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Amazon.co.uk Review
Originally broadcast in the UK on Channel 5, Kings & Queens is a documentary series detailing the lives of 12 significant English rulers between 1066 and the present day. From William the Conqueror via Richard III to Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II, presenter Dr Nigel Spivey takes the viewer through the ages, describing the political intrigue, lust, battles and bloodshed that make up the histories of a "millennium of monarchs".
By no means a definitive or exhaustive guide to the history of the nation's rulers, Kings & Queens is still a solid and watchable series. The most enjoyable episodes are those based on the more colourful royals; such as the incestuous, betrayal-prone Richard III, the mysteriously virginal Elizabeth I, or the "fat, gluttonous, sex-crazed" Henry VIII. Spivey is a lively and entertaining guide, but his energetic efforts to make the subject matter relevant and engaging are hampered by the series' low production values, which can only stretch to suspiciously repetitive battle reconstructions, a primitive soundtrack, cheap dramatisations and a 23-minute running time that leaves a number of the biographies feeling rushed and lacking in depth. The fact that a number of the historical chapters he is attempting to recreate--most notably Edward I's clash with "Braveheart" William Wallace, and Queen Victoria's relationship with John Brown--are familiar from more lavish, feature-length productions does not help. This is a shame, as those instances in which Spivey illustrates his stories using credible and authentic source material, such as a close examination of the Bayeaux Tapestry or, in the latter episodes, photographs and documentary footage, are vivid and engrossing.
On the DVD: Kings & Queens is a two-disc set featuring episode and scene selection and subtitles but no extra features. --Paul Philpott
DVD Description
Disc 1:
1 – William the Conqueror, 1066–1087
2 – Henry the Second, 1154–1189
3 – Edward the First, 1272–1307
4 – Henry the Fifth, 1413-1422
5 – Richard the Third, 1483-1485
6 – Henry the Eighth, 1509-1547
1 – William the Conqueror, 1066–1087
2 – Henry the Second, 1154–1189
3 – Edward the First, 1272–1307
4 – Henry the Fifth, 1413-1422
5 – Richard the Third, 1483-1485
6 – Henry the Eighth, 1509-1547
Disc 2:
1 – Elizabeth the First, 1558-1603
2 – Charles the First, 1625-1644
3 – Charles the Second, 1660-1685
4 – George the Third, 1760-1820
5 – Victoria, 1837-1901
6 – Elizabeth the Second, 1952–Present
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
An excellent documentry in every way.
Full of knowledge and information that fills in the gaps.
Helps one to understand the period and the royals of the time in question.
Full of knowledge and information that fills in the gaps.
Helps one to understand the period and the royals of the time in question.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I missed this when it was on television and bought it on recomendation. It's relaxed, deep enough to give an understanding of the eras and who was who without ever getting too caught up in itself, and rattles along at quite a pace yet still retains an air of easy going style.
If you want a good guide to who did what and when, this is for you. Two discs is easy to get through and worth repeated viewings.
If you want a good guide to who did what and when, this is for you. Two discs is easy to get through and worth repeated viewings.
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