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The Pillars of the Earth
Miniseries
TV-14
77%
86%
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Set against a backdrop of war, religious strife and power struggles which tears lives and families apart.
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8 Episodes
Anarchy
E1
Episode 1
Anarchy
The succession to the crown of England is in doubt and causes King Henry’s daughter and nephew to compete for the throne. The Hamleigh family’s hope for an advantageous marriage for their son William falls apart. Tom Builder and his family search for work and encounter Ellen and her mysterious son Jack. Church politics see Philip, a monk, elected the new prior, which leaves him indebted to Deacon Waleran.
Master Builder
E2
Episode 2
Master Builder
A fire destroys Kingsbridge church, giving Tom, son Alfred and stepson Jack the chance to build a new cathedral. Prior Philip learns the power of politics when he gets caught between Bishop Waleran and the Hamleighs’ quest for Shiring Castle. Kingsbridge is rocked by the accusation of Ellen being a witch. William takes Aliena and Richard by surprise in a brutal attack. Aliena makes a promise to her father.
Redemption
E3
Episode 3
Redemption
Aliena protests her father’s imprisonment. Prior Philip and William find themselves in a standoff over access to stone in the Shiring quarry. Jack’s artistic talents take hold as he begins to carve a statue to honor the cathedral relic. King Stephen visits the cathedral work-site, but collapses in a fit of terror. Aliena starts a fleece business to help earn money for Richard’s chance to become a knight.
Battlefield
E4
Episode 4
Battlefield
William applies to have his father’s title of Earl transferred to him, and discovers a mysterious knight is also a rival for the Earldom. King Stephen, frightened by Jack’s appearance, orders an assassin to kill him. The battle between King Stephen and Maud sees each side’s leader being taken hostage. Philip is tortured into a confession when Waleran tells Maud that he is the man who betrayed Earl Bartholomew.
Legacy
E5
Episode 5
Legacy
Waleran and Regan engineer the prisoner exchange so that they remain on the winning side of the war. Tom wants Jack and Alfred to be friends, but their rivalry over their work lives and Aliena is too intense. Meanwhile, William decides to attack Kingsbridge as a way to stop the fleece fair and Aliena’s success. The Hamleighs and Prior Philip are granted rights to Shiring land, but it comes with a price.
Witchcraft
E6
Episode 6
Witchcraft
Richard returns from war to find his sister penniless, with no more money to support his knighthood. Alfred offers himself to Prior Philip as master-builder. Aliena has to choose between her love for Jack and her oath to her father. Regan forces Waleran to speak to the King about William’s long-delayed Earldom. A disaster at Kingsbridge becomes a way for Waleran to remove Prior Philip from his position.
New Beginnings
E7
Episode 7
New Beginnings
As a result of his journeys, Jack has learned how to fulfill Tom Builder’s dream of a cathedral filled with light. Aliena tracks Jack by following the trail of his carvings. Waleran offers Philip a new position, but it means that Philip must always obey Waleran. Kingsbridge becomes prosperous again which infuriates Regan and William, who plan an attack that is met with resistance from Richard, Jack and Philip.
The Work of Angels
E8
Episode 8
The Work of Angels
Eight years later, Jack’s fixation with the cathedral leaves him little time or energy for anything else, while Aliena’s fixation with the distant Earldom of Shiring has married her to Alfred, a man she hates. Waleran and Alfred develop a plot to get rid of Jack for good and it seems to be working until evidence comes to light that makes all wrongs rectified.
Cast of Miniseries
Robert Bathurst
Percy Hamleigh
Donald Sutherland
Earl Bartholomew
Matthew Macfadyen
Prior Phillip
Rufus Sewell
Tom Builder
Ian McShane
Waleran Bigod
Eddie Redmayne
Jack Jackson
Natalia Wörner
Ellen
Hayley Atwell
Aliena
David Oakes
William Hamleigh
Tony Curran
King Stephen
Alison Pill
Maud
Sarah Parish
Regan Hamleigh
Liam Garrigan
Alfred Builder
Götz Otto
Walter
Sam Claflin
Richard
Jody Halse
Anatole Taubman
Remigius
Skye Bennett
Young Martha
John Pielmeier
Cuthbert
Matt Devere
Gordon Pinsent
Archbishop
Ken Follett
Merchant
Féodor Atkine
Abbot Sugar
Virág Bárány
Young Woman Whore
Freddie Boath
Henry - 15 year
Barnabás Réti
Brother Paul
Piroska Molnár
Grandmama
Lisa Millett
Kate
Clive Wood
King Henry I
Richard Rifkin
Matthew
László Áron
Architect
Kelly Banlaki
Princess
David Bark-Jones
Francis
Tamás Baross
Gabriel
Tatiana Turner
Gabriel's Mother
Michael Mehlmann
Prior James
Skye Lourie
Elisabeth
Peter Linka
Mark Phelan
Otto
Douglas Booth
Eustace (15 years old)
Miniseries Reviews
AV Club
Emily St. James
It's a good show with a lot of good elements, but it also feels dropped in from another time, when giant miniseries from big best-sellers with paper-thin characters and plots dominated the ratings because, well, there wasn't anything else to watch.
Denver Post
Joanne Ostrow
Overall, it's an engrossing epic.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Gail Pennington
"The Pillars of the Earth" is the kind of splashy miniseries event that the broadcast networks can't or won't do anymore.
The Hollywood Reporter
Barry Garron
Those willing to pay close attention to the long list of characters will be rewarded with a diverting story and several winning performances.
TIME Magazine
James Poniewozik
In 1980 on NBC, this show... would have been a landmark. But after a decade of complex, sophisticated, morally challenging cable dramas, it's a letdown. At times it makes even The Tudors seem like a work of subtle restraint.
Boston Globe
Matthew Gilbert
The abundance of material plays out naturally, in a nicely arranged script by John Pielmeier that leans heavily on the R-rated soap side of things.
Variety
Brian Lowry
Starz's acquisition of The Pillars of the Earth is another shrewd programming move, overflowing with prestigious British talent and a lusty story tailored to the pay-TV palate.
New York Daily News
David Hinckley
It reminds us the value and satisfaction we can find in a complex production executed well.
Chicago Tribune
Maureen Ryan
The Pillars of the Earth has done the impossible. It's made Ian McShane (temporarily) uninteresting.
Los Angeles Times
Robert Lloyd
It makes you anxious for the safety of its serially imperiled heroes, some of whom will not make it to the end, and compels you to stick around if only to see the villains at long last get their comeuppances.
San Francisco Chronicle
David Wiegand
It's the bountiful hamminess of McShane and the other evildoers that makes Pillars great fun, even if it's never going to be a candidate for Masterpiece Theatre.
New York Times
Mike Hale
Over all, The Pillars of the Earth will go down painlessly for the fan of this sort of epic; while it's predictable and never exactly sweeping, it's certainly eventful, and the production values are above average.
New York Post
Linda Stasi
There's enough here to keep you tuning in.
Washington Post
Tom Shales
One must assume that the moments that provoke laughter do so unintentionally.
Newsday
Verne Gay
There is a lot to commend in this Pillars of the Earth, chiefly the actors - who are uniformly excellent - and its set design.
USA Today
Robert Bianco
What's refreshing about Pillars, at least compared with so many turgid, self-important miniseries (historical and not), is that it's actually, from start to finish, entertaining.
Cleveland Plain Dealer
Mark Dawidziak
Indeed, a likable and dedicated cast keeps the viewers engaged and in a forgiving mood throughout these choppy eight hours. They make for wonderful company, even when this long and winding 12th-century road gets more than a little bumpy.
Las Vegas Weekly
Josh Bell
Pillars is just a dry history lesson with better production values.
IGN Movies
Jenna Busch
The series has a bit of everything, really. And it was beautifully executed.
CinemaBlend
Kelly West
Fans of the book are in for a treat here as this eight-hour series captures the heart of Follett's story rather well and gives us a chance to re-enjoy the tale in a different format.
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