The Great (miniseries)

The Great is an American comedy-drama miniseries loosely based on the rise of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia. All 10 episodes of the first season were released on Hulu on May 15, 2020.[1] The series stars Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult as the Empress and Emperor of Russia, respectively.

Not to be confused with Catherine the Great (miniseries).
The Great
Genre
Created byTony McNamara
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s)
  • Nick O'Hagan (pilot only)
  • Dean O'Toole
Running time45-55 minutes
Production company(s)
  • Thruline Entertainment
  • Echo Lake Entertainment
  • Lewellen Pictures
  • Macgowan Films
  • Piggy Ate Roast Beef Productions
  • Civic Center Media
  • MRC
DistributorParamount Television Studios
Release
Original networkHulu
Original releaseMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
External links
Website

Premise

The Great is a satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest-reigning female ruler in Russia's history. The series is fictionalized and portrays Catherine in her youth and marriage with Emperor Peter III (amalgamated with Peter II[2]) focusing on the plot to kill her depraved and dangerous husband.

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring
  • Danusia Samal as Lady Antonia Svenska
  • Louis Hynes as Vlad
  • Florence Keith-Roach as Tatyana
  • Jamie Demetriou as Doctor Chekov
  • Christophe Tek as Tartar Nick
  • Charlie Price as Ivan
  • Alistair Green as Count Smolny
  • Abraham Popoola as Rostov
  • James Smith as Count Gorky
  • Stewart Scudamore as Tolsten
  • Phill Webster as Palace Guard
  • Adam Darlington as head Footman

Episodes
No.Title [3]Directed by [3]Written by [3]Original release date [3]
1"The Great"Matt ShakmanTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
2"A Fake Beard"Colin BuckseyTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
3"And you Sir, are no Peter the Great"Bert & BertieTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
4"Moscow Mule"Bert & BertieTess MorrisMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
5"War and Vomit"Ben ChessellJames WoodMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
6"Parachute"Ben ChessellTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
7"A Pox on Hope"Colin BuckseyTony McNamara and Gretel VellaMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
After her success in bringing new ideas and technology to court, Catherine is faced with yet another issue. She becomes exposed to the harsh reality for serfs who catch smallpox after discovering Vlad, her servant, has it. In this episode, Catherine makes it her mission to convince Peter to try a new way to stop the spread. Meanwhile, the printing press has made its way to court (via Catherine) against Archie's wishes. Despite Archie's protesting, Peter is delighted to have it at court. Although Catherine thinks the press was a win, Orlo disagrees; making the argument that pictures of donkeys in crowns do nothing for the good of Russia. All the while Catherine is struggling with her feelings for Leo in the wake of her surprising feelings for Peter. This along with the secret of staging a coup only drives a larger wedge between the two lovers. Meanwhile, Peter plots to kill the Sweedish ambassador during the peak of the war.
8"Meatballs at the Dacha"Colin BuckseyTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
9"Love Hurts"Geeta PatelTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
10"The Beaver's Nose"Geeta PatelTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)

Production

Development

The series is based upon Tony McNamara's play revolving around Catherine the Great, which premiered at the Sydney Theatre Company in 2008.[4] McNamara also wrote a film adaption of the play, "It had been a play and a film, and I was always struggling with the fact it was such a massive story for a film. I wanted to tell it as a story that goes for years and years."[5][6] The series was initially pitched as having six seasons, having planned to introduce key historical figures in Catherine's life as the series continued.[7]

On August 24, 2018, it was announced that Hulu was close to giving a pilot order to a miniseries about Catherine the Great. The series was written by Tony McNamara who also served as an executive producer alongside Elle Fanning and Marian Macgowan. Production companies involved with the pilot consist of Media Rights Capital, Echo Lake Entertainment, and Thruline Entertainment.[8] On November 20, 2018, it was reported that Matt Shakman was directing the pilot.[9] On February 11, 2019, it was announced during the Television Critics Association's annual winter press tour that Hulu had given the production a series order.[10]

Casting

Alongside the initial pilot announcement, it was confirmed that Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult had been cast in the pilot's lead roles as Catherine the Great and her husband Peter III of Russia, respectively. In November 2018, it was announced that Phoebe Fox, Sacha Dhawan, Charity Wakefield, and Gwilym Lee had joined the cast of the pilot.[9][11][12] In January 2020, Sebastian De Souza, Adam Godley, and Douglas Hodge were added to the cast.[13]

Filming

Principal photography for the pilot episode had commenced by November 2018 in York, England with other filming locations expected to include Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Hever in Kent and Caserta, Italy.[11][14][15][16][17][18]

Release

The series premiered in the United States on May 15, 2020.[1] In Australia, all episodes were released on Stan on May 16. The series airs on Channel 4 and StarzPlay in the United Kingdom, StarzPlay also distribute the series in Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Benelux, Latin America and Brazil. More.tv broadcasts the show in Russia, Sky in New Zealand, and Prime Video in Canada.[19]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the miniseries holds an approval rating of 88% based on 75 reviews, with an average rating of 7.44/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Gorgeous, if gratuitous, The Great can't quite live up to its namesake, but delicious performances from Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult and a wicked sense of humor make it a pretty good watch."[20] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 30 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[21]

References
  1. Hipes, Patrick (January 17, 2020). "Hulu Sets Premiere Dates For 'The Great', 'Ramy' And 'Solar Opposites' – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  2. "The Great - Trivia". IMDB. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  3. "The Great". Hulu Press Site. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  4. McHenry, Jackson (May 15, 2020). "How The Great Very, Very Loosely Adapts Russian History". New York Magazine. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  5. Utichi, Joe (February 13, 2019). "How Tony McNamara's Hulu-Bound 'The Great' Landed Him 'The Favourite' And An Oscar Nomination". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  6. Ryan, Patrick (May 15, 2020). "Hulu's 'The Great': Elle Fanning on playing Catherine the Great, severed heads and 'fully clothed sex'". USA Today. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  7. O'Keefe, Meghan (May 15, 2020). "When Will 'The Great' Season 2 Premiere on Hulu?". Decider. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  8. Andreeva, Nellie (August 24, 2018). "Catherine the Great Drama Starring Elle Fanning & Nicholas Hoult Nears Hulu Pilot Order". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  9. Wiseman, Andreas (November 20, 2018). "'The Aeronauts' & 'Curfew' Actress Phoebe Fox Joins Elle Fanning & Nicholas Hoult In Hulu's 'The Great'; Pilot Underway". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  10. White, Peter (February 11, 2019). "Hulu Hands Out Series Orders To Femme Fatale Drama 'Reprisal' & Russian Period Romp 'The Great' – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  11. Wiseman, Andreas (November 21, 2018). "'Iron Fist' Actor Sacha Dhawan And 'Bounty Hunters' Actress Charity Wakefield Join Hulu's 'The Great'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  12. Wiseman, Andreas (November 27, 2018). "'Bohemian Rhapsody' Star Gwilym Lee Joins Hulu Pilot 'The Great'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  13. Petski, Denise (February 4, 2020). "'The Great': Sebastian De Souza Joins Elle Fanning & Nicholas Hoult In Hulu Comedy Series". Deadline. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  14. Thompson, Vicky (October 24, 2018). "Casting call for extras for Catherine the Great drama to be filmed in York". The Press. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  15. Steves, Ashley (October 19, 2018). "U.K. Now Casting: Gymnasts and Acrobats Wanted for Touring Stage Show 'Marvel Universe LIVE!' + 3 More Gigs". Backstage. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  16. Verney, Joseph (October 23, 2018). "Another movie star-studded drama to be filmed in Lincolnshir". Lincolnshire Reporter. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  17. Cook, Laurence (November 1, 2018). "UK Casting: Audition for Catherine the Great Starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult". Backstage. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  18. "Una Reggia da zar per le riprese della serie su Caterina la Grande". Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  19. Kanter, Jake (February 26, 2020). "'The Great': Hulu's Elle Fanning & Nicholas Hoult Comedy Lands At Starzplay, Channel 4". Deadline. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  20. "The Great: Season 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  21. "The Great: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.