Julianna Moore and Nicholas Galitzine star in the new dark erotic drama series Mary & George which is now streaming on Foxtel.
Mary & George is an audacious historical psychodrama starring Academy Award-winner Julianne Moore (Still Alice, Hannibal) and Nicholas Galitzine (Red, White & Royal Blue, Bottoms), about a treacherous mother and son who schemed, seduced and killed to conquer the Court of England and the bed of King James I.
Based on Benjamin Woolley’s non-fiction book The King’s Assassin, this seven episode series is filled with ambition, lust and intrigue.
Set in Britain in the 16th century is follows the life of Mary Villier, Countess of Buckingham who is trying to secure a better place for herself in society. She encourages her son George to get the attention of the King, who has a reputation for surrounding himself with good looking younger men.
The series has many well known faces in it’s cast. King James I is played by British actor Tony Curran, who is possibly best known for his portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh in Doctor Who. Sean Gilder from Shameless also appears, as does Nicola Walker (Spooks, Unforgotten, Last Tango in Halifax, The Split, Annika).
The first episode sees Mary’s brutal first husband and father of her four children coming to an untimely end, but she discovers he’d lost his fortune and she quickly needs to remarry to avoid poverty.
Her favourite son George like a tumble in the hay with one of the female staff, but is also known to eye up the stable boys too. Much to his chagrin, Mary sends George away to France to learn skills in fencing, dancing and deportment. He also gets the opportunity to explore same-sex threesomes and the bodies of handsome French tutors and servants.
Newly remarried Mary meets King James I when he comes to stay at her new husband’s estate. She discovers the King is fond of spending a lot of time in the bedroom with entourage of attractive young men. When son George returns to England she arranges for him to come into the King’s orbit.
From watching the first episode the show has a real Game of Thrones vibe to it, and you feel that nobody is safe in the world of sexual secrets, powerplays and ambition.
Mary & George is streaming now on Foxtel.
Graeme Watson
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