If you are of the disposition to enjoy extravagant production values, a handsome cast and plots compromised of devious political maneuvering, then it will be easy to appreciate BBC One's epic saga The White Queen for the rollicking good drama that it is. If, however, you are a narc for period accuracy, it's probably best to stick to the history channel.
Adapted from the best selling novel series The Cousins' War by Philippa Gregory, the show is set during the War Of The Roses, a conflict between the House of York and The House of Lancaster for the throne of England.
The subtext of the series revolves around the plight of medieval women, a fate fraught with perils equal to anything that their male counterparts faced on the battlefield. It's an oppressive, violent and often soul destroying existence from which not even the nobles from which the series draws it's focus are spared. In this way the The White Queen surprisingly possesses quite an insular focus despite the scope of the events that play out around the main characters. Interpersonal dynamics and the quest for personal power are the main factors that propel the narrative.
The pilot episode has actually been the weakest thus far, mainly serving the purpose of character introductions and setting the foundation of the central romance between Elizabeth Woodville and King Edward IV. This is not say that it is without merit, as the episode acts as an intriguing appetizer of promised delights to come. Initial patience is soon rewarded as the subsequent installments have upped the anti ten fold. Admittedly creative license has been taken in regards to a number of events, but there is no denying that The White Queen is thrilling melodrama nevertheless.
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