Another housemate reality show in period costume

Since this was obviously inspired by the commercial success of operatic soap operas in period disguise, such as the The Tudors, The Borgias, and The Other Boleyn Girl, I was expecting the worst, but this isn't quite as bad as I feared it might be. Yes, it's a soap opera set against a background vaguely reminiscent of an historical era, with at least some of the characters bearing the names of people who did exist once, though the resemblance ends there. The producers' main objective was clearly to serve up an entertaining formula of pretty people in pretty clothes doing and saying mean things to each other, and that's what they achieved. The actual historical setting did not trouble this production greatly; the cast and even the script, with only minor changes, would serve just as well for a soap set in modern Hollywood, or gangland 20s Chicago, or really anywhere: costuming aside, there's nothing here at all to suggest that these people think, talk, or believe themselves to be early-modern princes and peers. However, even though the acting is mostly mediocre, the formula is entertaining enough, and the producers thoughtfully provide a bit of T&A every 20 mins or so as a welcome relief from the adolescent frat-boy angst and malevolent hand-wringing which is the substance of most scenes. Knowing that another helping of jiggly bits would be along soon probably made it possible for me to get as far as I have watching this series - I'd have turned it off and sent it back after the first episode, but for Schmidt's majestic twin peaks (the only thing actually majestic in ten hours' examination of a royal dynasty). As Dumas knew well, the Bourbon court is a fine subject for high political drama. It would make a splendid historical miniseries. Maybe someday someone will make one.