''Britannia'' is a British / American

historical fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those classed as Arthur ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

television show. It was created by

Jez Butterworth Jeremy "Jez" Butterworth (born March 1969) is an English playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He has written screenplays in collaboration with his brothers, John-Henry Butterworth, John-Henry and Tom. Life and career In March 1969, But ...

and Tom Butterworth. The show was the first co-production between Sky and Amazon Prime Video and stars

Kelly Reilly Jessica Kelly Siobhán Reilly (born 18 July 1977) is an English actress. She first appeared on screen in 1995 on the series '' The Biz''. Her other television work includes starring roles in the British crime drama '' Above Suspicion'' (2009– ...

David Morrissey David Mark Joseph Morrissey (born 21 June 1964) is an English actor and filmmaker. Described by the British Film Institute as "one of the most versatile English actors of his generation", he is noted for the meticulous preparation and research h ...

Zoë Wanamaker Zoë Wanamaker (born 13 May 1949) is a British-American actress who has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. A nine-time Olivier Award nominee, she won for '' Once in a Lifetime'' (1979) and '' Electra ...

Mackenzie Crook Paul James "Mackenzie" Crook (born 29 September 1971) is an English actor, comedian, director and writer. He played Gareth Keenan in ''The Office'', Ragetti in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' films, Orell in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', ...

Nikolaj Lie Kaas Nikolaj Lie Kaas (; born 22 May 1973) is a Danish actor whose career rose in the 1990s. Kaas graduated from the National Theater School in Denmark in 1998. He first appeared on screen in Søren Kragh-Jacobsen's film ''The Boys from St. Petri'' i ...

, and

Eleanor Worthington Cox Eleanor Winifred Worthington Cox (born 21 June 2001) is an English actress from Merseyside best known for portraying Matilda Wormwood in '' Matilda the Musical'' for which 10-year-old Eleanor won a 2012 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress ...

. It first aired on Sky Atlantic in the UK beginning 18 January 2018 and on Amazon Prime Video in the US beginning 26 January 2018. The first series aired on

Epix Epix (pronounced ''epics'' and stylized as P) is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by the Epix Entertainment LLC subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), a subsidiary of Amazon's MGM Holdings, Inc. The channel's pr ...

beginning 2 August 2020. Pop songs were used as theme music for the three series to date:

Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world mus ...

's "

Hurdy Gurdy Man "Hurdy Gurdy Man" is a song by the Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was recorded in April 1968 and released the following month as a single. The song gave its name to the album ''The Hurdy Gurdy Man'', which was released in October of that ...

" (series 1),

his His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, in ...

" Season of the Witch" (series 2), and " Children of the Revolution" by T. Rex (series 3). DailyHistory.org said: " e series has a feel of a mixed fictional, fantasy epic that incorporates a historical set of events."

Synopsis

''Britannia'' is set in 43 AD, when the Romans invaded Britain.

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

had failed to conquer Britain 90 years earlier. General

Aulus Plautius Aulus Plautius was a Roman politician and general of the mid-1st century. He began the Roman conquest of Britain in 43, and became the first governor of the new province, serving from 43 to 46 CE. Career Little is known of Aulus Plautius's ear ...

and his second-in-command,

Lucius Lucius ( el, Λούκιος ''Loukios''; ett, Luvcie) is a male given name derived from ''Lucius'' (abbreviated ''L.''), one of the small group of common Latin forenames (''praenomina'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius derives from L ...

are determined to succeed where Julius Caesar failed, by any means necessary. An experienced warrior, Aulus establishes a fortified camp, gathers information from captives, even children, and learns that the

Druid A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...

s are the driving force behind the many tribes he faces. He determines that "you don't conquer the people, you must conquer their gods." He meets the Druids and undertakes a

vision quest A vision quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures. It is usually only undertaken by young males entering adulthood. Individual Indigenous cultures have their own names for their rites of passage. "Vision quest" is an English- ...

. Soon, he is talking aloud to Lokka, a demon king. Young Cait of the

Cantii The Cantiaci or Cantii were an Iron Age Celtic people living in Britain before the Roman conquest, and gave their name to a '' civitas'' of Roman Britain. They lived in the area now called Kent, in south-eastern England. Their capital was ''Dur ...

tribe is about to take part in a ceremony to mark her becoming an adult woman when the Romans attack and largely destroy her tribe. She is forced to flee and wanders the forest, where she encounters and attaches herself to an unlikely protector, Divis "The Outcast". Divis is a

with some mystical powers—

divination Divination (from Latin ''divinare'', 'to foresee, to foretell, to predict, to prophesy') is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual. Used in various forms throughout histor ...

hypnosis Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...

visions Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...

—but seems mad and has been driven into

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

by Veran, leader of the Druids in Britannia. Divis roams the countryside seeking clues to the meaning of his apocalyptic visions, and believes he is on some kind of mysterious "mission". Kerra, a princess as the daughter of the Cantii King Pellenor, frets for her people's safety. The Cantii are in a perpetual feud with the Regni, a powerful and large tribe. The Cantii's only protection is an impregnable natural fortress formed from

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...

. Yet, King Pellenor makes no preparations to resist the Romans, other than relying on vague hints from the Druids to set policy. Kerra's brother, Phelan, appears weak. Kerra ambitiously takes her own steps to address the Roman threat, calling for a

parley A parley (from french: link=no, parler – "to speak") refers to a discussion or conference, especially one designed to end an argument or hostilities between two groups of people. The term can be used in both past and present tense; in prese ...

and venturing into Regni territory. Her actions enrage her father, who sends her to be judged by the Druids, and possibly flayed alive, as happened to her mother. In the maelstrom of confusion and fear caused by the invasion, Romans and Britons ally with, and betray, each other as the Romans consolidate their position and disaster looms.

Cast and characters

Romans

Fortunato Cerlino Fortunato Cerlino (born 17 June 1971) is an Italian actor. He has appeared in a number of TV series in both Italy and the United States since 1997. Selected filmography Film Television References External links * 1971 births Living ...

as Vespasian (Series 1) *

Hugo Speer Hugo Alexander Speer (born 17 March 1968) is an English actor and director. Early life and education Hugo Speer was born in Harrogate in the then West Riding of Yorkshire and educated at Harrogate Grammar School. He studied acting at the Arts E ...

as Lucius (Series 1-3) *

Daniel Caltagirone Daniel Caltagirone (born 18 June 1972) is an English actor, best known for his roles in ''The Beach (film), The Beach'', ''Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life'', and the Oscar-winning film ''The Pianist (2002 film), The Pianist''. His brea ...

as Brutus (Series 1 and 3, guest Series 2) * Aaron Pierre as Antonius (Series 1) * Zaqi Ismail as Philo (Series 1 and 3, guest Series 2) * Gershwyn Eustache Jnr as Vitus (Series 1-3) *

René Zagger René Zagger (born 1 June 1973) is an English actor, known for playing PC Nick Klein in ''The Bill'' from 1999 to 2004 and as the voice of Emet-Selch in Final Fantasy XIV from the '' Stormblood'' expansion onward. He has also made several guest a ...

as Decimus (Series 1) *

Gerard Monaco Gerard Monaco is a British actor who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Monaco's first film was Mike Leigh’s ''Vera Drake''. He has since had roles in movies including Dame Jane Campion's ''Bright Star'' Jerry Bruckheimer's '' Pir ...

as Roman Deserter 2 (Series 1) *

Steve Pemberton Steven James Pemberton (born 1 September 1967) is a British actor, comedian, director and writer. He is best known as a member of ''The League of Gentlemen'' with Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. Pemberton and Shearsmith also co- ...

as Emperor

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusu ...

(Series 2) *

Sophie Okonedo Sophie Okonedo (born 11 August 1968) is a British actress and narrator. The recipient of a Tony Award, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, three BAFTA Television Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She began her f ...

as Hemple, wife of Aulus Plautius (Series 3)

Cantii

as Kerra (Series 1) *

Ian McDiarmid Ian McDiarmid (; born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish actor and director of stage and screen, best known for portraying the Sith Lord Emperor Sheev Palpatine / Darth Sidious in the ''Star Wars'' multimedia franchise. Making his stage debut in '' ...

as King Pellenor (Series 1) *

Julian Rhind-Tutt Julian Alistair Rhind-Tutt (born 20 July 1967) is an English actor, best known for playing Dr "Mac" Macartney in the comedy television series ''Green Wing'' (2004–2006). Early life Rhind-Tutt was born in West Drayton, Middlesex, the youngest o ...

as Phelan *

Annabel Scholey Annabel Scholey (born 10 January 1984) is an English actress. She played Lauren Drake in the BBC supernatural drama '' Being Human'' (2009) and the leading role of 'Maddie' in the musical feature film '' Walking on Sunshine'' (2014). Scholey ...

as Amena *

Samantha Colley Samantha Colley (22 March 1989) is an English actress having had roles in various theatre and television productions, including playing the lover of both Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in the National Geographic TV series ''Genius''. Educat ...

as Andra (Series 2) * Barry Ward as Sawyer (Series 1, guest Series 2 and 3) * Callie Cooke as Islene (Series 1, guest Series 3) *

as Cait

Regni

as Queen Antedia (Series 1 and 3, guest Series 2) * Joe Armstrong as Gildas (Series 1) * Liana Cornell as Ania

Druids

as Veran and Harka * Gianni Calchetti as Rork Druid and Moss Face * Jodie McNee as Willa * Jack Roth as Ossian (Series 1) * David Bradley as Quane * Abigail Rice as Elder 1 * Peter Hosking as Elder 2 (Recurring) * Bluey Robinson as Rayne (Series 3)

Other

as Divis / The Outcast *

Stanley Weber Stanley Weber (born 13 July 1986) is a French actor and theatre director. He is known for his performance as Juan Borgia in the television series '' Borgia'', and for his roles in films ''The First Day of the Rest of Your Life'' and '' Thérè ...

as Lindon of the

Gauls The Gauls ( la, Galli; grc, Γαλάται, ''Galátai'') were a group of Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age and the Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). They s ...

(Series 1) *

Gary Oliver Gary Oliver (born 14 July 1995) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish League One side Falkirk. Oliver started his career at Heart of Midlothian, before a loan spell at Stenhousemuir, followed by one seaso ...

as Jhehutamisu (Guest) *

Tolga Safer Tolga Safer (born 26 June 1982) is a British actor who is known for playing Igor Karkaroff's Aide in the movie version of ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire''. Life and career Safer was born in London, to Turkish Cypriot parents. He start ...

as Aziz (Guest) *

Laura Donnelly Laura Donnelly (born 24 June 1982) is a Northern Irish actress. She is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award as well as a nomination for a Tony Award. On television, she is known for her roles in the Starz series '' Outlander'' (2014–201 ...

as Hella (Series 1-2, guest Series 3) * Liran Nathan as Crucified Man (Guest)

Episodes

Series overview

Series 1 (2018)

Note: Every episode was available in the United Kingdom by download from Sky "catch up" following the first episode satellite broadcast.

Series 2 (2019)

Note: Every episode was available in the United Kingdom by download from Sky "catch up" following the first episode satellite broadcast.

Series 3 (2021)

Note: Every episode was available in the United Kingdom by download from Sky "catch up" following the first episode satellite broadcast. Episodes 2 through 8 premiered on Sky Atlantic in Germany.

Production

The first series was produced by

Rick McCallum Richard McCallum (born August 22, 1954) is an American film producer. He is mostly known for his work on ''The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' as well as the '' Star Wars'' Special Editions and prequel trilogy. He is best known for his frequent ...

, Vertigo Films and Neal Street Productions and shot on location in Czech Republic and Wales. Most dialogue in the series is spoken in English, which is used mostly to represent

Vulgar Latin Vulgar Latin, also known as Popular or Colloquial Latin, is the range of non-formal Register (sociolinguistics), registers of Latin spoken from the Crisis of the Roman Republic, Late Roman Republic onward. Through time, Vulgar Latin would evolve ...

spoken by the Romans and Brythonic spoken by the Celts.

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

and

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

(with English subtitles) are also used to represent both ancient languages, respectively, particularly in rituals and other scenes with formulaic language. In March 2018, it was announced that Sky Atlantic had renewed the show for a second series. Amazon was not involved in production and did not stream the second season. The show was renewed for a third series in January 2020. In June 2020, U.S. premium network

announced it would partner with Sky to produce the third series. It would also air the first series beginning August 2, 2020, and the second series beginning October 4, 2020. Filming of the third series was shut down in March 2020 due to the

Coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

, and resumed in September 2020. Season 2 began streaming on Amazon Prime in June 2021.

Reception

The first season received positive reviews. The review aggregator website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

reported a 76% approval rating, with an average rating of 6.54/10 based on 37 reviews, with site's critics consensus saying: On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

, which uses a weighted average, the first season scored 70 out of 100, based on eight reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Britannia (TV series) 2010s American drama television series 2020s American drama television series 2018 American television series debuts 2010s British drama television series 2020s British drama television series 2018 British television series debuts American action television series American fantasy drama television series American fantasy television series British fantasy television series British historical television series Dark fantasy television series Demons in television Druidry in fiction English-language television shows Fiction set in Roman Britain Amazon Prime Video original programming Sky Atlantic original programming Television about magic Television dramas set in ancient Rome Television series by All3Media Television shows filmed in the Czech Republic Television series set in the Roman Empire Witchcraft in television Television series set in the 1st century