Gunpowder, Treason & Plot is a 2004 BBC miniseries based upon the lives of Mary, Queen of Scots and her son James VI of Scotland. Written by Jimmy McGovern, the series tells the story behind the Gunpowder Plot in two parts, each centred on one of the respective monarchs.[2][3] The first film dramatizes the relationship between Mary (Clémence Poésy) and her third husband, James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell (Kevin McKidd). Scottish actor Robert Carlyle stars as James VI in the second part, which concentrates on the Gunpowder Plot, planned by Guy Fawkes, to blow up the Houses of Parliament in order to rid the nation of a Protestant monarch.
| Gunpowder, Treason & Plot | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Jimmy McGovern |
| Directed by | Gillies MacKinnon |
| Starring | Clémence Poésy Kevin McKidd Robert Carlyle Tim McInnerny Emilia Fox Michael Fassbender |
| Music by | John E. Keane |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Cinematography | Nigel Willoughby |
| Editor | Pia Di Ciaula |
| Running time | 205 min (2 parts) |
| Distributor | BBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two |
| Picture format | 16:9 576i |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 14 March (2004-03-14)[1] – 21 March 2004 (2004-03-21) |
Episode 1 opens with Mary, Queen of Scots, who is in exile in France returning to Scotland in 1561. Mary's second husband is Lord Darnley who participates in the extrajudicial killing of David Rizzio. Mary's son, James I, was sired by Darnley. Mary's final husband is long-time paramour Bothwell.
The opening scene of Episode 2 is in Scotland in 1587 showing James I saying, "I have every right to hate you [his mother Mary]."
Directed by Gillies MacKinnon, it was filmed in Romania with a Scottish crew. McGovern had previously covered the Plot in the one-hour play Traitors for BBC2's Screenplay strand, transmitted on 5 November 1990.
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