Reign

Original author: The CW

Reign image

While Reign is a historical drama (seems out of place for the CW), it is slightly inaccurate to name it such. The bodice-ripper takes generous liberties with the 16th century history of Mary Queen of Scots. As told by CW, Mary arrives in France to marry the French king’s hot son, Prince Francis. In the real world, Francis was a sickly young teen who died after less than two years on the throne. The CW’s Francis, however, is a hunky guy who has a “history” with a lady of the court which, of course, was hardly worth mentioning back in those days but looms large, plot-development-wise, in 2013. Adding to the fun, Mary is also attracted to Francis’ “roguish” illegitimate half-brother, Bash — who never existed, notes the actor playing him, Torrance Coombs. According to producers: “In each episode we’ll educate people on what element of history helps our story…There is a certain amount of latitude,” they acknowledge. “It’s TV so, you know, we can take creative license with it.” You can see how much starting 10/17 on the CW. Check local listings for times.