Becoming Elizabeth

Becoming Elizabeth is a historical drama series, created by Anya Reiss, that follows the younger years of Queen Elizabeth I. It premiered on Starz on June 12, 2022. In October 2022, the series was cancelled.

Plot

The series follows the younger years of Queen Elizabeth I, an orphaned teenager who becomes embroiled in the politics of the English court on her journey to secure the crown. Before cancellation, the series covered almost the full reign of her brother Edward VI.

Cast and characters

• Alicia von Rittberg as Elizabeth Tudor
• Romola Garai as Mary Tudor
• Jessica Raine as Catherine Parr
• Tom Cullen as Thomas Seymour
• Bella Ramsey as Jane Grey
• Jamie Parker as John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland
• Oliver Zetterström as King Edward VI
• John Heffernan as Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
• Jamie Blackley as Lord Robert Dudley
• Jacob Avery as Lord Guildford Dudley
• Alexandra Gilbreath as Kat Ashley
• Leo Bill as Henry Grey
• Ekow Quartey as Pedro
• Alex Macqueen as Stephen Gardiner
• Olivier Huband as Ambassador Guzman
• Robert Whitelock as Robert Kett
• Ruby Ashbourne Serkis as Amy Robsart

Episodes

Production

Development

In December 2019, it was announced Starz had greenlit an 8-episode series focusing on the younger years of Queen Elizabeth I created by Anya Reiss, who would also serve as an executive producer. In October 2022, it was announced that Starz had cancelled the show and there would be no season 2 covering the reign of Mary I.

Casting

In October 2020, Alicia von Rittberg joined the cast of the series. In May 2021, Romola Garai, Jessica Raine, Tom Cullen, Bella Ramsey, Oliver Zetterström, John Heffernan, Jamie Blackley, Jacob Avery, Alexandra Gilbreath, Leo Bill, Ekow Quartey, Alex Macqueen and Oliver Huband joined the cast of the series.

Filming

Principal photography began in December 2020. In March 2021, production took place at Cardiff Castle.

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's consensus reads, "Angsty as a disgruntled teenager and all the better for it, Becoming Elizabeth finds fresh drama in the Tudors by shifting focus onto the royal court's web of spiders." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 73 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

The series was repeated in the UK on Channel 4 from 15 July 2023.

References

External links

• Becoming Elizabeth at IMDb