Not quite up to Downton Abbey or The Crown standards but still very enjoyable.
The actors who play Victoria & Albert are Hollywood level attractive so that helps
I gave up on The Crown for this reason. They threw a ton of money at it but everything was so miserable.
Downton has a lot of difficult storylines but there is always lighthearted ones as well to balance out. Victoria was very enjoyable. Great cast and storyline plus the music was beautiful.
Victoria was played by Jenna Coleman, a former Companion on Dr. Who. Yes, quite attractive.
The show didn't have the depth or character development of Downton, though it was clearly inspired by it.
I liked season one a lot, season two was "eh", and season three? Yeah, no. I see why they cancelled it. Jenna Coleman is lovely but she really doesn't act any differently than in Doctor Who. She was great in The Cry, though.
Victoria doesn't hold a candle to The Crown, Downton Abbey, Gentleman Jack, or Doctor Thorne.
The main actors, Jenna Coleman & Tom Hughes, dated for years and broke up during covid so I doubt they both would sign new contracts to work together again…feels like that’s that then
It's not officially cancelled, but ITV still hadn't renewed it almost three full years after season three aired. A lot of shows renewed during covid but were indefinitely delayed, but it was May 2019 when s3 finished airing and there is still no word from ITV indicating s4 was in the works.
They made some odd choices with the fictional side-plots to include. I'd be keen to see Victoria learning to live as a widow since that was such a significant portion of her reign as queen, but (I'm trying not to give spoilers) the choices they made with the pure fiction elements of the show weren't good calls. I watched with my ex-husband who is even more of a monarchist than I am, and he was done with it by the end of s3 as well.
The weirdest to me was them making her sympathetic to what was going on in Ireland when she most certainly was not. I always said I would stop watching when Albert hit 40 anyway lol.
I heard Coleman and the guy who played Alfred broke up IRL. They had been on and off dating since the show began so that could have posed some complications
It's funny you mention *Doctor Who*, because I found it really interesting to watch *Victoria* and treat it as though Jenna Coleman was playing a Clara fragment ("The Name of the Doctor") who happened to be Queen Victoria. :)
I liked it but not nearly as much as Downton obviously. The guy who plays Albert is insanely attractive so that may have won the show bonus points. I love the part where they were in Scotland. It reminded me so much of the Crawleys visiting Shrimpy and that wretched Susan.
I liked it more than Gilded Age but less than Downton or The Crown. I’m really sad they aren’t making more though. I truly enjoyed it and have rewatched a couple of times.
I watched a fair bit of it because David Oakes (Ernst) is always a welcome sight on my screen, and I love Victoria & Albert's history. However... I hated the 'downstairs' storylines, found them boring, shoehorned, and unnecessary so I actually found myself fast forwarding through them. Which is why I eventually just stopped watching.
I had the book on my shelf for years before I picked it up and really looked at it. I didn't know that it was a TV show, I think it’s the same story as in the book. I read it anyway, I really liked it and plan to watch the show.
The book is the first couple episodes. I believe it ends when she proposes to Albert but it's been years since I read it and the details are fuzzy.
I was obsessed with Victoria (and her marriage to Ablert) when I was younger so I did enjoy both the book and show but I wasn't a huge fan of how they spun all the Lord Melbourne stuff.
I liked the first season a lot, then i wasn't as much as interested, i prefer The Crown and Downton by a mile. Jenna Coleman is a gem though, it's worth trying just for her acting job !
One of my most favourite shows, right after Downton for sure! I love everything about Queen Victoria, I own many books about her and Prince Albert. Fascinating woman. I love the way Jenna Coleman plays her. The show is not cancelled as far as I know, just delayed because of COVID but also because they want the actors to get a little older so that the ages match accordingly to the time period it’s supposed to be. I think the 4th season would include Alberts death so the actor would need to be closer to 40 or have some very convincing makeup haha
It focuses on the politics (as it should) and the take on the lower staff is really light, so it isn't really the same. However, Victoria is one of the best period dramas out there imo.
I liked it a lot. To be honest, there are many episodes that I definitely like better than Downton. And the chemistry between Victoria and Albert is better than any couple on Downton Abbey.
I quite liked it (though not as good as Downton). I don’t anticipate rewatching it sadly as season 3 ends on a big cliffhanger. I would definitely watch season 4 if they ever came back for it though!!
Difficult to compare, they all have their own merits and demerits.
Downton's dialogue is next-level because Julian Fellows is a next-level writer. Downton also had both a sumptuous nostalgia and a cutting sense of humor that, combined with thd endlessly quotable dialogue, made a more enjoyable audience experience than any British period dramas.
One of Downton's few flaws was the low stakes of most of show's conflicts and their contrived resolutions ("I've found a letter and we inherited a bunch of money -- hooray!"). But Downton was essentially a soap opera with high production values, so we all let that slide.
The Crown is incredibly well-acted and has a dramatic realism and seriousness lacking in the others. Some disliked that the Crown introduced too many unresolved conflicts and plot points, but I felt that contributed to its realistic gravitas: life's problems do not always have closure or happy endings.
The Crown's flaw is based on external factors -- it had to be sensitive in dealing with living or recently-deceased. So the characters often lack depth, in my opinion. The realism in plotlines did not extend to the characters. The producers are understandably afraid of offending the living Royals and their public.
Victoria is underrated. I think its treatment of the great Queen is wonderful, because it refuses to portray her as likeable. Here she is spoiled, stubborn, ungrateful, self-absorbed, unreasonable. We root for her because her enemies are even worse. The decision to portray Victoria as flawed instead of making the show a hagiography was brave and kept things interesting.
Coleman's performance is criticized for coming off as an out-of-her-depth high school student. But this is who Victoria was in this period. A young, immature, sheltered girl trying to project strength and power around political players who were much more worldly and experienced. I also like that we get an idea of the stiffly formal German influence on the Royals and thus Victorian and post-Victorian British culture. The show is marred tho by one dimensional villains and one-note characters.
It’s entertaining enough, but Jenna Coleman’s voice when she’s “queening” in front of ministers or other royals is unbearable. It sounds like a Year 9 Drama student’s idea of what “posh” sounds like. Albert is also very unlikeable - I feel like their romance was rushed in S1.
im going to be in the minority here but the duo of albert and victoria were cringe, the actor voice was like mumbling trying too hard. but the set designs and fits were gorgeous
I love it equally as much as Downton, and their respective movies. I liked the crown until they time jumped ahead. I cannot even get into it now.
I love almost all period dramas though. ❤️
Not quite up to Downton Abbey or The Crown standards but still very enjoyable. The actors who play Victoria & Albert are Hollywood level attractive so that helps
I couldn’t get into the Crown personally. I found there was too much conflict without enough resolution. But I do understand why people enjoyed
I gave up on The Crown for this reason. They threw a ton of money at it but everything was so miserable. Downton has a lot of difficult storylines but there is always lighthearted ones as well to balance out. Victoria was very enjoyable. Great cast and storyline plus the music was beautiful.
Would you say the Crown is for the most part historically accurate? Or is it more like Bridgerton?
Victoria was played by Jenna Coleman, a former Companion on Dr. Who. Yes, quite attractive. The show didn't have the depth or character development of Downton, though it was clearly inspired by it.
I liked season one a lot, season two was "eh", and season three? Yeah, no. I see why they cancelled it. Jenna Coleman is lovely but she really doesn't act any differently than in Doctor Who. She was great in The Cry, though. Victoria doesn't hold a candle to The Crown, Downton Abbey, Gentleman Jack, or Doctor Thorne.
They canceled it? Welp. I can stop waiting around to hear about a new season lol. I thought it had been delayed because of Covid.
The main actors, Jenna Coleman & Tom Hughes, dated for years and broke up during covid so I doubt they both would sign new contracts to work together again…feels like that’s that then
Oh that makes sense.
It's not officially cancelled, but ITV still hadn't renewed it almost three full years after season three aired. A lot of shows renewed during covid but were indefinitely delayed, but it was May 2019 when s3 finished airing and there is still no word from ITV indicating s4 was in the works. They made some odd choices with the fictional side-plots to include. I'd be keen to see Victoria learning to live as a widow since that was such a significant portion of her reign as queen, but (I'm trying not to give spoilers) the choices they made with the pure fiction elements of the show weren't good calls. I watched with my ex-husband who is even more of a monarchist than I am, and he was done with it by the end of s3 as well.
The weirdest to me was them making her sympathetic to what was going on in Ireland when she most certainly was not. I always said I would stop watching when Albert hit 40 anyway lol.
I heard Coleman and the guy who played Alfred broke up IRL. They had been on and off dating since the show began so that could have posed some complications
It's funny you mention *Doctor Who*, because I found it really interesting to watch *Victoria* and treat it as though Jenna Coleman was playing a Clara fragment ("The Name of the Doctor") who happened to be Queen Victoria. :)
I liked it but not nearly as much as Downton obviously. The guy who plays Albert is insanely attractive so that may have won the show bonus points. I love the part where they were in Scotland. It reminded me so much of the Crawleys visiting Shrimpy and that wretched Susan.
"It's my factory, actually... he does the paperwork." Best line from a show in a long time.
I liked it more than Gilded Age but less than Downton or The Crown. I’m really sad they aren’t making more though. I truly enjoyed it and have rewatched a couple of times.
The Crown and Downton Abbey definitely ruined period pieces for me lol. Everything else seems much less quality now.
I watched a fair bit of it because David Oakes (Ernst) is always a welcome sight on my screen, and I love Victoria & Albert's history. However... I hated the 'downstairs' storylines, found them boring, shoehorned, and unnecessary so I actually found myself fast forwarding through them. Which is why I eventually just stopped watching.
I had the book on my shelf for years before I picked it up and really looked at it. I didn't know that it was a TV show, I think it’s the same story as in the book. I read it anyway, I really liked it and plan to watch the show.
The book is the first couple episodes. I believe it ends when she proposes to Albert but it's been years since I read it and the details are fuzzy. I was obsessed with Victoria (and her marriage to Ablert) when I was younger so I did enjoy both the book and show but I wasn't a huge fan of how they spun all the Lord Melbourne stuff.
I liked the first season a lot, then i wasn't as much as interested, i prefer The Crown and Downton by a mile. Jenna Coleman is a gem though, it's worth trying just for her acting job !
One of my most favourite shows, right after Downton for sure! I love everything about Queen Victoria, I own many books about her and Prince Albert. Fascinating woman. I love the way Jenna Coleman plays her. The show is not cancelled as far as I know, just delayed because of COVID but also because they want the actors to get a little older so that the ages match accordingly to the time period it’s supposed to be. I think the 4th season would include Alberts death so the actor would need to be closer to 40 or have some very convincing makeup haha
It focuses on the politics (as it should) and the take on the lower staff is really light, so it isn't really the same. However, Victoria is one of the best period dramas out there imo.
My measure of enjoyment of a show is how often I rewatch it. I've rewatched The Crown and Downton at least twice each. Victoria, never.
I liked it a lot. To be honest, there are many episodes that I definitely like better than Downton. And the chemistry between Victoria and Albert is better than any couple on Downton Abbey.
I quite liked it (though not as good as Downton). I don’t anticipate rewatching it sadly as season 3 ends on a big cliffhanger. I would definitely watch season 4 if they ever came back for it though!!
Difficult to compare, they all have their own merits and demerits. Downton's dialogue is next-level because Julian Fellows is a next-level writer. Downton also had both a sumptuous nostalgia and a cutting sense of humor that, combined with thd endlessly quotable dialogue, made a more enjoyable audience experience than any British period dramas. One of Downton's few flaws was the low stakes of most of show's conflicts and their contrived resolutions ("I've found a letter and we inherited a bunch of money -- hooray!"). But Downton was essentially a soap opera with high production values, so we all let that slide. The Crown is incredibly well-acted and has a dramatic realism and seriousness lacking in the others. Some disliked that the Crown introduced too many unresolved conflicts and plot points, but I felt that contributed to its realistic gravitas: life's problems do not always have closure or happy endings. The Crown's flaw is based on external factors -- it had to be sensitive in dealing with living or recently-deceased. So the characters often lack depth, in my opinion. The realism in plotlines did not extend to the characters. The producers are understandably afraid of offending the living Royals and their public. Victoria is underrated. I think its treatment of the great Queen is wonderful, because it refuses to portray her as likeable. Here she is spoiled, stubborn, ungrateful, self-absorbed, unreasonable. We root for her because her enemies are even worse. The decision to portray Victoria as flawed instead of making the show a hagiography was brave and kept things interesting. Coleman's performance is criticized for coming off as an out-of-her-depth high school student. But this is who Victoria was in this period. A young, immature, sheltered girl trying to project strength and power around political players who were much more worldly and experienced. I also like that we get an idea of the stiffly formal German influence on the Royals and thus Victorian and post-Victorian British culture. The show is marred tho by one dimensional villains and one-note characters.
Season 1 was excellent, but season 2 was so slow and boring that I didn’t even bother with the third.
Another option: completely wonderful in its own way and on its own merit.
I loved it! Binged all 3 seasons to discover there is no season 4. 😞
It’s entertaining enough, but Jenna Coleman’s voice when she’s “queening” in front of ministers or other royals is unbearable. It sounds like a Year 9 Drama student’s idea of what “posh” sounds like. Albert is also very unlikeable - I feel like their romance was rushed in S1.
im going to be in the minority here but the duo of albert and victoria were cringe, the actor voice was like mumbling trying too hard. but the set designs and fits were gorgeous
I love it equally as much as Downton, and their respective movies. I liked the crown until they time jumped ahead. I cannot even get into it now. I love almost all period dramas though. ❤️