Elizabeth I 

Miniseries about the the public and private lives of the later years of Queen Elizabeth I.

Stars:

Helen Mirren, Hugh Dancy, Toby Jones

Won 3 Golden Globes. Another 24 wins & 26 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Helen Mirren	...	Elizabeth I 2 episodes, 2005
Hugh Dancy	...	Earl of Essex 2 episodes, 2005
Toby Jones	...	Robert Cecil 2 episodes, 2005
Patrick Malahide	...	Sir Francis Walsingham 2 episodes, 2005
Ian McDiarmid	...	Lord Burghley 2 episodes, 2005
Toby Salaman	...	Dr Lopez 2 episodes, 2005
Ann Firbank	...	Lady Anne 2 episodes, 2005
Jeremy Irons	...	Earl of Leicester / ... 2 episodes, 2005
Ewen Bremner	...	King James VI 2 episodes, 2005
Barbara Flynn	...	Mary Queen of Scots 2 episodes, 2005
Will Keen	...	Francis Bacon 2 episodes, 2005
Jérémie Covillault	...	Duke of Anjou 2 episodes, 2005
Eddie Redmayne	...	Southampton 2 episodes, 2005
Erick Deshors	...	Jean de Simier 2 episodes, 2005
Ben Pullen	...	Sir Walter Raleigh 2 episodes, 2005
Charlotte Asprey	...	Frances Walsingham 2 episodes, 2005
Simon Woods	...	Gifford 2 episodes, 2005
Diana Kent	...	Lady Essex 2 episodes, 2005
Malcolm Terris	...	Chaplain 2 episodes, 2005
Douglas Reith	...	Judge 2 episodes, 2005
Geoffrey Streatfeild	...	Sir Anthony Babington 2 episodes, 2005
John McEnery	...	Jesuit Priest / ... 2 episodes, 2005
Martin Savage	...	Stubbs 2 episodes, 2005
Anna Steel	...	Lady in Waiting / ... 2 episodes, 2005
David Delve	...	Sir Francis Drake 2 episodes, 2005
Ramunas Rudokas	...	Thomas Burghley 2 episodes, 2005
Martin Marquez	...	Don Bernadino de Mendoza 2 episodes, 2005
Charles Millham	...	Priest 2 episodes, 2005
Mykolas Dorofejus	...	Davison 2 episodes, 2005
Geoffrey T. Bersey	...	Hatton 2 episodes, 2005
Rimantas Magdzevicius	...	Howard of Effingham 2 episodes, 2005

Storyline

Miniseries about the the public and private lives of the later years of Queen Elizabeth I.

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Plot Keywords:

robert dudley earl of leicester character | earl of sussex chsracter | queen elizabeth i character | female ruler | 16th century | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Official Sites:

HBO [United States]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 April 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Elizabeth I

Filming Locations:

Lithuanian Film Studios, Vilnius, Lithuania

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, Channel 4 Television Corporation, Company Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

223 min (2 parts)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Eddie Redmayne later appeared in Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) in a different role. He was later presented with his Best Actor award by Cate Blanchett.

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Goofs

When Elizabeth quotes Shakespeare's Sonnet 116, "Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds", she's quoting a sonnet that wasn't published until 1609, 6 years after her death.

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Quotes

William Cecil, Lord Burghley: The bloody and deceitful man shall not live out half his days.

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Alternate Versions

When the series was repeated on British TV in 2006, the footage of the Babington plotters being tortured was cut, and the execution of Queen Mary was cut so that she was beheaded with one stroke, although the scene of Leicester telling Elizabeth that it had taken two strokes was left in.

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Connections

Featured in 13th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2007)

User Reviews

Gloriana!

Though many a fine actress has essayed the role of Elizabeth I and done so quite successfully, each finding her own vision of the most important queen that ever lived and translating that to film (Cate Blanchette, Bette Davis, Judi Dench, and Glenda Jackson to name but a few), it should come as no surprise that the enormously gifted actress Helen Mirren could show us yet another aspect of Elizabeth.

This Elizabeth is set in her middle fifties, a woman still able to maintain her reputation as the Virgin Queen while settling into various assignations. Here Elizabeth is in love with Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex (Hugh Dancy) while being prepped for a 'proper union' with France's royalty in the form of the Duke of Anjou (Jérémie Covillault). But her 'love life' is only a small yet refreshingly nuanced portion of the long story. Mirren is fortunate to be supported by such fine actors as Jeremy Irons, Patrick Malahide, Toby Jones, Barbara Flynn, Ian McDiarmid, Simon Woods, Diana Kent, and Toby Salaman among the many standout characters.

The visual aspects of the production are some of the more luxurious ever placed on celluloid, with attention to detail in costuming (Mike O'Neill) and sets (Galius Klicius and Leon McCarthy) that are stunning to see. The fine musical score is by Robert Lane and incorporates period music with works written for the piece that stand solidly as classical music compositions. Cinematographers Dmitrij Gribanov and Larry Smith find the right balance between court grandeur and boudoir intimacy. And of course kudos to Director Tom Hooper and writer Nigel Williams! But standing above them all is the brilliance of Helen Mirren's involvement as Elizabeth. She provides us with even more information about the enigmatic queen, allowing us to see both the lusty woman and the brilliant monarch simultaneously. The film is a joy! Highly Recommended.