A Brand New 'Monarch of the Glen' Is Coming to PBS
Masterpiece and 5 are joining forces for another brand new version of a beloved classic.
Everything old is new again, at least in the world of television. Reboots and revivals have come to dominate screens in recent years, and the PBS Masterpiece schedule is no different, with its updated takes on everything from Poldark and All Creatures Great & Small to the brand-new adaptation of The Forsytes that just wrapped up its first season. The classics revisited train doesn’t sound like it’s going to stop anytime soon, either. Masterpiece and U.K. network 5 (formerly Channel 5) are once again joining forces, this time for a new take on Monarch of the Glen.
The original BBC series ran for seven seasons from 2000 to 2005 and followed the story of a young restaurateur who suddenly inherits his family’s ancestral Scottish home. Drama and laughs ensue as Archie Macdonald (played by Alastair Mackenzie) must assume the role of Laird of Glenbogle and attempt to restore the financially troubled estate, with a little help from those around him.
This latest update is described as a “fresh reimaging*” that will return viewers to the Scottish Highlands for a “rich, romantic, and humorous family saga rooted in legacy, love, and survival.”
(*If The Forsytes has taught us anything, it’s that a “reimagining” can pretty much mean anything, so buckle up.)
Here’s the series’ synopsis.
When high-flying London lawyer Isla Campbell finds herself back at her family's crumbling Highland estate for her estranged father's funeral, she expects to be gone in days. Instead, 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 show will 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.
No cast has been announced as yet, but that is expected to follow in due course. The new series is created and written by Jeremy Brock (A Very Royal Scandal) with Stephen Greenhorn (Dept. Q). Victoria’s Tom Vaughan will direct.
“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, humor, 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 six-episode series will be produced by Ecosse Films, makers of the original Monarch of the Glen series, and Masterpiece PBS, in association with Northern Ireland Screen and global distribution partner Banijay Rights. It will air on 5 in the U.K. The producers are Alex Boyd, Robert Bernstein, and Douglas Rae. Brock and Vaughn are also executive producers, with Rob Darnell and Adam Duncan for Ecosse Films. Susanne Simpson is the executive producer for Masterpiece.
Production and filming on the new Monarch of the Glen will take place in Scotland and Northern Ireland in the latter half of 2026, so we probably would expect it to arrive on our screens sometime in the 2027-2028 television season.
The original version of the series is currently streaming free on Roku.
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