Fans battle to bring back The Borgias (TELEGRAPH)

By Caroline Hedley, Los Angeles5:56PM BST 22 Jun 2013

Devotees of the acclaimed historical drama starring Jeremy Irons as the corrupt 15th century Pope Alexander VI are to send hundreds of cans of sardines to the office of Showtime’s head of entertainment David Nevins, after the network announced it had cancelled plans for a promised fourth season of the show.

“Many of us feel that we have been cheated,” said Barbara Christel, organiser of the Bring Back The Borgias Facebook group.

“We were told we would have four seasons originally, but The Borgias was cancelled with just two episodes left of the third season. In one episode, Pope Alexander told his Cardinals: 'We shall dine on sardines’ during Lent. We decided to send cans of sardines to Showtime on June 28th as a sign that we, the fans, feel deprived.” The third series of the drama, written by Oscar-winning filmmaker Neil Jordan, is currently airing on a satellite channel in Britain but has already concluded in the US. The show also stars British actress Holliday Grainger as Medieval Italy’s notorious femme fatale, Lucrezia Borgia.

The lavishly-produced series, which was filmed on location in Budapest, is estimated to have cost almost £2.5 million an episode to create.

Despite a warm industry reception — The Borgias received 10 Emmy award nominations, a Golden Globes nod for Irons, and was described as “addictively entertaining” and “sumptuous” by critics - its third season ratings were steady but unspectacular, with an average of 2.4 million weekly viewers.

An online petition against the premature cancellation of the next series has attracted more than 10,000 signatures, and a Twitter campaign #SaveTheBorgias sparked more than 3400 Tweets in one hour.

One devoted fan has even created a range of T-shirts, bearing the slogan: “We are Borgia (sic) and we feel unloved.” Josef Alti, who plays Pypar in the US fantasy drama Game Of Thrones, is supporting the campaign, and François Arnaud, who plays papal progeny Cesare Borgia, has openly expressed his disappointment at the series’ termination.


READ MORE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/10136776/Fans-battle-to-bring-back-The-Borgias.html

The Borgias 3.03 Sneak Peeks: Cesare Has Been Ordered to France Written By Shilo Adams on April 22nd, 2013 at 1:48 pm (TVOM)

The attempt on Pope Alexander's life could have sent the Borgia Pope into hiding, fearful of exposing himself to the same threats that nearly cost him the throne. However, Alexander is nothing if not ambitious, so the near-death experience made him hungrier to gain a stronghold in the area and arm himself with enough resources to vanquish whatever plan Catherina Sforza has been cooking up. In doing so, though, he's going to have to use both Cesare and Lucrezia as pawns; will they be willing to go along with what their father wants and marry royalty from enemy lands?

On the next episode of The Borgias, Alexander has tasked Cesare with finding a bride in France after Lucrezia marries Alfonso. Naples and France are mortal enemies, but France has such a fearsome reputation and abundant resources that Rome needs to have the state in its palm. Their supplies have been dwindling at the exact wrong time, since Catherina Sforza has been pulling the strings of the Romagna families and gathering a force of her own, so the alliance with France will ensure that they have enough firepower and food to last them a battle of any length. Naples was once thought to be a key get for the Holy Father, but with the difficulty that King Ferdinand has been giving them and Cesare's accounts of their empty coffers, they might not be the important ally that they once looked to be.

Read more at http://www.tvovermind.com/the-borgias/the-borgias-season-3-episode-3-209168

The Borgias - Season One Bloopers (Jeremy Irons, David Oakes, Holiday Grainger, Francois Arnaud)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYGH-FEWEp0

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The Borgias Exclusive: François Arnaud Teases New Cesare In Season Finale June 15th, 2012 8:42 PM by Dan Forcella (T V FANATICS)

"I can assure you that Cesare's drive and anger isn't diminished in any way," François Arnaud told me over the phone earlier this week.

The star of The Borgias went on to say that his character, after murdering his brother Juan last Sunday, has "grown into the warrior that he will be."

Arnaud said that Cesare killing Juan "was a beautiful moment."  Although it was indeed the horrible act of one brother gutting the other, Arnaud believed "there is that final embrace that I think helps letting go in a way."


We will all have to let go of Juan, and the great performance by David Oakes, as Arnaud realized, "It's very hard to imagine The Borgias without him. He's been the one who drove Cesare to become what he is now."

Who is that? The aforementioned warrior? "In the finale, you see a new Cesare," Arnaud teased.
But what else can we expect this Sunday night in a season finale titled "The Confession?"


Read more tv spoilers at: http://www.tvfanatic.com/2012/06/the-borgias-exclusive-franois-arnaud-teases-new-cesare-in-season/

The Borgias - Cries of the Dying, episode 8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eM9KqUQ0rOk

The Borgias - Juan is BACK (DAVID OAKES)

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nAhjUeYplb8

The Borgias Review: Do You Perhaps Take Gold? May 13th, 2012 11:00 PM by Dan Forcella (TV FANATIC)

Similar to Sons of Anarchy at its best moments, the second season of The Borgias has done a fine job at showcasing both the outside and inside threats to its protagonistic family in concert.

While those coming from elsewhere - such as the Sforza forces or the Friar Savonarola - have been pushing the story of the season along, it is those issues close to the heart of the Borgias that has interested me most since the premiere.


The epicenter of the series' success continued to be Francis Arnaud's work as Cesare Borgia during "Day of Ashes." The eldest son of Pope Alexander kept striving towards earning the armor fit for the leader of the Papal Army, but per the usual, Rodrigo still didn't agree.

Watching Cesare use his "stray dogs" to take out the caravan, and steal all of the Medici gold, was fun, but it wasn't enough to change the Pope's mind. At the end of the day, that was all that Cesare was looking for. He wants to be the "one son in amour."

We all know that the Pope wants one in armor and one son of the cloth, but what Cesare doesn't understand is that it isn't his lack of skills in battle that is preventing him from taking control of the armies. Rather, it is Rodrigo's complete lack of faith in Juan to help in any other way than in a suit of armor.

I am hoping that this idea comes into play when Juan finally returns home. It feels like it has been forever since we have seen him.


Read more tv spoilers at: http://www.tvfanatic.com/2012/05/the-borgias-review-do-you-perhaps-take-gold/

Jeremy Irons: The good, the bad and the beautiful Melinda Houston May 10, 2012 (BRISBANE TIMES)

SEX, politics, scandal, sex, God, politics, power, sex, money, sex, scandal. It seems the more things change in the Catholic Church, the more they stay the same. To give a ''Previously … on The Borgias … '' could take quite a bit of space and time. Let's just say season one opened with Rodrigo Borgia (Jeremy Irons) ascending to the papacy - after some ruthless shenanigans - becoming Pope Alexander VI and installing his de facto wife and five children in the Vatican. He then spent the entire season trying to protect that position against all the people he'd enraged (and they were many) by fair means and foul.

A Canadian-US co-production, it's the kind of rich, dark, lewd drama fans of Rome and The Tudors know and love. And while you can certainly watch it simply for the sex, swords and frocks, the complex power plays, political intrigues and familial tensions reward a close viewing.


This is Neil Jordan's baby; creator and producer, he also wrote and directed this opening ep to season two. And his hand is evident in the smart pacing, the clever juxtaposition of scenes, the dense script flashing with dry wit. There's a fine cast, too, but it's undoubtedly Irons who carries the tale in a tricky role.

Pope Alexander VI was a pretty ghastly character: lascivious, gluttonous, despotic and brutal. Irons, with Jordan's help, makes him all these things and so much more. He's a man with an enormous passion for life, a lively sense of humour and of the absurd, brilliant and highly educated, and deeply sentimental about his family. So, tonight, having bequeathed Naples to his enemy, the King of France, without telling him the city is riddled with the plague, he's sitting back and waiting for that monarch to die a horrible death.


Read more:http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/the-good-the-bad-and-the-beautiful-20120509-1ybpw.html

'The Borgias' renewed for third season on Showtime May 4, 2012 | 1:18 pm (LA TIMES)

"The Borgias," Showtime's drama about Vatican intrigue during the Italian Renaissance, has just been renewed for a third season.

The series stars Jeremy Irons as Pope Alexancer VI, the patriarch of the infamous family that uses less than honable ways to muscle its way into the papacy.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2012/05/the-borgias-renewed-for-thrid-season-on-showtime.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ShowTracker+(L.A.+Times+-+Show+Tracker)

The Borgias Sneak Peek: Cesare Demands Catherina's Allegiance Written By Shilo Adams on May 3rd, 2012 at 5:06 pm (TV OVER MIND)

The Sforza clan has been a major thorn in the paw of every member of the Borgia family. Giovanni's general antipathy toward Rodrigo and subsequent callous treatment of Lucretzia severed pretty much any chance of political allegiance between the two families, particularly following the humiliation he suffered upon the annulment of the marriage to the Borgia daughter. Vengeance, the theme of this season, became priority number one for Giovanni and what once could have been a major victory for the Borgias, the joining together of two extremely powerful families, became a worrisome thing to deal with.





READ MORE:  http://www.tvovermind.com/the-borgias/the_borgias_season_2_episode_5/

Jeremy Irons on ‘The Borgias’ and Margin Call The veteran actor tells us about playing Rodrigo Borgia and the undercurrent behind his role in Margin Call. By Fred Topel (CRAVE ON LINE)

“The Borgias” is currently airing its second season on Showtime. The series dramatizes the history of the papal family in 15th century Italy. Jeremy Irons is Rodrigo Borgia, the man who would become Pope Alexander VI.

He’s also the legendary actor from films like Dead Ringers, Damage, Reversal of Fortune, The Lion King, Die Hard with a Vengeance and recently Margin Call. At the Television Critics Association session for “The Borgias,” we focused on Irons and gained insight into work and his knowledge of history and politics. 


CraveOnline: With the allowance for adult content on pay cable, do you feel even more freedom than on very edgy R-rated movies like Dead Ringers?

 Jeremy Irons: I’d say it’s about the same. I’d say what is going out on cable is about what we were doing on what I call artistic movies like Damage. It’s pretty free. I had to dub the word “bitch” out the other day because apparently on airlines that’s not allowed. So I had to change it to “witch.” Those sort of anomalies are curious but in a way I think we have about the same freedom.


READ MORE:  http://www.craveonline.com/tv/interviews/187737-jeremy-irons-on-the-borgias-and-margin-call

The Borgias, Premieres Sunday, April 8, Showtime (TV BY THE NUMBERS)

PREMIERE EPISODES OF THE HIT SHOWTIME® SERIES The Borgias, Nurse Jackie AND The Big C AVAILABLE ONLINE NOW Returning Series Premiere Sunday, April 8 On SHOWTIME


The Borgias, a one-hour drama series based on the infamous Italian Renaissance family, stars Oscar®-winning actor Jeremy Irons in his Golden Globe-nominated role as Rodrigo Borgia, the cunning, manipulative patriarch of the Borgia family who ascends to the highest circles of power within Renaissance-era Italy to become Pope Alexander VI. The series also stars François Arnaud, Holliday Grainger, Joanne Whalley, Lotte Verbeek, David Oakes and Colm Feore. The series is an Ireland/Canada/Hungaryco-production. Academy Award® winner Neil Jordan serves as creator, executive producer and writer of the series. David Leland and Guy Burt also serve as writers during the series’ second run. James Flynn, Sheila Hockin, John Weber, David Leland, Justin Falvey and Jack Rapke serve as the executive producers.

READ THE REST:  http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/03/26/premiere-episodes-of-showtime-series-the-borgias-nurse-jackie-and-the-big-c-available-online-now/126071/

Jeremy Irons: The Borgias Aim for four seasons (REUTERS)

By Tim Molloy at TheWrap

Thu Jan 12, 2012 3:02pm EST"The Borgias" executive producer James Flynn says he hopes for four seasons of the Showtime papal drama, which is about to enter its second season.

"The overall plan in a series like this is ideally four seasons," he said Thursday. "That would be the plan, that would be the ambition."

Also read: 'Borgias' Gets Return Date

But he said the show could potentially continue after the death of Jeremy Irons' Pope Alexander VI, by focusing on the rule of his successor, Pope Julius II. Flynn spoke at a "Borgias" panel for the Television Critics Association winter press tour, where Irons also spoke about his distinctive voice.

Irons said that when he was 25 or 30 years old, he and John Hurt once met for coffee and bemoaned the new crop of good, young actors. He said Hurt told him his trick for sabotaging the potential competition:


READ MORE:  http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/12/idUS423888805820120112

Jeremy Irons - The Borgias (Washington Post)

TV critics show the love for Showtime, premium cable TV

By Lisa de Moraes,

 

PASADENA, Calif. — After celebrating the conclusion of the broadcast-network portion of Winter TV Press Tour 2012 — when reporters went all “Lord of the Flies” over the racial and skeevy sex gags in CBS’s “2 Broke Girls” — sated TV critics moved on Thursday to the next station of the TV cross: Press Tour — The Kissing of the Premium Cable Ring.

“Take that, ‘Downton Abbey’!” cracked Showtime programming chief David Nevins after screening clips from the upcoming season of “The Borgias” on his network.

(Eric Charbonneau/SHOWTIME) - Jeremy Irons plays a pope in “The Borgias.”

Nevins’s series is based on the Borgia family and stars Jeremy Irons as Pope Alexander VI — a.k.a. Roderic Llancol i de Borja (Borgia) — who was some kind of big noise in the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

Critics had no issues with the language, violence or skeevy sex here — it’s pay cable. That said, one critic did seem somewhat taken aback by a device on display at the back of the room — several props and costumes had been brought as audio-visual aids — and wanted to know whether Showtime intended to actually demonstrate the genitalia-related device during the upcoming season.

Yes, said exec producer James Flynn, who explained that devices like that were used in those days to help people suffering from venereal diseases.

But when you’re kissing the premium-cable ring, you tend to focus more on questions about whether “The Borgias” is the “ultimate 1 percent vs. 99 percent story.”

“All people in positions, comfortable positions of power — and I think a lot of your Republican nominees at the moment — can get completely out of touch with the reality of how it is in some parts of the cities, in the country you’re hoping to govern,” said the Oscar-winning Irons, baiting the mostly American crowd. That’s not easy to pull off when dressed as Emily Bronte’s tortured hero, Heathcliff — rough, brown scarf nestled in the neck of a soft, white shirt under sturdy, brown vest with rough-hewn pants tucked into sturdy boots.

“You see it time and time again in history. It is the 1 percent versus the 99 percent. But it always has been,” Irons said.

No one took the bait — too hard when mouth is busy kissing the ring.

One TV critic did note that the show “crystallizes why I left the Catholic Church” and wondered what Irons would say if he had to defend, in court, the actions of the pope.

Irons smiled his beautiful, ironic smile and fluttered his gorgeously long, thin, expressive hands as he explained that, back in the late 15th/early 16th century, the pope was “more of a monarch than a pope.”

“God, up there, was a given,” he said, but, that aside, the world had to be ruled, power had to be exerted, alliances had to be made, children had to be married to make those alliances.

“He behaved as a president now or a king in the Middle East — an ayatollah — behaves now,” continued Irons, adding that he thought the question a little like “asking of Queen Elizabeth II if she’s upset when she sees a production of ‘Richard III,’ who also behaved badly.”

No one took that bait, either. This ring kissing is pretty mentally taxing stuff.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/tv-column/2012/01/12/gIQAETDcuP_story.html