The sexy new period drama "The Borgias" will air uncensored on Bravo next month.
Producers of the Canadian co-production say the sprawling
miniseries will air day-and-date with Showtime in the United States
beginning April 3.
"The Borgias" is set in 15th century Italy and traces the corrupt
rise to power of Rodrigo Borgia, who became Pope Alexander VI.
Jeremy Irons stars as the patriarch, while Stratford festival
veteran Colm Feore plays his arch nemesis Cardinal Della Rovere.
Montreal's Francois Arnaud appears as Rodrigo's ruthless son Cesare.
Joanne Whalley plays Vanozza, the pope's longtime mistress and mother of his children.
"The Borgias" debuts with a special two-hour episode. The
co-production between Canada, Ireland and Hungary airs later this spring
on CTV.
The nine-part, hour-long series was created and written by "The Crying Game" writer/director Neil Jordan.
"Certainly there was salacious behaviour in the Vatican under the Borgias," Jordan said in a release.
"But what's most interesting to me is the way in which power wears
a religious cloak -- and then becomes terrifying in its appetites."