''Alias Grace'' is a Canadian television miniseries directed by Mary Harron and written by Sarah Polley, based on

Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of non-fiction, nin ...

's 1996 novel of the same name. It stars Sarah Gadon,

Edward Holcroft Edward Patrick Holcroft (born 23 June 1987) is an English film, television and stage actor. He is best known for his roles in the ''Kingsman (franchise), Kingsman'' film franchise and in the television series ''Wolf Hall (miniseries), Wolf Hall'' ...

, Rebecca Liddiard, Zachary Levi, Kerr Logan,

David Cronenberg David Paul Cronenberg (born March 15, 1943) is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is one of the principal originators of what is commonly known as the body horror genre, with his films exploring visceral bodily transformation ...

, Paul Gross, and Anna Paquin. The series consists of six episodes. It premiered on CBC on September 25, 2017, and appeared on Netflix on November 3, 2017. In advance of the series premiere, the first two episodes received a preview screening at the

2017 Toronto International Film Festival The 42nd annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 7 to 17 September 2017. There were fourteen programmes, with the Vanguard and City to City programmes both being retired from previous years, with the total number of films down b ...

in its Primetime lineup of selected television programming. The series was the third adaptation of an Atwood novel broadcast on television in 2017, after '' The Handmaid's Tale'' (adapted for

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...

) and ''Wandering Wenda'' (adapted for CBC Television's CBC Kids lineup).

Cast

Main

* Sarah Gadon as Grace Marks *

as Dr. Simon Jordan, a psychiatrist * Rebecca Liddiard as Mary Whitney, Grace's friend * Zachary Levi as Jeremiah the Peddler * Kerr Logan as James McDermott, Kinnear's stableman *

as Reverend Verrenger, a committee member who wants Grace acquitted * Anna Paquin as Nancy Montgomery, Kinnear's housekeeper * Paul Gross as Thomas Kinnear, a wealthy man who hires Grace

Recurring

* Martha Burns as Mrs. Parkinson * Will Bowes as George Parkinson * Sarah Manninen as Mrs. Humphrey * Stephen Joffe as Jamie Walsh * Michael Therriault as Mr. McDonald *

as Old Woman at Church (Cameo)

Episodes

Production

Public domain paintings from Statens Museum for Kunst (SMK - the national gallery of Denmark) decorate central locations in the series, among them the house of the Parkinson family where Grace Marks works as a maid, and the governor's mansion where she meets with Dr. Jordan. SMK provides free access to its public domain collection, and the scenographers have used a range of the museum's paintings, primarily from the 18th and 19th centuries. File:Parti af Østerbro i morgenbelysning.jpg, Seen in Parkinson's house: Christen Købke, View of a Street in Østerbro outside Copenhagen. Morning Light, 1836. File:Niels Ryberg med sin søn Johan Christian og svigerdatter Engelke, f. Falbe (Det Rybergske familiebillede).jpg, Seen in Parkinson's house: Jens Juel, Niels Ryberg with his Son Johan Christian and his Daughter-in-Law Engelke, née Falbe, 1797. File:Cathrine Jensen, f. Lorenzen, kunstnerens hustru med turban.jpg, Seen in Parkinson's house:

C.A. Jensen Christian Albrecht Jensen (26 June 1792 – 13 July 1870) was a Danish portrait painter who was active during the Golden Age of Danish Painting in the first half of the 19th century. Painting more than 400 portraits over the course of his care ...

, Cathrine Jensen, née Lorenzen, the artist's Wife, Wearing a Turban, c. 1842–44. File:Kolås Skov på Vejrhøj.jpg, Seen in Parkinson's house: Johan Thomas Lundbye, Kolås Wood. Vejrhøj, 1846. File:Titusbuen i Rom.jpg, Seen in Parkinson's house:

Constantin Hansen Carl Christian Constantin Hansen (Constantin Hansen) (3 November 1804 – 29 March 1880) was one of the painters associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting. He was deeply interested in literature and mythology, and inspired by art hi ...

, The Arch of Titus in Rome, 1839. File:Dansebakken ved Sorgenfri.jpg, Seen in Parkinson's house: Jens Juel, The Dancing Glade at Sorgenfri, North of Copenhagen, 1800. File:Frederik V i salvingsdragt large.jpg, Seen in Parkinson's house: Carl Gustaf Pilo, Portrait of Frederik V in Anointment Robe, about 1750. File:Ung kvinde med en nellike.jpg, Seen in the governor's mansion: Rembrandt's workshop, Willem Drost?, Young Woman with a Carnation, 1656. The prison scenes were shot on location at Kingston Penitentiary in Kingston, Ontario where the real Grace Marks, who formed the basis of Atwood's character, was incarcerated. Scenes were also filmed at the

Correctional Service of Canada Museum Kingston Penitentiary (known locally as KP and Kingston Pen) is a former Corrections Canada#Security classification of offenders, maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, between King Street West and Lake Ontario. History ...

in the old Warden's residence.

Reception

On Metacritic, the series received a score of 81 out of 100 based on 30 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". The miniseries has a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 8.00 out of 10 based on 82 reviews. The site's critical consensus is: "Biting social commentary and Sarah Gadon's hypnotic performance make ''Alias Grace'' a worthy addition to the Margaret Atwood adaptation catalog".

References

External links

* * * {{Netflix original ended series (2012–2018) 2017 Canadian television series debuts 2017 Canadian television series endings English-language Netflix original programming Films based on works by Margaret Atwood CBC Television original programming Television shows based on Canadian novels Murder in television Television series set in the 1840s Television series set in the 1850s Television shows set in Toronto Television shows filmed in Toronto Television shows filmed in Kingston, Ontario Irish-Canadian culture in Ontario Gemini and Canadian Screen Award for Best Television Film or Miniseries winners 2010s Canadian drama television series 2010s Canadian television miniseries