain William Carter. Alexander Vlahos (Versailles) plays a new Byronic suitor for Georgiana named Charles Lockhart.
What will happen in Sanditon Season 2?
An official PBS plot synopsis reads: "After fans were left hanging in suspense by the first season's finale and clamoring for more, the drama will continue to follow the high-spirited and independent heroine, Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) as she returns to the picturesque coastal resort of Sanditon. Charlotte's journey is one thread of an intricate tapestry of compelling stories full of intrigue, excitement, and romance. Against the backdrop of beautiful vistas, familiar faces return and new inhabitants are introduced—all of whom will be having adventures as joyous and surprising as the seaside town itself."
The trailer gives equally little away. It does have plenty of the stuff, however, of the stuff period drama fans live for. Lots of bonnets, couples doing intricate courtly dances and men in dashing early 19th century uniforms.
How to watch Sanditon Season 2 online
Each episode will be available for 14 days on the PBS website and app in the U.S. PBS Passport members, meanwhile, will be able to watch Episodes 2 to 6 a week early on the site, and will be able to watch the whole of Season 2 after episodes have expired from the site's general streaming pages.
PBS Passport is available to anyone who has pledged over $60 to PBS for 2022, or has a monthly donation set up of $5 or over.
Viewers are able to watch Sanditon Season 2 episodes for free for a week thanks to a PBS Masterpiece Prime Video deal that gives new subscribes a seven-day free trial. After that point, the service costs $5.99 a month.
