FRAGILE FOUNDATIONS FOR "THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH"

Builders of all kinds who shape the future. The cast of the epic TV adaptation of Ken Follett's novel THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH. Images: STARZ.

English writer Ken Follett's magnum opus of sex, swordplay, violence, religious zealousness and church building, the epic PILLARS OF THE EARTH (the novel that truly put him up on the worldwide best seller map in 1989) recently made into an equally bold and wide rangingly lavish Ridley and Tony Scott produced, $40 million 2010 mini-series- with an all-star European and American cast including Matthew McFadyen as the noble and honorable priest Prior Philip, Donald Sutherland as the loyal to the crown land owner, Earl Bartholomew, Rufus Sewell as the Master architect and engineer, Tom Builder, Tony Curran as the conniving and dangerous impostor King Stephen, alongside fine string support from stars of tomorrow like Hayley Atwell (now doing very well in America, in blockbusters like the recent CAPTAIN AMERICA) as the independent and fiery heroine beyond her times, Aliena, and Eddie Reymane as the builder with a unique past that could end up shaping the future, Jack Jackson- gets a worthy re-airing tonight on the UK's TCM Channel. Despite a relatively slow opener that has a lot of characters and situations to introduce, especially if you haven't already read the book, I thoroughly recommend you stick with it as it soon kicks into major gear from episode two onwards.

L-R: Natalia Worner as Ellen, Rufus Sewell as Tom Builder and Eddie Reymane as Jack.

Ian McShane impresses as the horrible Waleran Bigod.

Hayley Atwell adds some beauty and 12th Century feminine liberation as Aliena

Set in and around the fictional town of Kingsbridge in the midst of upheaval within 12th century England- where you were lucky if your life expectancy went beyond thirty!- the story tells numerous critical subplots based around real life events of the time that converge on the building of a church priory whose builders and priests hope will unite the surrounding areas and, with its planned existence, unfortunately threaten to de-stabilize both the corrupt land owners, the future King's political well being and the higher echelons of the Catholic Church, as led by the thoroughly repulsive, deceitful as a snake, and sado-masochistic Waleran Bigod (Ian McShane in another note worthy performance after his prior superb work on DEADWOOD). From this vast tapestry of history and evolutionary change spanning thirty years comes civil war, sabotage, grisly murders and betrayals, destinies unfurled and both unlikely and tragic love in a time of escalating and highly volatile uncertainty. It's the stuff that bestselling novels are made of and makes for a heady and enjoyable brew, well made and involving, on television.

Trailer: The Pillars of the Earth - Preview - YouTube

Blood and thunder! The Earl (Donald Sutherland) defends his kingdom from aggressors.

A generally well received success in its eight part Canadian/German co-production translation (first airing in the UK on CHANNEL 4 and on the STARZ channel in the US), which its author was very happy with (Follett even gets to make a fun cameo in one of the episodes!), fans hopes are high that its 2007 sequel, WORLD WITHOUT END, will eventually be realized.