The creator of Downton Abbey brings his new British drama to TV on Sunday, April 12, 2020 with the premiere of Belgravia.
Showing exclusively in the U.S. on Epix, Belgravia is a six-part series set in the 19th century London, in the upper class neighborhood of Belgravia. The series is created by Julian Fellows and based on his novel by the same name. Fellowes, who created the wildly popular Downton Abbey series (2011-2015), is the writer and executive producer of Belgravia.
Belgravia “is a story of secrets and scandals amongst the upper echelon of London society in the 19th Century,” says the Epix introduction.
Early reviews are moderately positive, with series scoring 65% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.2 on IMDB. Other reviews are also generally positive, and hold special promise for fans of Downton Abbey.
“Fans of Julian Fellowes’ previous popular show (Downton Abbey) will surely enjoy Belgravia,” says a review by Forbes Magazine.
“It is an intriguing drama, a comfort viewing with not too many surprises in the storyline (even if it keeps playing with these surprises as if we couldn’t have guessed any of them). Everything happens as if you have already seen it before. Aided by the too similar musical soundtrack (both scores for Downton Abbey and Belgravia were composed by Scottish composer John Lunn), some viewers might find themselves expecting Lady Dowager to suddenly appear. Alas, she is nowhere to be seen. She is replaced, however, by some intriguing characters, and a great cast, including Tamsin Greig, Philip Glenister, Harriet Walter, Tom Wilkinson, Alice Eve, Tara Fitzgerald.”
You can see the series on EPIX which is available from your cable TV provider for $5.99 a month, or you can stream it to your smart TV, tablet or phone with Epix Now. 7-day free trial: Epixnow.com
Belgravia – Premiering on Sunday, April 12th, 2020 at 9pm on Epix. Starring Tamsin Greig, Philip Glenister, Harriet Walter, Alice Eve, Tara Fitzgerald, Ella Purnell, Richard Goulding, James Fleet, Adam James, Tom Wilkinson, Diana Hardcastle, Paul Ritter, Saskia Reeves and Jack Bardoe. Watch on EPIX.
About Belgravia (from Wikipedia)
Belgravia (/bɛlˈɡreɪviə/) is an affluent district in Central London, shared within the authorities of both the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
The area is mostly residential, the particular exceptions being Belgrave Square in the centre, Eaton Square to the south, and Buckingham Palace Gardens to the east. The area takes its name from the village of Belgrave, Cheshire, two miles (3 km) from the Grosvenor family’s main country seat of Eaton Hall. One of the Duke of Westminster‘s subsidiary titles is Viscount Belgrave.
Belgravia is characterised by grand terraces of white stucco houses, and is focused on Belgrave Square and Eaton Square. It was one of London’s most fashionable residential districts from its beginnings. After World War II, some of the largest houses ceased to be used as residences, or townhouses for the country gentry and aristocracy, and were increasingly occupied by embassies, charity headquarters, professional institutions and other businesses. Belgravia has become a relatively quiet district in the heart of London, contrasting with neighbouring districts, which have far more busy shops, large modern office buildings, hotels and entertainment venues. Many embassies are located in the area, especially in Belgrave Square.
In the early 21st century, some houses are being reconverted to residential use, because offices in old houses are no longer as desirable as they were in the post-war decades, while the number of super-rich in London is at a high level not seen since at least 1939. The average house price in Belgravia, as of March 2010, was £6.6 million, although many houses in Belgravia are among the most expensive anywhere in the world, costing up to £100 million, £4,671 per square foot (£50,000 per m2).