Huzzah!” As catchphrases go, it’s a bit of an odd one. But don’t say we didn’t warn you when it starts sweeping the nation. It’ll be all thanks toThe Great,the new 10-part series set among 18th Century Russian royalty. “Our sort-of tagline is that it’s ‘occasionally’ based on historical facts,” says Elle Fanning, the show’s star and producer, who takes the lead as Russian empress Catherine II, aka Catherine the Great.
Being empress comes with many perks - including first dibs on the swings.
STARZPLAY/NICK WALL
The show arrives hot on the miniseries heels of Helen Mirren’s portrayal of Catherine, but there’s room for both. “You can’t really compare the two,” says Fanning. Indeed, she’s playing the Prussian-born empress when she first arrives in court, having yet to even meet her new husband, the oafish Peter III - played by Nicholas Hoult as if channelling Lord Flashheart from Blackadder.