Pop-Culturalist.com

Royal historical dramas are having their moment. Just a few months back, we had The Crown. Now, we have PBS Masterpiece’s Victoria. PBS Masterpiece is wonderful at creating engaging period dramas (Downton Abbey, anyone?) so it’s no surprise that their latest is so well-produced, well-acted, and just plain well-done. Victoria is a beautiful pairing of history and entertainment. Still unsure if you should invest time into this 8-hour miniseries? Here are five reasons why you should:

 

There is nothing more interesting for a dramatic story than real life. Victoria begins at the start of Queen Victoria’s lengthy reign as monarch. Naturally, in 1837, being a female monarch was no easy task. Cue the scheming parliamentary members, meddling parents, and general power struggles… all of which generally happened in real life. They say that “truth is stranger than fiction,” so kudos to using that to your advantage.

 

Jenna Coleman as Victoria and Rufus Sewell as Melbourne. Their chemistry makes their shared story believable. Coleman strikes the right balance between young girl discovering who she is and a young queen realizing her power. Sewell is just a wonderful Melbourne. He is wise, kind, and with a fair sense of government, so it is easy to see how much Victoria leaned on Melbourne in the early years of her reign. It’s also a plus that both Coleman and Sewell are, in true Hollywood fashion, quite easy on the eyes.

 

Sumptuous costuming and sets. As with any period piece, you’d be hard pressed not to be in awe of the gorgeous costumes and decadent sets used in Victoria. The celebration in honor of Victoria’s coronation will delight you–ball gowns and twinkling candelabras abound.

 

Upstairs/downstairs drama. Downton Abbey proved that people love peeking into the lives of not just the upper crust folk, but also the people who serve them. In Victoria, we meet with several of the servant staff. There’s the young dresser, Skerrett (Nell Hudson), with a mysterious past. There’s conniving Penge (Adrian Schiller) and Mrs. Jenkins (Eve Myles) who take things from the palace to sell on the side. Their stories, although a minor percentage of the show, are still fun little breaks from the more serious drama.

 

Feminism! Queen Victoria was a badass. I mean, the woman reigned one of the most powerful empires in the world for over 60 years. She was constantly fighting to prove her merit as a ruler to not just her country, but also to her entirely male Parliament. She also had nine children that she raised after her husband’s untimely death. Work it, girl.