Series: A romp with the Sun King

06 May 2016 - 09:56 By Yolisa Mkele

Renovating your house can suck. The hordes of builders scurrying around being as inconvenient as possible, the noise and the mess are enough to drive you to stress-induced erectile dysfunction. French period drama Versailles gives us a glimpse of just how stressful home improvement can become when the redesign involves creating one of the most sumptuous palaces in history.As the title suggests, Versailles tells the story of the androgynous King Louis XIV (George Blagden) and his megalomaniac plan to leave a legacy by building "the greatest palace in the world".As is customary, there are a couple of impediments. He quickly discovers that building gilded hallways lined with mirrors is a ruinously expensive undertaking. There is also the fact that his approval ratings are so low that many of his noblemen are trying to topple him.Mix that in with a liberal sprinkling of full-frontal nudity, resplendent sets and various interpersonal intrigues and you get a pretty good show.The sets and costume design are particularly impressive if you're into that type of thing. The show's Franco-Canadian creators have put Downton Abbey levels of conscientiousness into making the set look like the palatial embodiment of a bottle of Armand de Brignac. Even the costumes, which at first glance look ridiculous, take on a very decadent aura as the show sucks you in.As far as acting goes, the performances are a little comme çi comme ça. The cast has the perfectly forgetful prettiness that one seems to require to become an actor - and villainous male characters can be spotted easily by their very distinct maleness.Let's be honest though, while we may all appreciate a good portrayal, no one really cares about the quality of the acting as long as it isn't akin to a speaking plank of wood.Versailles is good binge fodder for people who liked the idea of Downton Abbey but found its execution was a little highfalutin and serious-minded. If you are a 14-year-old boy, you'll be particularly interested in its artistic depictions of how birds and bees interact. Sadly, you will not, and should not, see it - it carries an age restriction of 16 - sacré bleu!Versaillesis available on NetflixBox PopsREIGNAn historical fantasy romance television series following the early years of Mary, Queen of Scots, living in France that reads like Gossip Girl in old France. (DStv 102, Thursdays)ANGIE TRIBECAA satirical police procedural starring Rashida Jones from the cinematic loins of Steve Carell and Nancy Wells Carell. (DStv channel 102, Wednesdays)GRANDFATHEREDA charismatic, longtime bachelor finds his life turned upside down when he learns that not only is he the father of a grown man named Gerald but also a grandfather to Gerald's baby daughter. (Starts on May 25, DStv, 101) ..

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