World Without End

Technically a sequel to The Pillars of the Earth, this made-for-cable miniseries (once again based on a Ken Follett novel) takes place in the same town of Kingsbridge some 150 years later—in the mid-1300s at the start of the Hundred Years' War—with a whole new cast of characters. Top billing goes to Cynthia Nixon as Petranilla, a ferociously ambitious mother bent on furthering the ascent of her son, Godwyn (Rupert Evans)—a sanctimonious, sexually repressed friar—through the religious hierarchy. Ben Chaplin costars as Sir Thomas Langley, a soldier with a past shrouded in mystery who trades his sword for a life of service in the church. But this is really more of an ensemble piece, and contributing admirably to the effort are Charlotte Riley as Caris, a healer framed for murder and tried as a witch who escapes hanging by joining the cloister; Nora von Waldstätten as Gwenda, a peasant who stands up to injustice; and Miranda Richardson as Mother Cecilia, a progressive abbess who challenges the greed of the monastery. Shot on location in Hungary, Austria, and Czechoslovakia, World Without End is a handsome production with some impressive set pieces. In addition to the compelling human drama, the miniseries offers an interesting perspective on the Middle Ages, the power of the church and the crown, and life during the Black Plague. Presenting all eight episodes originally broadcast in 2012, extras include a “making-of” featurette. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)