The white queen.

[marcusluis]

The white queen on bbc, anybody been watching this looks quite good..

[Captain Blood]

I gave up after the first couple of episodes. My wife is still following it addictedly. I think it's one for the girls. The history is broadly right but very sketchy in some places and fanciful in others. But the look and feel of the whole thing is totally wrong. The actors look improbable, the costumes are way out, the buildings are way too modern and so is the dialogue, the battle scenes are non existent, and the scenes where you see 'an army', usually involve about three bored looking exras in leotards and fibre glass breastplates. I found the whole thing disappointingly shit in many ways. Pity. Could have been so good.

I guess if you just sit back and think of it as a kind of fairytale made on a budget, it's probably enjoyable enough in its own right. But as a dramatization of the Wars of the Roses - frankly you're better off with Shakespeare.

[Mason]

Phew!

Am I glad that you took the time to write that, Richard?
I certainly am.
I was gutted that I had missed the first two episodes due to work and was going to get it on DVD when it is released.
I think I will spend the scheckles elsewhere.
Thank you!
 

[Captain Blood]

Just my point of view Paul. I could be wrong 
As I say, the wife loves it.
And I'm usually fine with a few historical inaccuracies. But we're so used to seeing great looking CGI armies in movies these days, and even in things like GoT, that the old BBC trick of trying to get away with it by missing the action scenes altogether and skimping on extras - and then making no attempt to even get the arms and armour right, just doesn't cut it any more.

I think this was an attempt to capitalise on the very popular 'The Tudors' in a similar vein. The difference with the Tudors was, even though it was far-fetched in places and the actors all looked like models, the period look and flavour of the costumes and settings felt right. Sadly this is very much not the case with The White Queen. I also think the dialogue and acting in the Tudors was a lot better.

[Lowtardog]

I gave up after the first couple of episodes. My wife is still following it addictedly. I think it's one for the girls. The history is broadly right but very sketchy in some places and fanciful in others. But the look and feel of the whole thing is totally wrong. The actors look improbable, the costumes are way out, the buildings are way too modern and so is the dialogue, the battle scenes are non existent, and the scenes where you see 'an army', usually involve about three bored looking exras in leotards and fibre glass breastplates. I found the whole thing disappointingly shit in many ways. Pity. Could have been so good.

I guess if you just sit back and think of it as a kind of fairytale made on a budget, it's probably enjoyable enough in its own right. But as a dramatization of the Wars of the Roses - frankly you're better off with Shakespeare.

My thoughts and actions exactly, it was A soap opera in tights

[JollyBob]

Can't really argue with the Captain, there. My wife is still watching it "just in case it gets good" (bit late now, pet...) but I lost interest very quickly.

Couldn't help thinking that if Warwick had put his armour on properly before he was laid out in state, maybe they wouldn't have been able to kill him so easily... 

[Emir of Askaristan]

Disappointing. I liked it, but as I googled bits I found just how wide of the mark it was and that and the costumes have made me less and less interested as the episodes pass. Now I know what really happened I don't care about dramatisation.

Also I can't work out why you'd want to dress or set characters in anything other than the correct period setting!? 5 mins on the web would give you all the examples for correct costumes, equipment etc you need.

I'm sure there's loads of reenactors who'd love to be an extra - ask the Companie of Saint George if you want world class, or at least the "local" WOTR Federation. Bruges may be lovely, but don't we have enough castles and palaces in the UK to serve as the background for our own history?

Rant over !

[H.M.Stanley]

I'm pleased now that i didn't bother on a hunch ...

[Lowtardog]

Disappointing. I liked it, but as I googled bits I found just how wide of the mark it was and that and the costumes have made me less and less interested as the episodes pass. Now I know what really happened I don't care about dramatisation.

Also I can't work out why you'd want to dress or set characters in anything other than the correct period setting!? 5 mins on the web would give you all the examples for correct costumes, equipment etc you need.

I'm sure there's loads of reenactors who'd love to be an extra - ask the Companie of Saint George if you want world class, or at least the "local" WOTR Federation. Bruges may be lovely, but don't we have enough castles and palaces in the UK to serve as the background for our own history?

Rant over !

Reminded me of the latest BBC series of Robin Hood to be honest

[Captain Blood]

Reminded me of the latest BBC series of Robin Hood to be honest

Exactly. It's a conceit, trying to make period dramas feel more 'contemporary', by giving the characters more modern motivations and costuming them in a kind of hybrid period-cum-modern clothes. I just don't think it works.

Bruges may be lovely, but don't we have enough castles and palaces in the UK to serve as the background for our own history?

Many of the grander city buildings shown as backdrops are manifestly red brick edifices from the C17th and C18th. About 300 years too late.
Again, it all contributes to a weird sense of dislocation. That these are somehow proto-modern day people in a quasi-modern setting.
In short, it just doesn't feel authentic or medieval at all. Which is why (for me anyway) it doesn't work and I gave up on it after two or three episodes...

[Elk101]

I gave up after 2 episodes. I've seen screenshots with modern guttering and downcomers, etc. with no attempt to even disguise them. Details like that kill off any pretence of atmosphere and context (look at Jim Bibbly's recent work for how this should work, where the attention to detail draws you in). The historical side just seemed to be rushed through in an "in other news Edward is king; no he's not; yes he is again" sort of way. If it's meant to be a drama focusing on 'people' why bother to try and base it on real people and events if it just comes across as a bit rubbish historical fiction?

Other than that it was great!'   

[Atheling]

Just my point of view Paul. I could be wrong  

You're not! I concur with all the points you made in your post above.

It is abysmal and that is being kind  !!

Darrell.

PS. what was with the soldiers refusing to wear armour on their right arms and legs??? Wierd, just plain wierd....

[Emir of Askaristan]

The armour thing? Yeah I saw that and thought grrrrrr....but....

http://je-lay-emprins.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/one-pauldron-and-four-destriers.html

And I thought, well blow me down a lucky coincidence surely!

[Atheling]

And I thought, well blow me down a lucky coincidence surely!

I'd still be slightly wary of Medieval artistic convention as it had it's own rules and conventions that did not necessarily follow consistently the actual facts. It's something that I looked at quite a lot when i was doing my Fine Art degree.

Maybe for a Scurror? A lowly gentleman?  But for the high nobility, as depicted in the series??? I seriously doubt it to be honest. Quite confident that they never went into battle in such harness.

Darrell.

Darrell.

[Captain Blood]

I think we now know a huge amount about the highly sophisticated 'white armour' and liveries of the period. And we know that most 'men-at-arms' of any rank or standing could afford some sort of suit of armour, and that the top nobility and royalty would almost certainly have had the latest and best stuff, head-to-toe.

So seeing Max Irons as Edward IV, supposedly en route to war, galloping alone through the countryside wearing a skanky breastplate over a kind of silver spandex Star Trek tunic, leatherette tights and pixie boots is just piss-poor. It's girlie fantasy, which is fine as long as you don't set it up as history. But unavoidably, that's how the layman takes it. Which is a shame, because it just perpetuates the foolish Victorian romantic stereoptypes of all things medieval as men-in-tights and short skirts... Grrr.