Why you might want to watch:
1. They Have Great Subject Matter
Victoria became queen of England when she was only 18 years old, and the first season of the show is following these early years of her reign, when she was a rebellious teenager who was suddenly the ruler of everyone who wanted to tell her what to do. If that doesn’t provide enough dramatic fodder for a show, I don’t know what will.
2. They (Mainly) Stick to History
Queen Victoria was an avid writer, and kept a journal, sometimes writing up to 10 pages a day. So there isn’t a lot of guess work going on as to what happened/how Victoria felt/etc. From what I’ve read, they do dramatize some of the political intrigue and invent a few romances where there may not have been any, but for the most part, you are learning about what went down in late 19th Century England.
3. Jenna Coleman is fabulous
Coleman is 30 years old, but she does a fantastic job of bringing a rebellious 18-year-old to life.
4. Rufus Sewell is fun to look at (and he can act, too)
The real Lord Melbourne was fat and unlikely that attractive. And while Young Queen Victoria was called “Mrs. Melbourne” in the gossip circles, it was unlikely she thought of the real Lord M as anything other than an advisior/father figure.
But none of that matters much when you’re watching Sewell and Coleman’s chemistry on screen. *swoons*
5. The costumes and settings are gorgeous
They should be. They spent 10 million pounds (that’s British pounds, not U.S. dollars) on the show.
So has anyone else tried Victoria? Are you hooked? Anyone else really eager for Prince Albert to enter the scene?
