Elizabeth I
Transmission: September 2005 (UK/Channel 4); April 2006 (USA/HBO)
- Channel 4 / HBO: 2 x 120min
- Writer: Nigel Williams
- Producer: Barney Reisz
- Director: Tom Hooper
- Executive Producers: Suzan Harrison, George Faber, Charles Pattinson
- Starring: Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Hugh Dancy, Ian McDiarmid, Patrick Malahide
Elizabeth I, daughter of Henry VIII, reunited a nation divided by religious strife, faced down the Spanish Armada and, after an unprecedented forty-five year reign, died one of England's best-loved monarchs. During her time as Queen, poets and playwrights wrote about her, artists painted her, composers dedicated their work to her, all contributing to the legend of GIoriana, the Virgin Queen.
But Elizabeth I looks beyond the myth, at the woman behind the crown. The woman subjected to a humiliating gynaecological examination when contemplating marrying a French prince, to ensure she was still able to have children. The woman who ran a country and yet who wasn't allowed to marry the man she loved. The woman who, in her mid-fifties, conducted a passionate affair with a man half her age, a man whose arrogance eventually led him to mount a desperate challenge for Elizabeth's throne.
Illuminating the grimy, lustful underbelly behind the opulence and formality of the English court, this drama tells for the first time the intimate story of Britain's most famous Queen.
Elizabeth I aired in September 2005 on Channel 4 to critical acclaim and recieved a rating average of 3.1 million.
PRESS
“This is television that simply oozes quality. From the performances to the settings, the lighting, the costumes, the script and the direction, it is sumptuous, entrancing drama” – Terry Ramsey, Evening Standard
“Helen Mirren as Elizabeth I dominates every moment of this fine dramatisation” – The Times
“An absolute must see” – Daily Express
“Lively, intelligent script from Nigel Williams” – Financial Times
- "This is shatteringly good drama" - Radio Times
AWARDS
- Broadcast Awards
Nominated, Best One Off Drama 2006
- South Bank Show Award
Winner, TV Drama 2006
- Monte Carlo
Nominated, Mini Series 2006
- Ivor Novello Awards
Winner, Rob Lane, Best Television Soundtrack 2006
- Television Critics Association
Nominated, Outstanding Achievement Movies, Mini-Series And Specials 2006
- Monte Carlo 2006
Winner, Helen Mirren, Best Actress in a Mini-Series 2006
- Creative Arts Emmys
Winner, Doreen Jones Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or Serial 2006
- Creative Arts Emmys
Winner, Eve Stewart, Leon McCarthy, Sarah Whittle Outstanding Art Direction for a Mini Series or Movie 2006
- Creative Arts Emmys
Winner, Mike O'Neill, Samantha Horn Outstanding Costumes for a Mini series, Movie or a Special 2006
- Creative Arts Emmys
Winner, Fae Hammond, Su Westwood Outstanding Hair Styling for a Mini Series, Movie or a Special 2006
- Creative Arts Emmys
Winner, Berverley Mills Outstanding Camera Picture Editing for a Mini Series or a Movie 2006
- Creative Arts Emmys
Winner, Tom Hooper Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Drama Special 2006
- Creative Arts Emmys
Winner, Jermey Irons Outstanding Suppporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie 2006
- Creative Arts Emmys
Winner, Helen Mirren Oustanding Lead in a Miniseries or Movie 2006
- Creative Arts Emmys
Winner, Outstanding Miniseries 2006
- Golden Globe
Winner, Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television 2007
- Golden Globe
Winner, Helen Mirren Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television 2007
- Golden Globe
Winner, Jeremy Irons Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television 2007
- George Foster Peabody Award
Winner, 2007
- Hugo Television Awards (Presented by Cinema/Chicago and the Chicago International Film Festival)
Winner, Gold Hugo for Best Television Production 2007