Starting in April, old is new … and exciting. If you enjoyed the likes of Rome, The Pillars of the Earth, Spartacus, and the Tudors, the new series for HBO, Starz, and Showtime are a no brainer.
Newcomer Jamie Campbell Bower as Arthur
In the wake of King Uther’s sudden death, chaos threatens to engulf Britain. When the sorcerer Merlin has visions of a dark future, he installs the young and impetuous Arthur, Uther’s unknown son and heir, who has been raised from birth as a commoner. But Arthur’s cold and ambitious half sister Morgan will fight him to the bitter end, summoning unnatural forces to claim the crown in this epic battle for control. These are dark times indeed for the new king, with Guinevere being the only shining light in Arthur’s harsh world. Faced with profound moral decisions, and the challenge of uniting a kingdom broken by war and steeped in deception, Arthur will be tested beyond imagination. Forget everything you think you know…this is the story of Camelot that has never been told before.
Sure it sounds campy, but with Michael Hirst (Tudors) involved, I’m in. Hirst and Starz – there will be plenty of eye candy.
Camelot will premier April 1st on Starz. For all you Netflix people, I’m sure it will be an instant stream around the same time.
Sean Bean as Eddard Stark
Game of Thrones is HBO’s drama series based on the A Song of Ice and Fire book series written by George R. R. Martin, a medieval fantasy book series. The story is scheduled to span 7 books (4 of which are currently published). The first book of the series bears the title A Game of Thrones, which gave name to the tv series.
Game of Thrones it is basically about a realm called the Seven Kingdoms which is going through a period of upheaval as different families and factions all attempt to gain control of the throne. The tone is dark, gritty and realistic with characters that are neither inherently good or evil. Although it is classified as a fantasy series, it is almost more historical in nature with the fantastical elements few and far between.
Look for this one to premier on April 17th via HBO. Expect the big money sets that come with HBO.
Jeremy Irons as Rodrigo Borgia
Oscar winner Jeremy Irons stars as the charismatic Rodrigo Borgia, the head of an infamous Renaissance-era Italian family who will let nothing – and no one – stand in the way of his relentless quest for power. The Borgias is the sordid saga of one of the most remarkable and legendary families in history.
Set in 15th century Italy at the height of the Renaissance, The Borgias chronicles the corrupt rise of patriarch Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy, where he proceeds to commit every sin in the book to amass and retain power, influence and enormous wealth for himself and his family. The unbounded audacity of this original crime family went on to inspire Machiavelli’s The Prince and Mario Puzo’s The Godfather. Don’t miss a minute of the lavish, sexy, scandalous drama from the creative mind of Academy Award winner Neil Jordan.
The Borgios will premier April 3rd on Showtime. Showtime may have some of the weaker series, but this big production should be great.
