|
Mary & George
Mary & George is a British television historical drama created by D. C. Moore.[1] The show is based on Benjamin Woolley's non-fiction book The King's Assassin (2017), which explores the complex relationship between James VI and I and George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham. Directed by Oliver Hermanus, Alex Winckler, and Florian Cossen, the series delves into the intrigue and power dynamics of 17th-century England, highlighting the personal and political consequences of their affair. Mary & George premiered on Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom on 5 March 2024, and later debuted on Starz in the United States on 5 April 2024. CastMain
Recurring
Guest
Episodes
ProductionMary & George is a seven-part limited historical drama series created by D. C. Moore, with Oliver Hermanus serving as the lead director. Both Moore and Hermanus are executive producers, alongside Liza Marshall for Hera Pictures and Sam Hoyle for Sky Studios. In October 2022, it was announced that Julianne Moore would lead the series, portraying Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham.[3] Nicholas Galitzine joined the cast in January 2023, playing her son, George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham.[4] Additional cast members were revealed in March 2023.[5] Principal photography began in England in January 2023, starting in London.[6] Notable filming locations included Knole in Kent, which was shut down for filming in late January and early February, and Ham House in Richmond, used to represent a London palace from 22 to 26 May 2023.[7] Additionally, filming took place at Old Hunstanton Beach in Norfolk in early June 2023.[8] Title sequenceThe title sequence was created by Peter Anderson Studio,[9] based in London. It features scenes from the drama depicted as Jacobean-era oil paintings, alongside period artworks, including Artemisia Gentileschi’s 1613 painting "Judith Slaying Holofernes," Frans Snyders' 1614 painting "Still Life with Dead Game, Fruits, and Vegetables," and Jean-Baptiste Oudry's 1723 painting "Hjortjakt." The images are overlaid with a typographical mask, designed as a portal to engage the audience and provide glimpses into a world filled with secrets and covert actions. Peter Anderson Studio describes the sequence as "a peephole into the souls of those who vie for power within the darkened courts of history."[9] The Title sequence was described as "visually and musically stunning"[10] in a review from collider. ReleaseMary & George was presented at the MIPCOM in Cannes, with NBCUniversal Global Distribution managing international rights on behalf of Sky. The series premiered on Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom, and also aired in Ireland, Germany, and Italy. In the United States and Canada, it was released by Starz. Initially, AMC Networks was set to distribute the series in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and India, but they later dropped the project.[4][11] Foxtel picked up the series for streaming in Australia, with availability starting on 6 March 2024. In May 2023, first-look images of Mary & George were published in Vogue magazine. During the Edinburgh Television Festival in August, Meghan Lyvers, Director of Original Drama at Sky Studios, announced that the series was expected to be released "in the coming year."[12] The initial trailer for the series debuted on 16 November 2023, followed by the release of the official trailer on 1 February 2024, with the series confirmed to premiere on 5 March 2024 on Sky Atlantic.[13] ReceptionOn Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 49 reviews for Mary & George are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's critics' consensus reads: "Bawdy, irreverent, and ruled by Julianne Moore in top form, Mary & George is a regal treat for fans of frothy court intrigue."[14] This sentiment was echoed by The Guardian's Joel Golby, who awarded the miniseries 5 stars, calling it "a wickedly lewd delight" that feels "fresh and new and interesting."[15] On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 73 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16] On a less positive note, Anita Singh of The Daily Telegraph rated it 3 stars out of 5, stating that Mary & George "takes the facts and runs riot with them" in "a stylish drama, but with little substance."[17] Ed Power of The Irish Times was more critical, describing it as "an art-house renaissance romp with the safety-catch off," and further criticized it as "dimly lit, misanthropic and wallpapered in bare flesh."[18] References
External links |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
