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Versailles (TV series)

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Versailles
Series title faded in over an image of Versailles
GenreHistorical drama
Created by
Written by
  • Simon Mirren
  • David Wolstencroft
  • Sasha Hails
  • Andrew Bampfield
  • Tim Loane
  • Martha Hillier
  • Steve Bailie
Directed by
Starring
Opening theme"Outro" by M83
Composers
Country of origin
  • Canada
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
Original languages
  • English
  • French
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes30 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Jean Bureau
  • Claude Chelli
  • Anne Thomopoulos
  • Simon Mirren
  • David Wolstencroft
  • Guillaume Thouret
  • Gaspard de Chavagnac
Producers
  • Ian Whitehead
  • Jean Bureau
  • Aude Albano
  • Claude Chelli
  • Anne Thomopoulos
  • Simon Mirren
  • David Wolstencroft
Production locations
  • France
  • Canada
CinematographyPierre-Yves Bastard
Editors
  • Mike Fromentin
  • Sarah Anderson
  • Jean-François Elie
Production companies
Budget30 million €
Original release
Network
Release16 November 2015 (2015-11-16) –
21 May 2018 (2018-05-21)

Versailles is historical drama television series, set during the construction of the Palace of Versailles during the reign of Louis XIV. A co production between France, Canada, the United Kingdom and United States, the series premiered on 16 November 2015 on Canal+ in France and on Super Channel in Canada in May 2016 on BBC Two in Britain, and on 1 October 2016 on Ovation in the United States.

A second season was ordered prior to the season one premiere. Filming for the second season began in February 2016; its story took place four years after that of the first season. The second season premiered on 27 March 2017 in France and aired from 21 April 2017 in Britain. On 14 September 2016, producer Claude Chelli confirmed that Versailles had been renewed for a third season, which began filming in April 2017. On 17 April 2018, Variety reported that the third season of Versailles would be its last.

Plot introduction

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In the wake of the Fronde in 1667, the French nobility had begun to defy and disobey the monarchy. Young King Louis XIV (George Blagden) decides to move the court from the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye near Paris to his father's former hunting lodge near the hamlet of Versailles as a means to force their submission. As Louis renovates and expands his new Palace of Versailles, the nobles—displaced from their usual surroundings, but compelled to accompany the king—become embroiled in increasingly dangerous intrigues.

Cast

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Main

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Recurring

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Minor characters

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Production

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Versailles was created by British writers Simon Mirren and David Wolstencroft, both of whom were previously based in Hollywood.[3] It is the most expensive French television series of all time, with a budget of €30 million (approximately $33 million) for its first season.[3]

A second season was ordered prior to the season one premiere. Filming for the second season began in February 2016; its story took place four years after that of the first season.

On 14 September 2016, producer Claude Chelli confirmed that Versailles had been renewed for a third season, which would begin filming in April 2017.[4] On 11 May 2017, the official Instagram account of Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte published pictures of the ongoing shoot of the third season.[5] On 17 April 2018, Variety reported that the third season of Versailles would be its last.[6]

Filming locations

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In addition to the Palace of Versailles, many other palaces and chateaux were filmed for the depiction of the unfinished Versailles, including:

Episodes

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Series overview

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Season Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
1 10 16 November 2015 (2015-11-16) 14 December 2015 (2015-12-14)
2 10 27 March 2017 (2017-03-27) 24 April 2017 (2017-04-24)
3 10 23 April 2018 (2018-04-23) 21 May 2018 (2018-05-21)

Season 1 (2015)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Un roi sans château n'a rien d'un vrai roi"
"Welcome to Versailles"		Jalil LespertStory by : Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft and Andre Jacquemetton & Maria Jacquemetton
Teleplay by : Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft		16 November 2015 (2015-11-16)

Louis XIV has been the official king of France since he was a 4-year-old toddler. However, his mother Anne of Austria and a council of ministers were really in charge. In 1666, his mother passes away when he is 27 years old. He begins construction of the Palace of Versailles in earnest.

Many aristocratic ladies such as Louise de La Vallière in the royal court are lovers of Louis XIV.
22"L'État c'est moi"
"I Am the State"		Jalil LespertSimon Mirren & David Wolstencroft16 November 2015 (2015-11-16)
Louis XIV is upset that his Queen Maria Theresa of Spain has given birth to a Moorish child.
33"Il est temps que la noblesse réplique"
"Mirror for Princes"		Christoph SchreweSimon Mirren & David Wolstencroft23 November 2015 (2015-11-23)
Most of the nobles dislike Versailles. Nonetheless, Louis XIV has completed his move to Versailles. Colbert is serving as his first minister.
44"Demain j'aurai bien plus de choses en commun avec mon ennemi qu'avec mon propre frère"
"The Road"		Christoph SchreweSimon Mirren & David Wolstencroft23 November 2015 (2015-11-23)
Louis XIV regularly sleeps with his sister-in-law Henrietta of England.
55"La guerre fait toujours rage en toi, dis-lui "Halte""
"Bow to Your King"		Christoph SchreweSasha Hails30 November 2015 (2015-11-30)

On his brother Louis's order, in 1668, Philippe I, Duke of Orléans has returned from the War of Devolution against the Spanish Netherlands.

France and Spanish Netherlands before the War of Devolution
Duke de Cassel refuses to prove that he is of noble lineage; in turn, Louis XIV burns down Cassel's chateau with a ploy.
66"Ce n'est pas un enfant que tu lui donnes, c'est un bâton avec lequel il nous frappera"
"Invalides"		Thomas VincentStory by : Sasha Hails
Teleplay by : Andrew Bampfield		30 November 2015 (2015-11-30)

The construction of the Versailles Palace seems like a never-ending project. Louis XIV is using army soldiers—some of whom have become invalids in wars and construction accidents—to complete the construction. Later, to assuage the frustration of the soldier builders of Versailles, Louis meets with them and proposes the construction of Les Invalides which will include a hospital, retirement home for soldier builders, refectories, and other facilities. He promises to provide free housing there for all wounded soldiers for the rest of their lives.

Philippe I, Duke of Orléans urges his wife Henrietta of England to leave Versailles for Château de Saint-Cloud.
77"La maladie du Roi empire, c'est maintenant qu'il faut agir"
"Revelations"		Thomas VincentStory by : Sasha Hails
Teleplay by : Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft		7 December 2015 (2015-12-07)
Philippe, Chevalier de Lorraine is imprisoned for treason against Louis XIV.
88"Ton palais de rêve est en train de devenir un paradis du complot"
"Diplomacy"		Daniel RobyAndrew Bampfield7 December 2015 (2015-12-07)
The House of Orange is in the ascendency in Holland. So, Louis XIV dispatches his cousin and sister-in-law Henrietta of England on a diplomatic mission to forge an alliance with her brother Charles II of England.
99"Des forces beaucoup plus puissantes et déterminées continuent de chercher à nous détruire"
"Etiquette"		Daniel RobyAndrew Bampfield14 December 2015 (2015-12-14)

In Dover in 1670, Henrietta meets with her brother Charles II where she successfully negotiates the Secret Treaty of Dover.

Louis wants his brother Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, to take charge of overseeing court etiquette at Versailles.

Later, when William of Orange (who at the time was only the Dutch monarch and not yet the British monarch as well) confronts Charles II about the latter's alliance with France against Holland, Charles II proposes a marriage between his niece Mary II and William of Orange to allay Holland's fears.

Louis XIV begins to train his eldest son Louis, Grand Dauphin with the help of the Rohan.
1010"Laissez-moi sentir le soleil sur ma peau"
"Bring the Garden Here"		Daniel RobySimon Mirren & David Wolstencroft14 December 2015 (2015-12-14)
After inferring that Montcourt has poisoned Henrietta, Louis XIV and Fabian Marchal confront Montcourt.

Season 2 (2017)

[edit]
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
111"Labyri"
"The Labyrinth"		Thomas VincentStory by : Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft
Teleplay by : David Wolstencroft		27 March 2017 (2017-03-27)

Madame de Montespan has secured her position as the favorite of king Louis XIV. Meanwhile, Chevalier de Lorraine, who is the lover of the king's brother Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, remains in exile.

Louis XIV suspects William of Orange to be the mastermind behind the Affair of the Poisons.

Louis XIV appoints Duke de Cassel as his new minister of justice.
122"Un murmure doux et léger"
"A Still Small Voice"		Thomas VincentStory by : Simon Mirren & David Wolstencroft
Teleplay by : David Wolstencroft		27 March 2017 (2017-03-27)

Louis XIV embarks on a war against the Protestant Dutch Republic of Holland in the Franco-Dutch War.

Louis XIV wants his brother Philippe I, Duke of Orléans to marry the princess of Palatinate to fortify his alliance against the Dutch since Philippe's first wife English princess Henrietta has passed away.

It is publicly known that Montespan is pregnant with Louis XIV's child which vexes his wife Queen Maria Theresa and the Catholic clergy such as Bishop Bossuet.
133"Quis Custodiet Ipsos Custodes?"
"Who Will Guard the Guards Themselves?"		Thomas VincentAndrew Bampfield3 April 2017 (2017-04-03)

Sophie de Clermont acquiesces to Louis XIV's wish that she marries his justice minister Duke de Cassel.

With Louis XIV's assent, Madame Scarron becomes the governess of Montespan's children.
144"Miasme"
"Miasma"		Thomas VincentAndrew Bampfield3 April 2017 (2017-04-03)
Johan de Witt is the leader of governing the Dutch Republic under the stadtholder William of Orange.
155"Guerre et paix"
"War and Peace"		Mike BarkerAndrew Bampfield & David Wolstencroft10 April 2017 (2017-04-10)

Father Pascal is assassinated with a poisonous flower.

Marie-Thérèse is appointed as regent when Louis XIV goes to war in Holland.
166"Les Sables du temps"
"The Sands of Time"		Mike BarkerStory by : Andrew Bampfield & David Wolstencroft
Teleplay by : Tim Loane		10 April 2017 (2017-04-10)
The sultan of the Sultanate of Bijapur refuses to engage in political negotiations with the Queen acting as regent because she is a woman.
177"Une nuit"
"A Night"		Mike BarkerAndrew Bampfield17 April 2017 (2017-04-17)

Louis parleys with William of Orange.

Isabelle, a palace courtesan, is killed.
188"Le nouveau régime"
"The New Regime"		Louis ChoquetteStory by : Andrew Bampfield & David Wolstencroft and Tim Loane
Teleplay by : Andrew Bampfield		17 April 2017 (2017-04-17)
Upon his return from war, Louis begins to brush aside Montespan.
199"Sept Ombres"
"Seven Shadows"		Louis ChoquetteStory by : Andrew Bampfield & David Wolstencroft and Tim Loane
Teleplay by : Tim Loane		24 April 2017 (2017-04-24)

In 1674, Turenne ravages Palatinate.

The state of Palatinate of the Holy Roman Empire joins the William of Orange in the war against France. To Louis's chagrin, the marriage of his brother to the Princess of Palatinate−who is living in France with Philippe−hasn't stopped the hostility between France and Palatinate.

Fabien Marchal arrests occultist priest Étienne Guibourg.
2010"De pierres et de sang"
"Of Blood and Stone"		Louis ChoquetteAndrew Bampfield & Tim Loane24 April 2017 (2017-04-24)
Louis XIV orders the arrest of the Duke of Luxembourg after questioning him in Versailles.

Season 3 (2018)

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The third season was released on demand in its entirety on 23 April 2018.[7]

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
211"Miroirs et fumée"
"Smoke and Mirrors"		Richard ClarkStory by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane
Teleplay by : Tim Loane		23 April 2018 (2018-04-23)

Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor meets with Louis XIV to concede defeat in the Nine Years' War at the Palace of Versailles .

Philippe I, Duke of Orléans has just returned from war to meet Philippe, Chevalier de Lorraine who just begot a baby with his wife.

Bontemps reminds the French King that following The Fronde, the French Protestants, nevertheless, maintained their allegiance to Louis XIV by fighting against William of Orange.

Louis XIV accepts the counsel of his brother, Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, that convicted criminals should be used for military recruitment instead of sending veterans of the Nine Years' War back to war in North America.
222"Question de confiance"
"Question of Trust"		Richard ClarkStory by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane
Teleplay by : Andrew Bampfield		23 April 2018 (2018-04-23)

Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, believes to have suffered a concussion at the hands of the Man in the Iron Mask.

In negotiations with Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, Louis XIV pushes to claim all of Spain once Charles II of Spain (also the half-brother of Louis XIV's wife Maria Theresa of Spain) passes away.

Louis XIV defends Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon against rumors that she was a professional prostitute in a brothels; he admonishes and dismisses a few courtesans.
233"La vérité éclatera"
"The Truth Will Burst"		Richard ClarkStory by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane
Teleplay by : Martha Hillier		30 April 2018 (2018-04-30)

Louis XIV gives leave to his Hapsburg wife Maria Theresa of Spain to go to Madrid, Spain, to visit her ailing brother, the king of Spain.

Louis XIV learns that Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon was an erotic entertainer at Domaine of Villarceaux.
244"Crime et châtiment"
"Crime and Punishment"		Richard ClarkStory by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane
Teleplay by : Steve Bailie		30 April 2018 (2018-04-30)
Maria Theresa of Spain, wife of Louis XIV, denied to her husband that she and Louis XIV's cousin, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, were headed to Spain to arrange the marriage of Eleonore of Austria, Queen of Poland to Charles II of Spain.
255"L'au-delà"
"The Afterlife"		Edward BazalgetteStory by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane
Teleplay by : Tim Loane		7 May 2018 (2018-05-07)

An emissary of Mehmed IV meets with Louis XIV to seek the support of France against Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor in the upcoming Battle of Vienna (1683).

Philippe I, Duke of Orléans becomes preoccupied with an inscription on a dagger based on the Vulgate Wisdom of Solomon.

Maria Theresa of Spain, who did not go to Spain, dies in Versailles in 1683.
266"La roue de la fortune"
"The Wheel of Fortune"		Edward BazalgetteStory by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane
Teleplay by : Andrew Bampfield		7 May 2018 (2018-05-07)

Following the death of his wife Maria Theresa of Spain, Louis XIV is concerned that his claim of dominion over the Catholic kingdom of Spain has grown tenuous. Contrary to the advice of his First Minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV discusses abandoning the 1598 Edict of Nantes (Edict of Fontainebleau, 1685) to win over the moral support of Pope Innocent XI; this way, Louis XIV can emerge as the champion of the Catholic faith in France as well as Spain.

In order to re-establish his blood connection to the Kingdom of Spain, Louis XIV is keen on matching his niece to Marie Louise d'Orléans to Charles II of Spain; her step-mother Princess Palatine is very supportive of this union.

Philippe I, Duke of Orléans along with Fabien Marchal, the king's chief of police, infer that the Man in the Iron Mask is the illegitimate son of Louis XIII and Louise de La Fayette.
277"Le livre des révélations"
"The Book of Revelations"		Edward BazalgetteStory by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane
Teleplay by : Martha Hillier		14 May 2018 (2018-05-14)
Upon meeting Louis XIV and Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, the unmasked "Man in the Iron Mask" claims to be their father.
288"Des hommes et des dieux"
"Men and Gods"		Peter Van HeesStory by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane
Teleplay by : Steve Bailie		14 May 2018 (2018-05-14)
Cardinal Leto proposes that Louis XIV marry Isabel Luísa, Princess of Beira to "unite the entire Iberian Peninsula under his aegis."
299"La poudrière"
"The Powder Keg"		Peter Van HeesStory by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane
Teleplay by : Tim Loane		21 May 2018 (2018-05-21)
On orders from Louis XIV, Marquis de Louvois confiscates the property of French subjects who refuse to recant their Protestant faith.
3010"L'héritage"
"The Legacy"		Peter Van HeesStory by : Andrew Bampfield & Tim Loane
Teleplay by : Andrew Bampfield		21 May 2018 (2018-05-21)

Louis XIV decides to meet the people by the tradition of the thaumaturgy.

Louvois takes over for the retired Colbert.

Broadcast

[edit]

Versailles premiered on 16 November 2015 on Canal+ in France and on Super Channel in Canada, in May 2016 on BBC Two in Britain, and on 1 October 2016 on Ovation in the U.S. The Movie Network gave early access to all of season 2 in October 2016, prior to its 2017 broadcast dates.[8] The series stayed on the English-language Super Channel until May 2016[9] but was gone by December 2016,[10] after TMN had made season 2 available early. The French version of Super Channel is keeping the show available until 8 November 2020. City aired the first six episodes of season 1 from 4 January to 25 February.[11]

The second season premiered on 27 March 2017 in France,[12] and on 21 April 2017 in Britain.[12] At some point after the first season concluded, Super Channel lost the Canadian broadcast rights to the series.[13] Subsequently, The Movie Network picked up those rights and began airing reruns of the first season.[14][better source needed]

In April 2016, Netflix acquired the rights to stream Versailles.[15] Netflix released the third and final season of Versailles on 2 April 2019.

Reception

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The first season of Versailles received mixed to positive reviews from critics. It holds a 55 out of 100 rating on Metacritic, based on six reviews,[16] and an 80% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average score of 6.56 out of 10, based on 10 reviews.[17] Marjolaine Boutet of Le Monde gave the first season a mixed review, stating that its ambition was both its main flaw and what made it a quality television series, and added that the series' most fascinating character, Louis XIV's gardener Jacques (Gilly Gilchrist), did not have enough screen time.[18]

The third season has an approval rating of 44% on Rotten Tomatoes based on nine reviews, with an average rating of 5.2 out of 10.[19]

References

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  1. ^ Cocherel, Malik (22 December 2016). "Versailles: Suzanne Clément in the shadow of the Sun King". The Huffington Post (in French). Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  2. ^ Filmer, Antonia (13 August 2016). "From Edwardian England to the Palace of Versailles". The Sunday Guardian. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  3. ^ a b Chrisafis, Angelique (22 April 2016). "Lavish French TV hit Versailles reaches UK screens". The Guardian. Paris: Guardian News & Media Limited. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  4. ^ Sitbon, Prescilia (14 September 2016). "C. CHELLI (CAPA Drama) : «Versailles saison 3 devrait entrer en tournage en avril 2017»". média+ (in French).
  5. ^ "Instagram post by Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte • May 11, 2017 at 6:10pm UTC". Instagram. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021.
  6. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (7 April 2018). "Canal Plus' Fabrice de La Patelliere on Versailles 3, What's Next". Variety. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  7. ^ "Planning Séries – France". 9 April 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  8. ^ "Versailles". Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Series - Super Channel". 20 May 2016. Archived from the original on 20 May 2016.
  10. ^ "Series - Super Channel". 22 December 2016. Archived from the original on 22 December 2016.
  11. ^ "Versailles". Citytv.com.
  12. ^ a b Kettley, Sebastian (31 March 2017). "When does Versailles season 2 start? BBC release date, cast, trailer, and more". Daily Express. Northern & Shell. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  13. ^ "What Happened to Versailles?". Super Channel. 3 June 2016. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016.
  14. ^ "The Movie Network - Series - Versailles". The Movie Network.
  15. ^ Keslassy, Elsa (5 April 2016). "MipTV: Netflix Acquires Canal Plus' Hit Period Series Versailles". Variety. Retrieved 24 March 2019. Netflix has acquired second-window U.S. streaming rights to Versailles, the ambitious period series created and exec produced by Simon Mirren (Criminal Minds) and David Wolstencroft (The Escape Artist).
  16. ^ "Versailles: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved 28 September 2016.
  17. ^ "Versailles: Season 1 (2015-2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
  18. ^ Boutet, Marjolaine (9 November 2015). "Versailles – L'ambition et la démesure". Le Monde (in French). Sociéte Éditrice du Monde. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  19. ^ "Versailles: Season 03". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
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