- Radio Times
- Review by:
- Alison Graham
This fantastically camp rogering-and-robes slab of historical hokum returns with Jeremy Irons as Pope Alexander VI, looking as seedy as an old drunk after a night’s sleep in a bus station.
And, joy of joys, the righteous brothers are back, those pesky Borgia boys Cesare and Juan, who indulge in a bit of light swordplay while wearing blousons. Elsewhere there’s bottom-torture, nude bathing, woman-on-woman action and the most hilariously unconvincing bit of girl-to-boy cross-dressing since “Bob” in Blackadder.
As for the history bits, the King of France catches the plague in Naples, or “Nipples” as he prefers, and there’s a big party when the vainglorious Pope finds some mucky paintings. But at its heart The Borgias is EastEnders with vestments, so when the Pope toasts his brood with ”we are family” you’ll probably be thinking more Phil Mitchell than Sister Sledge.
About this programme
1/10. The drama set in 15th-century Rome returns. Rodrigo Borgia turns his attention to restoring the city to its former glory after he and Giulia Farnese discover a hidden gallery dedicated to the art of pleasure. Lucrezia dotes on her newborn child, the rivalry between Cesare and Juan takes on a public dimension, and della Rovere's life comes under threat. Meanwhile, in Naples, King Charles tries to find someone to blame for the plague sweeping his city. Starring Jeremy Irons, Holliday Grainger and Joanne Whalley.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Rodrigo Borgia
- Jeremy Irons
- Cesare Borgia
- Francois Arnaud
- Lucrezia Borgia
- Holliday Grainger
- Vanozza Cattaneo
- Joanne Whalley
- Giulia Farnese
- Lotte Verbeek
- Juan Borgia
- David Oakes
- Micheletto Corella
- Sean Harris
- Giuliano della Rovere
- Colm Feore
- King Charles VIII
- Michel Muller
- Cardinal Ascanio Sforza
- Peter Sullivan
- Prince Alfonso
- Augustus Prew
- Bianca
- Melia Kreiling
- Vittoria
- Jemima West
Crew
- Director
- Neil Jordan
- Writer
- Neil Jordan
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