Here's a new TV series that features love, hate, lust and revenge.
What? You say it sounds like a dozen other shows already on the tube? But this one's different. This one revolves around royalty!
The Royals debuts at 9 p.m. today on E! and stars Elizabeth Hurley as a modern-day British queen. The story involves juicy drama, deep, dark secrets and scandalous scandal in the palace.
E! boasts that viewers "will be taken to a delightfully decadent new level in the network's first scripted series. The hour-long drama depicts the lives of a fictional monarchy in modern times where power is everything, limits do not exist, and trust is a luxury this family can't afford."
Yes, it's a world of opulence and tradition, but it comes with a price tag that includes intense public scrutiny.
Here are the main characters.
Queen Helena. Hurley plays the polished, poised, and fierce Queen Helena, who presents her family as the picture of class and grace to the adoring public. However, her twins -- Eleanor and Liam -- do their best to sully the family's reputation by feeding the tabloid frenzy with their wild and rebellious ways.
King Simon. While all this drama is swirling about, Queen Helena's husband, King Simon (Vincent Regan), is struggling to keep his family afloat, "but when tainted politics and dangerous relationships are involved, chaos and turmoil threaten to uproot the family tree."
Prince Liam. William Moseley plays the playboy prince who flaunts his extravagant lifestyle and takes full advantage of being one of the most sought-after bachelors on the planet.
When his older brother Robert, the beloved heir to the throne, tragically dies, Liam, the spare heir, becomes next in line.
The harsh public spotlight then falls on Liam. He soon learns that as a member of the royal family, you do not choose your destiny, destiny chooses you.
Helena's royal advice to her son: "Do not screw up."
Princess Eleanor. Alexandra Park portrays the free-spirited princess, a constant challenge for Helena and a threat to the family's reputation. While secretly longing for a more meaningful existence in her limitless world, the heiress continues to party like only a princess can.
Ophelia. Merritt Patterson stars as Ophelia, the daughter of the family's head of security and the love interest of Prince Liam.
Bonus: The indomitable Joan Collins guest stars as the Queen Mum, the Grand Duchess of Oxford. Zinger comment to her daughter: "I see you've redecorated. I'd love to know whatever possessed you to choose Vegas as your theme."
Keeping the family out of the tabloids is the daunting task of the Royals' security team. Liam's pursuit of a hedonistic lifestyle keeps his bodyguard and confidant Marcus (Ukweli Roach) hard at work, especially when Liam sneaks off with his best friend Ashok (Manpreet Bachu).
Jasper (Tom Austen) is Eleanor's new bodyguard. He is delegated to protect her not only from outside harm, but also from herself. Jasper's quiet demeanor juxtaposed against his brooding good looks hint that there is something far more calculating going on inside his head.
As chief of security, Ted (Oliver Milburn) is committed to keeping his personal life discrete, but when Liam falls for his daughter, Ted's private and professional lives start to merge.
Wait! There's more!
To make matters even more complicated, Liam's socialite ex-girlfriend Gemma (Sophie Colquhoun) returns upon Prince Robert's untimely death. Gemma is relentless in her attempt to win Liam back from Ophelia.
As the heiress of a diamond cartel, Gemma is refined, manipulative, and very determined in her desire to be with Liam when he is crowned king in the future.
Elsewhere in the dark, dark shadows of the palace, Cyrus (Jake Maskall), King Simon's brother, is plotting and scheming and looking for a chance to steal the throne by doing anything to take down the heirs one by one.
While Cyrus' power is restricted, his lack of morality is not, even when it comes to his sexuality, jealousy and enlisting his dimwitted daughters Maribel (Hatty Preston) and Penelope (Lydia Rose Bewley) to do his bidding.
There you have it -- a royal soap opera with everything you love about ABC's Scandal and Netflix's House of Cards. And the good news for those looking for their next guilty pleasure is that E! has already renewed the series for a second season.
One final note. Is it just me, or does the 49-year-old Hurley look like an older version of Kate Middleton? Discuss among yourselves.
The TV Column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Email:
mstorey@arkansasonline.com
Style on 03/15/2015