Versailles (TV series)
Versailles is a French historical fiction drama Canal+ original television series, set during the construction of the Palace of Versailles during the reign of Louis XIV, that premiered on 16 November 2015 on Canal+ in France and on Super Channel in Canada, in May 2016 on BBC Two in Britain, and on 1 October 2016 on Ovation in the United States. A second season was ordered prior to the season one premiere. Filming for the second season began in February 2016; its story took place four years after that of the first season. The second season premiered on 27 March 2017 in France and aired from 21 April 2017 in Britain. On 14 September 2016, producer Claude Chelli confirmed that Versailles had been renewed for a third season, which began filming in April 2017. On 17 April 2018, Variety reported that the third season of Versailles would be its last.
| Versailles | |
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| Genre | Historical drama |
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| Opening theme | "Outro" by M83 |
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| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 30 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
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| Production locations |
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| Cinematography | Pierre-Yves Bastard |
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| Distributor | Zodiak Rights |
| Budget | 30 million € |
| Release | |
| Original network | Canal+ |
| Picture format | HDTV 1080i |
| Original release | 16 November 2015 – 21 May 2018 |
Plot introduction
In the wake of the Fronde in 1667, the French nobility have begun to defy and disobey the monarchy. Young King Louis XIV (George Blagden) decides to move the court from the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye near Paris to his father's former hunting lodge near the hamlet of Versailles as a means to force their submission. As Louis renovates and expands his new Palace of Versailles, the nobles—displaced from their usual surroundings but compelled to accompany the king—become embroiled in increasingly dangerous intrigues.
Cast
Main
- George Blagden as Louis XIV, King of France
- Alexander Vlahos as Monsieur Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, brother of the king
- Tygh Runyan as Fabien Marchal, the king's chief of police
- Stuart Bowman as Alexandre Bontemps, valet of the king
- Amira Casar as Béatrice, Madame de Clermont (season 1)
- Evan Williams as Chevalier de Lorraine, lover of the Duke of Orléans
- Noémie Schmidt as Henrietta of England, first wife of Phillipe (main: season 1; guest: season 2)
- Anna Brewster as Françoise-Athénaïs, Marquise de Montespan, the king's favourite mistress
- Sarah Winter as Louise de La Vallière (season 1)
- Suzanne Clément as Madame Agathe (season 2)[1]
- Catherine Walker as Madame Scarron / Madame de Maintenon (seasons 2–3)
- Elisa Lasowski as Marie-Thérèse, Queen Consort of France
- Maddison Jaizani as Béatrice's daughter Sophie de Clermont, later the Duchesse de Cassel
- Jessica Clark as Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess of the Palatinate, Philippe's second wife (season 2–3)
- Pip Torrens as the Duke de Cassel (seasons 1–2)
- Harry Hadden-Paton as Gaston de Foix (season 2)[2]
- Greta Scacchi as Madeleine de Foix (season 2)
Recurring
- Lizzie Brocheré as Claudine Masson, midwife who becomes the king's physician
- Steve Cumyn as Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Minister of Finance
- Gilly Gilchrist as Jacques
- Dominique Blanc as Anne of Austria
- Joe Sheridan as François-Michel le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois
- Geoffrey Bateman as Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet
- Ken Bones as Cardinal Leto
- Thierry Harcourt as André Le Nôtre
- Anatole Taubman as Montcourt
- Alexis Michalik as Louis, Duke of Rohan
- George Webster as William of Orange
- Mark Rendall as Thomas Beaumont
- Ned Dennehy as Father Étienne
- James Joint as Father Pascal
- Matthew McNulty as Guillaume, a cobbler who serves in the army under Philippe
- Jenny Platt as Jeanne, Guillaume's sister
Production
Versailles was created by British writers Simon Mirren and David Wolstencroft, both of whom were previously based in Hollywood.[3] It is the most expensive French television series of all time, with a budget of €30 million (approximately $33 million) for its first season.[3]
A second season was ordered prior to the season one premiere. Filming for the second season began in February 2016; its story took place four years after that of the first season.
On 14 September 2016, producer Claude Chelli confirmed that Versailles had been renewed for a third season, which would begin filming in April 2017.[4] On 11 May 2017, the official Instagram account of Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte published pictures of the ongoing shoot of the third season.[5] On 17 April 2018, Variety reported that the third season of Versailles would be its last.[6]
Filming locations
In addition to the Palace of Versailles, many other palaces and chateaux were filmed for the depiction of the unfinished Versailles, including:
- The Château de Champs-sur-Marne gardens
- The Château de Janvry
- The Château of Lésigny
- The Château de Maisons-Laffitte (pictured below)
- The Château de Pierrefonds (pictured below) used as the castle preuses[check spelling] room
- The Château de Sceaux
- The Château of Vigny
- The commune of Rambouillet
- Vaux-le-Vicomte (pictured below)
Modern Palace of Versailles, 2007
Episodes
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 10 | 16 November 2015 | 14 December 2015 | |
| 2 | 10 | 27 March 2017 | 24 April 2017 | |
| 3 | 10 | 23 April 2018 | 21 May 2018 | |
Season 1 (2015)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Un roi sans château n'a rien d'un vrai roi" "Welcome to Versailles" | Jalil Lespert | Story by : Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft and Andre Jacquemetton & Maria Jacquemetton Teleplay by : Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft | 16 November 2015 |
| 2 | 2 | "L'État c'est moi" "I Am the State" | Jalil Lespert | Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft | 16 November 2015 |
| 3 | 3 | "Il est temps que la noblesse réplique" "Mirror for Princes" | Christoph Schrewe | Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft | 23 November 2015 |
| 4 | 4 | "Demain j'aurai bien plus de choses en commun avec mon ennemi qu'avec mon propre frère" "The Road" | Christoph Schrewe | Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft | 23 November 2015 |
| 5 | 5 | "La guerre fait toujours rage en toi, dis-lui "Halte"" "Bow to Your King" | Christoph Schrewe | Sasha Hails | 30 November 2015 |
| 6 | 6 | "Ce n'est pas un enfant que tu lui donnes, c'est un bâton avec lequel il nous frappera" "Invalides" | Thomas Vincent | Story by : Sasha Hails Teleplay by : Andrew Bampfield | 30 November 2015 |
| 7 | 7 | "La maladie du Roi empire, c'est maintenant qu'il faut agir" "Revelations" | Thomas Vincent | Story by : Sasha Hails Teleplay by : Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft | 7 December 2015 |
| 8 | 8 | "Ton palais de rêve est en train de devenir un paradis du complot" "Diplomacy" | Daniel Roby | Andrew Bampfield | 7 December 2015 |
| 9 | 9 | "Des forces beaucoup plus puissantes et déterminées continuent de chercher à nous détruire" "Etiquette" | Daniel Roby | Andrew Bampfield | 14 December 2015 |
| 10 | 10 | "Laissez-moi sentir le soleil sur ma peau" "Bring the Garden Here" | Daniel Roby | Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft | 14 December 2015 |
Season 2 (2017)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | "Labyri" "The Labyrinth" | Thomas Vincent | Story by : Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft Teleplay by : David Wolstencroft | 27 March 2017 |
| 12 | 2 | "Un murmure doux et léger" "A Still Small Voice" | Thomas Vincent | Story by : Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft Teleplay by : David Wolstencroft | 27 March 2017 |
| 13 | 3 | "Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?" "Who Will Guard the Guards Themselves?" | Thomas Vincent | Andrew Bampfield | 3 April 2017 |
| 14 | 4 | "Miasme" "Miasma" | Thomas Vincent | Andrew Bampfield | 3 April 2017 |
| 15 | 5 | "Guerre et paix" "War and Peace" | Mike Barker | Andrew Bampfield & David Wolstencroft | 10 April 2017 |
| 16 | 6 | "Les Sables du temps" "The Sands of Time" | Mike Barker | Story by : Andrew Bampfield & David Wolstencroft Teleplay by : Tim Loane | 10 April 2017 |
| 17 | 7 | "Une nuit" "A Night" | Mike Barker | Andrew Bampfield | 17 April 2017 |
| 18 | 8 | "Le nouveau régime" "The New Regime" | Louis Choquette | Story by : Andrew Bampfield & David Wolstencroft and Tim Loane Teleplay by : Andrew Bampfield | 17 April 2017 |
| 19 | 9 | "Sept Ombres" "Seven Shadows" | Louis Choquette | Story by : Andrew Bampfield & David Wolstencroft and Tim Loane Teleplay by : Tim Loane | 24 April 2017 |
| 20 | 10 | "De pierres et de sang" "Of Blood and Stone" | Louis Choquette | Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane | 24 April 2017 |
Season 3 (2018)
The third season was released on demand in its entirety on 23 April 2018.[7]
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | "Miroirs et fumée" "Smoke and Mirrors" | Richard Clark | Story by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane Teleplay by : Tim Loane | 23 April 2018 |
| 22 | 2 | "Question de confiance" "Question of Trust" | Richard Clark | Story by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane Teleplay by : Andrew Bampfield | 23 April 2018 |
| 23 | 3 | "La vérité éclatera" "The Truth Will Burst" | Richard Clark | Story by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane Teleplay by : Martha Hillier | 30 April 2018 |
| 24 | 4 | "Crime et châtiment" "Crime and Punishment" | Richard Clark | Story by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane Teleplay by : Steve Bailie | 30 April 2018 |
| 25 | 5 | "L'au-delà" "The Afterlife" | Edward Bazalgette | Story by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane Teleplay by : Tim Loane | 7 May 2018 |
| 26 | 6 | "La roue de la fortune" "The Wheel of Fortune" | Edward Bazalgette | Story by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane Teleplay by : Andrew Bampfield | 7 May 2018 |
| 27 | 7 | "Le livre des révélations" "The Book of Revelations" | Edward Bazalgette | Story by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane Teleplay by : Martha Hillier | 14 May 2018 |
| 28 | 8 | "Des hommes et des dieux" "Men and Gods" | Peter Van Hees | Story by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane Teleplay by : Steve Bailie | 14 May 2018 |
| 29 | 9 | "La poudrière" "The Powder Keg" | Peter Van Hees | Story by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane Teleplay by : Tim Loane | 21 May 2018 |
| 30 | 10 | "L'héritage" "The Legacy" | Peter Van Hees | Story by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane Teleplay by : Andrew Bampfield | 21 May 2018 |
Broadcast
Versailles premiered on 16 November 2015 on Canal+ in France and on Super Channel in Canada, in May 2016 on BBC Two in Britain, and on 1 October 2016 on Ovation in the U.S. The Movie Network gave early access to all of season 2 in October 2016, prior to its 2017 broadcast dates.[8] The series stayed on the English-language Super Channel until May 2016[9] but was gone by December 2016,[10] after TMN had made season 2 available early. The French version of Super Channel is keeping the show available until 8 November 2020. City aired the first six episodes of season 1 from 4 January to 25 February.[11]
The second season premiered on 27 March 2017 in France,[12] and on 21 April 2017 in Britain.[12] At some point after the first season concluded, Super Channel lost the Canadian broadcast rights to the series.[13] Subsequently, The Movie Network picked up those rights and began airing reruns of the first season.[14][better source needed]
In April 2016, Netflix acquired the rights to stream Versailles.[15] Netflix released the third and final season of Versailles on 2 April 2019.
Reception
The first season of Versailles received mixed to positive reviews from critics. It holds a 55 out of 100 rating on Metacritic, based on six reviews,[16] and an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 6.56 out of 10, based on 10 reviews.[17] Marjolaine Boutet of Le Monde gave the first season a mixed review, stating that its ambition was both its main flaw and what made it a quality television series, and added that the series' most fascinating character, Louis XIV's gardener Jacques (Gilly Gilchrist), did not have enough screen time.[18]
The third season has an approval rating of 44% on Rotten Tomatoes based on nine reviews, with an average rating of 5.2 out of 10.[19]
References
- ^ Cocherel, Malik (22 December 2016). "Versailles: Suzanne Clément in the shadow of the Sun King". The Huffington Post (in French). Retrieved 3 April 2017.
- ^ Filmer, Antonia (13 August 2016). "From Edwardian England to the Palace of Versailles". The Sunday Guardian. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
- ^ a b Chrisafis, Angelique (22 April 2016). "Lavish French TV hit Versailles reaches UK screens". The Guardian. Paris: Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ Sitbon, Prescilia (14 September 2016). "C. CHELLI (CAPA Drama) : «Versailles saison 3 devrait entrer en tournage en avril 2017»". média+ (in French).
- ^ "Instagram post by Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte • May 11, 2017 at 6:10pm UTC". Instagram. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021.
- ^ Keslassy, Elsa (7 April 2018). "Canal Plus' Fabrice de La Patelliere on Versailles 3, What's Next". Variety. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
- ^ "Planning Séries – France". 9 April 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ^ . 20 May 2016. Archived from the original on 20 May 2016.
- ^ . 22 December 2016. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016.
- ^ "Versailles". Citytv.com.
- ^ a b Kettley, Sebastian (31 March 2017). "When does Versailles season 2 start? BBC release date, cast, trailer, and more". Daily Express. Northern & Shell. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
- ^ . Super Channel. 3 June 2016. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016.
- ^ "The Movie Network - Series - Versailles". The Movie Network.
- ^ Keslassy, Elsa (5 April 2016). "MipTV: Netflix Acquires Canal Plus' Hit Period Series Versailles". Variety. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
Netflix has acquired second-window U.S. streaming rights to Versailles, the ambitious period series created and exec produced by Simon Mirren (Criminal Minds) and David Wolstencroft (The Escape Artist).
- ^ "Versailles: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
- ^ "Versailles: Season 1 (2015-2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ^ Boutet, Marjolaine (9 November 2015). "Versailles – L'ambition et la démesure". Le Monde (in French). Sociéte Éditrice du Monde.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Versailles: Season 03". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
External links
- (archived)
- Versailles at IMDb
- TV Review: Versailles – Variety
- Welcome to Versailles – The Daily Telegraph