The Buccaneers creator explains changes to give novel a "modern" twist
Katherine Jakeways, the creator of Apple+ drama The Buccaneers, spoke exclusively with RadioTimes.com.
New Apple TV+ period drama series The Buccaneers is based on the unfinished novel of the same name by Edith Wharton, and tells the story of four young American women who follow their friend to England after she marries a Lord.
This premise remains largely the same as in the original story, but speaking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, the show's creator, Katherine Jakeways, explained that there will be a number of changes that fans of the book can expect to see.
Jakeways said: "The starting point is very similar. We've expanded it, of course, partly because Edith Wharton hadn't finished it and so hadn't had a chance to fill in the gaps and take them to the places that I think she would have wanted to take them to if she'd been able to.
"But also, because we wanted it to feel modern, we wanted to use the opportunity to tell some modern stories through these girls. Inevitably, some of the storylines we have made up, and we have used the book as a jumping off point and taken them into storylines that we wanted to explore that felt modern and universal to women, no matter when they were born."
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Jakeways explained that one specific change she and the team made was to the character of Ushant, who in the series is called Theo and is played by Guy Remmers. He is one potential suitor for Kristine Frøseth's character Nan, who also finds herself drawn to Matthew Broome's Guy Thwarte.
More like this
She said: "I'd say he's the one character actually who we've made more sympathetic than he is in the book and we've made him more of a genuine option for Nan. Because we thought it would be interesting to be not quite clear who we were trying to say was the right man for Nan.
Read more:
- All the Light We Cannot See director changed "deeply troubling" finale
- First look at Agatha Christie's Murder Is Easy with Shetland, Ghosts stars
"But the main thing we wanted to [show] was the female friendship of the book. That's the beating heart of it all and that's the main love story of the show, is these five girls and their support of each other, and their jealousies, and the fact that they are like any group of friends at any time. And that is all in the book.
"So I hope that readers of the book will feel it's faithful, and that Edith Wharton would have done too."
As well as Frøseth, Remmers and Matthew Broome, the series also stars Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Aubri Ibrag and Imogen Waterhouse, while Mad Men's Christina Hendricks plays Nan and her sister Jinny's mother.
The Buccaneers will make its global debut on Apple TV+ with the first three episodes on Wednesday 8th November, followed by new episodes weekly. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now and celebrate the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who with a special issue of Radio Times. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
