BBC and Power production about the life of Elizabeth I of England.The series consists of four episodes.
The series starts early in the reign of Elizabeth's sister Mary Tudor. Under suspicion by her sister and the Catholics that support her, Elizabeth gets taken to the Tower and questioned about her possible involvement in plots against her sister's reign. Elizabeth will have to remain steadfast in her denials of any wrongdoing, as well as try to stay out of sight if she ever wants to have hope to inherit England's crown.
This show provides examples of:
- 0% Approval Rating: In the end, almost nobody wanted Mary to be on the throne anymore. Elizabeth being cheered is as much about her own popularity as the lack of popularity her sister enjoys after burning protestants.
- Abusive Parents: Alluded to as Elizabeth dreams about her father roaring on two occassions. The same man who had her mother killed.
- Alas, Poor Villain: The Earl of Essex is clearly portrayed as someone with mental health issues, who is easily roused to rash behavior and lacking sense. Despite his popularity, almost nobody joins his revolt and most stay loyal to Elizabeth.
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Elizabeth's attraction to both Robert Dudley and later the Earl of Essex can be partly explained this way.
- Arranged Marriage: Elizabeth famously did not end up in one of those. Robert makes it clear that he was forced into his marriage by his father.
- Awesome Moment of Crowning: It's shown quite elaborately, with a focus on the rituals surrounding it, not so much putting the crown on her head itself. The clothes she wears afterwards are very much like in the coronation portrait of Elizabeth.
- Balance of Power: In her later reign, young, hard-working, calculating Cecil vs the brash, popular Earl of Essex. Essex taking too many librarities ultimately made this balance be distorted.
- Bilingual Bonus: Elizabeth speaking Spanish with the King of Spain. Elizabeth was well-versed in many languages.
- Birth-Death Juxtaposition: Subverted. Robert Cecil and Elizabeth fear that Mary having a child might mean the end of her life, as she poses too great a threat to it. In the end, it turns out there was no child and the person dying was Mary, not Elizabeth.*
- Celibate Hero: It's all in the title.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Shown and heard when Elizabeth is in the Tower.
- Culture Clash: England and its hostile reaction to the prospect of Elizabeth marrying a French prince.
- Dance of Romance: A dance between Elizabeth and Robert Dudley makes it a bit too obvious that they are attracted to each other.
- The Glorious War of Sisterly Rivalry: With way higher stakes as the rivalry between Mary and Elizabeth could end in the death of one or the other, and also influenced European politics.
- Failed Future Forecast: "You cannot rule alone, can you?" Yes, she can.
- Heir Club for Men: Averted obviously. Both Elizabeth's rivals for the throne are female: Mary I and Mary, Queen of Scots.
- Love Ruins the Realm: Aware of this trope, most councillors were opposed to Elizabeth marrying Robert Dudley. Ultimately, she didn't.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Elizabeth about the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots and the Earl of Essex. She dragged her feet in both cases, but ultimately they posed too much of a threat for her reign.
- Parental Substitute: Kate Ashley, which is truth in television. Starting off as her governess, she was very much loved by Elizabeth and stayed with her until Kate passed away. Elizabeth needed this trope more than most, as he mother was killed by her father and her father was a distant parent who had ignored her for long periods of time.
- Posthumous Character: Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth's mother, apparently carved her name into the Tower wall. Lettice finds it and whispers her name excitedly, which prompts Kate Ashley to make it clear that Elizabeth does not want to be reminded of her. Elizabeth never once speaks her mother's name during the series, but in the end, it's found out that she was always wearing a ring with her depiction in it.
- Elizabeth has nightmares about her father as well. The Earl of Sussex comments that her hair color proves that she is her father's child and the Duke of Norfolk comments that she has her mother's eyes, implying there is something of her mother inside her.
- Robert Dudley says his father was a man that could not be easily defied. In history, he had first gotten rid of the Earl of Somerset as Lord Protector during Elizabeth's brother's reign to take power himself. He was also one of the main plotters against Mary I during the Jane Grey coup. Robert Dudley's younger brother was even married to Jane, making her Robert's sister-in-law.
- Revolving Door Revolution: The officially recognized religion had changed several times in the last three reigns before her. This also resulted in people who had become protestant during the reigns of Henry VIII and Edward VI to become prosecuted during the reign of Mary I. Elizabeth tries to find a somewhat middle ground by having an Anglican Church, but not prosecute people who believe differently.
- Rousing Speech: Probably the most famous one ever made by an English monarch is Elizabeth's speech at Tilbury.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: And how. Elizabeth is very much involved in all matters of statecraft.
- Too Dumb to Live: The Earl of Essex. He repeatedly ignores commands and while Elizabeth forgives him at the start, she becomes less inclined to do so as he gets progressively worse. Ultimately he ends up on the scaffold after trying to start a failed rebellion. He also didn't realize his popularity was rather superficial compared to the respect and reverence the people had for Elizabeth as their ruler, as very few join his rebellion when he starts knocking on doors.
- Tough Leader Façade: Unlike her father, Elizabeth wasn't eager to chop people's heads of, but she ultimately did when they became too great a threat. She struggles with it in private.
- Universally Beloved Leader: One of the most popular monarchs of England to this day. The day she ascended to the throne was celebrated for many years even after she had passed away. In the series, she is even cheered well before she became queen, as she was seen as a better alternative to Mary I.
