'Victoria' Miniseries News: New PBS Masterpiece Miniseries To Air in 'Downton Abbey' Timeslot
A new PBS Masterpiece period drama will air on the same Sunday timeslot that the British historical series "Downton Abbey" has been airing from for the last six years.
The network has announced that it is currently developing "Victoria," a miniseries about the titular queen, that will star former "Doctor Who" star Jenna Coleman in the lead role. The series, which will consist of eight parts, is scheduled to premiere in 2017.
Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton spoke about the forthcoming PBS Masterpiece miniseries at the Television Critics Association's press tour in Pasadena, CA, saying, "'Downton Abbey' has proved that millions of viewers will turn up year after year for a beautifully crafted period drama."
"'Victoria has it all: a riveting script, brilliant cast, and spectacular locations," she said. "And it's a true story! This is exactly the kind of programming Masterpiece fans will love."
"Victoria" will follow the story of the titular queen from when she ascended the throne in 1837, through her marriage to Prince Albert and her life as a mother of nine. Queen Victoria sat on the throne for 63 years, making her England's longest-serving monarch up until Elizabeth II beat her record in September 2015.
The PBS miniseries was created by best-selling "The American Heiress" author Daisy Goodwin, who will also pen the script for the project. "Victoria" marks her TV screenwriting debut. Deadline reports that Goodwin read more than 62 million words' worth of Queen Victoria's diaries as part of her research for the "Victoria" script.
Apart from Coleman, "Victoria" also stars Tom Hughes as Prince Albert, Victoria's consort; Rufus Sewell as Lord Melbourne, the Queen's first prime minister; Alex Jennings as Leopold I, King of Belgium; Peter Firth as the Duke of Cumberland, and Paul Rhys as Sir John Conroy.
"Victoria" is expected to air in 2017 on PBS.
