Versailles

one of the decade's best, Versailles is currently streaming in the US on Amazon Prime Video, and in the UK on Amazon Prime Video with a 8/10 audience score that speaks for itself. 30 episodes — the right length to tell the story it is telling. Television that earns its era label is rarer than the number of shows attempting it suggests — most of what gets called prestige TV is really just expensive TV. Versailles is one of the genuine examples: the craft is there in the writing, the performances, and the way it handles its subject matter. George Blagden's involvement signals the kind of production that attracts serious talent and uses it properly. Available now on streaming — no excuses left for not watching it.

Versailles follows a path that stands out in a crowded field. The story of a young Louis XIV on his journey to become the most powerful monarch in Europe, from his battles with the fronde through his development into the Sun King. Historical and fictional characters guide us in a world of betrayal and political maneuvering, revealing Versailles in all its glory and brutality. George Blagden and Alexander Vlahos lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. The series ran for 3 seasons (2015–2018), building a story that gave its audience time to invest properly. The writing trusts the audience to sit with ambiguity rather than wrapping every episode in a tidy conclusion — it is the approach that separates good drama from great.

The show you recommend to people who say they do not really watch TV. Versailles tends to convert them. The complete run is available and worth treating as a single long film if your schedule allows. The quality of the character writing is the reason it holds up on rewatch, when you can see the groundwork being laid in early episodes for things that only pay off much later. One of the more rewarding dramas of its era, and one that rewards the patience it asks of you. George Blagden is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record.