#SaveSanditon campaign funds sand art stunt in bid for second season
The artwork asks: "Who will #SaveSanditon?"
Fans of ITV's short-lived Jane Austen drama Sanditon have funded an ambitious piece of sand art depicting the show's two main characters.
The avid #SaveSanditon campaign group funded the artwork themselves, commissioning world-renowned artist Simon Beck to design the portrait of Charlotte Heywood and Sidney Parker.
In the television adaptation, the characters were portrayed by Rose Williams and Theo James respectively, with the story following their evolving relationship.
Based on Austen's famously unfinished story, the first series ended on a dramatic cliffhanger as the happy ending many fans had hoped for was left in peril.
Thus, a passionate fan campaign was launched to see Sanditon series two picked up, with this latest stunt conducted in the hopes of attracting attention from international broadcasters.
The bespoke large-scale artwork was sprawled across Bristol's Brean Beach yesterday, with three volunteers from the Sanditon Sisterhood fan group assisting with the project.
This follows a #SaveSanditon petition on Change.org which has attracted over 70,000 signatures to date, as well as being a major talking point on Twitter.
The campaign appeared to be gaining traction this summer when Amazon Prime Video sent a tweet that suggested it was exploring the possibility of reviving the show.
However, RadioTimes.com confirmed earlier this month that Sanditon series two is "not yet set up" at any broadcaster, with Prime Video's aforementioned tweet intended as a light-hearted post.
However, a representative for series writer Andrew Davies told RadioTimes.com a second series is "not out of the question".
Executive producer Belinda Campbell added: "Although there is no official greenlight or announcement for a second series, we continue to look into all the options available. It’s wonderful that the fans are so passionate and we’d love to be able to give them some good news if and when we can."
Sanditon is available to stream on BritBox. You can order the book based on the series from Amazon. If you're looking for something else to watch, check out our TV Guide.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.