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Warrior Queen TV 14, S, V Airing Sunday, October 12, 2003 on PBS (Check local listings; dates and times may vary) In the first century A.D. when Rome ruled the known world, an upstart female warrior in the far-flung province of Britain led a revolt that shook the foundations of the empire. A dramatic script by celebrated screenwriter Andrew Davies (Daniel Deronda, Wives and Daughters), and a no-holds-barred performance by Alex Kingston (Moll Flanders, ER) tell the epic story of the clash of superpower versus super warrior. Boudica has a lot to be unhappy about. As wife to King Prasutagus of the Iceni tribe in what is now East Anglia, she sees her fierce husband shamed before Rome's onslaught. Prasutagus accepts a treaty that preserves his tribe's independence but at the cost of oppressively high taxes. When he dies mysteriously, Boudica becomes the Iceni leader. Claudius, meanwhile, has been murdered in a palace coup by the madman Nero, who orders his legions to take control of Iceni lands. Warrior Queen features Steven Waddington (Sleepy Hollow) as King Prasutagus, Jack Shepherd (The Jury) as the doddering Roman emperor Claudius; Andrew Lee-Potts (Band of Brothers) as Claudius' psychotic nephew and successor, Nero; and Michael Feast (The Murder of Stephen Lawrence) as the shrewd Roman general Suetonius, who is sent to quell the revolt of the querulous Celtic queen. The real Queen Boudica is a fascinating figure who makes a brief but stunning appearance in a work by the first century Roman historian, Tacitus: "The whole nation," he wrote, "took up arms, under the command of Boudica, a woman of royal blood... and after pursuing the soldiers scattered among the Roman forts and capturing the garrisons, they invaded the colony [Colchester] itself, as the local center of servitude; no sort of barbarian cruelty was overlooked in the hour of victory and vengeance." Essays + Interviews | Who's Who/Cast + Credits | Russell Baker Story Synopsis | Links + Bibliography | The Forum Home | About The Series | The American Collection | The Archive Schedule & Season | Feature Library | eNewsletter | Book Club Learning Resources | Forum | Search | Shop | Feedback © |
Preview: Preview: Warrior Queen Features: Essays + Interviews Who's Who/Cast + Credits Russell Baker on... Story Synopsis Links + Bibliography The Forum |
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