The White Queen

[ShadeofViolet]

Anyone else ridiculously excited?

I know Philippa Gregory's books tend to be a bit Barbara Cartland in places, and I hope the BBC havent increased it, but I still cannot wait to watch it.

[HairpinsAndLacquer]

I thought that about the children. The youngest wasn't a baby even, when it might have just worked. Also noticed un-aging Henry Tudor (I did wonder whether that had been filmed to put in earlier, but actually, it couldn't have been could it, because he was getting his title back?) and Margaret Beaufort does not look 18/19.

The birth bit confused me too. Wouldn't she have been in confinement rather than wandering around the palace? I was hoping we'd avoid a birth scene...

[Sleepyfergus]

Trying to see past the inconsistencies and the hilarious set/clothes/manicures and yes to whoever said its too 'clean' - I totally get you, it's just all too 'slick'. And I also noticed the children who were born in 3 years yet looked like it was more like a 5/6 year period. And also why wasn't she in a darkened room for ages awaiting the birth? It was very soap style, chat chat twinge = baby! and would they really have had a sponge or did they get that in Ye Olde Boots?

I find her relationship with her mum a bit odd, very chatty like bessie mates like where from Hollyoaks or something.

Still, it's easy going enough for a non brainer on a school night and Max Irons is quite yummy even if he doesn't age.

[Awizardsstaffhasaknobontheend]

Dear God, I found myself thinking that this made mini series The Tudors look good. Now while that over did the sexual content and Henry never really aged, at least the sets, costumes and most of the dialogue felt appropriate. This is a cheap, school production of a drama. Very disappointed.

[Gracelo]

Is anybody else getting worried about the Wolf Hall adaptation the BBC is doing after watching this? If they mess up Wolf Hall I'm going to cry.

[susiedaisy]

I had high hopes for this and was really looking forward to it, so disappointed.

[ProfYaffle]

I agree, I'm getting totally distracted by the inaccuracies. If Elizabeth had 3 children in 3 years, the eldest would be 3 and the youngest a baby, but the youngest looked about 2! I'm also spotting far too many concrete steps, modern railings etc The crowd scenes were abysmal, really tight, cheap shots so they didn't have to go the expense of dressing a whole street.

[polyhymnia]

I think it's dreadful - it makes The Tudors and the Borgias look brilliant.

Agree that I'm also getting worried about what they'll do to 'Wolf Hall'.

[expatinscotland]

The second episode was crap. It went downhill fast.

[Saltire]

I quite enjoyed the first episode but the inaccuracies of it all really annoyed me in teh second. Especially the birth of the first child, it was like a scene from one Born Every Minute.

[AnonYonimousBird]

What utter tripe! We gave it the benefit of the doubt after Episode One, so bemused that we thought it can only get better.

Last night's was plain ridiculous. It does not translate into a television programme at all.

[nipersvest]

the bbc made the hollow crown didn't they?, how did they manage to make that good and yet make this sooooooo bad?

[BanoffeeSplitz]

"It's Warwick - he's kingmaking again!"

yy to French & Saunders popping up, I thought it was going to turn into Blackadder just then.

[HesterShaw]

That is actually the worst line in the history of television. At that point my outrage turned to mocking laughter.

[GhostOfTheRobot]

So sorry that this program is turning into a bit of a farce.
I was so looking forward to it but as others have mentioned it's so bright and immaculately clean everywhere, no soot, muck or filth. It doesn't "take you there" at all. Where's the atmosphere? I'm not saying dirt = a great show but it feels so sterile. The language is very simplistic too.
Am I being too demanding?

TBH Game of Thrones might have ruined pretty much every show for me now...now that is one grubby production!

Ps. Max Irons is rather nice though and the moody guy playing Richard too so will probably have watch it out...

[wigglybeezer]

I had to get my copy of Katherine by Anya Seton out to look at the family tree in that to make any sense of the plot ( but then I learnt Scottish history in school and am a bit vague on the War of the Roses).

[noblegiraffe]

My DH watching it doesn't have a clue what's going on, and having read the books I can fill him in. When Warwick turned up with Henry he was baffled, and Margaret Beaufort is just completely inexplicably awful.
He spends most of the time going 'who's that?'

Surely a bit more exposition of the history wouldn't hurt?

[MalenkyRusskyDrakonchik]

I really didn't enjoy this last episode. Agree Margaret Beaufort is terrible.

[BanoffeeSplitz]

Margaret Beaufort being a badly written loon is depressing because a) I love Amanda Hale - she was great in The Crimson Petal and the White, and great fun in Rev and Being Human and b) the real Margaret Beaufort was much more interesting than that.

Though tbf I'm sure the real life versions of everyone in this were a lot less Hollyoaks than they appear in The White Queen.

[BanoffeeSplitz]

And Max Irons' toothy grin reminds me of Prince William, which means I can't take him seriously with a gilt crown on his head, it's like a really dreadful roleplaying game gone wrong.

[HesterShaw]

Margaret Beaufort was a proper, serious scholar. Her depiction here is simply silly.

Has anyone read the Kingmaker's Daughter?

[moominmaiden]

The most baffling thing I've noticed so far is that while the women are manicured, most of the men have dirty fingernails.

How exactly are they getting them dirty?! There is no dirt! Even the forests look landscaped...

[MalenkyRusskyDrakonchik]

I didn't like the visions bit with MB. Is that based on anything? As you say, hester, I would have thought she'd be much more serious and methodical. But maybe that's an anachronistic attitude.

I did quite like the bit where she says her husband (is that right?) is teaching her Latin, that was nice - though I wondered honestly if it was very likely he'd know more Latin than her, since she ended up knowing enough to follow her prayerbook rubrics and that's as much as a lot of laymen would have known, I reckon.

[HairpinsAndLacquer]

I've just bought it Hester, since I'd read the other two, I thought I may as well.

Some of the ages are a bit out though. Not just Margaret Beaufort, but I think Anne Neville is a bit too old as well. She should only be one or two years older than Catherine Woodville (the one getting married).

[Saltire]

I have read the Kingmakers Daughter. It was ok, in pretty much the same vein as the other 2. Theres now another book in the series out
called The White Princess, which is the story of Elizabeth of York.

I much prefer the factual stuff though, I am reading Blood Sisters - the Women behind the War of the Roses.

[expatinscotland]

Beaufort, however, was the MIL from Hell! Elizabeth of York was an obedient wife, however, whom it appears Henry loved.

I have never read any of these books, however, because I dont't care for historical fiction.