A Scandalous Court

A Scandalous Court is a period political drama produced by BBC Wales and HBO. It stars Domnhall Gleeson as King Taran of Heartsvale, a fictional kingdom loosely based on Great Britain. It premiered on January 1st 2017 in both the US on HBO and the UK on BBC One.

Background
A Scandalous Court was the first commission of a 5-year deal between HBO and BBC Wales to produce original drama. It was officially announced in late 2014 at a press conference in New York City. Casting was then later confirmed at a press conference in Cardiff. Production began on May 14th 2015.

Season 1
Production for the series' first season to be broadcast in early 2017 began on May 14th 2015 and concluded six months later on November 19th 2015. Filming began in Roath Lock Studios (replacing studios used for CBBC series Wizards vs Aliens) while also filming on location in South Wales for the majority of the summer. Exterior production in Wales ended in August 2015 and then moved to Prague, where the remainder of the series' exterior scenes were shot. Remaining interior scenes resumed production at Roath Lock in October 2015 and concluded the following month.

Season 2
It was confirmed in December 2015 that a second season had been commissioned to broadcast in late 2017, and that production would begin in Finland for six weeks in February. Production then resumed in Cardiff for 3 months from March to May, including interior scenes at Roath Lock and exterior scenes in St Davids, Pembrokeshire and the surrounding area. Production concluded in Tunisia in October 2016, after a 6 week break from filming.

Cast
Domnhall Gleeson as Prince Taran, later King Taran

The heartless son of Ariadne and Larken, he returns from a foreign battle and plans in secret to kill his kindhearted father and conquer the kingdom as his own.

Jenna Coleman as Princess Corine, later Queen Corine

The loving wife of Taran, she cares for her husband and her newfound kingdom. But eyebrows are raised when she falls pregnant so soon after his return from battle, leaving some to speculate that the father of the apparent heir may in fact be Taran's bastard brother Frederick.

Emma Thompson as Queen Ariadne, later Queen Mother Ariadne

The honourable but manipulative mother of Taran. She intends to destroy and her son's reputation and trigger a revolt in the kingdom in order to claim the throne for herself.

Colin Firth as King Larken

The beloved leader of Heartsvale, he is heartlessly murdered by his son, Prince Taran.

Felicity Jones as Princess Marianne, later Duchess of Chainsville

Sam Claflin as Sir Frederick Moon, later stripped of his titles.

Emily Browning as Princess Esmerelda, later Duchess of Banetown

Ian McKellen as Cardinal Browning