MINISERIES PREMIERE: Tony McNamara, who co-wrote The Favourite, created and co-wrote this new 10-part Hulu miniseries, which drops all at once today – and which, I hope, gets an order for additional episodes, and thus becomes an official series. It’s that good, and that much fun. Elle Fanning plays the eventual Catherine the Great in this comedy about 18^th-century Russian court intrigue, and Nicholas Hoult plays her boorish regal husband, the not-so-great Peter. The jockeying for position, and the high stakes and imperious and unpredictable rulers, are as entertaining here as they were in The Favourite, and the two leads are a constant delight. Over the 10 episodes, there’s a lot of regal choreography, beautiful scenery and bloody bursts of action, but the best part of The Great remains its crackling dialogue during intimate scenes between two characters, whether discussing sex or murder. For my full review on NPR’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross, and to hear a clip, listen to today’s radio show, or visit later at the Fresh Air website.

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1 Comments

Zeke

Many thanks to the People that decide to put out full Sets of Series---
I have found it torture to follow Mrs. America, weekly.
A couple at a time is now my favorite.

May 15, 2020 | Reply

David Bianculli

Dear Zeke: I get what you're saying, convenience-wise. But as inventory shrinks because so few new shows will be filmed during the pandemic, spreading out programs to weekly showings, even on streaming sites, may become the temporary new normal. -DB

Jun 7, 2020

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