Big names and rich subjects are blooming on TV this spring. For the discerning viewer, this is a very interesting moment: A cluster of quality dramas is about to unfurl.
Epic, quasi-historical dramas, Oscar-winning stars and a nostalgic movie remake are among the highlights of these network centerpieces. Away from the crush of the fall and in advance of the commercial networks’ May sweeps, spring brings a rush of superlative, high-minded projects from noted writer-directors on several networks — mostly cable. Compared with the weight-loss, singing, dancing “reality” contests hogging the top ratings, they count as smarty- pants TV.
Look at this lineup: from the Italian noble family of Borgias to a recapitulation of the Arthurian legend of Camelot and a reimagined “Mildred Pierce,” there are plenty of reinterpreted stories, high drama and feminist film theory to absorb. (We’ll be parsing the contradictory feminist and anti-feminist threads of this “Mildred Pierce” for months.)
In fact, it may be possible to predict next year’s Emmy nominees by running down this list: Kate Winslet, Jeremy Irons, Evan Rachel Wood, Joseph Fiennes, Eileen Atkins.
A brilliant new “Mildred Pierce,” March 27 on HBO, puts a winning Winslet in the role Joan Crawford made famous, with Wood as her detestable, ungrateful daughter Veda. In the beautifully rendered Depression-era piece, writer-director Todd Haynes has stripped away the murder mystery of the original to focus on the divorced, single female protagonist, her relationship with her daughter, her relationships with men, her struggle to succeed financially and her status as a tragic noble figure. A slow start brings 1930s California into focus, but by the second hour of this five-hour miniseries, the emotional depth of the story takes hold. So what if Winslet isn’t old enough to play Wood’s mother?
“Camelot” April 1 on Starz, is not necessarily highbrow; it’s not the musical, either. It’s 10 hours of duty, destiny, desire, damsels and castles. This epic costume drama includes some cheesy special effects — the sword in the stone is atop a giant waterfall — but Joseph Fiennes has a great time in the role of the sorcerer Merlin. (Fiennes told critics his Merlin is a cross between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Donald Rumsfeld.) Jaime Campbell Bower plays the young Arthur, Eva Green is his newly discovered half- sister, the ruthless Morgan. The epic power struggle means the future of Britain, and enough sex, blood and gore to satisfy the premium-cable audience.
Who is the coldest upwardly striving femme fatale, Morgan or Veda? It’s a tossup.
Who is the most promiscuous? That’s probably Lucrezia Borgia or her dad, over on Showtime.
“The Borgias” April 3 on Showtime, is awash in blood, murder, greed, sex and all in the name of religion. The scene is Rome 1492, the church is mired in corruption. “You will fight like dogs over this corpse I leave,” says the dying Pope. And Rodrigo Borgias, head of a Spanish family, leads the dogfight. Not that we have a clear image of Pope Alexander VI in mind, but Irons reinvents him. A corrupt and scheming leader, the first to acknowledge his illegitimate children and move his mistress into the Vatican, he is depicted as a voracious power player. Colm Feore, Derek Jacobi and Joanne Whalley are supporting players in the 10-hour vaguely historical epic by “The Crying Game” writer-director Neil Jordan. “The Borgias” is a calculated appeal to the “Tudors” audience. For starters, it’s an introduction to the crime of simony (paying for holy offices).
AMC turns to a thriller with “The Killing” beginning April 3. The network has been on a roll with “Breaking Bad,” “Mad Men,” “The Walking Dead” and “Rubicon” and now offers a chilling murder mystery. “Who killed Rosie Larsen?” is the question in “The Killing,” an adaptation of a Danish TV series from writer and executive producer Veena Sud (“Cold Case”). The story centers on the murder of a young girl and the subsequent police investigation, with politics as a sideline. The impressive cast includes Mireille Enos (“Big Love”) as the lead homicide detective; Billy Campbell (“Once and Again”) as Darren Richmond, Seattle City Council president, running for mayor, and Michelle Forbes (“True Blood”) as Mitch Larsen, the victim’s mother. AMC has given it a 13-episode season order, starting with a two- hour premiere.
A return to “Upstairs, Downstairs” on PBS April 10, 17 and 24. This three-episode run is a nostalgic reunion for fans of the series that made “Masterpiece Theatre” a household name in the 1970s. The new production is less a great story arc than a fun look at a familiar address. PBS says the three hours are all that’s planned for now, but another six episodes were produced by the BBC. The ratings response (yes, public TV considers ratings) could spur further installments. Jean Marsh returns as Rose the parlor maid; Eileen Atkins plays Lady Holland (Marsh and Atkins were co-creators of the original “Upstairs, Downstairs”). The new episodes are set in 1936, several years after the original storyline concluded, at the same London house at 165 Eaton Place.
Spring cleaning will have to wait.
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
