Ken Follett’s epic historical novel The Pillars Of The Earth is now an all-star mini-series. And here’s why you definitely shouldn’t miss it…
Everyone loves a good historical drama and this year, you'll be hard-pressed to find something as epic as The Pillars Of The Earth, an adaptation of Ken Follett's acclaimed novel.
The Pillars of the Earth is set against the political and religious turmoil in 12th century England, a period known as The Anarchy, following the famous 'White Ship' incident that saw a ship sink in the English Channel, taking with it the only son and heir of Henry I. The death of Henry's son triggered a power struggle that saw Stephen (Tony Curran), Henry's nephew, seize the throne against Maud, Henry's daughter (Scott Pilgrim's Alison Pill).
Against this backdrop, the miniseries follows the exploits of several families including The Earl of Shiring (Donald Sutherland) and his children, namely his daughter Aliena (Captain America's Hayley Atwell). Aliena has rejected the advances of young William Hamleigh and has incurred the wrath of the evil Hamleigh family, led by Sir Percy (who, in turn, is manipulated by his evil wife). With the Hamleighs sworn to support Stephen, and set to undermine Shiring's position and standing, the Earl must decide what is best for his family if they are to survive this period of war.
The story also follows Tom Builder (Rufus Sewell), an unemployed mason with a dream of putting his mark on the Earth. Fired by the Hamleighs, he is roaming the country with his family, looking for work, where he meets Ellen, a mysterious woman from the forest, and her son Jack (Black Death's Eddie Redmayne). Ellen and Jack have their own secrets, as Ellen was once accused of being a witch after having an affair with a French sailor.
Their journey will lead them to Kingsbridge, a small town which is run by the monastery's young idealistic new Prior Philip (Matthew Macfadyen, Spooks, Robin Hood), who is facing opposition on all sides, not least from the ambitious Waleran Bigod (Deadwood's Ian McShane), who is an ally to Sir Percy Hamleigh and his family.
Once in Kingsbridge, however, disaster strikes as the cathedral burns down, so Tom agrees to help Philip to not only built a new, grand cathedral, but to make Kingsbridge an important trading town, something that angers the Hamleighs and Father Waleran.
As all three stories weave together, an epic (I've got to stop using this word) story of war, family feuds, love, corruption and the enormous task of building a cathedral will unfold. It really is essential TV viewing and as someone who is lucky enough to have seen the entire miniseries, its scale is on par with other big budget shows such as Boardwalk Empire.
If the talent in front of the camera wasn't enough to get you excited, then maybe the fact that the show is produced by Ridley and Tony Scott will. The series is partly produced by the Scott Brothers' Scott Free Pictures and is directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (Heroes, Saving Grace, Into The West). Mimica-Gezzan famously worked as Steven Spielberg's first assistant director on Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List, so rest assured the action scenes pack the delivered punch.
The eight-part miniseries was a modest hit on the Starz network, and though it didn't draw in the audience numbers of Spartacus: Blood And Sand, it garnered critical and audience acclaim from those that saw it.
With 2011 bringing the HBO's adaptation of Game Of Thrones to our screens, The Pillars Of The Earth is an excellent way to get yourself ready for a world of war, betrayal and family feuds. The all-star cast may be an initial draw, but once the show begins and the story unfolds, you are guaranteed to stay around for its climax.
The Pillars Of The Earth premieres on UK TV on Saturday, October 16th at 9pm on Channel 4.