THE BORGIAS: “The original crime family”
Photo Credit: SHOWTIME.
Ever since I first watched The Shaggy Dog as a child, I have been fascinated with the Borgias. Remember that creepy portrait of the Borgias hanging on the Andrassys’ wall? And how it was supposedly a magical Borgia ring that caused poor Wilby to shape-shift into a slobbering sheepdog? Since then, I have studied about the historical family from sources more reliable than 1959 Disney movies, and found them even more fascinating. So, when I heard last year that SHOWTIME was producing a new original series entitled The Borgias, I was full of anticipation. Like The Tudors, the upcoming historical drama also revolves around a powerful ruling family of the past, but the setting and characters have shifted to Renaissance Rome. The Borgias will focus on Rodrigo Borgia/ Pope Alexander VI, played by Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons. In promotional material for the series, the connection with Mario Puzo’s The Godfather has been stressed. Apparently, the Borgias inspired Puzo’s now-iconic tale of the Corleone Family. The comparison to The Godfather is a double-edged sword in some ways. It raises interest, but it also raises high standards. As a history nerd and fan of crime dramas, I hope for the best. (Please make Lucrezia awesome!) We can certainly expect plenty of intrigue, bribery, adultery, and murder. Tune in to the 2-hour premiere of The Borgias on SHOWTIME, Sunday, April 3rd at 9PM ET/PT. Mark your calendars, and check out the trailer, a video introduction to the Borgia Family, and a behind-the-scenes look at the series below.
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Ooh this looks amazing!! After introducing me to Mad Men and showing me this trailer, you are now officially my TV Guide
It’s a little weird to hear a british accent on a Borgia, but I still want to see the original version..so I trust your judgment! If it’s just okay, I’ll wait until it airs in Europe ( by the end of the year ) but if it’s as good as it looks..I’ll just have to find it on Amazon!
Yeah, I don’t know why Hollywood insists on giving all historical characters British accents, even when they’re Italian. Sigh. I will post a report once I’ve seen the two hour pilot.
Holy crap! I NEED to see this! Everytime I come to this site I see the trailer posted, but I’ve never watched it. Thank God that I have! I was hoping that this show would help me get through TVD’s hiatus, but alas, this show doesn’t premiere until April 3rd.
The only show I’ve been watching right now is TVD (well, obsessively watching). And since The Tudors is no longer on the air, and Mad Men doesn’t begin until July or August, and Glee has been more than a little disappointing, I am going to watch this show like a hawk.
But I do have to admit, the Borgia family scares the freakin’ crap out of me. Sex, lies, murder, incest, corruption- makes me feel better about my own boring life.
I am dying to see this show. The only reason why I even know of the Borgia family is because of a video game called Assassins Creed. It has truly became my favorite game because although it is extremely enjoyable to play, the producers managed to throw in historical figures in the game like , Leonardo DaVinci, Machiaveli, Rodrigo Borgia, Cezere Borgia, Giovanni Medici. They also mention historical people such as Nikolai Tesla and show many free mason symbols. They make some very interesting connections with history. I am dying to see this show. I am almost certain that there is a possibility that Ubisoft(Company that made Assassins Creed) could have influenced or help create this show. I see a lot of similarities already.
Mario Puzzo also wrote a book called “the Family” which actually revolves around the Borgia family… I wonder if the series is based on it.
The family is a very good book although Puzzo died before he finished.
Oh, interesting. I didn’t know about that one. I will have to try to find a copy.
The is a second attempt at this series. I have yet to watch this one,
but I love the original. I do wish they would have done season 2
of the original. You can watch it instantly on Netflix though