The Royals: The Complete First Season

Serving up a soapy, ridiculously ludicrous take on the lives of a contemporary British royal family, the 2015 first season of The Royals is the E! Entertainment network's first scripted series. Forget decorum for the historic institution: one of the first things out of the mouth of bitchy Queen Helena (Elizabeth Hurley) is a sneering “When am I not ready? I'm the Queen of England!” The family is thrown into disarray when the oldest son is killed in an “accident” and the erstwhile hard-drinking Prince Liam (William Moseley) becomes next in line. But his even wilder druggie twin sister, Princess Eleanor (Alexandra Park), might also have a shot at the throne, at least if scheming bisexual uncle Prince Cyrus (Jake Maskall) doesn't bump off his own brother, the seemingly meek King Simon (Vincent Regan), who threatens everyone's future by wanting to abolish the monarchy entirely. Sex, drugs, blackmail, romance, and treachery abound in this archly melodramatic black comedy series. Extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes. Not likely to win any artistic awards (what else would you expect from the home network of the Kardashians?), The Royals nevertheless delivers a reasonably entertaining mix of palace intrigue, glamour, and treason. A strong optional purchase. (J. Williams-Wood)