STARZ is the home of some big period dramas. There’s a new one heading our way, and this one is a lot more scandalous than all the rest. Get ready for Mary & George.
At first, you’ll watch this thinking that it can’t possibly be based on truth. There is sure some major dramatization to the story, but the basics of it are based on fact. King James I was not the king that he is initially portrayed as in history. That’s something this show will look at.
Before you check out the trailer or get ready for the series, you’ll want to know what the story is about. Just how scandalous is it?
Mary & George is about the seduction of King James I
When you have the king in your pocket, you have power. Just look at the way many attempted to manipulate Henry VIII. While they had the King’s ear, they gained power and position at Court. Things changed as they lost power, and there is plenty of scheming happening in the English Court.
Mary & George takes us to the Stuart dynasty. We meet King James I of England (who was also King James VI of Scotland). Mary Villiers is a countess without her own property. Her sons are unwed, and her position is in question due to these factors. She decides that it’s time to change a few things.
What better way than to seduce the king? Only, she’s not the one to seduce him. She gets her son, George, to do it instead.
The series is based on The King’s Assassin by Benjamin Wooley. This is a nonfiction book, so yes, the actual story has some fact to it. Whether it’s as scandalous as the STARZ series is going to make it out to be is another question. If only there was a way to travel back in time to find out.
Mary & George will premiere on Friday, April 5 on STARZ.