CineScope
The Borgias

The Borgias

2011 - 2013

The Poisoned Chalice

3rd April 2011
Episode 1
Rodrigo successfully bribes and intimidates his way into an election as Pope Alexander VI, making him the new leader of the Catholic Church; powerful Cardinals Della Rovere and Orsini oppose his rise; the Borgias recruit a talented assassin named Micheletto to their cause.

The Assassin

3rd April 2011
Episode 2
The new Pope wastes no time consolidating power and balancing opposition to him in the College of Cardinals by elevating his children to high office, installing Juan as head of the papal armies and Cesare as a cardinal and his successor, while seeking a politically fortuitous marriage for daughter Lucrezia.

The Moor

10th April 2011
Episode 3
His coffers depleted by his expensive rise to power, Rodrigo seeks funds through a profitable marriage for Lucrezia that will ally with him Milan, and charges a fee for safe haven in the Holy City to Jews displaced by the Spanish Inquisition; the Borgias host a charming Turkish prince; Micheletto is ordered to rid his patrons of the ongoing threat posed by Della Rovere.

Lucrezia's Wedding

17th April 2011
Episode 4
Lucrezia's financially and politically motivated wedding to Milanese nobleman Giovanni Sforza is a disaster thanks to Juan's inappropriately bawdy play in his sister's honor, Cesare's brazen flirting with a married baroness, and the arrival of the Borgia children's illegitimate mother; Della Rovere seeks the aid of the illustrious Medici family and their counselor, Machiavelli.

The Borgias in Love

24th April 2011
Episode 5
Alternately neglected and abused by her cruel husband, Lucrezia has an affair with Paolo, a handsome stable boy; Cesare strikes a bargain with Machiavelli: deny French troops passage across his masters' lands in exchange for suppression of Savonarola, a fiery preacher of anti-Medici sermons; in love with baroness Ursula, Cesare takes drastic action to get rid of her husband.

The French King

1st May 2011
Episode 6
Della Rovere reaches France and strikes a bargain with its ruler to invade Italy and install him on the Papal throne in exchange for control of Naples; Rodrigo attempts to thwart the invasion through an alliance by marrying his youngest son Joffre to Princess Sancia of Naples (guest star Emmannuelle Chriqui), but Juan nearly sabotages the plan by seducing his prospective sister-in-law.

Death, on a Pale Horse

8th May 2011
Episode 7
The invasion by King Charles of France and Della Rovere proceeds with victory seemingly inevitable as the French sack the city of Lucca and the Italian powers flee to their banner, with Lucrezia's husband Giovanni Sforza poised to join them in the name of Milan; inventor Leonardo Da Vinci (guest star John Lynch) shows his drawings and blueprints for war machinery to the invaders.

The Art of War

15th May 2011
Episode 8
The invaders capture a fleeing and pregnant Lucrezia as they march on Rome, but she charms King Charles and is allowed to persuade her brother Juan to withdraw his hopelessly outmatched defensive troops; Pope Alexander VI awaits to learn of his fate as Charles enters the city and makes his way to the Vatican.

Nessuno (Nobody)

22nd May 2011
Episode 9
Abandoned by even his cardinals, Alexander meets King Charles with humility and saves his throne, even eliciting a confession from the conqueror he crowns as the new "King of France and Naples;" Della Rovere despairs as Charles abandons him; Lucrezia safely gives birth to a son in a convent as the Borgias secure an annulment of her marriage and plot revenge on their enemies.
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DramaCrime

Set in 15th century Italy at the height of the Renaissance, The Borgias chronicles the corrupt rise of patriarch Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy, where he proceeds to commit every sin in the book to amass and retain power, influence and enormous wealth for himself and his family.

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Full Cast
Jeremy Irons Image

Jeremy Irons

Rodrigo Borgia

François Arnaud Image

François Arnaud

Cesare Borgia

Holliday Grainger Image

Holliday Grainger

Lucrezia Borgia

Joanne Whalley Image

Joanne Whalley

Vanozza Cattaneo

Colm Feore Image

Colm Feore

Giuliano Della Rovere

Peter Sullivan Image

Peter Sullivan

Cardinal Ascanio Sforza

Sean Harris Image

Sean Harris

Micheletto

Lotte Verbeek Image

Lotte Verbeek

Giulia Farnese

Thure Lindhardt Image

Thure Lindhardt

Rufio

Vernon Dobtcheff Image

Vernon Dobtcheff

Cardinal Versucci

Full Crew
Federico Costantini Image

Federico Costantini

Concept Artist

No Image

Karen Richards

Producer

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Bill Goddard

Producer

Adam Goodman Image

Adam Goodman

Co-Producer

No Image

Howard Ellis

Co-Producer

John Weber Image

John Weber

Executive Producer

James Flynn Image

James Flynn

Executive Producer

Neil Jordan Image

Neil Jordan

Executive Producer

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Sheila Hockin

Executive Producer

Jack Rapke Image

Jack Rapke

Executive Producer

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