The opening credits of “The Forsytes” set the tone of the show with uncanny accuracy. On one hand, it’s thoroughly “Downton Abbey,” with elegantly hummable theme music; images of expensive-looking glassware, calligraphied calling cards and gazebos; and an alphabetical parade of names indicating a large and impressive cast. On the other, the sequence’s images look weirdly computer-generated, ...

Francesca Annis as Ann Forsyte in "The Forsytes."

Sean Gleason/PBS/TNS

The opening credits of “The Forsytes” set the tone of the show with uncanny accuracy. On one hand, it’s thoroughly “Downton Abbey,” with elegantly hummable theme music; images of expensive-looking glassware, calligraphied calling cards and gazebos; and an alphabetical parade of names indicating a large and impressive cast. On the other, the sequence’s images look weirdly computer-generated, like perfect spun-sugar imitations of things, rather than the things themselves. And that’s basically what you get with “The Forsytes”: a gorgeous, soapy yet airless drama, a treat to look at but quickly forgotten.

British novelist John Galsworthy’s trilogy “The Forsyte Saga,” originally published between 1906 and 1921, has made it to the screen before: as a popular BBC serial shown worldwide in the late 1960s (a star of that series, Susan Hampshire, appears in “The Forsytes” nearly 60 years later, this time playing society matron Lady Carteret), and again in 2002. This latest version, adapted by Debbie Horsfield (“Poldark”), stars Francesca Annis as matriarch Ann Forsyte, who presides over a sprawling, squabbling intergenerational family in Victorian-era London. Ann is somewhat akin to the Dowager Countess in “Downton Abbey,” though less skilled with bon mots. (I did appreciate, however, her stentorian delivery of the line “Frances has omitted to order tripe!”)

It’s no easy trick to sort out the various players in the crowded first episode, but the main characters are two of Ann’s grandsons, Jolyon/“Jo” (Danny Griffin) and Soames (Joshua Orpin), who work alongside their fathers Jolyon Sr. (Stephen Moyer) and James (Jack Davenport) in the family banking business. Jo and Soames have complex romantic lives: Jo’s marriage to the widowed Frances (Tuppence Middleton) is threatened by the appearance of his former lover Louisa (Eleanor Tomlinson, of “Poldark”), who’s now a dressmaker; Soames falls hard for ambitious ballerina Irene (Millie Gibson) who’s also far from his class, and I need not tell you how that sort of story, in this sort of show, generally works out. Meanwhile, Jo’s stepdaughter June (Justine Emma Moore) has gotten herself engaged to a socialist architect (Jamie Flatters) who for some reason wears a Davy Crockett cap. (As somebody tartly remarks, “You Forsytes make such bold matrimonial choices.”)

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Danny Griffin as Jolyon Forsyte Jr. in "The Forsytes."

Sean Gleason/PBS/TNS

And so off we go for six episodes, filled with glorious hats and enviable interiors and the sort of flowing, preternaturally glossy hair that makes everyone look like they’re in a Victorian shampoo commercial. Jo, in particular, seems excessively movie-star tressed; that, combined with the fact that he’s almost always mysteriously tieless (at the office! in Victorian England!), makes him look like he’s just emerged from some sort of extremely rakish after-party. (Also, why does Irene take her voluminous mane down for ballet class, which requires her to dance in slow motion so as not to blind herself while turning? And how does Louisa maintain perfect beachy waves despite her busy schedule as a working woman and single mother?)

I’ll stop hair-obsessing here, but honestly, appearances are what “The Forsytes” is all about; the effort here has been lavished on the costumes and sets, rather than the drama. You watch the show waiting for it to really catch hold, but it moves very slowly, giving us time to admire all those couches and teacups and peignoirs. (It also moves slowly because some of the characters aren’t the swiftest; I laughed aloud when it took teenage June quite a while to explain something rather obvious to her stepfather.)

Maybe “The Forsytes” needs a few more subplots; maybe more nimble directing and editing; maybe a little more charisma in its central roles, with Griffin and Orpin mostly looking swoony and/or peevish, and Tomlinson desperately trying to breathe some life into the saintly character of Louisa. Other than Middleton, who gets some actual drama to play (“Kill it, once and for all,” she spits at her husband Jo, speaking of his love for Louisa), most of the other characters pleasantly wander through the action, showing off their gowns and their waistcoats and never asking the questions that occur to viewers, such as why Jo thinks nobody will see him when he rides a carriage around town with Louisa. (Like anyone could fail to notice a man with such spectacular hair.)

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Millie Gibson, left, as Irene Forsyte and Joshua Orpin as Soames Forsyte in "The Forsytes."

Sean Gleason/PBS/TNS

“The Forsytes,” which made its debut on British television late last year, is already signed for two more seasons, so perhaps things will get livelier in subsequent episodes. For those hoping for another “Downton Abbey,” it definitely isn’t that — the characters in “Downton,” by comparison, practically jump off the screen — but this high-toned soap is lovely to look at, and perhaps these days, that’s enough.

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'THE FORSYTES'

How to watch: 9 p.m. ET Sundays on PBS (and streaming on the PBS app and PBS Masterpiece on Prime Video March 22)

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