AllMovie

The four-part British miniseries Elizabeth was based on the books by historian David Starkey, who also served as host-narrator. Using a deft combination of 16th century illustrations, location filming, and reenactments, this docudrama traced the life and reign of Britain's Queen Elizabeth I, from her troubled childhood, through her imprisonment by her power-hungry cousin Mary Queen of Scots, and concluding with Elizabeth's ascension to the throne. Playing "the Virgin Queen" in the dramatic sequences (which were top-heavy with the Queen's various romances) was Imogen Slaughter, who played the role sans dialogue. After its British TV run in the spring of 2000, Elizabeth was telecast in the U.S. over the History Channel beginning February 26, 2002, its cable-TV run complemented by a simultaneous home-video and DVD release.