Save ‘Sanditon’: Why fans want more from this Jane Austen PBS series
If you love period dramas, then chances are you’ve heard of the ITV/PBS take of the unfinished final novel of Jane Austen, Sanditon. The series was adapted to television by Andrew Davies (House of Cards) and stars Rose Williams (Reign) and Theo James (Divergent). Sanditon follows Charlotte (Williams) who has arrived at the seaside resort town of Sanditon, which is on the cusp of dramatic change.
As Austen died before the novel could be completed, Davies and his writer’s room had to figure out their own way to complete the story. With how Sanditon ended, however, fans are hoping that the series returns for a second season. The way the first season ended was a little more depressing than the usual happy ending that Austen was famous for.
Here’s why fans want more of Sanditon.
The story is not over
Sanditon did not end as a Jane Austen novel normally would with the love interests together and happy. Instead, Sidney (James) realizes he loves Charlotte but gets engaged to another woman with the money to help his struggling family. It’s not a happy ending per se and fans were not pleased.
As series producer Belinda Campbell told Vulture, this was meant to be a midpoint for Sanditon. Sometimes, frustratingly, not all endings should have a perfect bow on it.
“That being said, the series is also designed so that it works as a self-contained story. Every story has an ending, some of them have an absolute ending, some have an ending that could be continued. It was the midpoint, and the next challenge was to come.”
The figures, however, weren’t enough for ITV to pick it up for a second season in the UK. Sanditon needs another partner if it does get picked up for a second season.
Campbell said, “We’ve always said, and ITV has also said that they would like to see it get picked up and carried on elsewhere. But the truth is, it just didn’t get the numbers high enough. So were it to continue, we would need a new partner. Which is why the U.S. figures matter, because if it does well and people love it, then these things can happen.”
The ending of Sanditon, however, was not the one that the creators wanted. They wanted the series to have that traditional Jane Austen ending with both Sidney and Charlotte ending up happily together.
The fans of Sanditon are not giving up on the show getting the ending that it deserves though.
An engaging story
Fans point to the engaging story, the cliffhanger ending, and the great acting as reasons for Sanditon to be picked up for a second season.
@CharIsMyHomegirl said of the series, “Please bring back this gem of a TV show. Such an amazing story and the acting is superb! It is so much in the spirit of Jane Austen but we need a Jane ending for Charlotte! #Sanditon #SaveSanditon #SanditonPBS”
@TweetKP2011 pointed out that the story was only half-done, “Oh how we hope #SanditonSeason2 comes to Fruition and we see these boys strutting their stuff onscreen! Such a lovely story and tragic to leave it half done! #SaveSanditon #sanditonpbs #sanditon”
The chemistry between Sidney and Charlotte remains something that continues to draw in fans. As @peluso_amanda writes, they just make a truly excellent team.
“They make such a wonderful team! Enjoyed watching their moments together and can’t wait to see more of them in the second season. #SaveSanditon #Sanditon #SanditonPBS”
Finish it the way Jane Austen would want it to be finished
We’ve said this once or twice before, but it bears repeating. Sanditon did not end in a Jane Austen way. Austen’s works always end with a happy ending, where the lovers get together and all is well in the end despite the mishaps along the way. Sanditon, being her sole unfinished work, deserves the same treatment.
It should end as Austen would want it to end with Charlotte and Sidney living their own happy ending. This is a chance to complete the work of one of the greatest writers in history. She deserves to have the work end as she would want it to end.
As @LouiseW614 said, “Jane Austen’s final unfinished manuscript #Sanditon #SanditonPBS deserves to be finished her way.”
“My characters shall have, after a little trouble, all that they desire,” Austen once said. It’s something of a rallying cry of fans of Sanditon as well. @ubquitous_miss paraphrases, “We have had enough trouble, now give us what we desire! #SaveSanditon #SanditonPBS #Sanditon”
Be sure to join the Sanditon sisterhood today in order to get the series renewed for its second season!
Mariann Stumpf
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This show absolutely needs to be completed. It has affected our hearts & souls and we will not stop fighting until we see the happily ever after that is deserved.
May 6, 2020Tasha
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Sanditon is MAGIC and has so many untold stories! You will fall in love with each character! It is such a beautiful journey that needs to continue!
May 6, 2020Bluebells8
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If you are familiar with Jane Austen you know that her characters get a happy ending, this is exactly what Sanditon is missing and deserves. Please check Sanditon out by streaming through a masterpiece passport or on Prime Video.
May 6, 2020Tonia Serrao Soppelsa
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Thank you, Bec, for this wonderful article, and for the support it gives the multitude of fans all around the world. Our collective voice will rise like a fist to get our Season 2 and an ending worthy of JaneAusten.
May 6, 2020Tori Leer
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Thank you for bringing attention to this beautiful show! Everything about it is stunning, from the story to the acting to the filming and music, it’s pure, unadulterated artistry. I’d never done the twitter thing before, but the minute the show ended here in the US, I found the petition and began campaigning with the #sanditonsisterhood. We’ve written letters, sent gifts, and tweet round the clock! Please, powers that be, if you want a safe bet you’ll choose Sanditon. I’ve never seen a fandom quite so enthusiastic! Season 2, please!
May 6, 2020-@tsanditon
#sanditon #savesanditon #sanditonpbs
Mari
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Amazing article!!!!! This story deserves to be properly concluded the way Jane Austen would approve. Thank you so much. #SaveSanditon 🙏🏻😊❤️
May 6, 2020Sharee
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I LOVE Sanditon!! It has become an addiction!! We have to get a Season 2!! Not finishing this wonderful story would be a travesty!! I know whoever gives us our second season will not be sorry!!
May 6, 2020Sara Ripple
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Thanks for shining a light on this special #SanditonSisterhood. We are fierce and won’t stop until we achieve our goal of getting a second season that we all desperately want where we can see our Jane Austen happily ever after. Sanditon is so worthy of another season. It is a beautiful love story that needs closure. Beautifully written article. Thank you!
May 6, 2020Robyn
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Thanks for the wonderful article.
May 6, 2020Sherry Stuifbergen
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This article sums up the need to have Sanditon run a second season. By far, one of the best shows aired by PBS in the U.S., it has a growing popularity that producers should be looking at. The Sanditon Sister-Brotherhood have been campaigning with a petition and reaching out to Sanditon cast/crew since ITV announced the cancellation of a second season.
May 6, 2020Lydia
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I LOVE Sanditon! Definitely hoping for a second season!!
May 6, 2020Alex Vitalia
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Sanditon
May 6, 2020Great script
Great acting
Great artistic Scene decor
Beautiful magnificent horses
Astounding and enchanting musical score!!!
With the Lockdown we’ve watched it several times!
Please Finish the story
Honor Jane and her fans
USA
Anne Mayea
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I am so addicted to Sanditon. The best TV show in years. Great story, wonderful acting and amazing chemistry between Sidney and Charlotte. The ending was so disappointing. . Thanks for your great article and kind words. Need a Season 2 for #Sanditon. ⭐️🎈
May 6, 2020Kris
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Thank you for supporting #Sanditon! #SaveSanditon
May 6, 2020Laura JAMES
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Great article! Sanditon truly deserves a second season! There are so many wonderful characters whose storylines are left unanswered at the end of Episode 8. The writers had intended this to be the halfway point in the series. Hopefully a production company will realize the brilliance of what has been put in place this far and come join the cast and crew in seeing this outstanding series come to a proper fruition that Jane Austen would have loved!
May 6, 2020Teresa
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Keep supporting us for Sanditon Season 2.
May 6, 2020We need a Jane Austen ending!
Dixie
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Especially with the devastation Covid-19 has left in countless luves, we ALL deserve a happy ending to this dtory!
May 6, 2020Valrie Grajeda
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Thank you for this rallying cry for #SanditonSeason2
May 6, 2020Truly a happy ending is imperative for our starcrossed lovers!
The chemistry between the two leads is scorching and off the charts. The whole production was so great, we will keep making our voices heard until Season 2 is announced.
Mary t cellucci
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Please renew Sanditon for another season.
May 6, 2020Mary, USA
abby
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Yes, Fully Agree!! Sanditon and it’s fans DESERVE ann Austen ending!!! Please lets make that happen!!
May 6, 2020abby
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Yes, Fully Agree!! Sanditon and it’s fans DESERVE an Austen ending!!! Please let’s make that happen!!
May 6, 2020Kat
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Thank you for your wonderful article. Sanditon absolutely deserves a continuation. The cast is brilliant every actor/ actress did an amazing job. Excellent storyline and you get to see characters that are not one-dimensional. Beautiful costumes, landscapes and the music is superb. If you haven’t seen Sanditon already. Give it a try it’s not every day that you have the chance to get new stories from Jane Austen.
May 6, 2020silvia
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I loved this series so much that I can’t stop waching it! Please find the way to give to the fan the second season because the end for the protagonists was really unjust!
May 6, 2020I think the Sydney Parker’s family ask him a too big sacrifice! He have to renounce to his feeling and to his happyness only to help his brother with financial problem. The terrible mistake was been by Tom! Sydney was forced to make exactly what his first friendship has done to him! Isn’t it too ironic and bitter?
Sunny
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#Sanditon is a dream to watch! Music, cast, locations were perfect. But it is still frozen half way through the story! Not only is the typical Jane Austen HEA missing, there are characters with unfinished arcs too!
May 6, 2020Join the #sanditonsisterhood and help us get our #SanditonSeason2
And I swear you will have lots of fun! And we’re international!
Es spielt also keine Rolle wo ihr herkommt, die Liebe zu Sanditon verbindet international. Helft mit.
Sharon Gorman
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What a most relevant article to support the Sanditon Sisterhood in getting a season two for this beautiful show. Jane Austen would be thrilled to read this. Thank you sincerely for this amazing read. Kind regards!
May 7, 2020Irene Schütz
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I am a big Jane Austen Fan from the continent- Austria- and I love Sanditon and couldn’t wait to see Jane’s ending for Charlotte and Sydney- it is for what we love her and then I heard the rumours. I couldn’t believe it and that night when I read the storyline of the final episode I couldn’t sleep- I felt betrayed. That is not what Jane deserves- that is not what we deserve. Jane and we deserve respect. Don’t call it Sanditon- don’t call it by Jane Austen when you make something average and TV old story style out of it. Don’t use the floppy excuse that even in real life things don’t always end with a happy ending. That is not an existentialist drama- this is Jane Austen. We love Jane Austen. I spend money to get that Jane Austen feeling. Don’t betray us – show us respect as we are your audience. Please!
May 7, 2020Rosemarie Anello
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Please bring back Sandition! What an extraordinarily and exceptional show!
May 7, 2020MRS. M.C. COUTINHO
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I agree that Sanditon has not had a Jane Austen ending. There are other rich people in Sanditon and they could easily provide the funding for Tom’s project. Why should Sidlotte be sacrificed for it?!. I think a happy ending where Campion also gets her just deserts would be ideal.
May 7, 2020Candice
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The romance, the chemistry, the witty and sarcastic comments, the drama, ohhhh the 1800’s is where I want to be. I truly fell in love with the characters and left heartbroken just as them on the cliff hanger. But fear not, we are here fighting for Season 2!!! You will love Sanditon!!!
May 7, 2020Janet Baron
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This show ended half way through its story leaving its audience gasping in horror, sadness and We are heartbroken. This show has all the makings of a beautiful classic but for fact that it was canceled abruptly. The worldwide fan base has found their voice on Twitter and FB and we won’t stop making noise until someone completes this amazing story. We want our HEA.
May 7, 2020Laurie day
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We need and want Sanditon Season 2 please.
May 7, 2020Julie Wismar
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Thank you for this story! We are indeed working hard and holding out hope for a continuation of this beautiful story!
May 7, 2020Lola
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The Sanditon sisterhood and brotherhood need more seasons! #SaveSanditon!!!
May 7, 2020Deborah Azaroff
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Ok. If they won’t bring bring it back as a series and each episode is a story in of itself, how about a 1-2 hour finale to bring is all closure….
May 7, 2020Tract
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I so loved this story and really want to see it continue! Love hurts and can also Lift us up. That’s what I enjoy. That and the relationships we see happen on screen. So fun to watch.
May 7, 2020kapi
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We love Sanditon
May 7, 2020Thank you for bringing awareness to this wonderful show!!
M. M
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Thank you for this lovely article…We are working hard in hopes that this beautiful story gets the ending it deserves!
May 7, 2020Amanda Peluso
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Thank you Ms. Heim for writing such a wonderful and insightful article about Sanditon.
May 7, 2020Janae Mitchell
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Lovely article, FABULOUS SHOW! I hope anyone who could partner to get us a season 2 of our beloved Sanditon story pays attention!
May 7, 2020Diane Spigonardo
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Thank you for such a well-written article on the brilliant written, witty Sanditon and why we truly need a Jane Austen ending for Charlotte Heywood and Sidney Parker. There is so much more that needs to be told to complete this unfinished Jane Austen novel.
May 7, 2020Lynn
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Thank you fir this wonderful article.
Everyday in every way my love and deep abiding appreciation for the production of this multi faceted, complex, joyful story deepens. I am hardly alone – tens of thousands of talented men and women across the globe are working tirelessly for a season 2 of Sanditon thereby assuring closure for Sidney, for Sidney and Charlotte affectionately known as Sidlotte, for the writers, producers and actors and for Jane Austen. Her final work must be her legacy anchored on her eternal promise of a Happily Ever After (HEA) for her lovers.
May 7, 2020Suzann Andrews
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Please this is NOT how Jane would of wanted it to end! Over 50,000 people signed a petition to ask for another season. Please help
May 7, 2020Sarah
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This is such a fantastic show and really, truly deserves a second season to finish out the story.
May 7, 2020peggy claes
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I really hope there is a second season coming from Sanditon when I looked at it I feel love, hurt, joy… I see a man opening his self for the lovely Charlotte but he want to safe his family. It’s time someone else will safe him …
May 7, 2020Jane Austen only writhed stories with a happy ending not like it end now.
It’s so heartbroken and not on his right that it will be ending like this. It’s a breakdown on Jane Austen if the end it like this. The lady turns around in her grave when she sees this ending. It’s not an ending Jane would have writhe.
So bring on Sanditon season 2 with the same cast the same Charlotte ( Rose Williams) and Sydney (Theo James) with a happy love ending between them. And Jane Austen would be greatful to all if her last story end with a happy ever .
laura priest
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Such a beautiful show. Hope that it continues. #savesanditon
May 7, 2020Amanda Peluso
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Thank you for writing such a wonderful and insightful article about Sanditon. I just joined Twitter to help fight with my fellow sisters. It’s so amazing to get the coverage. Thank you again!!! #SaveSanditon #Sanditon #SanditonPBS
May 7, 2020Melody Mussman
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Honor Jane Austen by finishing what you started PBS! Love this story.
May 7, 2020Milica ljubibratic
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Love for Sanditon doesn’t recognize borders, or language barriers! It’ timeless! it’s universal! It’s compelling! In this often harrowing reality of ours, people still believe in happy endings! I know I do! So we are adamant in our quest to save the show which introduced us to enthralling world of Sanditon , with it’s intrigues, romance, heartbreaks – in which we irrevocably fell in love! It is so worth saving! #Sanditon #SanditonPBS #SaveSanditon
May 7, 2020Sue
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There are 2 unfinished novels. The other is The Watson’s. In the case of Sanditon, the screen adaptation of the unfinished novel is still also unfinished, so we didn’t get very far did we?
May 7, 2020Nancy J
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Save Sanditon!
May 7, 2020