Moviefone Editorial

Tag: caitriona-balfe

  • 5 Best TV Shows to Watch If You’re a History Buff

    The TudorsWith the wealth of historical TV shows and documentaries available these days, you’d think the average history enthusiast would be spoiled for choice. But quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality (there’s a reason “The Tudors” annoyed purists so much). Whether they’re documentaries about true events, or works of fiction set in historical times — like “Outlander” — the following options are all sound entertainment choices for proud history nerds.

    1. ‘Raiders of the Lost Art’ (2014 – )

    This highly detailed series is a combination documentary and mystery show, focusing on some of the more infamous art heists in history. Each episode deals with just one theft, so there’s time to really get into the details of what happened to each piece of art. Sure, you might know the Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911, but do you know exactly how it was found, and by whom? What about the real-life Monuments Men trying to discover and return the countless artifacts smuggled by Nazi art dealer Hildebrand Gurlitt during World War II? The use of archival footage and reenactments makes “Raiders of the Lost Art” compelling viewing.

    2. ‘Poldark’ (2015 – )

    Redcoat soldier Ross Poldark returns to his Cornish home after the Revolutionary War to find his father dead, his lands in ruin, and the woman he loves about to marry his cousin. Bummer. Based on the novels by Winston Graham, “Poldark” is an Anglophile’s dream, with sweeping, gorgeous English landscapes, a haunting soundtrack, and a brooding, complicated hero in Aiden Turner as the title character. History buffs will enjoy flashback sequences set during the War of Independence, as well as a look at life in 18th-century Cornwall from the perspectives of both the rich and the servant class.

    3. ‘The Tudors’ (2007 – 2010)

    “Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.” The tale of Henry VIII and his six wives remains a source of endless fascination for historians, and for good reason. Henry was a man of contradictions — a man who changed the face of his kingdom by breaking from Rome and setting up the Church of England. He was an educated man, but also a ruthless, vindictive murderer. All these elements make for great TV and “The Tudors” is a good choice for history buffs willing to suspend disbelief for some entertainment. The series is not a serious historical retelling of Henry VIII’s reign. Instead, enjoy it as a historical soap opera with a stellar cast (Natalie Dormer‘s Anne Boleyn is up there with the best of them). A high point is lithe, dark-haired Jonathan Rhys Meyers playing what is supposed to be the old, fat, red-headed Henry. Artistic license was never put to better use.

    4. ‘Rome’ (2005 – 2007)

    This historical drama details the tumultuous period when Rome changed from a republic into an empire, told through the viewpoints of both the Roman aristocracy and ordinary people. Rome” apart is the sheer scale of production involved in bringing the ancient city to life. History buffs will appreciate the minute attention to detail paid to the show’s costumes, architecture and landscapes.

    5. ‘Outlander’ (2014 – )

    Based on Diana Gabaldon’s series of books, “Outlander” tells the story of Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe), a married nurse who accidentally travels back in time and falls in love with Highland hunk Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). The background to this love story is the Jacobite uprisings, which culminated in the Scottish rebels being roundly defeated at the 1746 Battle of Culloden. Claire and Jamie do everything they can to prevent the rebellion from happening, knowing as they do the fatal outcome for the supporters of Charles Stuart. The show does an impressive job detailing the background to the rebellion, from Protestant-Catholic tension to the Scottish desire for independence from England. Beautiful costumes, stunning scenery, and sizzling romance make “Outlander” a pleasure to watch.

    Sources

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  • ‘Outlander’ Renewed for Seasons 3 and 4

    outlander, starz, season 3, season 4, renewal, renewed, claire, jamieThe epic love story between Claire and Jamie will continue for the foreseeable future: Starz has renewed time-travel drama “Outlander” for two additional seasons.

    The pickup means that the show — based on the ongoing book series of the same name by author Diana Gabaldon — will be back for seasons three and four, which will adapt the plots of the books “Voyager” and “Drums of Autumn,” respectively. “Outlander,” which stars Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan, is currently in the midst of its second season, which set ratings records for Starz when it premiered back in April.

    “The audience has rewarded ‘Outlander’ with their praise and loyalty, and we know we will deliver the best seasons yet in the years ahead,” said Sony Pictures Television execs Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amburg in a statement.

    Starz CEO Chris Albrecht released his own statement announcing the pickup:

    “Outlander” is like nothing seen before on television. From its depiction of a truly powerful female lead character, to the devastating decimation of the Highlander way of life, to what is a rarely seen genuine and timeless love story, it is a show that not only transports the viewer, but inspires the passion and admiration of its fans. On this 25th anniversary of the publication of the first book in the U.S., we are thrilled and honored to be able to continue the story that began with author Diana Gabaldon, and is brought to life by the incredibly talented [producer] Ronald D. Moore. There are no better storytellers for “Outlander” than this team, both in front and behind the camera.

    No word yet on when season three of “Outlander” is set to debut. Season two wraps its run this summer.

    [via: Variety]

    Photo credit: Starz

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  • Caitriona Balfe Misfires Big Time in Tense ‘Money Monster’ Sneak Peek

    EXCLUSIVE: Clip - "Money Monster"

    Save Sassenach! “Outlander” star in the line of fire … or at least her face on a screen is in danger.

    The financial crisis story plays out in real-time, and this clip shows a scene where an angry investor named Kyle (Jack O’Connell) has already taken over the TV studio where “Money Monster” host Lee Gates (George Clooney) and his producer Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts) were filming a show. We see a piece of the tense standoff, which is also airing live to millions of viewers. Balfe plays Diane Lester, head of PR for a company whose stock has bottomed. Apparently she says the wrong thing to Kyle, ’cause he shoots the monitor while she’s speaking. Then Diane, clearly shaken, says the wrong thing again, this time to Patty the producer: “I’m sorry, you have to understand how much of a delicate situation this is…”

    Patty, an actual hostage, snaps back from the control room: “Don’t talk to me about delicate situations! You have got to wake up and do the math here because it is not adding up to me either.” Diane doesn’t understand, so Patty adds, “I mean you better ask some real questions and get some real answers…”

    Part of the story involves unraveling the mystery behind a conspiracy in the global markets, hence the questions. Watch the full first trailer and cross your fingers that Sassenach stops saying the wrong thing to angry people in “delicate situations.”

    “Money Monster” opens May 13.Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook.

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  • ‘Outlander’ Boss Previews More ‘Urban’ and ‘Political’ Paris-Set Season 2

    Now that the brutal — but still hopeful and very emotional — “Outlander” Season 1 finale is in the past, what does the future hold for Claire (Caitriona Balfe) and Jamie (Sam Heughan) in Season 2? Executive producer Ronald D. Moore had several rounds of interviews after the May 30 finale, discussing plans for the next adaptation of Diana Gabaldon’s novels.

    Moore told Deadline they were roughly three weeks into Season 2 at the time, and “the footage looks really good.” Here are more Moore quotes to Deadline:

    The general plan is probably to try to do a book a season. Some of the books are bigger than others so we’ve definitely had conversations about, “well, you know, at some point we made need to split a book into two seasons,” but right now we’re not there yet so the plan is to do Dragonfly In Amber for Season 2.

    There will be twists and turns that aren’t in the book. The second book is more complex than the first book is. It’s a little tougher challenge to adapt it. It takes place in France and it deals with the Jacobite Rebellion. It’s much more political, it weaves in and out of actual historical events. There’s more complexity, just in terms of how Diana structured the story in Paris, in particular, as Jamie and Claire try to change history. […] It’s an urban setting and you’re dealing with aristocracy and the court of Louis XV so it’s a whole different thing. It’s not going to look anything like Season 1, so you’re really kind of prepping and shooting a whole new TV show into the second year. It has a lot of, you know, ‘oh my God, what can we do,’ those kind of moments to it.”

    Here’s some of what Moore shared with TVLine about what’s next for Jamie and Claire:

    It’s much more about deception, and lies within lies, and the gossips and the surroundings of Paris. And dinner parties, and going to the court of Louis the XV — and if you know those books, there’s St. Germain, and there’s Master Raymond, and there’s more of an occult feeling to a lot of that stuff. [Plus], she’s pregnant, and he’s got the aftermath of Jack Randall.

    In probably every which way you can think of, it’s going to be different than Season 1 was, which I think is one of the strengths of the series overall: its continuing evolution.

    In a lot of ways, [Parisian society] is more familiar to [Jamie] in certain ways than you would anticipate, because he is a laird in his own life, and he has lived in France, and he speaks the French language. It is a somewhat familiar culture to him. He does know his cousin, Jared, who runs a wine business, and he’s been to this place. Claire also speaks French, and she’s adapting in a different way, but she still struggles with the roles woman in these times, even in French society.

    And here are some similar but still interesting quotes from Moore to Entertainment Weekly:

    At the beginning, season 2 is going to look very different from season 1. The characters are going to Paris, which in those days was one of the most populated cities in the world. It’s a very urban environment. They’ll be in the French court. It’s a completely new palette visually. The color schemes are different. Everything about it is different—the chairs, the desks, the lamps, the costumes, and the props. They are definitely going to a different world. There’s more politics, because they’re caught up in the Jacobite rebellion more. You’re dealing with historical figures like Bonny Prince Charlie, who will be in the show. We’re dealing with the court of Louis XV. It’s just a very different story that Claire and Jamie suddenly get swept up in.”

    There’s no word yet on when Season 2 will debut, but Starz will give it “at least” 13 episodes. Season 1, which had 16 episodes, premiered last August and had a break between two batches of eight episodes — from August-September to April-May. So we’ll have to wait and see how they handle things for the next round. Are you excited for what happens next? In the meantime, revisit Moviefone’s interview with the great Tobias Menzies (Black Jack Randall).

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  • 10 Reasons You Should Already Be Watching ‘Outlander’

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    The season finale of “Outlander” is set to air on Saturday, so now is the perfect time to binge watch it before the second season starts. The show follows Claire Randall (Caitriona Balfe) after she kind of accidentally travels back to 1743 during her second honeymoon. Shortly after she arrives in the unknown land, Claire is forced to marry warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan). The two start a passionate relationship that leads to a lot of drama, romance, and shirtless Jamie scenes.

    If you’ve been on the fence about whether or not you want to watch it, we have 10 solid reasons to give this show a chance.

  • Great Scots: 25 Beloved Scottish TV and Movie Characters

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    “Outlander” can’t come back soon enough. The time-traveling Starz historical romance returns on April 4, just in time to remind us of how much we’ve been missing all things Scottish. With the six-month mid-season hiatus (not to mention the retirement from late-night of Craig Ferguson in December), TV has been a tartan-free zone for too long.

    Like protagonist Claire (Caitriona Balfe), a stranger to both Scotland and to the 18th Century, “Outlander” viewers can learn a lot about the Scots — the complex feudal politics of the old clan system, the rural folkways, and the age-old pagan legends. Is it all accurate? Probably not, but then, movie and TV audiences have spend decades watching portrayals of the Scottish that are little more than collections of stereotypes.

    Still, among the kilts and bagpipes and rolled Rs, some Scottish characters have transcended stereotype — or at least played with it in a humorous way — to earn a place in pop culture history. Here they are, the heroes and villains, the good and the plaid.