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Bridgerton star to take over Catherine Zeta-Jones' iconic role

A reboot of The Darling Buds of May is in the works

bridgerton sabrina catherine zeta jones
Francesca Shillcock
Senior Features Writer
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Bridgerton star Sabrina Bartlett is set to appear in ITV's new drama The Larkins, a reboot of classic show The Darling Buds of May.

The Netflix star, who played Siena Rosso in the period drama, will play Mariette Larkin in the new series, an iconic role made famous by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the early nineties.

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The Larkins is set in the 1950s and is based on the book The Darling Buds of May by writer H.E. Bates. The new series will also see Bradley Walsh join as Pop Larkin, a role first made famous by Only Fools and Horses star David Jason, and Joanna Scanlan star as his wife Ma. Grantchester's Tok Stephen also joins the cast as Cedric 'Charley' Charlton.

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The new series, written by The Durrell's screenwriter Simon Nye, will follow the love story between Sabrina and Tok's characters. The synopsis reads: "The Larkins is the story of a working-class family led by the golden-hearted wheeler dealer Pop Larkin and his wife Ma, together with their six children, including the beautiful Mariette. Fiercely loyal to each other and their community, each Larkin family member has a strong work ethic, alongside a disinterest in authority.

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Sabrina in Bridgerton

"Charley arrives in the village as an unworldly and officious accountant from the city, there to investigate the Larkins' tax affairs. He is soon distracted by the beautiful Mariette, with whom he falls head over heels in love. However, he quickly discovers that he has a romantic rival in the form of the handsome and mysterious Tom Fisher. Mariette, on the other hand, may have plans of her own, which don't involve men."

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catherine zeta jones darling buds of may© Photo: Rex

Catherine Zeta-Jones in The Darling Buds of May

Sabrina expressed her excitement at playing the part of Mariette in The Larkins in a statement, which read: "I can't wait to bring these heart-warming stories to life alongside such a wonderful team. It's just the perfect dose of escapism we all need right now."

Tok said in a statement: "I can't wait to work alongside Joanna, Bradley and Sabrina. I'm incredibly excited. I hope we can impress fans of the original novels with our version." 

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