Period Drama 'Mary & George' Moves to Starz and Sets a 2024 Premiere Date

Period drama Mary & George was originally announced as an AMC+ series, but the Villiers family has apparently moved house entirely prior to its arrival. The show will now air on Starz in the U.S. (it'll remain a Sky Original in the U.K.), a shift that makes a certain amount of sense given that particular network's unapologetic embrace of female-fronted historical dramas like The Serpent Queen. If only because this particular story is about a cunning and powerful woman that American audiences are likely entirely unfamiliar with.

Mary & George stars Julianne Moore (May December) as Mary Villiers, Countess of Buckingham, a scandalous and charismatic royal favorite during the reign of King James I. Known for her relentless ambition and greed ambition, she supposedly groomed her handsome son George (played by Red, White, and Royal Blue breakout Nicholas Galitzine) to seduce the king, whose interest in men was pretty much an open --- if largely unspoken --- secret at the time. Thanks to his mother's dedicated scheming, George became the king's lover, and the Villiers became one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the history of the British court.

George reaped plenty of rewards from his relationship with James: He was appointed Lord High Admiral of England and had the dukedom of Buckinghamshire recreated for him, making him the first commoner elevated to such a position in a century. George remained at the height of royal favor throughout James' reign and even into that of his son, King Charles I, until he was assassinated by an army officer in 1628. Mary herself died four years after her son was killed.