Saturday, April 02, 2011

Going medieval: Three series take viewers back to time of power struggles, steamy love stories

Cable TV seems to be going Middle Ages crazy.

Three sumptuous new series from premium channels Starz, HBO and Showtime transport us to medieval worlds of raging power struggles, bloody battles and lavish trappings. Prepare to be treated to more castles, sword fights, noblemen, bodice-heaving maids and master manipulators than you've ever seen at one time on television.

One show comes from legend: Camelot. Another is derived from fictional fantasy: Game of Thrones (from the best-selling novels by George R.R. Martin). The third — The Borgias — is rooted in history and explores one of most infamous families of 15th-century (technically Renaissance) Italy, the clan that reportedly inspired Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather.

Click here to read this article from the Houston Chronicle