Julianne Moore is the crowning glory in this rip-roaring regal romp
Your starter for ten: which scheming figure in royal history told her dim but charismatic boy: ‘Second sons offer nothing, inherit nothing — raise yourself or you will be nothing’?
The answer, of course, is Mary Villiers, whose son George became the favourite of James I. Why, who were you thinking of?
The bawdy, lavish, 17th-century costume drama Mary & George (Sky Atlantic) follows the lad as he rises to claim a dukedom, as second sons sometimes do. Serials of this era follow two patterns, the literary or the lecherous, Wolf Hall or The Tudors. This is definitely in the latter camp and, if you like your history raunchy, randy and sweary, it’s great fun.
The real George Villiers was notorious as ‘ the handsomestbodied man in all of England’ but, though he’s the hero of the tale, it’s his mother (Julianne Moore) who steals the show. Crafty and savagely ambitious, she is also devoted to her sons (though she detests her poor daughter).
After contriving the death of her drunken, bullying husband, social climber Mary selects a wealthy
widower, introducing herself as, ‘Your next wife.’ He fits her designs nicely, because King James and his greedy courtiers are in the habit of dropping in for visits.
‘The king,’ warns Hubbie No 2, ‘is a dead- eyed, horny-handed horror who surrounds himself with many deceitful, well-hung beauties.’ Mary spies an opening for her gorgeous Georgie.
Judging by the monarch’s behaviour on a visit, you wouldn’t want to bed down on a four-poster bearing the inscription, ‘ King James slept here’. In fact, you’d have to burn the bedlinen.
By now, Mary has packed George off to finishing school on the Continent, where he discovers aristos enjoying orgies in every room. ‘This is France,’ shrugs his tutor, as if that explains everything, which it probably does.
The next few scenes become a soft porn coming-of-age fantasy, with fencing matches, dancing lessons and stable lads, until it’s almost Fifty Shades of Bridgerton. But the story rights itself when George returns to England and lands a job waiting on the king at banquets.
Though the drama is loosely based on Benjamin Woolley’s serious tome The King’s Assassin, the historical detail is dubious. It’s difficult to believe that, in the Stuart court, the punishment for any gentleman who brawled in the presence of the crown was to have his hand chopped off on the spot.
But George is a believable youth, a spoilt mummy’s boy with a tendency to histrionic suicide attempts. He’s selfish but he isn’t vain, and seems largely unaware of the effect his good looks have on others. His mother is aware enough for both of them. She’s also a sly manipulator, a quick liar, a ruthless pragmatist and a clever psychologist, who’s hiding a secret about her past — in other words, a truly interesting character.
roles like that are rare, and Julianne Moore must be thrilled. Fans of BBC2’s Bring The Drama might be intrigued to know she was chosen for the part by the show’s chief judge, casting director Kelly Valentine Hendry.