A new “Monarch of the Glen” is coming to PBS.
A reimagining of the beloved Scottish dramedy will air on PBS’ “Masterpiece,” TVLine has learned. The six-episode series “will return to the Scottish Highlands for a rich, romantic and humorous family saga rooted in legacy, love and survival.”
There’s a twist, though: While the original series followed London restaurateur Archie MacDonald as he was called back to Scotland to tend to his family’s crumbling estate, the new “Monarch of the Glen” centers on “high-flying London lawyer Isla Campbell” who returns to Scotland for her father’s funeral where “she discovers she has inherited a million-pound debt, a bank closing in, and a brother who refuses to let go of their ancestral home. Under the same roof for the first time in years, brother and sister will have to find a way to save the struggling estate before time runs out and they lose it for good.”
The new series promises to “transport us to the stunning Scottish Highlands while introducing a rich ensemble of unforgettable new characters. This family saga promises heart, humor and romance – bound together by breathtaking landscapes, roaring hearths, and the people who call this wild corner of the world home.”
Monarch was a PBS fan favorite in the early ’00s
Jeremy Brock (“A Very Royal Scandal”) will write the new “Monarch of the Glen” along with Stephen Greenhorn (“Dept. Q”), with Brock serving as series creator. No casting has been announced as of yet.
“When I was offered the chance to reimagine ‘Monarch of the Glen,’ I leapt at it,” Brock said in a statement. “I’m hugely excited by the opportunity to tell a story of family life and finding your place in our hectic world — one that celebrates the warmth, humour and eccentricities of a special community, with both optimism and authenticity. Hope and joy are a currency in short supply right now, and the Highlands — one of the most magical places on Earth — felt like exactly the right home for them.”
The original “Monarch” debuted on BBC in 2000, with Alastair Mackenzie starring as new estate owner Archie MacDonald, who tries to rebuild his childhood home in Scotland while dealing with a host of eccentric locals. The show became a fan favorite and eventually ran for seven seasons, airing here in the U.S. on PBS. But several main cast members left the show before its conclusion, including Mackenzie, who exited the series after Season 5, with Archie moving to New Zealand.
PBS fans, are you ready to crown a new “Monarch of the Glen”? Give us your take on the news in a comment below.
