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There are so many shows and movies that are made about World War II that take place on the battlefield in some way or another, but not much centers on the life on the home front, the life at home. Home Fires brings the viewer into the lives of several women living in a rural village in England dealing with the effects of the war on them. While these women didn’t serve on the battlefield they served in a different way – they handled the privations brought to them by rationing and restrictions and also came up with some brilliant ideas of how to give even more to their men on the front.
I loved how the show covered not only the ways the war affected their lives, but also the everyday stuff that occurred at that time – affairs, marriages, jobs, and class issues. It was well balanced in the handling of these two different elements of the show.
There was an extensive cast and quite honestly I couldn’t remember any of their names while watching the show, however each character was a distinct individual and stood out in my mind for what they were going through. I thought there was some excellent acting here and they were all believable in their roles. The costume and setting were beautiful.
I binge watched this show in two sittings – absolutely inhaled it. It left me wanting more at the end of the series – ending in 1940, so there is more story to tell for sure. Glad I listened to all the recommendations from friends to watch the show!
Here is a trailer of this show for your enjoyment.
It took me quite a while to get around to reading Outlander, but finding out that it was coming out as a television series kicked that into high gear. I loved the novel and ate up every word, so how would the show fare in my eyes? I’m happy to say it blew me away! Excellent casting decisions, gorgeous everything (setting, costumes, people…just everything), and a brilliant interpretation of the novel to the screen!
When you read Outlander you create a very definite image in your mind of Jamie, Claire, and Jack Randal, among others. To take these characters that are well-loved and find actors to portray them was a monumental challenge. But they did it! Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan fully embodied Claire and Jamie. They not only met my expectations for how they should look, but the way they spoke and carried themselves brought those characters to life.
The show takes a roughly 900 page book and recreates all the important events in the 16 episodes: from the first time Claire travels through the standing stones to the beautiful wedding scene to the finale episode at the prison. They didn’t pull any punches – there is beauty, sex, violence, and some of it is rather explicit – this is your warning. Some people might find it too graphic (particularly the prison episode), and I can understand that, but it was SO well done – every cringe-worthy moment and it evoked the same emotions from me as the novel did, and maybe even more. They include all of these big moments but also pick up on a lot of the smaller, detail oriented moments. With so much of the book present in the show, you really don’t miss anything that might have been skipped.
Oh, and can we talk about the theme song? Now that is beautiful, haunting, and will get stuck in your head for days!
This show was everything that I hoped it would be and more! Onward to Season 2!
And a little bit of a side note – you HAVE to check out the Outlander Yule Log video during the holidays – that replaces any other yule log you watch. Scottish music, a roaring fire in a huge stone hearth, a couple of hounds – highly recommend.
Here is a trailer of this show for your enjoyment.
If you have seen the show, what did you think of the first season?
I noticed recently that the majority of my Caught on Tape posts have featured women; so I
decided that this installment would have to be a man. I really liked looking at Richard I of England, the Lionheart, because I can divide his film life into three distinct categories: those focusing on the family battle with his father, Henry II; those focusing on the Crusade; and those that include Richard in the Robin Hood story. Instead of organizing this post around the chronology of film production, I’m actually going to arrange it more with an eye toward these themes.
The Battle for the Heir
This is an element of Richard’s history that I am less familiar with than his Crusading history. This is where we really see conflict between Henry II and his wife Eleanor.
The Lion in Winter (1968)
Based on the Broadway play: 1183 AD: King Henry II's three sons all want to inherit the throne, but he won't commit to a choice. They and his wife variously plot to force him.
This film features the great Anthony Hopkins as Richard in his first film role. So there is reason to watch this film for that reason alone. It also stars Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor and Peter O’Toole as Henry II – two other film greats as part of this cast. This is one of those films that I have had many people recommend or ask me about and I haven’t seen it! It is in my movie queue though. This film was remade in the 1980’s I believe in a television format, but I have heard that this is the version to watch. In the film clip below, Richard is having a conversation with Phillip II of France. I have always found Hopkins to have stilted performances and he is not a personal favorite of mine.
Richard the Lionheart (2013), and sequel, Richard the Lionheart: Rebellion (2015)
Richard the Lionheart:
King Henry II tests the loyalty and honor of his son Richard sending him to a hellish prison. In prison Richard must fight against adversaries representing the virtues of a knight.
Rebellion:
The year is 1173. England and France are at war. The destiny of the two great powers has never been so intertwined. As King Henry's wife, Queen Eleanor, is captured and imprisoned by the king himself, Richard and his brothers lead the fight against their father in a heartless war. Allegiances shift with each victory or defeat as the destinies of England and France keep swaying in a delicate balance.
I’m lumping these two films together because I can’t get a really good read on them. The first film description doesn’t feel at all based on history (please someone correct me if I’m wrong), but instead feels like a fantasy adaptation that is just loosely based on history. The second film sounds much more historically based. But I did find it interesting that they released a sequel. I had never heard of either of these and they are very recently released. In both films, Richard is portrayed by Greg Chandler Maness – another unknown to me. I’m including both clips below – let me know what kind of read you get on these – I’m truly curious!
The Crusading Years
These are the times that I always find most interesting. It can occasionally overlap with the Robin Hood stories, entirely dependent on which direction they drive Robin Hood. The Crusades took up a significant portion of Richard’s kingship and lead to his death, so there are some great potential cinematic moments.
The Crusades (1935)
Mostly taking elements from the Third Crusade, King Richard the Lionheart is enlisted in a crusade to bring Jerusalem back into Christian hands in order to get out of a betrothal with Princess Alice of France. En route, Richard meets Berengaria, Princess of Navarre and marries her in exchange for food for his men. During the Crusaders' attempts to get past the walls of Acre, Berengaria is captured by the Muslim Sultan Saladin and he brings her back to Jerusalem and attempts to woo her. Eventually, the Crusaders make their way to Jerusalem and after many battles Saladin declares a truce and Richard agrees. Berengaria and Richard fall in love and all the gates of Jerusalem are opened.
The films of the 1930s and 1940s are well known for their expansive battle and war stories and their focus more on the story being told than necessarily on the historical accuracy. This film is directed by the great Cecile B deMille and stars Henry Wilcoxson as Richard. This appears to be one of those epic war and love stories, but everything I have ever read doesn’t suggest that Richard and Berengaria’s marriage was a love match. This is certainly one of those I am planning on watching. The scene I chose below is from one of the great climatic moments, it doesn’t include Berengaria, but is instead the siege of Acre. I felt that would have been more important to Richard’s character.
Robin Hood
Robin Hood is an interesting tale that tends to be centered historically during the rule of Richard I and Prince John. Some films focus on this element more than others.
Robin Hood (2010)
In 12th century England, Robin and his band of marauders confront corruption in a local village and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power.
Now this is a film that I have seen! Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe as Robin Hood and King Richard as Danny Huston, this film received a wide release in 2010. This is one of those Robin Hood films that doesn’t fall into the typical story of stealing from the rich to give to the poor; it focuses on Robin Hood before he became that hero. It follows his years as a part of Richard’s army on Crusade. I felt that Crowes portrayal here was strong.
Robin Hood (2006) – BBC TV Series (particularly Season 2 - 2007)
The BBC series based on the traditional retellings of the Robin Hood tale.
This one is a little difficult to get into here, as it is more of a specific episode that features King Richard rather than him being a regularly recurring character throughout the series – although he is much discussed throughout. During the majority of the show Richard is on Crusade and we do finally see him in the finale episode of Season 2 titled, We Are Robin Hood!. During this episode the majority of the cast somehow ends up in Acre and treachery ensues. Richard is played by Steven Waddington and I didn’t find his portrayal especially compelling.
Overall I really enjoyed the show and some of the liberties they took. While I haven’t seen Season 3, the final season, I have reviewed both Season 1 and Season 2.
Now I’m going to give a spoiler warning before you watch this clip. The only clip I could find of this episode is the entire second half of the episode AND it is the season finale episode – so if you are watching the series or hope to watch it, maybe don’t watch the whole episode. You can watch the 11 minute to 13 minute mark which doesn’t give much away.
So what films have you seen and which part of Richard’s life do you like to see on the screen? I’m particularly partial to the Robin Hood films.
The final segment of the Historical Dramas Preview sort of is a catch-all category covering all the remaining standard cable channels. Mostly I have focused on shows that come of various specialty cable channels, but they come on others too!
On History Channel
Vikings – Premiered March 2013 – 3 seasons with a 4th starting in February 2016
Vikings is inspired by the sagas of Viking Ragnar Lothbrok, one of the best-known legendary Norse heroes and notorious as the scourge of England and France. The show portrays Ragnar as a former farmer who rises to fame by successful raids into England, and eventually becomes king of Denmark, with the support of his family and fellow warriors: his brother Rollo, his son Bjorn Ironside, and his wives—the shieldmaiden Lagertha and the princess Aslaug.
Somehow I haven’t had the chance to watch this one yet! I guess there is only so much time in the day. I love that they took a chance with an era of history that hadn’t been over exposed and that it has been such a hit with fans and critics alike. It’s such an intriguing and different culture from many of the other historical dramas we have discussed over the last few weeks. The showrunner has indicated that some liberties were taken with the show based on elements that are unknown and to appeal to a wider audience.
War and Peace – Premiered January 2016 (current) - 6 episode mini-series
A television presentation of the classic Leo Tolstoy novel. A story that revolves around five aristocratic families, set during the reign of Alexander I, and centered on the love triangle between Natasha Rostova, Pierre Bezukhov, and Andrei Bolkonsky.
I have never tackled War and Peace because it is just too long for me, so a tv version might just be perfect! It does appeal to me the setting of Russia which you don’t see all that often in historical novels or dramas. I have been told that it is a don’t miss show!
On ABC
Of Kings and Prophets – Premiering in March 2016
An upcoming American television drama based on the Biblical Books of Samuel. The series follows an ensemble of characters including Saul and David, the successive Kings of Israel, their families, and their political rivals. Of Kings and Prophets is set in the Kingdom of Israel.
This has been described as the world’s first soap opera and they intend to push the envelope with regard to violence and sex on broadcast television – which might turn off some, but appeal to others who have appreciated that in some of the cable channels. Again, not a subject that has been done that I can even remember so I am intrigued as to how this one goes.
On FX
The Bastard Executioner – Premiered September 2015 - 1 season (ended)
The Bastard Executioner tells the story of Wilkin Brattle, a 14th century warrior, whose life is forever changed when a divine messenger beseeches him to lay down his sword and lead the life of another man: a journeyman executioner. Set in northern Wales during a time rife with rebellion and political upheaval, Wilkin must walk a tight rope between protecting his true identity while also serving a mysterious destiny. Guided by Annora, a mystical healer whose seeming omniscience keeps Wilkin under her sway; manipulated by Milus Corbett, a devious Chamberlain with grand political aspirations; and driven by a deepening connection with the Baroness Lady Love, Wilkin struggles to navigate political, emotional and supernal pitfalls in his quest to understand his greater purpose.
I had heard a lot about this show in its lead up. I was intrigued by the concept of an executioner being the main character because it is a very interesting historical role to consider. Apparently it focuses on blood and gore over storyline and has primarily negative reviews. I would love to hear from anyone who might have watched this!
On ITV (Britain)/Esquire (USA)
Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands – Premiered January 2016
Epic fantasy drama that is a re-imagining of themes and characters from the Old English poem Beowulf, but with new characters and storylines added.
I struggled to comprehend Beowulf in high school (probably because I had to read it), but I love the action drama idea behind it. This only just premiered in the USA yesterday, so obviously I haven’t watched it yet.
Alright, with this being the final installment, are there any historical dramas that I left out that you loved? I would love to hear!
One of the untapped channel line-ups for me is BBC America. I have watched the occasional show when I happen to come across something, but it is not one that I regularly remember that I have (too many channels I guess…). But there are some fantastic historical drama shows on this channel too!
On BBC America
The Last Kingdom – Premiered October 2015 and 2nd season has been ordered
The Last Kingdom is a British television series, an eight-part adaptation of Bernard Cornwell’s historical novels series The Saxon Stories. Set in the late ninth century AD, when what is known as England today was several separate kingdoms. The Anglo-Saxon lands are attacked and, in many instances, ruled by Danes. The Kingdom of Wessex has been left standing alone.
The protagonist Uhtred, the orphaned son of a Saxon nobleman, is captured by Viking Danes and reared as one of them. Forced to choose between a kingdom that shares his ancestry and the people of his upbringing, his loyalties are constantly tested.
The first series' storyline roughly covers the plot of the original two novels, The Last Kingdom and The Pale Horseman although condensed for the purposes of television.
I’m excited to watch this one as I have loved all the Bernard Cornwell books that I have read and I have read the first two books in this series, so I’m all set for the first season. It would be interesting to see how this plays out against The History Channel’s The Vikings. Anyone watched both?
Ripper Street – Premiered January 2013 and 4th season started in January 2016
Ripper Street is a British TV series set in Whitechapel in the East End of London. It begins in 1889, six months after the infamous Jack the Ripper murders. The streets of Whitechapel are the haunt of Detective Inspector Edmund Reid and his team of officers, who aim to maintain law and order in a place once terrorized by Jack the Ripper.
I have always found the Jack the Ripper story to be fascinating and historical novelists seem to love this too – most likely because the murders have never been “solved” so there is a lot of room to play. This show seems to have had a slippery slope in terms of viewership and success, I would love to hear from those of you that have watched this.
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell – Premiered June 2015 – 1 season (ended)
An alternate history/historical fantasy style series – something my husband could get in to (he read most of the book, but it sits unfinished on the bookshelf currently). While the genre and description don’t necessarily sound like my style, it came out to rave reviews.
The Musketeers – Premiered January 2014 and has been renewed for a 3rd season
The Musketeers is a BBC historical-action drama program based on the characters from Alexandre Dumas's novel The Three Musketeers. In 1630 Paris, Athos, Aramis and Porthos are a group of highly trained musketeers commanded by Captain Treville who meet d'Artagnan, a skillful farm boy with hopes of becoming a musketeer. The series follows them as they fight to protect King and country.
While I haven’t read the book, I have read many books based on the original story of the Three Musketeers or seen movie/tv varieties. This is something I could get into!
Any other great shows on BBC America that I am missing out on? Please let me know!!
Last week I shared with you all a bunch of historical dramas that are currently or going to be on PBS-Masterpiece. This week, I’m going to share some of the shows on paid services – such as STARZ and Netflix. There are some great new shows coming that I can’t wait to dive in to.
On STARZ
STARZ has come up with a great selection of historical dramas over the last couple of years – and the three I am featuring below are all returning selections.
Outlander – Premiered September 2014, 2nd season coming in the Spring
Outlander is based on the historical time travel Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon. It stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall, a married World War II nurse in 1945 who finds herself transported back to Scotland in 1743, where she encounters the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite risings.
I LOVE THIS SHOW!! Was that a clear enough statement of how I feel about this show? I think it beautifully brings the novels to vivid life. Sometimes hard to watch for sure, but so good. I’m looking forward to season 2 and seeing their time in France.
Black Sails – Premiered in 2014, 3rd season is coming this month
Black Sails is an American dramatic adventure television series set on New Providence Island and a prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island
I have seen a couple episodes of this show, just the very beginning. I love tales of pirates and adventure and Treasure Island – although I didn’t realize it was related to Treasure Island when I watched it the first time. And visually stunning!! Beyond that, I don’t know much about this one.
DaVinci’s Demons – Premiered in 2013, 3 seasons (ended December 2015)
Da Vinci's Demons is a historical fantasy drama series that presents a fictional account of Leonardo da Vinci's early life. The show follows Leonardo as he is implicated in the political schemes of the Medici and Pazzi families and their contrasting relationships with the Catholic Church. These events occur alongside Leonardo's quest to obtain the Book of Leaves as he finds himself entangled with a cult known as the Sons of Mithras.
I saw most of the first season of this one, haven’t had the chance to finish up watching this though. The plot was a little strange at times and hard to follow, but I LOVED Tom Riley who plays Leonardo. A great mix of insane and genius. Another one that is visually beautiful. It just ended its run in
On Netflix
Marco Polo – Premiered in 2014 and 2nd season was just renewed
Marco Polo is an American drama series inspired by Marco Polo's early years in the court of Kublai Khan, the Khagan of the Mongolian Empire and the founder of the Yuan dynasty (1271 – 1368), in Khanbaliq.
I have not have the chance to see this one yet, however it is in my Netflix queue. I have heard mixed reactions to this one. I have heard it is a little weak in plot.
The Crown – Premiering in 2016 at a date to be announced
The Crown is a biographical drama series about the British royal family, namely the inside story of Queen Elizabeth II and her many prime ministers as it spans across several decades.
Not quite as historical as some of the shows discussed today, as the subjects are still currently living and ruling, but it is about royalty and that is enough for me. I’m assuming if we are going to be being treated to many of her prime ministers it will go back a ways.
Frontier – Premiering in 2016 at a date to be announced
Set in the late 1700s, Frontier is an adventure drama series that explores the clash between Native tribes and European settlers during the height of the North American fur trade. Will star Jason Momoa, previously of Game of Thrones.
This has potential as far as I’m concerned. There aren’t too many USA based historical dramas these days – but they are branching out! I will have my eyes out for this one.
I do not have a trailer yet for this one.
There are a lot more historical dramas than I knew about – how to find the time to watch them all and read!!! I’m excited for the new shows coming from Netflix and to catch up on Outlander and Da Vinci’s Demons. What are you excited about?
I don’t know about you, but the majority of my favorite must-see-tv shows tend to be historical dramas (or any of the Chicago Fire/PD/Med shows!). I’m so thrilled that it is actually becoming easier to find these kinds of show these days – some are on your cable channels, but there are quite a few of the regular tv channels as well. I thought today I would do a little preview of the historical drama offerings from 2015 (in case you missed them!) and upcoming. I’m going to do this over a couple posts, so today I’m going to talk about those available on Masterpiece (PBS). Please chime in with any must-haves that I might have missed in the comments below!
On Masterpiece (PBS)
Ok, so Masterpiece on PBS seems to be one of the big ones for having the most historical dramas and I think that is likely because they air many tv shows that were originally released to a British audience, and you can’t deny they do historical dramas the best! Here is a look at some of their offerings:
Poldark – Premiered in 2015, 1 season thus far (filming second season)
In the late 18th century, Ross Poldark returns to his Cornish tin mines after spending three years in the army to avoid charges of smuggling, leaving behind his sweetheart, Elizabeth. On his return, having fought in the American War of Independence, he finds his father dead, his estate in ruins and Elizabeth engaged to his cousin Francis. He rescues a young woman, Demelza, from a beating, and takes her on as a kitchen maid and attempts getting control of the mines sought after by a rival, the greedy and arrogant George Warleggan.
I haven’t seen this one yet, but have heard great things and it is on my DVR.
Downton Abbey – Premiered in 2011 (US), 6th and final season just started airing
The series is set in fictional Downton Abbey, a Yorkshire country house. Downton Abbey is home and seat of the Earl and Countess of Grantham, along with their children and distant family members. Each series follows the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family, their friends and servants during the reign of King George V.
So I have only seen season 1 so far but I was sucked in to an unhealthy binge watching obsession – so I haven’t watched any more since – but I can safely say that this is a must see. Available on Netflix.
Sherlock – Premiered in 2010 (US), 3 seasons thus far (4th season to film soon)
Sherlock depicts "consulting detective" Sherlock Holmes solving various mysteries in modern-day London. Holmes is assisted by his flatmate and friend, Dr. John Watson, who has returned from military service in Afghanistan with the Royal Army Medical Corps. Although Metropolitan Police Service Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade and others are at first skeptical of Holmes, over time his remarkable intellect and powers of observation persuade them of his value. In part through Watson's blog documenting their adventures, Holmes becomes a reluctant celebrity with the press reporting on his cases and eccentric personal life. Both ordinary people and the British government ask for his help.
This is another that I have yet to see – with only 9 episodes so far, I don’t think that will be too hard to catch up on. I have always enjoyed Sherlock Holmes stories, the movies starring Robert Downey Jr, and the tv show Elementary – so this is one that I would likely enjoy.
Home Fires – Premiered 2015, 1 season so far (2nd is in the works)
Home Fires is a British period television drama about the life of Women's Institute members on the Home Front during World War II. It is set in a rural Cheshire community called Great Paxford. The first series is set between September 1939 and 1940.
This one intrigued me, but I don’t know too much about it besides what it says above.
Indian Summers – Premiered 2015, 1 season so far (2nd is in the works)
The series details the events of summers spent at Simla, in the foothills of the Himalayas, by a group of British socialites at the time of the British Raj.
I recorded this series this past summer, but haven’t had the chance to watch it. This time period and location is very new to me so I have no idea on the history, but I am interested to check it out.
Wolf Hall – Premiered 2015, 1 season of 6 episodes (possible second series based on Hilary Mantel book in progress).
An adaptation of both Mantel’s novels, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies. Historical and literary accounts have not been kind to Cromwell; Mantel's novels offer an alternative to that characterization, a more intimate portrait of Cromwell as a pragmatic and talented man attempting to serve king and country amid the political machinations of Henry's court and the religious upheavals of the Protestant Reformation.
I’m just going to say it…I strongly disliked both of the books this series is based on, so I’m really not too keen on watching this one. Although, my issue was with the style of the book, so if it isn’t presented the same way, I might actually enjoy the story.
I have learned that I have a lot of DVR things to watch! Have any new shows joined your watch list? What have you thought of any of these you have seen?
So this might come as a surprise to many of you...but I hadn't bought into the Downton Abbey hysteria, and had not seen an episode...until this past Friday. Then within a 24 hour period I inhaled the entire 1st season!
While I plan on doing a review at a later date, I wanted to give some of my first impressions now:
Whenever I see Hugh Bonneville as the Earl of Grantham all I can see is Victor Garber as Thomas Andrews in the movie, Titanic. The similarity is striking enough - same time period, similar looks!
Left: Victor Garber Right: Hugh Bonneville
Everything looks absolutely brilliant and beautiful - the colors are bright, everything just pops on screen. And the land/property is absolutely gorgeous. Watching the scene where they went out on the hunt and all the horses and dogs are running across an open field - just gorgeous.
This isn't the exact scene - but it was the best I could find.
LOVE the relationship between the sisters, Mary, Edith, and Sybil. I can honestly say that I can't stand Edith and Mary has become my favorite, although she infuriates me sometimes too.
Maggie Smith steals every scene she is in!
I can't STAND Miss. O'Brien - she is SUCH a trouble maker.
I will inhale the rest of the episodes - but will never catch a current episode as it airs at the same times as other shows I am watching.
So what do you think about Downton Abbey? Are you new to the show or been watching since the first day?
The TV series based on Diana Gabaldon's novel of the same name, Outlander, officially premieres this coming Saturday. I'm racing to finish the book before Saturday - I'm listening to the audiobook production as I write this post. The book is great, but the audio production is amazing! I'm a recent convert to the book series. I have had Outlander on my book shelf for probably 2 years now. I had heard over and over again from fellow bloggers about how great the book was and how I needed to read it - but I just never got around to it. When I heard the show was coming out, I now had the impetus to get the book read - because I'm one of those who can't watch a show or movie without having read the book first.
Starz has already posted the premiere episode on their website - available to all, not just subscribers. I will be waiting for Saturday (so I can finish the book). Here is the link to watch the premiere if you want to see it. I have read mixed reviews of the show thus far. I have enjoyed the historical productions that Starz has put on thus far, so I am interested in this one. You can check out the Outlander Starz website for information on the casting etc.
Have you watched the premiere already? What did you think? Are you excited to watch the series?
You may already know this, as this news has been out for a couple weeks now, but this is news to me. Historical Fiction fans – your favorite series is becoming a television show on Starz in spring 2014.
Outlander!!!
I have to admit, I haven’t had the chance to read any of the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon yet – although I have had Outlander on my shelf for awhile now. This is the opportunity for me to get this one read before the series premieres.
It seems like there are a bevy of historical dramas coming to television in the next year – and here is another, coming to the CW Network, aimed at the teen scene.
Premiering October 10th will be a new drama series called Reign, which focuses on Mary, Queen of Scots during her time in France (at least this season). Here are the publicity notes:
Hidden between the lines of the history books is the story of Mary Stuart, the young woman the world would come to know as Mary, Queen of Scots. Queen of Scotland since she was six days old, the teenage Mary is already a headstrong monarch - beautiful, passionate, and poised at the very beginning of her tumultuous rise to power. Arriving in France with four close friends as her ladies-in-waiting, Mary has been sent to secure Scotland’s strategic alliance by formalizing her arranged engagement to the French king's dashing son, Prince Francis. But the match isn't signed and sealed: it depends more on politics, religion and secret agendas than affairs of the heart. Prince Francis is intrigued by the fiery Scot, but like most young men, he resists the idea of settling down into marriage, especially when he has a history with a lady of the court and his own point of view on the wisdom of an alliance with Scotland. Still, an attraction between Mary and Francis is ignited. Further complicating things is Bash, Francis' roguish half-brother, who has a history of his own - despite his illegitimate birth, Bash is his father's favorite. And now that Bash has caught Mary's eye, a royal triangle may be forming. While at French Court, fierce foes and dark forces conspire to sabotage Mary’s marriage to Francis and even threaten her life, until a mysterious shrouded guide becomes her ally. With danger and sexual intrigue around every dark castle corner, Mary rallies her ladies-in-waiting and steels herself, ready to rule the new land and balance the demands of her country and her heart.
The series stars Adelaide Kane (“Teen Wolf”) as Mary, Toby Regbo (“One Day”) as Prince Francis, Torrance Coombs (“The Tudors”) as Bash, Megan Follows (“Anne of Green Gables”) as Queen Catherine, Alan Van Sprang (“The Tudors”) as King Henry, Celina Sinden (newcomer) as Greer, Caitlin Stasey (newcomer) as Kenna, Anna Popplewell (“The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”) as Lola, and Jenessa Grant (“Cyberbully”) as Aylee.
You might recognize a couple of the names and faces that are joining this cast – particularly Torrence Coombs, who played Thomas Culpepper in Showtime’s The Tudors, andAlan Van Sprang, who played Sir Francis Bryan in The Tudors.
I’m sort of anticipating a Gossip Girl set in the 1600’s but it might surprise me. From the video clips, I think that the music choices and look of the show might catch the attention of younger viewers. I have no idea how historically accurate it will be, but I will probably check it out – at least the premiere. I am a little impressed by someone other than a premium cable channel or the History channel taking on a show like this, but I’m curious as to how they arrived at this idea.
Here are some video clips:
This is the trailer -
This clip is a series overview-
If you are interested in keeping tabs on this show, you can follow on Facebook or Twitter.
So…have you heard that the History Channel will be debuting a new mini-series sometime this year about the notorious Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow? I was pretty excited upon hearing this news. As many are, I am fascinated by outlaws and, even more so, women who are involved.
I have heard great things about the series brought by The History Channel over the last year such as The Hatfields and The McCoys, The Vikings, and The Bible – however I haven’t yet had the chance to watch any of them. I have great hopes that this series will run in the same vein. This will be a 4 hour mini-series which will air across Lifetime, History, and A&E.
In this series, Emile Hirsch and Holliday Grainger will play the titular roles. I think that they will make great visual comparisons with the real figures.
Left: Hirsch and Grainger as Barrow and Parker (credit) Right: The real Bonnie and Clyde (credit)
So what do you think? Will you be watching? Have you watched any of the other recent offerings from History? What fascinates you about this dynamic duo?
I first learned about Battles B.C. when I was doing some research for my Greek history class on the Battle of Marathon. There happens to be an episode of this show featuring this battle and I was intrigued.
This series features 8 episodes each featuring a different historic battle from B.C. Included are: Hannibal (Carthage), David (Israel), Joshua (Israel), Caesar (Rome/Gaul), Moses (Egypt/Israel), Alexander the Great (Greece/India), Ramses II (Egypt), Battle of Marathon (Greece). For the episodes focused on specific people they tend to focus on one or two epic events, rather than looking at their entire life. For example, for Alexander, they focused on his final quest to take India in his expansion of his empire.
One element of the show that I liked a lot was there was always a spotlight on the differences in the two contending sides. You would see what the soldiers wore for armor, what types of weapons they would have fought with, and then ancillary items used (such as elephants or chariots). This made it easier to understand who was fighting who and gave a visual of advantages vs. disadvantages. They also made great use of maps and explaining techniques and battle strategies so that even a novice to war could understand what was going on. Another aspect that I enjoyed, but is an aspect has received much of the criticism for this show, is the way they showed fighting scenes. They were done much in the style of the movie 300 – where it almost looks a little like a comic book bloody scene. I thought it was a creative idea for them to pick up on the popularity of style of a movie that had recently come out and to make it a different style offering from the standard History channel style.
I also appreciated the people they had on as the “experts”. Most of them were military studies professors which is appropriate for the material being covered. Also, I thought the handling of the Biblical topics was well done. They would cite different sections of the Biblical telling of the story and then offer historical interpretations from a military perspective. I thought that they were fair to the religious view and also from a practical viewpoint.
There were a couple instances where they seemed to stay from the topic at hand, spending too much time on back story rather than what was occurring. For instance, in the episode on Marathon, they spent the majority of the episode talking about the events that had occurred 50 years prior and there was much less time spent on the actual battle. So I was in the end a little disappointed with the particular episode I got the series to see.
Favorite episode: Caesar – but a really close runner-up is Ramses
The Royal Diaries: Cleopatra VII – Daughter of the Nile
Scholastic Productions
30 Mins
September 9, 2000
HBO and Scholastic (an odd partnership if there ever was one) partnered up to create three ½ hour episodes based on the popular Royal Diaries series. This was the first episode in the series. This episode is based on the book Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile.
The life of young Cleopatra is not often a tale told; we usually see her with some combination of Marc Antony and/or Julius Caesar, but her young life was dramatic too. Here we see a bit of her life as a 14 year old girl. Cleopatra’s father flees to Rome after attempts are made on his life and Cleopatra tags along – most of the episode is therefore set on a boat or in Rome, only a few opening minutes are actually set in Egypt. The rest of the episode is of Cleopatra and her father trying to convince Julius Caesar that he should help them restore her father to the throne of Egypt.
As in the other episodes of this short series, the structure of the episode is of Cleopatra writing in her diary – in this case on a papyrus scroll – which at least fit with the feel of the episode. This diary aspect connects the episode with this corresponding book.
This episode had a very limited cast. The primary characters are Cleopatra, her father, and Julius Caesar with some minor supporting characters. I think that the characters, even the supporting characters, looked similar to how their historical counterparts might have looked. The actors seemed to fit the bill. Typically with films set in Rome and Egypt they just don’t quite look the part or have the right type of accent.
As opposed to the episode on Elizabeth I, I think this episode would appeal more to girls, maybe in the tween/early teenage years. There is a lot of political talk and not as much action/fun as the Elizabeth episode and the characters are older and primarily female. I think of the two episodes I have seen so far, the Elizabeth episode was more interesting and enjoyable (this coming from someone who is not the biggest Elizabeth fan!).
You can watch the entire episode on Youtube, which I have linked below for your viewing pleasure.
The Royal Diaries: Elizabeth I – Red Rose of the House of Tudor
Scholastic Productions
30 Mins
November 4, 2000
HBO and Scholastic (an odd partnership if there ever was one) partnered up to create three ½ hour episodes based on the popular Royal Diaries series. This was the second episode in the series. This episode is based on the book Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor.
If you have read the books, you know they are written as diaries – the episodes are set up the same way. Elizabeth is narrating the story and there are segments where she is shown writing in her diary. I thought this was one good way of tying the book to the episode. I did read the original book the episode is based on but it was so long ago I don’t know how closely they stayed to it. I do intend to reread the series at some point.
We get to see how Elizabeth deals with trying to live outside of the shadow of Anne Boleyn. We also get to see her opinion on the many wives of Henry VIII. She goes through the age old, “divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived” song, but it was so funny. The relationship between her and Princess Mary is super antagonistic. The episode certainly makes it out that Mary = bad and Elizabeth = good. And of course there is a young Robin Dudley following Elizabeth around like a lost puppy.
This would be a fun show for kids to watch. This episode features the youngest cast, the characters are right around 10 years old. The history is not at too high of a level for young adults to grasp and there are funny, kid focused events too – like searching for the ghost of Katherine Howard.
As this is only a half hour episode, a very limited story is shown – primarily the events right before the death of Henry and the attempt to have Katherine Parr done in. There is a voiceover at the end that tells what happened to Mary, Elizabeth, Edward and Katherine Parr. I thought the acting was good, the scenery was well done and would certainly pass for a child – hard core history enthusiasts might find many faults but as an introductory tool I think it was well done.
You can watch the entire episode on Youtube, which I have linked below for your viewing pleasure.
Have you ever wondered what the legend of King Arthur would be like if told from the viewpoint of the women in his life? If so, this miniseries does just that. While the most likely female character to tell this tale would be Guinevere, this is told by Morgaine, Arthur’s half-sister – so this is also predominately at tale of Morgaine.
Let’s start with the characters/actors. There are some relatively big names in this production. In terms of the women - Angelica Houston plays Vivianne – the Lady of the Lake and Morgaine’s predecessor; Julianna Margulies plays Morgaine – the central character; Joan Allen is Morgause – Arthur’s other sister; and Samantha Mathis is Guinevere. Edward Atterton is King Arthur and Michael Vartan (my favorite!) is Lancelot. I thought that all of these actors and actresses were well chosen for their roles. There was a great relationship between Arthur and Lancelot and it reminded me of the relationship between Henry VIII and Charles Brandon from The Tudors. This miniseries certainly did not paint Guinevere in a positive light, but I would imagine that if you are looking at it from Morgaine’s point of view, I guess she might not be her favorite person. Gwen is portrayed as a scheming woman. I also think that the character of Merlin was wasted and not at all influential in this show. He pretty much had maybe 5 minutes of screen time and then your promptly forgot about him.
The one thing that really bothered me about this show was ultimately the relationship between Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot. To include a three-some between them and have in sanctioned by Arthur in order to beget him an heir sounds like it was created for purely shock value. This felt like something that HBO would have added in if they were creating the story, not TNT. It didn’t feel natural to the characters and at that point I stopped believing in it.
Overall I enjoyed seeing this tale which is typically male dominated looked at from the female perspective. It really gives you a different perception of events. I will certainly have to read the book it is based on The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
I watched The Pacific (the miniseries based on the War in the Pacific) prior to watching Band of Brothers. I am going to avoid comparing the two until the very end of this review as I think each miniseries should be viewed on its own merits.
I want to first address the cast of this miniseries. I recognized by sight most of the main actors in this series as being from other movies or shows that I knew: Matthew Settle (Gossip Girl), Donnie Wahlberg, Scott Grimes (Robin Hood), Rick Gomez (What About Brian?), Michael Cudlitz (Southland), Ron Livingston (Office Space), James McAvoy (Chronicles of Narnia) and David Schwimmer (Friends) among others. I thought that the acting was top notch. My favorite characters were Major Winters (Damian Lewis), Captain Lewis Nixon (Livingson), and Technician Fourth Grade George Luz (Gomez). You could certainly feel the camaraderie between the characters and feel with them as they went through these experiences. The best all over scene for me was toward the end of the series when they find the concentration camp – you can feel all of the despair, pain and emotions for both the soldiers and prisoners.
I don’t know much about the actual history of this time period but everything appeared to be visually accurate and looked appropriate. According to various interviews they stayed particularly accurate to the things that these men went through with the necessity of merging some experiences just due to the constraints of a miniseries.
One thing that was hard for me with this miniseries (as opposed to The Pacific) was that it was harder to connect with individual characters. There were so many different people that you are following – you can visually recognize them but I could not recall names or know much about their back story. I also found it more difficult to discern the individual battles in the first half of the series – everything just seemed like shooting and the scenery all really looked the same to me. I think that the emphasis of this series is not the individual but the experience of the group.
While I didn’t love the individual episodes, overall I very much enjoyed the series as a whole. I think you really need to look at it as a whole series. I enjoyed the interviews and lead in commentary from those men who actually lived the events and were the inspiration for the characters that were being portrayed in this series. They really helped to set up the events that were going to happen.
Here is a trailer of this show for your enjoyment.
“Freedom Riders is the powerful harrowing and ultimately inspirational story of six months in 1961 that changed America forever. From May until November 1961, more than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives—and many endured savage beatings and imprisonment—for simply traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the Deep South. Deliberately violating Jim Crow laws, the Freedom Riders met with bitter racism and mob violence along the way, sorely testing their belief in nonviolent activism.”
Freedom Riders tells the story of one of the most memorable events of the Civil Rights Movement – the Freedom Rides into the Alabama and Mississippi. I will admit, I knew about this event, but not too much in terms of details. This episode was sure to change that. They went through this momentous event on a semi day by day in depth look that followed the participants throughout the south. They went into the lead up to the decision to take this non-violent action as well as the events coming at the tail end of the ride (national news coverage, carrying the momentum into the prisons, and what the ultimate result was).
There were some great selections made in who they interviewed. As you would expect from this series they interviewed people who were participants in the Freedom Rides, but there were other less thought about interviewees as well. There was a daughter of a man who attacked the Freedom Riders (as a young girl she went out to help those who were injured). There was a liaison to Attorney General Robert Kennedy who was in constant contact with the President and AG as well as being right in the thick of things. They even had an interview with the former governor of Alabama, John Patterson, who was politically right in the middle of the Freedom Rides. I thought the comments by Patterson were some of the most enlightening – he stood against the Freedom Riders during the time, but seemed to have much less of a hard line viewpoint today.
There was also other media that was included. There were several interactive maps that would allow the viewer to see where they were going. They showed footage of the different stops on the ride as well as some of the action against the riders. There was news footage from other countries that I thought was pretty cool – Cuba and Russia – I had never really thought of how the other countries of the world would react to events here at home. I also thought that this episode tied into the previous week’s episode of Soundtrack to a Revolution because they played additional songs that were utilized during this event – I liked how they would change up songs to fit different scenarios (and also about how you can sing without opening your mouth when you can’t brush your teeth!).
Overall I thought that this was a very enlightening episode. I never realized how complex and how many days this covered. Paired with the episode last week I had more appreciation for the music and some of the other aspects of this movement.
Here is the trailer – and if you missed the show it is available online to watch.
If you want to get the full experience of this review – I recommend listening to the below music while you read this review. These are songs that are from the episode.
Soundtrack for a Revolution
American Experience Series
WGBH (PBS)
120 mins
May 9, 2011
“The story of the American civil rights movement is told through its powerful music -- the freedom songs that protesters sang on picket lines, in mass meetings, in police wagons, and in jail cells as they fought for justice and equality. A unique mix of historical documentary and contemporary musical performance, the film features new performances by top artists including John Legend, Joss Stone, Wyclef Jean, and The Roots; riveting archival footage; and interviews with civil rights foot soldiers and leaders, including Congressman John Lewis, Harry Belafonte, Julian Bond, Andrew Young and dozens more.”
I was super intrigued by the premise of this episode. I knew that songs and music were an extremely important part of the Civil Rights Movement but I had never really put a lot of thought into the actual songs themselves. I also thought that the premise of having modern popular singers perform some of these songs was a solid way to tie the event into the present day and make these events relevant to younger viewers.
This show really did a fantastic job of merging historical background with the importance of the music. All of the experts discussed the way that the songs built the movement – as one person said “they could take away everything else, but they can’t take away our songs”. They would talk about an experience during the Civil Rights Movement and explain a particular song then they would segue into the song performance. I thought that these performances were really awesome. My favorite song was at the very end where all of the performers sang bits and pieces of the same song. I think that I really have come to have more of an appreciation for the power of music and the identity that people form with song.
I highly recommend this episode to anyone who is looking to learn more about the Civil Rights Movement in a different manner than you will ever get from just reading about it. It also brings together the visual and audio experiences. I would also recommend this to people who are interested in the role that music plays in life.
by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
