Charles II: The Power and the Passion

2003
5.0
2 reviews
TV-14
Rating
Eligible
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Season 1 episodes (4)

1 Episode 1
11/16/03
Charles Stuart is restored to the throne after years spent in exile from Republican England. Abandoned by his oldest friend, the Duke of Buckingham, Charles has reached his lowest ebb when the sudden death of Oliver Cromwell galvanises the Royalist cause. Only one man can unite the nation and prevent a return to Civil War.
2 Episode 2
11/16/03
A fiery comet in the sky is rumoured to portend doom on Charles's reign. Beset by plague and war, and embroiled in bitter wrangles with Parliament as he battles to keep his Catholic brother James in line to the throne, Charles is forced to sacrifice trusty minister Sir Edward Hyde. As the Queen fails to produce a legitimate hier, Charles comes under pressure to divorce and remarry.
3 Episode 3
11/30/03
In the anti-papist aftermath of the fire of London, Charles takes a great risk by inviting his beloved sister Minette to come from Catholic France to negotiate secret treaties on behalf of Louis XIV. French gold will give Charles the freedom to stand up to his rebellious Parliament, led by Protestant Shaftesbury who even enlists Charles's oldest friend, the Duke of Buckingham.
4 Episode 4
11/23/03
Villainous opportunist Titus Oates capitalises on the mood of the times to propagate a rabid purge of Catholics that spirals out of control. His vicious lies cast doubt on the loyalty of Queen Catherine herself. The Protestant bid to exclude the Duke of York from the throne gathers momentum and Charles is forced to take desperate measures.

About this show

King Charles II was one of Britain's most charismatic monarchs. His 25-year reign was nothing if not cataclysmic: London was decimated by the Plague and the Great Fire, while England's resources were constantly depleted by wars with Holland and France. Despite all this, he nurtured the wittiest, most decadent Royal Court of all time, while entertaining an array of magnificent mistresses from sex-addict Barbara Villiers to the French spy Louise de Keroualle. Racy, visceral and violent, this is a romp through a period of history when to move fast was to capture the prize: in politics and in love. Period drama starring Rufus Sewell, Rupert Graves and Diana Rigg.

Ratings and reviews

5.0
2 reviews

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