The Great (2020 TV series)

The Great is an American comedy-drama television series loosely based on the rise of Catherine the Great, Empress of Russia. All 10 episodes of the first season were released on Hulu on May 15, 2020.[1] The series stars Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult as the Empress and Emperor of Russia, respectively.

Not to be confused with Catherine the Great (miniseries).
The Great
Genre
Created byTony McNamara
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s)
  • Nick O'Hagan (pilot only)
  • Dean O'Toole
Running time45-55 minutes
Production company(s)
  • Thruline Entertainment
  • Echo Lake Entertainment
  • Lewellen Pictures
  • Macgowan Films
  • Piggy Ate Roast Beef Productions
  • Civic Center Media
  • MRC
DistributorParamount Television Studios
Release
Original networkHulu
Original releaseMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15) –
present
External links
Website

In July 2020, Hulu renewed the series for a second season.[2]

Premise

The Great is a satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great from outsider to the longest-reigning female ruler in Russia's history. The series is fictionalized and portrays Catherine in her youth and marriage with Emperor Peter III (amalgamated with Peter II[3]) focusing on the plot to kill her depraved and dangerous husband.

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring
  • Danusia Samal as Lady Antonia Svenska
  • Louis Hynes as Vlad
  • Florence Keith-Roach as Tatyana
  • Jamie Demetriou as Doctor Chekov
  • Christophe Tek as Tartar Nick
  • Charlie Price as Ivan
  • Alistair Green as Count Smolny
  • Abraham Popoola as Rostov
  • James Smith as Count Gorky
  • Stewart Scudamore as Tolsten
  • Phill Webster as Palace Guard
  • Adam Darlington as head Footman
  • Dustin Demri-Burns as Voltaire

Episodes
No.Title [4]Directed by [4]Written by [4]Original release date [4]
1"The Great"Matt ShakmanTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
2"A Fake Beard"Colin BuckseyTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
3"And you Sir, are no Peter the Great"Bert & BertieTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
4"Moscow Mule"Bert & BertieTess MorrisMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
5"War and Vomit"Ben ChessellJames WoodMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
6"Parachute"Ben ChessellTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
7"A Pox on Hope"Colin BuckseyTony McNamara and Gretel VellaMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
8"Meatballs at the Dacha"Colin BuckseyTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
9"Love Hurts"Geeta PatelTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)
10"The Beaver's Nose"Geeta PatelTony McNamaraMay 15, 2020 (2020-05-15)

Production

Development

The series is based upon Tony McNamara's play revolving around Catherine the Great, which premiered at the Sydney Theatre Company in 2008.[5] McNamara also wrote a film adaption of the play, "It had been a play and a film, and I was always struggling with the fact it was such a massive story for a film. I wanted to tell it as a story that goes for years and years."[6][7] The series was initially pitched as having six seasons, having planned to introduce key historical figures in Catherine's life as the series continued.[8]

On August 24, 2018, it was announced that Hulu was close to giving a pilot order to a miniseries about Catherine the Great. The series was written by Tony McNamara who also served as an executive producer alongside Elle Fanning and Marian Macgowan. Production companies involved with the pilot consist of Media Rights Capital, Echo Lake Entertainment, and Thruline Entertainment.[9] On November 20, 2018, it was reported that Matt Shakman was directing the pilot.[10] On February 11, 2019, it was announced during the Television Critics Association's annual winter press tour that Hulu had given the production a series order.[11]

Casting

Alongside the initial pilot announcement, it was confirmed that Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult had been cast in the pilot's lead roles as Catherine the Great and her husband Peter III of Russia, respectively. In November 2018, it was announced that Phoebe Fox, Sacha Dhawan, Charity Wakefield, and Gwilym Lee had joined the cast of the pilot.[10][12][13] In January 2020, Sebastian De Souza, Adam Godley, and Douglas Hodge were added to the cast.[14]

Filming

Principal photography for the pilot episode had commenced by November 2018 in York, England with other filming locations expected to include Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Hever in Kent and Caserta, Italy[12][15][16][17][18][19]. The Loggia on the lake at Hever Castle doubles as an unnamed Eastern European house. The fields of St Clere Estate in Kent were used to stage battle scenes in Episodes 5 and 7.[20]

Release

The series premiered in the United States on May 15, 2020.[1] In Australia, all episodes were released on Stan on May 16. The series will air on Channel 4 and StarzPlay in the UK. StarzPlay also distribute the series in Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Benelux, Latin America and Brazil. More.tv broadcasts the show in Russia, Sky in New Zealand, and Prime Video in Canada.[21]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an approval rating of 88% based on 76 critic reviews, with an average critic rating of 7.46/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Gorgeous, if gratuitous, The Great can't quite live up to its namesake, but delicious performances from Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult and a wicked sense of humor make it a pretty good watch."[22] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 75 out of 100 based on 30 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[23]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
2020
 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Matt Shakman (for "The Great") Pending [24]
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Tony McNamara (for "The Great") Pending
TCA Awards Outstanding New Program The Great Pending [25]
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Elle Fanning Pending

References
  1. Hipes, Patrick (January 17, 2020). "Hulu Sets Premiere Dates For 'The Great', 'Ramy' And 'Solar Opposites' – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 17, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  2. Porter, Rick (July 2, 2020). "'The Great' Renewed for Season 2 at Hulu". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  3. "The Great - Trivia". IMDB. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  4. "The Great". Hulu Press Site. Archived from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved April 28, 2020.
  5. McHenry, Jackson (May 15, 2020). "How The Great Very, Very Loosely Adapts Russian History". New York Magazine. Archived from the original on May 16, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  6. Utichi, Joe (February 13, 2019). "How Tony McNamara's Hulu-Bound 'The Great' Landed Him 'The Favourite' And An Oscar Nomination". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 23, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  7. Ryan, Patrick (May 15, 2020). "Hulu's 'The Great': Elle Fanning on playing Catherine the Great, severed heads and 'fully clothed sex'". USA Today. Archived from the original on May 15, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  8. O'Keefe, Meghan (May 15, 2020). "When Will 'The Great' Season 2 Premiere on Hulu?". Decider. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  9. Andreeva, Nellie (August 24, 2018). "Catherine the Great Drama Starring Elle Fanning & Nicholas Hoult Nears Hulu Pilot Order". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  10. Wiseman, Andreas (November 20, 2018). "'The Aeronauts' & 'Curfew' Actress Phoebe Fox Joins Elle Fanning & Nicholas Hoult In Hulu's 'The Great'; Pilot Underway". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 20, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
  11. White, Peter (February 11, 2019). "Hulu Hands Out Series Orders To Femme Fatale Drama 'Reprisal' & Russian Period Romp 'The Great' – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 12, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  12. Wiseman, Andreas (November 21, 2018). "'Iron Fist' Actor Sacha Dhawan And 'Bounty Hunters' Actress Charity Wakefield Join Hulu's 'The Great'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  13. Wiseman, Andreas (November 27, 2018). "'Bohemian Rhapsody' Star Gwilym Lee Joins Hulu Pilot 'The Great'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 28, 2018. Retrieved November 27, 2018.
  14. Petski, Denise (February 4, 2020). "'The Great': Sebastian De Souza Joins Elle Fanning & Nicholas Hoult In Hulu Comedy Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on May 21, 2020. Retrieved May 16, 2020.
  15. Thompson, Vicky (October 24, 2018). "Casting call for extras for Catherine the Great drama to be filmed in York". The Press. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  16. Steves, Ashley (October 19, 2018). "U.K. Now Casting: Gymnasts and Acrobats Wanted for Touring Stage Show 'Marvel Universe LIVE!' + 3 More Gigs". Backstage. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  17. Verney, Joseph (October 23, 2018). "Another movie star-studded drama to be filmed in Lincolnshir". Lincolnshire Reporter. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  18. Cook, Laurence (November 1, 2018). "UK Casting: Audition for Catherine the Great Starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult". Backstage. Archived from the original on January 23, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  19. "Una Reggia da zar per le riprese della serie su Caterina la Grande". Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  20. "Kent Film Office".
  21. Kanter, Jake (February 26, 2020). "'The Great': Hulu's Elle Fanning & Nicholas Hoult Comedy Lands At Starzplay, Channel 4". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  22. "The Great: Season 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  23. "The Great: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
  24. Konerman, Jennifer; Lewis, Hilary; Nordyke, Kimberly (July 28, 2020). "Emmy Awards: Nominations List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  25. "2020 TCA Award Nominations". tvcritics.memberclicks.net. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
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