The idea came initially from David Liddiment, ITV's director of channels, who seized on the Forsyte novels not only as a great achievement in English literature, but also for their iconic status in British television.

A prosperous partner in the family law firm, Soames becomes interested in the beautiful but poor Irene Heron (Gina McKee) while on business in the seaside town of Bournemouth, where she lives with her widowed stepmother.

When he proposes, she refuses him despite encouragement from her stepmother because of their impoverished state as a result of Irene's father's death, leaving them only £50 a year to live on.

At a dance in Bournemouth, Soames attempts to show his continued passion for Irene, but ends up vulgarly kissing her arm in public.

Young Jolyon and Hélène are now living in a modest house in St John's Wood with their two small children and read in the paper that his wife, Frances, has died.

Irene takes a buggy ride with Soames' Uncle Swithin and suggests that they drive to Robin Hill, obviously in the hope of meeting with Bosinney.

Later, pretending to be asleep on the patio, Swithin sees the two lovers heading into the woods where Bosinney confesses his love for Irene and the two share a passionate embrace.

However, during a ball, they are caught talking outside by Monty Dartie and later flaunt their love for each other by dancing passionately in front of the entire family.

Young Jolyon meets the male members of his family again at the club, but he and his father are repulsed by Dartie's talk of Irene's situation.

In the meantime, Soames is deluded into thinking that she will return, asking his housekeeper Bilson to continue changing the flowers in her room.

The whole Forsyte clan attend the funeral at Robin Hill and there is gossip and speculation as to why he would bequeath money to Irene and some astonishment that he would be buried outside the family crypt.

Annette has a difficult delivery, and the doctor tells Soames to choose between saving his wife or his baby; either way, she will never bear another child.

June Forsyte (Gillian Kearney ) takes her half brother Jon on an impromptu visit to her Aunt Hester's (Ann Bell).

She discovers that it is Hester's birthday and a party is being held with other members of the Forsyte family, including Soames and his daughter Fleur.

Back at Robin Hill, Irene Forsyte is angry when Jon talks about the "nasty man" that yelled at him, and is disappointed that June should have exposed him to that side of the family.

Montague Dartie (Ben Miles), his son Val, cousin George (Alistair Petrie) and Jon Forsyte meet with Prosper Profond (Michael Maloney), a wealthy French Armenian who shares their interest in horse racing.

He is missing her more every day and, as soon as they arrive home, the pair reunite, Fleur confessing to Jon that she visited Robin Hill in his absence.

Immediately after the funeral, Fleur goes to Robin Hill to tell Jon her discovery and is forced to have tea with Irene and Jolyon, who is obviously furious at having been deceived by her when his wife and son were abroad.

An anonymous letter arrives at Mapledurham telling Soames of his wife's affair with Prosper; however she laughs it off as gossip and falsehood and continues her liaison.

Prosper arrives at the cricket match and manages to woo back Annette, and Soames angrily resigns himself to the fact that he has an unfaithful wife for a second time.

After the cricket match Jolyon confesses to Irene that he is unwell, and they agree to tell Jon the truth about the past and Soames's obsession with his mother.

After his family have spread his ashes on the grave of Jolyon's father, Fleur, being stood up at the train station for their elopement, arrives at Robin Hill to see Jon.

Prosper Profond visits Robin Hill with Holly to offer Jon some work and tells him of Fleur's romance with Michael.

Both he and Irene question whether parting the young lovers was the right thing to do and admit that they miss the company of their children – Jon is abroad and Fleur on her honeymoon.

"[3][page needed] This event, for present-day readers merely a subtle allusion in Galsworthy's writing, is clearly displayed in the adaptation to television as a major influence on the futures of several chief characters.

In the series, Holly and Val's meeting takes place at Robin Hill just as Jolly has left for the university, and it is combined with Soames's first approach to Jolyon, as Irene's trustee, to find out if there is evidence for him to undertake divorce proceedings.

In To Let, Michael Mont meets Soames at June Forsyte's Cork Street Gallery, not at an auction, and just moments before Fleur and Jon first see each other.

The broadcast shows Jon and Fleur meeting at the home of June's aunts on Hester's birthday when both are about nine years old, but this is not mentioned in the novel.

In the novel To Let, a letter from his father provides Jon Forsyte the information regarding his mother's past relationship with and final violation by Soames.

The conversation between Soames and Fleur on her wedding day that includes his confession about his grand passion for Irene and his lingering regret at what happened between them does not occur in the novels.