"The White Queen - WotR setting" Topic

Anyone seen it – any good? Am just getting into the War of the Roses. Main media comment seems to be around a rape scene involving laydeez man Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. Aside from the issue of whether it happened (given that most of the commentators of the time on his host of female conquests make a point of saying he never forced himself upon them, money, charisma and being the King being enough to bowl over maid to lady), its rather odd reading comments by people who say they've studied the WotR but won't watch progs with rape scenes – presumably if they are interested in the WotR, they're OK with the mass slaughter of Towton etc though? Not trivialising rape for a micro-second, but if someone is sensitive, perhaps they should steer away from the whole brutal medieval period and esp its wars in the first place!

Its not bad, though Edward rode off to three battles and not one piece of action

Mostly the usual BBC costume drama tosh … but a good scene when the new queen meets her mother in law I will probably watch the series in case a WotR theme breaks out …

Phil

So far, it seems to be following the book pretty closely. That's a plus IMHO.

Couldn't stand it to be honest.
The heroine leaves her house and stands by the road waiting for the king to wander along? Warwick as a moustache twirling villain (sans moustache)? The mother -in-law, a lady fully experienced in the ways of the court, defeated by a girl who simply threatened to tell the truth? Not exactly Game of Thrones standard writing.
Haven't read the books so I'm only going off the adaptation.
And there's nothing wrong with a decent costume drama. Pride and Prejudice is one of the greatest TV dramas ever. This is a badly written potboiler.

Jane Austen might be better than Philippa Gregory …

not much painting inspiration for livery or harnesses then?

The heroine leaves her house and stands by the road waiting for the king to wander along?

"Hearing that the young king was hunting in the neighbourhood of her mother's dower castle at Grafton, Elizabeth waited for him beneath a noble tree known in the traditions of Northamptonshire, as "the queen's oak," hold a fatherless boy in either hand; and when Edward, who must have been well acquainted with her previously at the English court, paused to listen to her, she threw herself at his feet, and pleaded for the restoration of her children's lands. Her downcast looks and mournful beauty not only gained her suit, but the heart of the conqueror."
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The mother-in-law, a lady fully experienced in the ways of the court, defeated by a girl who simply threatened to tell the truth? Not exactly Game of Thrones standard writing.

"The marriage gave great offence to the mother of Edward IV. This lady, who, before the fall of her husband, Richard duke of York, at Wakefield, had assumed the state of a queen, had to give place to the daughter of a knight."
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Truth is stranger than fiction.

Heard one review mention how clean everyone is.

BBC is long past it's sell by date.

Its rubbish for the twilight generation.

Dude!, where's my horse?

thats one thing that I like so much about the Patrick O'Brien novels (Master and Commander et al)and dislike about various other historical fiction I've perused in Smiths whilst looking for something to read – the characters speak like 19th century people (based on how they were written as speaking in the likes of Jane Austen etc since we have no audio recordings of course – I've thought of the O'Brien books as being almost 'Jane Austen with added naval gunfire and daring cutting out raids')

Major Bumsore, I'm not disputing the accuracy but the presentation. In particular, the clash between Woodville and Edward IVs mum was laughable when it should have been nail biting. Watching the girl reduce the matriarch to a quivering wreck by, apparently, being pretty and stating the blindingly obvious was ludicrous. Try matching that against pretty much any two character's in GoT having a chat.

If you are looking for period details then look elsewhere… Architecture, locations, sets and costume are all chosen to look good on TV rather than convey any real sense of historical accuracy…. but that's an affliction common to most TV dramas my background in making museum replicas makes me all to aware of!

It's a bit of "ye-olde-worlde" tosh for telly, but as it doesn't claim to be a PhD thesis who can blame it for that.

A female friend who has read the original book has decided to stick with the TV series as apparently it better than the novel!

I'm liking it! It is a period drama rather than a miltary history. There is little or no military livery to be had. The programme is fairly true to the novels, and is eminiently watchable.
No fighting at all. As mentioned, three major battles in two episodes and no action whatsoever.
My major criticism is the limited setting (I suspect that all interior and exterior castle scenes are the same location, just different parts) and I'm sure that in one of the scenes the Woodvilles come down a short flight of concrete steps…)

I too would like to know if it's worth wasting an hour on the first episode. I like historical drama when it's done well. On a forum like this, the greatest movie maker inn the history of film would be severely criticised for something – this is accepted.

I really enjoyed Rome (HBO) as a well scripted and superbly acted drama well made with superior production qualities. I loath The Tudors for a sloppy, amateurish soapy. Which do people think White Queen most resembles?

I've seen the preview shorts but advertising is incredibly deceptive.