Compared to those two, it's not the equal of Rome, but is definitely on the level of Tudors. If you want to know what Pope Francis is trying to deal with, this isn't a bad place to start. Irons is hamming it up, but it actually works most of the time. Good supporting cast. Costume porn! Murder and lust and betrayal and other kinds of entertainment. More costume porn! Suffers from the same disappearing character syndrome as Tudors, where characters show up, gets introduced and established and then just drop off the face of the Earth and are never seen or heard from again. It gets bogged down with melodrama at times. And since it only got three seasons, it ends rather abruptly, just when things were getting interesting. Didn't love it, but definitely liked it.

I loved "The Borgias" and was really upset when it was canceled. I'm a total history nerd and the renaissance is one of my favorite time periods. This series is not just about the characters, but about life in the early renaissance. As far as historical accuracy goes, the writers did take some liberties, but it's still a thousand times more accurate than "The Tudors" ever was. For example, Machiavelli was actually a very young man, not the mature man he's portrayed as. And Ludovico Sforza was a refined patron of the arts, not the raging barbarian he's portrayed as. Season 1 is fantastic, but the first few episodes of season 2 felt like it was written by people who'd never seen the show for an audience who'd never watched it before. Scenes and conversations that were already played out in season 1 were basically repeated in season 2. There was also an episode where the characters take a tour of the city and talk to each other about what life is like during the renaissance. I felt like I was watching a documentary and I half expected a professor to step into the screen and address the audience directly. After these disappointing episodes, season 2 got better and the rest of it was just as great as season 1. Since the show was canceled during season 3, I was worried that it would end without resolving most of the story lines. Although the last episode ends very abruptly, all of the loose ends are tied up and whatever happens next is left to the audience's imagination. It was a satisfying ending, but historically, there's much more left to be told. Nevertheless, if you love history, you'll love "The Borgias". After you're done watching it, read about the real people and about the rest of the story this series leaves untold.

Review of Season One: THE BORGIAS is a historical TV drama reminiscent of ROME or THE TUDORS. The focus of the story this time around is the Borgia family of 15th century Italy, who were renowned as the world's "biggest crime family". Murder, incest, intrigue, and political plotting were the order of the day for these guys, and when one of them became Pope...well, you can guess what was to follow.This show was a labour of love for writer/director Neil Jordan, who creates a very polished and professional-looking product. The historical authenticity is second to none, and Jordan has assembled a team of professionals in terms of the actors. You expect the likes of Jeremy Irons, Colm Feore, and Sean Harris to be excellent - and they are - but the newcomers are equally engaging. Francois Arnaud is particularly entrancing as the driving force behind the show.The story lines are made up of the usual political intrigues, albeit with a religious edge this time around. Sex and murder are the order of the day, and anybody who considers themselves a fan of similarly-themed TV programmes like GAME OF THRONES or SPARTACUS will be in their element. The second half of this season really picks up with some war-themed episodes which don't shy away from the violence, and the season finale ably sets up the next series to come. I for one am eagerly expecting it...

I started to watch this show for one reason only. Jeremy Irons!Of course he did not disappointed me. Fortunately, show was also very good.Actually, this was a great journey. I gave 8/10 because of several reasons. First of all it isn't finished.We saw rise but not fall of the family so it cannot be 10/10.It isn't 9/10 because it has some flaws in script and dramatization, acting ,casting etc. Historical inaccuracies did not bother me. The task of the show is to catch a spirit of that age, not to give history lessons. And they did it perfectly.Cinematography, costumes ,scenery were beautiful. Soundtrack is a pleasure by itself, Trevor Morris did a great job.Rodrigo Borgia ( Jeremy Irons) becomes Pope Alexander VI and the game of power, lust, ambition can begin.The whole family with one goal:take everything out of life and use that position of power. On that path some give up and some rise, some get lost but others find themselves . The young man waiting for his chance and concerned father afraid of what his son can become.This is the main relationship that defines all others. Cesare (François Arnaud)wants to be a soldier, general not a priest like his father intended and doing everything to make this a reality. Lucrezia( Holliday Grainger)should be the apple of her father's eye but in reality she is only part of the bargain...marital mainly. Queen in chess game, that often gets sacrificed for the good of the family. These three and the dynamics among them are the pillars of the drama and action of this series.There are also other interesting characters ... Micheletto ( Sean Harris ) Cesare Borgia's right hand and and 'hit man', Caterina Sforza (Gina McKee )legendarily known as the "Tigress of Forli.", who refused to support the pope, becomes the main opponent of Cesare and Rodrigo and Giuliano dela Rovere(Colm Feore)cardinal who lost the election for the Pope from the Rodrigo etc.The third season was excellent.Intrigue,treachery and of course incest. The series became darker precisely because the characters cross the point of no return. The last scene is so powerful and dark that I was overwhelmed .