TV REVIEW | The Royals

★★★★ | The Royals

When I first heard of this riotous royal romp, I thought no, cant be, can it? A soap opera based on our royal family, with good old Brit Liz Hurley as Queenie? But, yes, it can be and it is.

And actually it isn’t half bad – if you suspend disbelief for a while. Like all good/bad programmes, it’s the idea that can turn you off but once you start watching…it goes and gets you hooked!

This future camp classic has Elizabeth Hurley (Bedazzledand Gossip Girl via that safety pin dress) as posh tottie Helena, not born to the throne but also unlikely to give it up any time soon either. We have William Moseley (Chronicles of Narnia and Goodbye Mister Chips) as Prince Liam, Alexandra Park (Home and Away) as wild child Princess Eleanor and finally Vincent Reagan as King Simon (300 and Snow White and the Huntsman). This is a good cast and a well acted piece of TV.

This first series introduces us to these characters and the background – old King Simon and his doubts about the future of the monarchy, Queen Helena as a model mother, well a model-wannabe judging by that sashay, Prince Liam as the spare to the heir Prince Robert and Princess Eleanor as the favourite of the London party scene – well, any party scene and a stranger to underwear apparently.

 

This normal, happy family life is throw into turmoil when the heir Prince Robert (we never meet him) dies tragically and suddenly, Liam is being groomed for the throne – something he hadn’t really planned on – as he did his best party and bed hopping impression of a certain other spare we all know and love.

Filmed at Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Churchill, for the E! channel, it was written by an ensemble of good writers, mainly Marck Schwahn who wrote for One Tree Hill – and it shows. This is pure gloss, good music, party scenes aplenty and the odd nod to actual Royal protocol.Written with its tongue firmly in its cheek, this show will be Martmite to most – my BF hated it but I stuck with it and actually found myself rooting for Liam and his love life, hoping Eleanor never found her knickers and that Simon abdicated and found himself a nice farm somewhere!

Give it a go – blame me if you hate it!BUY IT NOW from Amazon