Production for season two of Sanditon is in full swing, with the period drama based on Jane Austen's unfinished final novel set to make a return after a successful fan campaign to save it.

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For a while, plot and cast details for the second series had been scarce, but a new statement from ITV has offered fans a glimpse into what's in store for heroine Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams), and it looks like not one but two potential suitors will compete for her affections.

Sadly, neither one of them will be Sidney Parker as actor Theo James has bowed out from the series. We know Sanditon season two picks up nine months after the heartbreaking events of the finale, with Charlotte returning to the coastal resort with her sister Alison, played by Outlander's Rosie Graham, in tow.

A synopsis released by ITV, which is set to air the period drama's second series on linear TV alongside its BritBox release, hinted at what's to come not only for Charlotte, but also for her friend Georgiana (Crystal Clarke).

"Charlotte returns to the beautiful seaside town and soon attracts the attention of not one, but two new men. And, in her last summer season before turning 21, Georgiana Lambe, keen to forge her own identity, gets up to mischief in the name of love… but will she run the risk of being lonelier than ever before?"

The Army has also built a new base in the resort, opening up plenty of opportunities for new romances, including "self-assured war hero" Colonel Francis Lennox, played by Tom Weston-Jones. The Colonel will have a rival for Charlotte's affections in mysterious resident Alexander Colbourne (Ben Lloyd-Hughes), as the synopsis reads: "The Army arrives to make the resort their new base and with them bring potential new romances, friendships and challenges for the residents of Sanditon."

Other new arrivals include the charming Captain William Carter (Maxim Ays), Captain Declan Fraser (Frank Blake), a "courageous character (if a little rough around the edges)", and Byronic artist Charles Lockhart (Alexander Vlahos), who is in town to paint portraits of Sanditon’s "fashionable and wealthy residents."

Producer Belinda Campbell said of the casting news: “It’s a joy to be returning to the sunshiny shores of Sanditon in the company of such an incredible cast – including some very exciting new faces. Writer/Executive Producer Justin Young has plenty of fabulous adventures in store for all our characters. I can’t wait to see them come to life on screen.”

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You can buy Sanditon by Jane Austen from Amazon now. Looking for something else to watch? Check out our TV Guide or visit our Drama hub for the latest news.

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