# The Borgias (2011)

> A ruthless 15th-century patriarch schemes his way to the papacy and fights to keep his family's power intact.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/30388

## Facts

- Seasons: 3
- Episodes: 29
- Episode runtime: 50 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: drama, history
- Created by: Neil Jordan
- Network: Showtime
- Cast: Jeremy Irons, David Oakes, François Arnaud, Holliday Grainger, Joanne Whalley, Colm Feore, Peter Sullivan, Sean Harris
- TMDB rating: 7.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1582457/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: ruthless, lavish, cutthroat, dramatic, sinister

## What critics say

Viewers rate The Borgias positively for its lavish period production and Jeremy Irons' commanding performance, though the scheming plotting can feel melodramatic.

## Synopsis

The Borgias (2011-2013) is a United States Showtime historical drama series created by Neil Jordan for Showtime. Set in 15th-century Italy during the height of the Renaissance, it follows the calculating Rodrigo Borgia (Jeremy Irons) as he schemes his way toward the papacy and then struggles to hold it. Around him, his ambitious son Cesare Borgia (François Arnaud) and daughter Lucrezia Borgia (Holliday Grainger) become pawns and instruments in his designs, while Juan Borgia (David Oakes) and the Borgia family's rivals circle for advantage. Each episode is built from marriage negotiations, church votes, secret alliances, and bloody reprisals played out in Rome and Florence. Across three seasons the show works as one continuing dynastic saga, with the family's bloodline and loyalty tested at every turn. Its tone is sumptuous yet cutthroat, with lavish palaces and costumes set against rough political murder and brutal intrigue. Fans of The Tudors and Rome will find resonance in its court maneuvering, moral compromise, and history-soaked power plays.

## Shows like The Borgias

- [Da Vinci's Demons (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/36945)
- [Rome (2005)](https://ember.film/tv/1784)
- [Isabel (2012)](https://ember.film/tv/38640)
- [The Serpent Queen (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/98308)
- [Domina (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/89159)
- [Borgia (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/31653)
- [Maximilian and Marie De Bourgogne (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61682)
- [The White Princess (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/61432)
- [The New Pope (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/75046)
- [The Young Pope (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/55720)

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