New Nicholas & Alexandra Video - Mini Series? Part I

[Rodney_G.]

I think a serious high quality treatment of N&A would work if it were well-funded.And, if it were well-promoted. Though we're all rightly sceptical of an over-the-top Hollywood spectacle, one thing they can do well is promote their best projects; And N&A would need to be well promoted. I agree with Robert that there's not a vast existing audience for whom the IF are a known quantity, but I also think the Romanov saga has vast, maybe unlimited potential appeal , as it does for us APers, if the romance, tragedy , and drama of the Romanov era were made known to  the enormous  'latent' audience .
Just on the face of it , N&A would seeem to have as much drawing power as those series named here, like Thornbirds, Roots, and Shogun If Shogun could work, or John Adams just the right N&A could easily. Assuming it were in responsible hands, promotion  of  the OTMA angle alone (no sexing up)  would contribute to an audience.
Tough requirements, the above, but doable.

[Robert_Hall]

Tim, try and refrain from  political polemics's here. We are discussing a  proposed film series.  Objectivity is order.
 As Rodney mentioned, a quality project might just work. It is it swamped is sex & politics it will sink faster than the Titanic.

[bestfriendsgirl]

Heck, OTMA alone would pull in the female 18-35 demographic advertisers love - we'd be launching a whole new generation of OTMA groupies!

[Robert_Hall]

If this were produced the way I envision it, OTMA would not be much of an issue. And,  there would be no advertisers. The story should sell itself.

[Alixz]

I don't think that OTMA would be a big draw for any demographic as they had no lives. No sex, drugs or rock and roll.

What sold the Thorn Birds was the illicit sex. (Plus the fascination of an old lady with a sexy young priest)

Shogun was the same. The illicit love between a foreigner and a Japanese Lady.

What brings people to Henry VIII or The Tudors is also the love life of Henry and his power over women not his politics or his brilliant reign. (How many people know that his break from the Catholic Church caused the Wars in Northern Ireland? And how many care?)

I love the old series "The Adams Chronicles", but I am in that niche to begin with.

What will sell Gerard Depardieu's Rasputin is also the hint of sex and mystery and magic.  And what tag line sold the original Nicholas and Alexandra? "Their Love Cost An Empire"!

No, I am afraid that realistically OTMA and their dull lives would boor an audience.  OTMA, the daughters who never grew up, would not be a good sell for the average movie fan of the Twilight Series and the latest fad The Hunger Games.

Had Olga been another Catherine II or had Nicholas been another Henry VIII or perhaps Tatiana had been another Elizabeth I of England, then maybe... But I think that you are all in a cloud. As I said before, there are those who post here who are "in love" with one or more of the Grand Duchesses and you give them more personality and more moxie than they actually had.

[Robert_Hall]

Exactly what I was trying to say, Alixz.

[Robert_Hall]

In addition, there is not a great deal to say about the GDs without fictionalising them. That was a big mistake in the '71 film, when one of them  "exposed" herself to  a guard.

[edubs31]

Well Alixz if we are taking Robert's proposed approach of six two-hour episodes there is plenty of time to incorporate any number of individual storylines, no?

I agree with you that an OTMAA-centric series would not be a good idea as there simply wasn't enough there...they weren't able to do or influence anything. The only way that I could possibly imagine an OTMA mini-series coming to life would be to focus heavily on what drama there actually was...Alexei's illness (Spala in particular), Olga's bickering at Alexandra, their hospital experiences and Olga's nervous breakdown, some "incidents" during imprisonment, perhaps a somewhat fictionalized extrapolation of Maria's "private moment" as your necessary romantic scene, etc...but audiences surely would not warm to a portrayal of the five siblings suffering and whining 90% of the time, making this a rather moot point.

On the other hand bits and pieces of OTMA interspersed within a story primarily about Nicholas & Alexandra's relationship, Alexei's illness, Rasputin's influence, two major wars, a revolution, and the eventual crumbling of an empire and death of a family I think would not only work, but be rather necessary to lighten the mood from time to time...

Guaranteed this theme finds a wider audience than "John Adams" that too was none the less very well received.

[Robert_Hall]

Excellent points, edubs.  And of course the GDs figure into the story, just not a major role for them. They might figure in as rather expensive wall paper, if you get what I mean.
 Naturally, Alexei would be  a major factor  though.  And, the treatment of Rasputin. So much new information is available  about him that his role should also be rewritten. Again, without sensationalising him. New treatments of N&A's relations with their Euro cousins, especially with Alix's brother could be  developed.  More depth on historical events. There  just could be enough to keep and audience watching.

[edubs31]

Yeah I can't say I disagree with any of that Robert...and while I'd like to keep the main focus on the Romanovs themselves, being careful not to convolute things with too many other storylines, Vladimir Lenin ought to have a starring role. Not just as somebody mention, like an abstract character that symbolizes "evil" and/or "revolution".

All in all a pretty potent mix of elements if done correctly. N&A + OTMAA + Rasputin vs. Lenin/Bolsheviks + Duma + WWI.

Listen it's not going to perfect...cinema rarely is. But compelling enough, especially if timed correctly and done cost efficiently (no easy task in itself) as has already been discussed.

[Robert_Hall]

I was just reading about a new ITV  series on the Titanic. This is 4, 2 hour episodes at a cost of 3 million UK pounds each. ITV, unlike BBC has commercials so that is how it gets paid for. I do not know know how much of the UK TV license fee ITV gets,  but may also contribute to the cost.
 Lenin  definitely.  He is an important fixture in the story. I would not over play him too much though.  That is just my opinion.
 And I think you edubs, mentioned Angels in America ?
  That was a beautiful and very moving  production.  Sadly, it was also a flop.  Despite the star names, who I understand some had donated their fees. I can barely watch it at times, it is so emotional.  I think it may have sold well on DVD, as can be the case at times.
 This could possiblty be the potebtial for  our N&A  effort.

[Rodney_G.]

I can't see Lenin having a big role at all. In reality he was only a factor in the lives of the IF in literally their last year, call it 2% of N&A's lives. It was a huge role ultimately, insofar as he had them all murdered. But as a player in the Family's life overall, he wasn't. Most of it was spent in Swiss coffeehouses or otherwise in   modestly-lived exile. He was a nonfactor in the 1905 Revolution. He was a nonfactor in the February Revolution. When he first arrived in Russia, the Romanovs were already under house arrest. He didn't aggressively move for a coup (and that against the Prov. Gov., not Nicholas) until the fall. Even in power he was more concerned with resisting real threats to his rule, and they weren't the IF in Tobolsk iin Siberia or even iless in Ekaterinburg. In his writings he rarely mentions the Romanovs as real people, only as the generic oppressive monarchy to be destroyed. He didn't even profess to be too vengeful for the execution of his brother Alexander  in 1887 after the failed plot on Alexander III.

From Nicholas point of view , Lenin was just another would=be revolutionary, to be dealt with by the Okhrana and police. Nicholas never mentions him by name in his writings.

In this N&A, as well as in Romanovy, and in other movies/series, Lenin has been , in my opinion, reduced to a stock figure, usually huddled almost leeringly conspiratorally with other caricature Bolshevik biggies like Trotsky and Sverdlov, almost rubbing their beards with malice in determining the IF"S fate (execution).When the time came Lenin did order the IF"s murders and that , of course, is simply huge in their history and almost the prime way we remember them. But as a dramatic, ongoing character in the longer IF saga, Lenin really wasn't. It could work insofar as a drama needs a villain,  but I think it takes too much license with the Romanovs' real lives.

[Robert_Hall]

Agreed, Rodney.  Lenin would really be a footnote or bit player.  He really did not come into N&A's lives until  they were shot. And, even that was after the fact. I would not give him much time  but certainly mention.

[edubs31]

Rodney I like it...great explanation.

Guess I'm getting carried away with Lenin as the symbol of the opposition/oppression. My thinking was along the lines of showing his trajectory as the eventual leader of Russian politics and the man responsible for the liquidation of the IF. But you're right...it would not make sense to portray this as a "Nicholas vs Lenin" saga. Creating a dichotomy that doesn't really exist...or at least didn't for the first 95-98% of Nicholas' reign.

However I also think he needs to at least be mentioned and shown on screen a couple of times...otherwise the audience would probably start asking "what about Lenin?", lol. It might be a little awkward & abrupt to introduce him only in our sixth and final episode. Too important a figure in my opinion to be marginalized completely. A rather conspicuous absence.

[Jen_94]

Well said Rodney. 

Robert, I agree with you. Mention him, and give him not much time. As much as he was an well known person in Russian history, he wasn't really a huge factor in NAOTMAA's lives overall, as Rodney said.