On Our Radar: Historical Drama
A round up!
2024 seems to have a lot to offer fans of historical drama. Here, I thought I’d highlight a few that have stood out to me, starting with…
Mary and George (Sky)
Release date - Spring 2024
Starring Julianne Moore, Nicholas Galitzine and Tom Curran, Mary and George charts the ascent of the Villiers family, who rose from relative obscurity to astonishing influence during the reign of James VI & I of Scotland, England, and Ireland. The drama is told through the lives of Mary Villiers (c.1570 - 1632) and her son George (1592 -1628), who took full advantage of their God-given advantages – beauty, intelligence and ambition – to place themselves (George in particular) at the heart of King James’s, and later King Charles’s, court.
If you thought the depiction of Carole Middleton in the (terrible) last season of The Crown was overt, Mary Villiers is on a different scale altogether, and the stakes are much higher.
It is no secret that King James enjoyed passionate romantic relationships with men and when the dashing and clever George Villiers arrived at court in 1614, the forty-eight-year-old king was enamoured. Years of coaching from his mother had seen twenty-two-year-old George polished to perfection. Despite being almost penniless, she ensured that he spent time in at the French court to learn the etiquette, fashions and culture. By 1614, he was charm personified. One commentator described him as ‘the handsomest bodied man in England; his limbs so well compacted, and his conversation so pleasing, and of so sweet a disposition’. James immediately took George under his wing and made no secret of the affection he felt for the staggeringly handsome young man. He granted him multiple honours, including raising him to the Order of the Garter and granting him the title Duke of Buckingham. Mary herself rose to become the Countess of Buckingham.
But he wasn’t universally liked. As George’s power and influence grew, so too did the fears and jealousies of court rivals. He came to be seen as a symbol of everything that was wrong with the Stuart court.
The drama is based on historian Benjamin Woolley’s 2017 nonfiction book The King's Assassin, and we can expect, backstabbing, politicking, affairs of the heart and, ultimately, an assassination.
A small concern, from the trailer at least, is the way the drama leans rather too hard into the somewhat dated caricature of James VI and I as a grotesque and lecherous figure, but perhaps that’s just the way it has been cut. In any case, this Stuart historian will be watching!
Masters of the Air (Apple TV)
Release date - January 26 2024
Another historical drama to look out for is Masters of the Air, which launches on Apple TV tomorrow.
Starring Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Ncuti Gatwa and he-of-recent-Saltburn-bathtub-fame Barry Keoghan, the drama tells the story of the American Eighth Air Force during World War II. By its nature, it is a very macho story, but the jeopardy and bravery of those who fought against the Nazis from 25,000 feet in the sky is very real. The series follows in the same spirit as Band of Brothers and The Pacific in creating an ensemble piece exploring the horrors of war. It’s based on Donald L Miller’s critically acclaimed book of the same title.
Ripley (Netflix)
Release date - April 4 2024
Last but not least is the much awaited TV adaptation of Patrica Highsmith’s 1950s setThe Talented Mr Ripley. For those who don’t know, the story follows Tom Ripley as he plunges deeper and deeper into obsession, envy, criminality and murder. Many from my generation (waves to fellow geriatric millennials) will remember Anthony Minghella’s gorgeous 1999 version of the story, starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow and the much-missed Philip Seymour Hoffman, but there have been other incarnations too - Alain Delon starred as Tom Ripley in the 1960 film Purple Moon, John Malkovich took on the role in 2002’s Ripley’s Game and Vijay Antony played a version of the character in the 2012 Tamil film Naan.
But now it’s Andrew Scott’s turn inhabit the world of Tom Ripley, supported by Johnny Flynn as Dickie Greenleaf and the always brilliant Dakota Fanning (why isn’t she in more things?) as Marge Sherwood. The trailer, black and white, is incredibly atmospheric. I don’t know about you, but I have high hopes for it!
Will you be watching any of these? Are there any other shows you’re excited about?
I hate James VI so much I don’t think I could watch a drama where the mass murders he triggered in Scotland are not part of the story. But they never are, despite the fact they would still be going on, there were around 150 people, mostly women tried for witchcraft at the time Buckingham and James VI were together. (Yes I’m a nerd who looked up the number of witch trials while they were together).