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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed shows.
Virgin Queen, The
EMAILPRINTMINISERIES: PBS, begins Sunday 11/13 at 9:00p
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 6 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 21 votes
Read user comments
Rate this show >
Show Info
Genre(s): Drama, History
First Air Date: November 13, 2005
Summary
Starring Anne-Marie Duff, Tom Hardy, Hans Matheson, Ian Hart, Dexter Fletcher, Kevin McKidd, Joanne Whalley, and Sienna Guillory
Anne-Marie Duff stars as Queen Elizabeth I in this Masterpiece Theatre presentation.
Also On The Web: Official Show Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Boston GlobeMatthew Gilbert
Add ''The Virgin Queen" to the list of PBS's Sunday night gems, and see it as evidence that ''Masterpiece Theatre" still has a distinguished purpose.
Read Full Review >Entertainment WeeklyAlynda Wheat
It's a rendering of the old girl that's less reverential, to be certain, but nonetheless more human. [11 Nov 2005, p.65]
TV GuideMatt Roush
An unusually earthy portrayal of the formidable Tudor queen.
Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd
And though it will not dethrone [Glenda] Jackson's as the definitive Queen Bess miniseries, or make you feel for its lonely-at-the-top protagonist as deeply as you might, it is, for most of its four hours, diverting educational fun, mostly true to the encyclopedia but not at all dry.
Read Full Review >Hollywood ReporterLaurence Vittes
With its scope and excitement, not to mention a colorful score mixing elements of the Elizabethan period, New Age and Riverdance, families may well find this hugely entertaining and reasonably well paced. But PBS regulars, beware!
Read Full Review >The New York TimesGinia Bellafante
The production prods and pokes at the young queen, laboring relentlessly, and without much success, to draw some sort of grand conclusion about her.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this show is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 21 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Taylor C gave it a10:
I've seen this before and upon watching it again i still love Masterpiece's adaptation of Queen Elizabeth I. Very captivating.
bill f gave it a2:
ok
Carla G gave it a10:
Utterly fantastic! Very true to history, it was great to see it being brought to life!
Scott L gave it a7:
A decent miniseries but the comment about having to fill time is correct as it got a bit bogged in places. The entire subplot with Lou Diamond Phillips was a bit of a bore and could have been cut.
sean k gave it a10:
This was a very good, and very engaging & dramatic miniseries. I liked Anne Marie Duff's Elizabeth, she commanded the screen. I thought the actor who played Cecil was a little unassuming, and Bess never reunited with Lettice Knoylls. Essex was just like the real one-a brat. The music, setting and costumes were as good as the acting. highly recommended for any Bess fan!
waterbaby409 gave it a10:
one of the best things i have seen in a long time--silver screen included. The score was amazing, the actijng suberb, never dry. The performance by Duff was one of the best i have ever seen; she fully captured the spirit of one of the most intriguing historical figures. The direction, in my opinion, did exactly what it should have--interesting camera angles combined with the performances to give an intense--and wonderful--escape from reality.
[Anonymous] gave it a7:
Beautiful to watch, and Anne-Marie Duff's Elizabeth, especially as she ages, is very good. But some things don't ring true--continually sunny outdoor shots, Elizabethan courtiers speaking of someone as "delusional" and referring to "unconditional love." Complicated plots (Babington, Essex) zoom by. Should prompt reading history among the curious.
