"The White Queen" is a 10 part British series airing on Starz on Saturdays at 8 PM ET. The first episode is available on the Starz website for free: http://www.starz.com/originals/thewhitequeen It aired in Britain earlier this year.
Per the press releases, the show is based on Philippa Gregory’s novels about the Wars of the Roses (which were a series of wars fought between the Houses of York and Lancaster for the English crown). It is the year 1464 and the York family's Edward IV (played by Jeremy Iron's son Max) has just defeated the Lancaster family's Henry VI. Edward falls head over heels in love with a widow named Lady Elizabeth Woodville (played by Rebecca Ferguson). She is not only a Lancaster but also a commoner. Her family supported Henry for king and not Edward.
While many other British period pieces have focused on the male perspective, this one is from point of view of three women. There is a "White Queen" (Elizabeth), a "Red Queen" (Lady Margaret Beaufort- a Lancaster) and a "Kingmaker's daughter" (Lady Anne Neville, daughter of the Earl of Warwick, a York).
It seems there has been a fair amount of criticism of the show. Some of it involves historical accuracy-- zippers, soft heeled shoes and visible handrails. I'm willing to let all that slide but the first episode didn't hold my attention. While I'm not expecting "Game of Thrones", I would like to see something closer to "The Tudors".
Elizabeth seems pretty wimpy. If she's truly White Queen material, she needs to step it up. I also had a hard time believing it was love at first site for both she and Edward. I thought he had tricked her into sleeping with him by faking the marriage but I guess not. Not sure why he would go to all that trouble for a commoner when the French princess is already visiting court. I also was not bowled over by Max Irons portray of Edward (but maybe its just me).
The best part of the show IMHO is Elizabeth's mother, Jaquetta, played by Janet McTeer. I would watch her read the phone book.
Per Wikipedia:
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic wars fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York (whose heraldic symbols were the red and the white rose, respectively) for the throne of England. They were fought in several sporadic episodes between 1455 and 1485, although there was related fighting both before and after this period. They resulted from the social and financial troubles following the Hundred Years' War. The final victory went to a relatively remote Lancastrian claimant, Henry Tudor, who defeated the last Yorkist kingRichard III and married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth of York to unite the two houses. The House of Tudor subsequently ruled England and Wales until 1603.
Grade: 4 Monsters (out of 5). I would have given it 3 and 1/2 but I love Janet McTeer! While many other British period pieces have focused on the male perspective, this one is from point of view of three women. There is a "White Queen" (Elizabeth), a "Red Queen" (Lady Margaret Beaufort- a Lancaster) and a "Kingmaker's daughter" (Lady Anne Neville, daughter of the Earl of Warwick, a York).
It seems there has been a fair amount of criticism of the show. Some of it involves historical accuracy-- zippers, soft heeled shoes and visible handrails. I'm willing to let all that slide but the first episode didn't hold my attention. While I'm not expecting "Game of Thrones", I would like to see something closer to "The Tudors".
Elizabeth seems pretty wimpy. If she's truly White Queen material, she needs to step it up. I also had a hard time believing it was love at first site for both she and Edward. I thought he had tricked her into sleeping with him by faking the marriage but I guess not. Not sure why he would go to all that trouble for a commoner when the French princess is already visiting court. I also was not bowled over by Max Irons portray of Edward (but maybe its just me).
The best part of the show IMHO is Elizabeth's mother, Jaquetta, played by Janet McTeer. I would watch her read the phone book.
Per Wikipedia:
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic wars fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York (whose heraldic symbols were the red and the white rose, respectively) for the throne of England. They were fought in several sporadic episodes between 1455 and 1485, although there was related fighting both before and after this period. They resulted from the social and financial troubles following the Hundred Years' War. The final victory went to a relatively remote Lancastrian claimant, Henry Tudor, who defeated the last Yorkist kingRichard III and married Edward IV's daughter Elizabeth of York to unite the two houses. The House of Tudor subsequently ruled England and Wales until 1603.
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