The Last King (2003– )
"Charles II: The Power & the Passion" (original title)

The chronicle of Charles II's time on the throne, his 10 year exile from Oliver Cromwell's England, and his triumphant return.

Stars:

Rufus Sewell, Rupert Graves, Charlie Creed-Miles

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Rufus Sewell	...	Charles II (4 episodes, 2003)
Rupert Graves	...	George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham (4 episodes, 2003)
Charlie Creed-Miles	...	James, Duke of York (4 episodes, 2003)
Christian Coulson	...	James, Duke of Monmouth (4 episodes, 2003)
Shirley Henderson	...	Catharine of Braganza (4 episodes, 2003)
Martin Freeman	...	Lord Shaftesbury (4 episodes, 2003)
Helen McCrory	...	Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine (4 episodes, 2003)
Peter Wight	...	Ormonde (3 episodes, 2003)
Tabitha Wady	...	Anne Hyde (3 episodes, 2003)
Robert East	...	Arlington (3 episodes, 2003)
Dorian Lough	...	Clifford (3 episodes, 2003)
Ian McDiarmid	...	Sir Edward Hyde (2 episodes, 2003)
Graham McTavish	...	Captain (2 episodes, 2003)
Diana Rigg	...	Queen Henrietta Maria (2 episodes, 2003)
Robert Cavanah	...	Rochester (2 episodes, 2003)
Shaun Dingwall	...	Earl of Danby (2 episodes, 2003)
Nick Bagnall	...	Hopkins (2 episodes, 2003)
Mélanie Thierry	...	Louise de Kéroualle (2 episodes, 2003)
Albert Welling	...	MP #1 (2 episodes, 2003)
Jochum ten Haaf	...	William of Orange (2 episodes, 2003)

Storyline

The focus of King Charles II is his court, his squabbling family and his glamorous mistresses - from the high-born and promiscuous Barbara Villiers through folk heroine and sex symbol of the day Nell Gwynne to the French spy Louise de Keroualle. It is an original take on a historical period written by award-winning screenwriter Adrian Hodges, whose credits include David Copperfield and The Lost World, which penetrates to the heart of the charismatic monarch who was deeply traumatised by the execution of his father.

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Plot Keywords:

charles ii | king | exile | court | execution | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

BBC [uk]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

Portuguese English

Release Date:

21 March 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Last King: The Power and the Passion of Charles II

Filming Locations:

Barrandov Studios, Prague, Czech Republic

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), A&E Television Networks

Technical Specs

Runtime:

235 min 60 min (4 parts)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shirley Henderson's elaborate hairstyle for Catherine's arrival initially took two hours to create.

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Goofs

Just before the sequence concerning the smallpox epidemic, we get a brief look at Rufus Sewell's upper right arm and can clearly see a smallpox vaccination scar.

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Quotes

[speaking to Monmouth]
George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham: Wait here to be arrested, or make your peace with the King... if you can.
[pauses]
George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham: For my part I am weary of Whitehall, I have neglected my wife these past twenty years. It is time I went home.

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Connections

Referenced in The Making of 'Charles II' (2003)

User Reviews

Well done... full of political and sexual intrigue

I truly enjoyed this show. The production values were excellent and it was historically quite accurate. The acting was superb, with Sewell, Graves and McCrory as standouts. I had a real sense of the history of the period... considering that it was more a dramatic biography than the historical and political record of an era. This was not meant as the definitive documentary on the Restoration, but rather a portrait and narrative on the lives of Charles and his court during a period of great intrigue and change.

One cannot cover the 25+ years of Charles' reign in 3 hours and include everything. Instead, it's there as background, for those interested in paying attention. As for sexual intrigue, that's as accurate as was the political. Charles was, from all accounts, a licentious man with many mistresses, several of whom caused no end of trouble.