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The Borgias 

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3:07 | Trailer
In the fifteenth century, Pope Alexander VI tries to control all power in Italy with the help of his several sons, through murder, intrigue, war, and marriage alliances.

Creator:

Neil Jordan
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Popularity
895 ( 33)

Episodes

Seasons


Years



3   2   1  
2013   2012   2011  
Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 16 wins & 53 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Series cast summary:
Jeremy Irons ...  Rodrigo Borgia 29 episodes, 2011-2013
François Arnaud ...  Cesare Borgia 29 episodes, 2011-2013
Holliday Grainger ...  Lucrezia Borgia 29 episodes, 2011-2013
Peter Sullivan ...  Cardinal Ascanio Sforza 28 episodes, 2011-2013
Sean Harris ...  Micheletto 27 episodes, 2011-2013
Joanne Whalley ...  Vanozza Cattaneo 25 episodes, 2011-2013
Lotte Verbeek ...  Giulia Farnese 20 episodes, 2011-2013
Colm Feore ...  Giuliano Della Rovere 20 episodes, 2011-2013
Vernon Dobtcheff ...  Cardinal Versucci 18 episodes, 2011-2013
David Oakes ...  Juan Borgia 16 episodes, 2011-2012
Bosco Hogan ...  Cardinal Piccolomini 16 episodes, 2011-2013
Gina McKee ...  Caterina Sforza 13 episodes, 2011-2013
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Storyline

The rise to power, and start of a dynasty, of the Borgia family. Rodrigo Borgia ascends within the Catholic Church, becoming Pope Alexander VI. The position brings with it many enemies, internal and state-based, and he has to use all of his abilities of diplomacy, ruthlessness, charm, and the power of the church to stay in power, and alive. Luckily, his children are equally ambitious. Written by grantss

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Hell Bent. See more »


Certificate:

14A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

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Did You Know?

Trivia

David Oakes plays the son of Jeremy Irons in this show. In The White Queen (2013) Oakes plays the brother to Max Irons's character who is Jeremy Irons son in real life. In both shows, Oakes's character is killed by his brothers. See more »

Goofs

Christopher Columbus departed on his first voyage in 1492, the same year as Rodrigo Borja's election to Pope. No one would or could be speaking of the New World, yet. See more »

Connections

Featured in The 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards 2012 (2012) See more »

User Reviews

 
Historical Accuracy isn't everything
15 August 2013 | by lilguyollieSee all my reviews

Like many people who watch this series and others like it, I often pick out moments which are fictional or an historical event that is slightly altered. It doesn't really matter though especially if what the writers come up with instead is still interesting and entertaining.

The first series focuses on the Borgia family's rise to prominence and the Popes children's gradual loss of innocence who grow into corrupt, murderous figures. The second series then follows Lucrezia's several love interest stories and the bitter sibling rivalry between Cesare and Juan. Finally, the third series follows the Pope and his son Cesare fighting their main enemies Caterina Sforza which leads to an epic conclusion with the battle of Forli.

The good points of this series for me is the general tone and atmosphere of the show. This is created by the actors and the setting of the show. The era itself holds strong interest as during this revolutionary time which saw the rise of Da Vinci, Michaelangelo and grand architecture there are dark, viscous conspiracies going on. The whole cast are top notch, in particular David Oakes who plays Juan. His ability to jump from emotion to emotion just like that shows his talent in full flow. Sean Harris who stars as Micheletto is the underrated star of this show. Jeremy Irons is marvellous, need I say more its Jeremy Irons c'mon. I am also a huge fan of orchestral music in shows and it features prominently here and adds to the mood perfectly.

For some, this show may feature too much gore or sexual content, as there is at least one sexual scene every episode. However if you're comfortable with this sort of thing then I can give you no negatives. If you're an anal historical fan who purely wants fact and non-fiction drama then this probably isn't for you but give a try anyway.

In my view its fabulous and I am one of those who was gutted to hear that it was cancelled after 3 seasons due to budget concerns despite consistently getting successful ratings. I highly recommend this show and advise you not to be put off by the fact that it was cancelled because honestly The Borgia's Requiem Mass has come too soon.


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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook | Official Twitter | See more »

Country:

USA | Hungary | Ireland | Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 April 2011 (Canada) See more »

Also Known As:

The Borgias See more »

Filming Locations:

Tata, Hungary See more »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD
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