Are viewers about to witness the most sexually explicit show ever on British TV?
Lavish costume drama Versailles, produced by Canal Plus, has been slammed by MPs and family rights campaigners for its nudity and graphic sex scenes, depicting the debauched life of France's Louis XIV.
The English-language series has already been aired in France and a second series is already in production. An exact UK air date has yet to be confirmed (it's expected to be in May), but the BBC is already facing a backlash.
"There are channels where, if you wish to view this sort of material, you would have to pay for it. BBC viewers don't have a choice. They have to pay for it whether they approve or not," said Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen (via The Mail on Sunday).
"Is this an example of the BBC dumbing down and seeking more sensationalised programming? That's an arms race to the bottom - quite literally in this case."
The series, which is said to feature gay sex, a cross-dressing prince and a queen with a penchant for dwarves, was acquired in August last year.
What to Read Next
Talking at the time of the deal, Sue Deeks, BBC Head of Programming Acquisitions, said: "Versailles will be a delicious treat for BBC Two viewers - the historical setting is magnificent, the costumes are stunning and the series tells a fascinating story with intelligence, wit and stylish Gallic flair."
Versailles is also reported to feature graphic violence and Norman Wells, director of the Family Education Trust, argued that it's hard to see "whose benefit is being served by showing such highly graphic and explicit scenes on TV".
Mediawatch UK's Sam Burnett added: "Dressing up pornography and violence in a cravat and tights doesn't make it cultural."
Versailles stars British actor George Blagden as the Sun King Louis XIV, alongside the likes of Noémie Schmidt, Alexander Vlahos, Tygh Runyan and Anna Brewster.
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
