‘Marie Antoinette’ drama confirms BBC premiere date – watch the trailer!
The BBC has announced when its new Marie Antoinette series will begin.
From the makers of Versailles, the historical drama follows the tumultuous early years of the Austrian princess as she rises to become queen of a repressive French royal court while struggling to reshape attitudes.
The upcoming eight-part series is created and written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Deborah Davis, who co-wrote The Favourite.
Watch the trailer for Marie Antoinette here:
The official synopsis reads: “Marie Antoinette was barely 14 years old when she left Austria to marry the Dauphin of France.
“Growing from a stubborn young princess navigating the rules of the French court under pressure to continue the Bourbon line, to a true fashion icon, she impressed with her natural charisma, and recreated life in Versailles in her image: free, independent and feminist ahead of time.
“Even with rumours undermining her reputation, the notorious figure would defeat the enemies of the Versailles court with courage and dignity.”
Sue Deeks, Head of Programme Acquisition, BBC, previously commented: “Marie Antoinette possesses an enduring fascination and Deborah Davis has a very singular vision for her story – we are truly delighted to be bringing this ambitious project to BBC Two and iPlayer.”
When’s the UK release date?
Marie Antoinette will premiere on BBC Two at 9pm on Thursday 29th December, with subsequent episodes airing on Thursday nights through January and February.
It’s not yet been confirmed if the whole first season will be streaming on BBC iPlayer immediately or if new episodes will be added weekly.
The series will air in the US in spring 2023 on PBS.
Marie Antoinette has already debuted on Canal+ in France.
In the first episode, titled ‘The Slap’, Marie Antoinette is just a teenager when she’s forced to leave Vienna to marry the Dauphin, the heir to the French throne.
She must produce a Bourbon heir to secure the alliance between France and Austria. But she’s as unprepared for her job as her awkward teenage husband.
How will this free spirit react to Versailles, with its complex rules of etiquette?
Who’s in the cast?
Leading the ensemble as Marie Antoinette is Russian-born German actress Emilia Schüle.
She’ll be joined by Jack Archer (The Bay) as Provence, Jasmine Blackborow (Shadow and Bone) as Lamballe, Louis Cunningham as Louis XVI, Crystal Shepherd-Cross (Versailles) as Adelaide, Caroline Piette as Victoire, Nathan Willcocks (Versailles) as Mercy, and Roxane Duran (Riviera) as Josephine.
Versailles is available on DVD on Amazon.