''Britannia'' is a British / American

historical fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those classed as Art ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

television show. It was created by

Jez Butterworth Jeremy "Jez" Butterworth (born March 1969) is an English playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He has written screenplays in collaboration with his brothers, John-Henry and Tom. Life and career In March 1969, Butterworth was born in Lo ...

and Tom Butterworth. The show was the first co-production between Sky and Amazon Prime Video and stars

Kelly Reilly Jessica Kelly Siobhán Reilly (born 18 July 1977) is an English actress. She first appeared on screen in 1995 on the series '' The Biz''. Her other television work includes starring roles in the British crime drama '' Above Suspicion'' (2009– ...

David Morrissey David Mark Joseph Morrissey (born 21 June 1964) is an English actor and filmmaker. Described by the British Film Institute as "one of the most versatile English actors of his generation", he is noted for the meticulous preparation and research h ...

, Zoë Wanamaker, Mackenzie Crook,

Nikolaj Lie Kaas Nikolaj Lie Kaas (; born 22 May 1973) is a Danish actor whose career rose in the 1990s. Kaas graduated from the National Theater School in Denmark in 1998. He first appeared on screen in Søren Kragh-Jacobsen's film ''The Boys from St. Petri'' i ...

, and Eleanor Worthington Cox. It first aired on Sky Atlantic in the UK beginning 18 January 2018 and on Amazon Prime Video in the US beginning 26 January 2018. The first series aired on

Epix Epix (pronounced ''epics'' and stylized as P) is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by the Epix Entertainment LLC subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), a subsidiary of Amazon's MGM Holdings, Inc. The channel's ...

beginning 2 August 2020. Pop songs were used as theme music for the three series to date:

Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world mus ...

's " Hurdy Gurdy Man" (series 1), his " Season of the Witch" (series 2), and " Children of the Revolution" by T. Rex (series 3). DailyHistory.org said: " e series has a feel of a mixed fictional, fantasy epic that incorporates a historical set of events."

Synopsis

''Britannia'' is set in 43 AD, when the Romans invaded Britain.

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

had failed to conquer Britain 90 years earlier. General

Aulus Plautius Aulus Plautius was a Roman politician and general of the mid-1st century. He began the Roman conquest of Britain in 43, and became the first governor of the new province, serving from 43 to 46 CE. Career Little is known of Aulus Plautius's e ...

and his second-in-command,

Lucius Lucius ( el, Λούκιος ''Loukios''; ett, Luvcie) is a male given name derived from '' Lucius'' (abbreviated ''L.''), one of the small group of common Latin forenames ('' praenomina'') found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius derives from ...

are determined to succeed where Julius Caesar failed, by any means necessary. An experienced warrior, Aulus establishes a fortified camp, gathers information from captives, even children, and learns that the

Druid A druid was a member of the high-ranking class in ancient Celtic cultures. Druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no written accounts. Whi ...

s are the driving force behind the many tribes he faces. He determines that "you don't conquer the people, you must conquer their gods." He meets the Druids and undertakes a

vision quest A vision quest is a rite of passage in some Native American cultures. It is usually only undertaken by young males entering adulthood. Individual Indigenous cultures have their own names for their rites of passage. "Vision quest" is an English ...

. Soon, he is talking aloud to Lokka, a demon king. Young Cait of the Cantii tribe is about to take part in a ceremony to mark her becoming an adult woman when the Romans attack and largely destroy her tribe. She is forced to flee and wanders the forest, where she encounters and attaches herself to an unlikely protector, Divis "The Outcast". Divis is a

with some mystical powers—

divination Divination (from Latin ''divinare'', 'to foresee, to foretell, to predict, to prophesy') is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual. Used in various forms throughout history ...

hypnosis Hypnosis is a human condition involving focused attention (the selective attention/selective inattention hypothesis, SASI), reduced peripheral awareness, and an enhanced capacity to respond to suggestion.In 2015, the American Psychologica ...

, visions—but seems mad and has been driven into

exile Exile is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons and peoples suf ...

by Veran, leader of the Druids in Britannia. Divis roams the countryside seeking clues to the meaning of his apocalyptic visions, and believes he is on some kind of mysterious "mission". Kerra, a princess as the daughter of the Cantii King Pellenor, frets for her people's safety. The Cantii are in a perpetual feud with the Regni, a powerful and large tribe. The Cantii's only protection is an impregnable natural fortress formed from

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...

. Yet, King Pellenor makes no preparations to resist the Romans, other than relying on vague hints from the Druids to set policy. Kerra's brother, Phelan, appears weak. Kerra ambitiously takes her own steps to address the Roman threat, calling for a parley and venturing into Regni territory. Her actions enrage her father, who sends her to be judged by the Druids, and possibly flayed alive, as happened to her mother. In the maelstrom of confusion and fear caused by the invasion, Romans and Britons ally with, and betray, each other as the Romans consolidate their position and disaster looms.

Cast and characters

Romans

Fortunato Cerlino Fortunato Cerlino (born 17 June 1971) is an Italian actor. He has appeared in a number of TV series in both Italy and the United States since 1997. Selected filmography Film Television References External links * 1971 births Living ...

as Vespasian (Series 1) * Hugo Speer as Lucius (Series 1-3) * Daniel Caltagirone as Brutus (Series 1 and 3, guest Series 2) *

Aaron Pierre Aaron Jordan Pierre (born 17 February 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back for League Two club Sutton United and the Grenada national team. He began his career in the academy at Premier League club Fulham, before ...

as Antonius (Series 1) * Zaqi Ismail as Philo (Series 1 and 3, guest Series 2) * Gershwyn Eustache Jnr as Vitus (Series 1-3) *

René Zagger René Zagger (born 1 June 1973) is an English actor, known for playing PC Nick Klein in ''The Bill'' from 1999 to 2004 and as the voice of Emet-Selch in Final Fantasy XIV from the ''Stormblood'' expansion onward. He has also made several guest ap ...

as Decimus (Series 1) *

Gerard Monaco Gerard Monaco is a British actor who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Monaco's first film was Mike Leigh’s ''Vera Drake''. He has since had roles in movies including Dame Jane Campion's ''Bright Star'' Jerry Bruckheimer's '' Pir ...

as Roman Deserter 2 (Series 1) *

Steve Pemberton Steven James Pemberton (born 1 September 1967) is a British actor, comedian, director and writer. He is best known as a member of '' The League of Gentlemen'' with Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. Pemberton and Shearsmith also c ...

as Emperor

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Drusus and Antonia Minor ...

(Series 2) *

Sophie Okonedo Sophie Okonedo (born 11 August 1968) is a British actress and narrator. The recipient of a Tony Award, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, three BAFTA Television Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She began her f ...

as Hemple, wife of Aulus Plautius (Series 3)

Cantii

as Kerra (Series 1) *

Ian McDiarmid Ian McDiarmid (; born 11 August 1944) is a Scottish actor and director of stage and screen, best known for portraying the Sith Lord Emperor Sheev Palpatine / Darth Sidious in the ''Star Wars'' multimedia franchise. Making his stage debut in ' ...

as King Pellenor (Series 1) *

Julian Rhind-Tutt Julian Alistair Rhind-Tutt (born 20 July 1967) is an English actor, best known for playing Dr "Mac" Macartney in the comedy television series ''Green Wing'' (2004–2006). Early life Rhind-Tutt was born in West Drayton, Middlesex, the youngest o ...

as Phelan *

Annabel Scholey Annabel Scholey (born 10 January 1984) is an English actress. She played Lauren Drake in the BBC supernatural drama '' Being Human'' (2009) and the leading role of 'Maddie' in the musical feature film '' Walking on Sunshine'' (2014). Scholey p ...

as Amena *

Samantha Colley Samantha Colley (22 March 1989) is an English actress having had roles in various theatre and television productions, including playing the lover of both Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in the National Geographic TV series ''Genius''. Educat ...

as Andra (Series 2) * Barry Ward as Sawyer (Series 1, guest Series 2 and 3) * Callie Cooke as Islene (Series 1, guest Series 3) * Eleanor Worthington Cox as Cait

Regni

* Zoë Wanamaker as Queen Antedia (Series 1 and 3, guest Series 2) * Joe Armstrong as Gildas (Series 1) * Liana Cornell as Ania

Druids

* Mackenzie Crook as Veran and Harka * Gianni Calchetti as Rork Druid and Moss Face * Jodie McNee as Willa * Jack Roth as Ossian (Series 1) * David Bradley as Quane * Abigail Rice as Elder 1 * Peter Hosking as Elder 2 (Recurring) * Bluey Robinson as Rayne (Series 3)

Other

as Divis / The Outcast *

Stanley Weber Stanley Weber (born 13 July 1986) is a French actor and theatre director. He is known for his performance as Juan Borgia in the television series ''Borgia'', and for his roles in films '' The First Day of the Rest of Your Life'' and '' Thérèse ...

as Lindon of the

Gauls The Gauls ( la, Galli; grc, Γαλάται, ''Galátai'') were a group of Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age and the Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). They sp ...

(Series 1) * Gary Oliver as Jhehutamisu (Guest) * Tolga Safer as Aziz (Guest) *

Laura Donnelly Laura Donnelly (born 24 June 1982) is a Northern Irish actress. She is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award as well as a nomination for a Tony Award. On television, she is known for her roles in the Starz series '' Outlander'' (2014–201 ...

as Hella (Series 1-2, guest Series 3) * Liran Nathan as Crucified Man (Guest)

Episodes

Series overview

Series 1 (2018)

Note: Every episode was available in the United Kingdom by download from Sky "catch up" following the first episode satellite broadcast.

Series 2 (2019)

Note: Every episode was available in the United Kingdom by download from Sky "catch up" following the first episode satellite broadcast.

Series 3 (2021)

Note: Every episode was available in the United Kingdom by download from Sky "catch up" following the first episode satellite broadcast. Episodes 2 through 8 premiered on Sky Atlantic in Germany.

Production

The first series was produced by

Rick McCallum Richard McCallum (born August 22, 1954) is an American film producer. He is mostly known for his work on '' The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles'' as well as the '' Star Wars'' Special Editions and prequel trilogy. He is best known for his frequen ...

, Vertigo Films and Neal Street Productions and shot on location in Czech Republic and Wales. Most dialogue in the series is spoken in English, which is used mostly to represent

Vulgar Latin Vulgar Latin, also known as Popular or Colloquial Latin, is the range of non-formal registers of Latin spoken from the Late Roman Republic onward. Through time, Vulgar Latin would evolve into numerous Romance languages. Its literary counterpa ...

spoken by the Romans and

Brythonic Brittonic or Brythonic may refer to: *Common Brittonic, or Brythonic, the Celtic language anciently spoken in Great Britain *Brittonic languages, a branch of the Celtic languages descended from Common Brittonic *Britons (Celtic people) The Br ...

spoken by the Celts.

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

and

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

(with English subtitles) are also used to represent both ancient languages, respectively, particularly in rituals and other scenes with formulaic language. In March 2018, it was announced that Sky Atlantic had renewed the show for a second series. Amazon was not involved in production and did not stream the second season. The show was renewed for a third series in January 2020. In June 2020, U.S. premium network

announced it would partner with Sky to produce the third series. It would also air the first series beginning August 2, 2020, and the second series beginning October 4, 2020. Filming of the third series was shut down in March 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and resumed in September 2020. Season 2 began streaming on Amazon Prime in June 2021.

Reception

The first season received positive reviews. The review aggregator website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

reported a 76% approval rating, with an average rating of 6.54/10 based on 37 reviews, with site's critics consensus saying: On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, which uses a weighted average, the first season scored 70 out of 100, based on eight reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Britannia (TV series) 2010s American drama television series 2020s American drama television series 2018 American television series debuts 2010s British drama television series 2020s British drama television series 2018 British television series debuts American action television series American fantasy drama television series American fantasy television series British fantasy television series British historical television series Dark fantasy television series Demons in television Druidry in fiction English-language television shows Fiction set in Roman Britain Amazon Prime Video original programming Sky Atlantic original programming Television about magic Television dramas set in ancient Rome Television series by All3Media Television shows filmed in the Czech Republic Television series set in the Roman Empire Witchcraft in television Television series set in the 1st century