The drama depicts the early life of Queen Victoria, from her accession to the throne at the age of 18 through to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert and even her drunken episode at the Coronation Ball, and the Coronation itself.
Coleman, fitted with blue contact lenses that make her eyes pop (in a good way), makes an enchanting young queen, and Sewell gives off more heat than any prime minister has a right to.
What made Downton Abbey work on two levels was the inextricable connection, the symbiotic relationship between the aristocrats and their servants. Victoria seems to have missed that memo.
It was hard not to compare this version of Queen Victoria's story with that of the film version, starring Emily Blunt. I loved that film, but found this Queen Victoria to be just as compelling.
Victoria was written and "created" by Daisy Goodwin, and although her dialogue offends me less than Julian Fellowes's, there is still something irritatingly wishful about the way she has organised her narrative.
... a timeless tale of a young woman who resisted all those who wished to manipulate or mock her, overcame her fears and found independence and love. What could be better?
