The Palace
Encyclopedia
The Palace is a British drama television series that aired on ITV
(ITV1
/STV/UTV
) in 2008. Produced by Company Pictures
for the ITV
network, it was created by Tom Grieves and follows a fictional British Royal Family
in the aftermath of the death of King James III and the succession of his 24-year-old son, Richard IV, played by Rupert Evans
. It also stars Jane Asher
and Zoe Telford
. The series was filmed on location in Lithuania
in 2007 and broadcast from January to March 2008. It was axed after one series due to low viewing figures.
, Mick Jagger
and Rupert Murdoch
before he settled on a fictional royal family. The relationship between the woman and the royal family was modelled on that seen in The West Wing between Jed Bartlet and his staff; Grieves desired to mimic The West Wings "talky, aspirational, sophisticated" style in his own series. The earliest summaries of the plot placed the focus of the series on a woman who is working undercover at Buckingham Palace with the intent of writing an exposé of the King's life. The woman (later named "Abigail") "goes native" and cancels her book because she falls for the King.
The series was written by Grieves, Chris Lang
, Charlotte Jones
and Toby Whitehouse. Grieves was influenced in his writing by Hamlet
; he explored how Richard deals with the "ancient, ritualistic institution" that he inherits after James dies. The writers deliberately avoided making comparisons to the real royal family, despite the links made by media between Richard and George to Princes William and Harry. Patrick Jephson, the former private secretary to Diana, Princess of Wales
, was consulted extensively during production, working with the writing team for over a year. The series was greenlit by ITV in January 2007.
Sets were designed by Taff Batley. Batley scouted production locations in Hungary
, due to the expense a production the size of The Palace would have if filmed in the UK. A site was eventually found near the dock in Vilnius
, Lithuania
. Exterior sets of Buckingham Palace
were scaled down from their true counterparts because of the length of time full-sized replicas would take to create; the scale sets alone took ten weeks to build. Red gravel for the palace courtyard was mimicked using clay that was bound for a new tennis court under construction nearby. Interior sets were built in an ice skating rink on the other side of the city. They used plasterboard instead of the lighter, cheaper plywood
that would have been used on a British-based set. Batley referred to documentary footage to find a basis for his designs of bedrooms and other private areas of the palace that would otherwise not be available for public viewing. Locals were hired as extras to portray lords and ladies in large crowd scenes. Unaccustomed to bowing and curtseying, the extras had to be trained and some scenes reshot. The first block of four episodes was directed by Metin Hüseyin
and the second by Maurice Phillips.
), who wants the throne for herself. Her Private Secretary, Major Simon Brooks (David Harewood
), helps her in trying to discredit the new king. Richard's younger brother, Prince George (Sebastian Armesto
), is a party-animal, while the younger daughter, Princess Isabelle (Nathalie Lunghi
), is an A-Level student. Their mother is the now-widowed Queen Charlotte (Jane Asher
).
Abigail Thomas (Zoe Telford
) is Richard's secretary who plans to write a tell-all book about her life in the Palace. Richard's Private Secretary is Sir Iain Ratalick (Roy Marsden
). Other staff featured in the series are Abigail's personal assistant Lucy Bedford (Fiona Button
) and the Press Secretary Jonty Roberts (Lorcan Cranitch
).
, both on television and on itv.com
. International broadcast sales were handled by All3Media
, Company Pictures' parent company.
. Lord St John of Fawsley
called it "very near to the bone" and Penny Junor
, the biographer of Charles, Prince of Wales
, suggested ITV is exploiting the royal family by presenting fiction as fact. The Guardian
previewed it as one of the top 50 shows (including film, theatre and television) to watch over the Christmas period.
After the first episode aired, Nancy Banks-Smith
said in The Guardian
that The Palace "is the TV equivalent of balloon modelling. It feels like being shot to death with popcorn." She also said that "I never fail to be amazed when decent actors - Walter, Marsden, Cranitch, Shrapnel - bob up in tosh like this." Andrew Billen said in The Times
"I am delighted that, as with The Palace, the channel is setting before us something other than a grim regional detective or a comedy drama about suburban adultery. The Palace inhabits an incredible world all of its own. In that respect it is believable: the real palace undoubtedly does, too." James Walton for The Daily Telegraph
wrote that for "sheer weirdness" there "was no match at all for The Palace". Keith Watson wrote in the Metro
said that The Palace "pitched itself just right, its tongue-in-cheek study of a faction-riven upstairs clan contrasting with the bitching and backbiting of the downstairs footmen." He concluded his review by saying "Much of The Palace may be playing for laughs but it promises a sting in its blue-blooded tale".
The day after the series ended, Watson wrote "I know I'm in a minority here, but I shall miss the Dynasty
-style antics of King Rich and his nemesis Princess Eleanor, with Rupert Evans and Sophie Winkleman top hole as scheming royal siblings." Watson called the series a victim of "ITV1’s ratings-crazy drama cull", referring to its impending cancellation.
In April 2008, ITV announced that The Palace would not be renewed for a second series, due to low viewing figures. The last episode had been watched by 3.1 million people.
Sophie Winkleman
married Lord Frederick Windsor; son of Prince
and Princess Michael of Kent
(née
Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz). After the marriage the couple, now known as Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor, took up residence in Los Angeles
.
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
(ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
/STV/UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
) in 2008. Produced by Company Pictures
Company Pictures
Company Pictures is an independent British television production company which has produced drama programming for many broadcasters. Their productions have included:*drama series Wild at Heart for ITV1, written by Ashley Pharoah....
for the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network, it was created by Tom Grieves and follows a fictional British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
in the aftermath of the death of King James III and the succession of his 24-year-old son, Richard IV, played by Rupert Evans
Rupert Evans
Rupert Evans is an English actor, who is well known in the United Kingdom for his television career.Evans was born in Staffordshire, England. He attended Milton Abbey School, in Dorset, and went on to train at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art...
. It also stars Jane Asher
Jane Asher
Jane Asher is an English actress. She has also developed a second career as a cake decorator and cake shop proprietor.-Early life:...
and Zoe Telford
Zoe Telford
-Television:Telford has appeared in the following:Absolute Power, Teachers, Agatha Christie's Poirot - Death on the Nile, Afterlife, Cutting It, The Golden Hour, Lewis, Agatha Christie's Marple - The Sittaford Mystery, as Eva Braun in Hitler: The Rise of Evil, as Abigail Thomas in The Palace, as...
. The series was filmed on location in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
in 2007 and broadcast from January to March 2008. It was axed after one series due to low viewing figures.
Production
Tom Grieves' initial pitch centred on "a woman operating within the shadow of power". Ideas for the "power" included the Prime MinisterPrime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
and Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
before he settled on a fictional royal family. The relationship between the woman and the royal family was modelled on that seen in The West Wing between Jed Bartlet and his staff; Grieves desired to mimic The West Wings "talky, aspirational, sophisticated" style in his own series. The earliest summaries of the plot placed the focus of the series on a woman who is working undercover at Buckingham Palace with the intent of writing an exposé of the King's life. The woman (later named "Abigail") "goes native" and cancels her book because she falls for the King.
The series was written by Grieves, Chris Lang
Chris Lang
Chris Lang is a writer, actor, and producer for British television.He has written for British television shows including 'Alas Smith and Jones, The Bill, Casualty, Soldier Soldier, The Knock, Reach for the Moon, The Glass, Sirens, Unconditional Love, P.O.W., Amnesia, Lawless,The Palace, 'Primeval...
, Charlotte Jones
Charlotte Jones (writer)
Charlotte Jones is a British actress and playwright.Her first play Airswimming debuted in 1997 at the Battersea Arts Centre in London. Her other plays include In Flame, The Dark, The Lightning Play, and Humble Boy...
and Toby Whitehouse. Grieves was influenced in his writing by Hamlet
Hamlet
The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
; he explored how Richard deals with the "ancient, ritualistic institution" that he inherits after James dies. The writers deliberately avoided making comparisons to the real royal family, despite the links made by media between Richard and George to Princes William and Harry. Patrick Jephson, the former private secretary to Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
, was consulted extensively during production, working with the writing team for over a year. The series was greenlit by ITV in January 2007.
Sets were designed by Taff Batley. Batley scouted production locations in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, due to the expense a production the size of The Palace would have if filmed in the UK. A site was eventually found near the dock in Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. Exterior sets of Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
were scaled down from their true counterparts because of the length of time full-sized replicas would take to create; the scale sets alone took ten weeks to build. Red gravel for the palace courtyard was mimicked using clay that was bound for a new tennis court under construction nearby. Interior sets were built in an ice skating rink on the other side of the city. They used plasterboard instead of the lighter, cheaper plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
that would have been used on a British-based set. Batley referred to documentary footage to find a basis for his designs of bedrooms and other private areas of the palace that would otherwise not be available for public viewing. Locals were hired as extras to portray lords and ladies in large crowd scenes. Unaccustomed to bowing and curtseying, the extras had to be trained and some scenes reshot. The first block of four episodes was directed by Metin Hüseyin
Metin Hüseyin
Metin Hüseyin is a British television and film director.-Biography:His debut film, Tight Trousers, was nominated for a BAFTA Film Award for Best Short Film in 1989, and in 1998 he received an RTS award and a British Academy Television Award nomination for Common as Muck and The History of a...
and the second by Maurice Phillips.
Plot
On the sudden death of King James III, his 24-year-old elder son, Richard, inherits the throne. This causes resentment with his elder sister, Princess Eleanor (Sophie WinklemanSophie Winkleman
Sophie Lara Winkleman is an English actress who has worked extensively in television, film and stage. On 14 February 2009, she became engaged to Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Prince Michael and Princess Michael of Kent. They married in Hampton Court on 12 September 2009...
), who wants the throne for herself. Her Private Secretary, Major Simon Brooks (David Harewood
David Harewood
David Harewood is a British actor.-Biography:David Harewood was born and grew up in the Small Heath area of Birmingham, England, where he attended St. Benedict's Junior School and Washwood Heath Comprehensive School. As a schoolboy, he excelled at all sports—from sprinting to basketball to rugby...
), helps her in trying to discredit the new king. Richard's younger brother, Prince George (Sebastian Armesto
Sebastian Armesto
-Television and film:Armesto played Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in the series The Tudors. He also starred alongside Jane Asher in the 2008 ITV drama series The Palace as the King's carefree younger brother Prince George. He then played the character of Edmund Sparkler in the 2008 BBC version of...
), is a party-animal, while the younger daughter, Princess Isabelle (Nathalie Lunghi
Nathalie Lunghi
Natalie Kathlene Lunghi-Joffé is a British actress.The daughter of Cherie Lunghi and Roland Joffé, and half sister of Rowan Joffé, she may be best known for her roles as "Geri West" in the BBC Three teenage drama The Things I Haven't Told You, and "Princess Isabelle" in the ITV1 comedy drama The...
), is an A-Level student. Their mother is the now-widowed Queen Charlotte (Jane Asher
Jane Asher
Jane Asher is an English actress. She has also developed a second career as a cake decorator and cake shop proprietor.-Early life:...
).
Abigail Thomas (Zoe Telford
Zoe Telford
-Television:Telford has appeared in the following:Absolute Power, Teachers, Agatha Christie's Poirot - Death on the Nile, Afterlife, Cutting It, The Golden Hour, Lewis, Agatha Christie's Marple - The Sittaford Mystery, as Eva Braun in Hitler: The Rise of Evil, as Abigail Thomas in The Palace, as...
) is Richard's secretary who plans to write a tell-all book about her life in the Palace. Richard's Private Secretary is Sir Iain Ratalick (Roy Marsden
Roy Marsden
Roy Marsden is an English actor, who is probably best known for his portrayal of Adam Dalgliesh in the Anglia Television dramatisations of P. D. James's detective novels.- Education :...
). Other staff featured in the series are Abigail's personal assistant Lucy Bedford (Fiona Button
Fiona Button
Fiona Button is an English actress.After graduating from the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in 2007, she has played various parts both on stage and television...
) and the Press Secretary Jonty Roberts (Lorcan Cranitch
Lorcan Cranitch
Lorcan Cranitch is an Irish actor.Born in Dublin, Cranitch became involved in drama while a student, and moved to London where he entered RADA in 1980. His first major role on British television was as Tim Healy in the 1991 BBC drama series, Parnell and the Englishwoman...
).
Royal family tree
Episodes
The Palace aired on Mondays at 9 p.m. Each episode is about 45 minutes long and originally aired in a 60-minute slot with adverts. The broadcasts were sponsored by Warner Leisure HotelsBourne Leisure
Bourne Leisure Holdings Limited is a British private company which owns a number of subsidiary undertakings operating in the leisure and holiday sectors in the United Kingdom....
, both on television and on itv.com
Itv.com
itv.com is the main website of ITV plc, the UK's largest commercial television broadcaster which operates 11 out of 15 regions on the ITV network under the ITV1 brand. The website offers on-line streaming, ITV archive, news, sport, entertainment, games, soaps, lifestyle, drama and an interactive TV...
. International broadcast sales were handled by All3Media
All3Media
All3Media is a television production company which makes programmes under several different subsidiaries. The company was formed in 2003 following the acquisition of Chrysalis Group's television arm which was rebranded North One....
, Company Pictures' parent company.
| Episode | |Director | |Original airdate |
|---|
Reception
Prior to the broadcast of the series the pressure group Mediawatch UK called it "tawdry and offensive", suggesting that viewers would confuse the scripted television characters with the real British Royal FamilyBritish Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
. Lord St John of Fawsley
Norman St John-Stevas, Baron St John of Fawsley
Norman Anthony Francis St John-Stevas, Baron St John of Fawsley, PC, FRSL , is a British politician, author, constitutional expert and barrister. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as the Leader of the House of Commons in the government of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher from 1979 to 1981...
called it "very near to the bone" and Penny Junor
Penny Junor
Penny Junor is an English journalist and author.-Education:Junor was educated at the independent Benenden School in Kent and read History at St Andrew's University, but left in her second year to get married....
, the biographer of Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
, suggested ITV is exploiting the royal family by presenting fiction as fact. The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
previewed it as one of the top 50 shows (including film, theatre and television) to watch over the Christmas period.
After the first episode aired, Nancy Banks-Smith
Nancy Banks-Smith
Nancy Banks-Smith is a British television critic; she began writing for The Guardian in 1969. In 1970 she was recommended for the Order of the British Empire, which she declined.*1951- 1955: Northern Daily Telegraph, reporter...
said in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
that The Palace "is the TV equivalent of balloon modelling. It feels like being shot to death with popcorn." She also said that "I never fail to be amazed when decent actors - Walter, Marsden, Cranitch, Shrapnel - bob up in tosh like this." Andrew Billen said in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
"I am delighted that, as with The Palace, the channel is setting before us something other than a grim regional detective or a comedy drama about suburban adultery. The Palace inhabits an incredible world all of its own. In that respect it is believable: the real palace undoubtedly does, too." James Walton for The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
wrote that for "sheer weirdness" there "was no match at all for The Palace". Keith Watson wrote in the Metro
Metro (Associated Metro Limited)
Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...
said that The Palace "pitched itself just right, its tongue-in-cheek study of a faction-riven upstairs clan contrasting with the bitching and backbiting of the downstairs footmen." He concluded his review by saying "Much of The Palace may be playing for laughs but it promises a sting in its blue-blooded tale".
The day after the series ended, Watson wrote "I know I'm in a minority here, but I shall miss the Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
-style antics of King Rich and his nemesis Princess Eleanor, with Rupert Evans and Sophie Winkleman top hole as scheming royal siblings." Watson called the series a victim of "ITV1’s ratings-crazy drama cull", referring to its impending cancellation.
In April 2008, ITV announced that The Palace would not be renewed for a second series, due to low viewing figures. The last episode had been watched by 3.1 million people.
Sophie Winkleman
Sophie Winkleman
Sophie Lara Winkleman is an English actress who has worked extensively in television, film and stage. On 14 February 2009, she became engaged to Lord Frederick Windsor, the son of Prince Michael and Princess Michael of Kent. They married in Hampton Court on 12 September 2009...
married Lord Frederick Windsor; son of Prince
Prince Michael of Kent
Prince Michael of Kent is a grandson of King George V and Queen Mary, making him a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. He is also the first cousin once removed of Prince Phillip. Prince Michael occasionally carries out royal duties representing the Queen at some functions in Commonwealth realms outside...
and Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent
Princess Michael of Kent is an Austrian-Hungarian member of the British Royal Family. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, who is a grandson of King George V....
(née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Baroness Marie-Christine von Reibnitz). After the marriage the couple, now known as Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor, took up residence in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.
External links
- The Palace at Company PicturesCompany PicturesCompany Pictures is an independent British television production company which has produced drama programming for many broadcasters. Their productions have included:*drama series Wild at Heart for ITV1, written by Ashley Pharoah....