The Pillars of the Earth

67
Metascore
2010-2010
1 season
Starz
Drama, Suspense, Action & Adventure
TV-MA

The Pillars of the Earth is set against a backdrop of war, religious strife and power struggles which tears lives and families apart. In that time, there rises a magnificent Cathedral in Kingsbridge. Against the backdrop, love-stories entwine: Tom, the master builder, Aliena, the noblewoman, the sadistic Lord William, Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge, Jack, the artist in stone work and Ellen, the woman from the forest who casts a curse. At once, this is a sensuous and enduring love story and an epic that shines with the fierce spirit of a passionate age. Follett masterfully weaves these stories through political turmoil of 12th century England, creating a relevant and viable world for today's audience and for generations to come.

67
Metascore
2010-2010
1 season
Starz
Drama, Suspense, Action & Adventure
TV-MA

Wednesday TV Review: American Horror Story, Historical Drama World Without End

Confession of a lifelong horror fan: The first season of FX's American Horror Story left me cold, more appalled than terrified at the overindulgent mishmash of psychosexual poppycock ensnaring unpleasant characters, plus the overkill of a house teeming with too many tedious ghosts, proving the adage that more can be less — effective, that is, although the hype and the buzz carried it to a whopping 17 Emmy nominations (in the miniseries category, where the competition is less fierce).

Wed, Oct 17, 2012

Wednesday TV Review: American Horror Story, Historical Drama World Without End

Matt's Weekend Picks: August 27-29

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH (Friday, 10/9c, Starz) The epic miniseries wraps as Jack returns to Kingsbridge to finish work on the cathedral, but not without more threats and attacks from the villainous likes of Regan, William and the ever-scheming Waleran. Expect the body count to rise before all is said and built...

Thu, Aug 26, 2010

Tonight's TV Hot List: Friday, Aug. 20, 2010

Eureka9/8c Syfy Traditionally, if you wanted to be immortalized as a statue, you would either have to accomplish things in the course of your life that are worthy of remembrance or you could go the easy route by hiring a sculptor and striking a pose. But a find at the site of Jo's future home bypasses tradition and alarmingly starts to "rock" the townsfolk (into stone) while tensions between Carter and Grant over Allison become even rockier.Read on for previews of The Pillars of the Earth, Chefs vs. City, Today, Good Morning America, NFL Football and Kids in the Hall Present: Death Comes to Town.

Fri, Aug 20, 2010

Tonight's TV Hot List: Friday, Aug. 20, 2010

Matt's Weekend Picks: August 13-15

THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH (Friday, 10/9c, Starz)More scheming, brawling and tragic treachery afoot in the pivotal fifth hour of this sprawling historical melodrama, as Waleran (Ian McShane) plays political games to further his goal to become Archbishop of Canterbury. Meanwhile, as the town of Kingsbridge prepares for another attack, the conflict between sort-of-brothers Jack and Alfred leads to ruin...

Thu, Aug 12, 2010

Matt's Weekend Picks: July 30-August 1

Eureka (Friday, 9/8c, Syfy) Colin Ferguson directs this week's episode, which may explain why Sheriff Carter is off to Harvard to visit Zoe for the week. While he's away, the town celebrates Space Week—but as usual, things go awry. This week's culprit: guest star Jamie Kennedy, whose self-propagating oxygen device begins to affect the atmosphere, threatening to incinerate the put-upon town...

Thu, Jul 29, 2010

Pillars of the Earth: A Towering Achievement

It wasn't the swords. It wasn't the sandals. For Rufus Sewell, the tough part was all the stinkin' mud. Playing a 12th-century stonemason in mega miniseries The Pillars of the Earth, premiering tonight on Starz at 10/9c, meant maintaining "a level of grime on my neck consistent with that of your typical farm animal," he says. A small price, indeed, for what's shaping up to be the armor-clanking, leech-sucking, monks-a-poppin' drama of the summer. Pillars, based on Ken Follett's doorstop of a best-seller (all 973 pages of it), about the quest to build a Gothic cathedral in a fictional England of yore, runs eight hours over six Friday nights...

Fri, Jul 23, 2010

Pillars of the Earth: A Towering Achievement

Tonight's TV Hot List: Friday, July 23

Friday Night Lights8 pm/ET NBC Tami once again finds herself in the hot seat after Luke's mom tries to get her fired for her role in Becky's tough decision. Forced to fight for her job, Tami has to face the school board to defend her actions. And while this is going on, Luke still struggles with his injury and tries to find new ways to deal with his pain. Elsewhere, Julie takes a hit when she receives an unexpected phone call, and Vince just can't stay out of trouble. — Brie HearnRead on for previews of Eureka, Pillars of the Earth, Wizards of Waverly Place, Smallville and more!

Fri, Jul 23, 2010

Roush Review: Weekend Roundup (Who, Human and Mad Men)

Even for a busy summer, this is one hectic TV weekend. (And that's true even if you're not at Comic-Con.) It kicks off with Starz's The Pillars of the Earth (see review here), a throwback to the classic historical-epic miniseries, and continues Saturday as the latest reboot of BBC America's Doctor Who comes to a spectacular season finish while making room for a new season of the offbeat Being Human. And the jewel in the crown: AMC's Mad Men, returning Sunday for a fourth season in sensational form.Some thoughts follow...

Fri, Jul 23, 2010

Roush Review: Weekend Roundup (Who, Human and Mad Men)

Roush Review: Pillars Revives the Old-Fashioned Epic

They really don't make them like this anymore. And we're not talking about 12th-century Gothic cathedrals. The Pillars of the Earth, a sprawling historical melodrama based on Ken Follett's mammoth bestseller, conjures nostalgic memories of the days of yore, way back in the 20th century, when networks devoted entire weeks to "event" miniseries like Shogun, The Winds of War, The Thorn Birds, Lonesome Dove, to name a memorable few—although in this case, North and South is the best comparison...

Thu, Jul 22, 2010

Roush Review: Pillars Revives the Old-Fashioned Epic