The Royals (TV series)

Did You Know?

• Hurley suggested that fans of Dynasty and Gossip Girl would enjoy the series.
• A March 2015 viral video of a naked man climbing out a window of Buckingham Palace on a bedsheet turned out to be a publicity stunt promoting The Royals via its fictional tabloid D-Throned.

Plot summary

Helena, the matriarch of a fictional contemporary British royal family, manages family dramas under public scrutiny. Twins Prince Liam and Princess Eleanor enjoy hedonistic royal pleasures while their older brother Robert bears the heir's responsibility. Liam, now next in line, adjusts to his role while attracted to Ophelia, the American daughter of the royal head of security. Eleanor's self-destructive behavior worsens when her bodyguard proves a conman. Queen Helena allies with her brother-in-law Cyrus to preserve their way of life.

Production

In April 2013, E! announced several scripted projects including The Royals, described as a contemporary family ensemble steeped in regal opulence and framed by Shakespeare's Hamlet. E! produced pilots for The Royals and Songbyrd as its first scripted pilots. The series was picked up in March 2014, shot in the United Kingdom, and debuted in 2015. Filming for season one began in London in June 2014, and the first promotional trailer was released in August 2014.

The first season consisted of ten episodes. In December 2014, the premiere date was set for March 15, 2015. At the Television Critics Association press tour on January 15, 2015, E! renewed the series for a second season two months before its debut. Season two filming resumed on June 15, 2015, and premiered on November 15, 2015.

E! renewed the series for a third season on January 5, 2016, which premiered on December 4, 2016. A fourth season was renewed on February 16, 2017, and premiered on March 11, 2018. After season four filming completed on November 15, 2017, Schwahn was suspended following sexual harassment allegations by female cast and crew of The Royals and his previous series One Tree Hill; he was fired on December 22, 2017. E! canceled the series after four seasons on August 16, 2018.

Lionsgate Television shopped the series to other networks, including sister network Pop, but on September 24, 2018, Lionsgate failed to find a new home and the series was officially ended. Blenheim Palace served as the fictional royal palace. Season two also filmed at Allington Castle and Boughton Monchelsea Place in Kent. Various scenes for season four episode 4 were filmed at The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent in June 2017, including The Tarred Yarn Store, HMS Cavalier, Commissioner's House garden, and the Ropery Tunnels. Chapel Place in Tunbridge Wells was featured as part of a royal wedding.

Reception

Initial reviews were mixed to unfavorable. Jane Mulkerrins of The Telegraph called it a sexy and soapy portrayal of palace life but noted it lacked the sophistication of Gossip Girl and the compelling melodrama of The O.C. Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times called the show a mischievous sendup and Hurley amusing, but said it gets old and dull quickly. Nancy Dewolf Smith of The Wall Street Journal described it as a trashy soap opera not bad enough to be funny.

David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle called it entertaining but disappointingly toothless. The Sydney Morning Herald described it as possibly the worst show in TV history, criticizing its dialogue. The Independent called it probably the worst series ever made. Vicki Hyman of NJ.com called it a royal failure, crass and tedious.

The Hollywood Reporter described it as like an extended MTV music video interspersed with dialogue and interminably boring. The Los Angeles Times panned it, saying camp requires courage and The Royals has none. Margaret Lyons of Vulture called it flaccid, weirdly paced, and badly cast. Variety called it bloody bad.

The Chicago Reader advised viewers to add it to their brain's trash heap. Conversely, David Hinckley of the New York Daily News wrote that it doesn't pretend to be more than good fun and delivers that. Diane Gordon of TheWrap described it as addictive, naughty, and just the right amount of silly. Amanda Michelle Steiner of People called it an escapist fantasy missing since Gossip Girl and The O.C. Ellen Gray of Philly.com called it silly but potentially addictive.

Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast said once committed to its trashy abandon, the critique might be that the abandon isn't reckless or campy enough. Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly agreed, noting the show actually isn't bad and you might wish it were trashier.

Broadcast, home video, and streaming

The Royals was broadcast on E! in the U.S. and Canada, and initially in the U.K. and Ireland on the same channel, which stopped airing it following its second season. In Germany, Pro Sieben carried the series. In October 2015, Amazon.com secured exclusive streaming rights for subscribers, making the first season available on Amazon Prime. That season can also be accessed via the E Now app for cable subscribers and on Canada’s CraveTV. For purchase, the series is offered through digital retailers like iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and Vudu.