War & Peace: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 62 Ratings

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7.8

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7.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 62 Ratings

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Season Details & Credits

Lifetime | A&E | History | Season Premiere Date: November 12, 2017

Starring: Gillian Anderson, Adrian Edmondson, Ken Stott

Summary: Countess Natasha Rostova (Lily James) becomes engaged to Prince Andrei Bolkonsky (James Norton) but eventually falls in love with Pierre Bezukhov (Paul Dano) in this adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's epic novel by Andrew Davies.

Genre(s): Drama, Movie/Mini-Series

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Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E7. Episode #1.4
Air Date: October 13, 2019
tbd
S1:E6. Episode 6
Air Date: November 30, -0001
tbd
S1:E5. Episode 5
Air Date: November 30, -0001

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Verne Gay

Jan 15, 2016

Davies’ dialogue feels so organic to the characters it’s written for that it seems almost to bond to them, as naturally as if it was their skin or hair color. Actors in Davies’ production invariably rise to the level of the words placed before them. They certainly do here. Read full review

Eric Renner Brown

Jan 19, 2016

The opulent drama is entertaining as hell--Tolstoy himself would surely approve of the truly epic battle sequences. [22 Jan 2016, p.65] Read full review

Molly Eichel

Jan 19, 2016

This version of War & Peace may not have all of its parts intact, but it keeps the structure of the plot in place, giving a nice overview of Tolstoy’s novel, and keeping a tight pace for TV. It’ll be interesting to see whether the series can sustain throughout its six-part run, but the first few hours are an enjoyable way to pretend to digest great world literature. Read full review

Robert Rorke

Jan 19, 2016

Viewers willing to lose themselves in this rich tapestry of a bygone world will not be disappointed. Read full review

Ken Tucker

Jan 19, 2016

[Davies and director Tom Harper] reduce, expand, or toss out numerous plot lines and characters, all in the service of heavy-breathing romance and big-spectacle battle scenes in a kind of young-adult-novel depiction of Russian families caught up in 19th-century tumult.... Old pros such as Jim Broadbent, Stephen Rea, and Brian Cox are around to lend the soap opera proceedings some gravity. Read full review

Daniel Fienberg

Jan 19, 2016

It's a march through epic battles, epic romance and epic intellectual discovery, but viewers are probably going to have to take that old Tolstoy off the shelf ito fully understand what's so epic about it. Onscreen, it remains a fine, fast-moving yarn, but you don't have to have read the book to nod sagely and say, "The book is better." Read full review

John Anderson

Jan 14, 2016

At no time will the viewer feel that he or she has been transported to 1805 Russia, the drawing rooms of St. Petersburg, or the blood-soaked battlefields of the Napoleonic wars. That said, it’s not entirely a bad time. This is because directed Tom Harper and screenwriter Andrew Davies are far less interested in Tolstoy’s take on the individual’s place in the universe than they are in the who’s-sleeping-with-whom school of world literature and the more sentimental aspects of Tolstoy’s story. Neither are they much interested in subtlety. Read full review

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User Reviews

MattyHoll26

Apr 22, 2016

I'm not usually a particularly massive fan, of the ostentatious period drama's, however the story was so so charming and so wonderfully acted, the costumes and the set pieces were breathtaking. And Paul Dano's performance was superb and heart wrenching at times, However James Norton was anI'm not usually a particularly massive fan, of the ostentatious period drama's, however the story was so so charming and so wonderfully acted, the costumes and the set pieces were breathtaking. And Paul Dano's performance was superb and heart wrenching at times, However James Norton was an pleasant surprise an absolutely must watch… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

SgtSlick

Feb 9, 2016

Best TV since Fargo season 1 and True Detective season 1. Cast is awesome and the general feel and pace of the show is really captivating. Just wish it went longer than 6 episodes :(

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

seandodson

Feb 1, 2016

Brilliantly acted, cast and directed, but what surprised me most of all was how moving the story was. One of the better things I 've seen on TV in recent years.

4 of 5 users found this helpful41

fildzanabila

Jan 23, 2016

Apart from Russians speaking with British accents, i think Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace has now topped and become my favourite classics. Heck, even better than Jane Austen's works.

What propelled me to watch this, and read the book eventually, was because Paul Dano is starring in it! FirstApart from Russians speaking with British accents, i think Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace has now topped and become my favourite classics. Heck, even better than Jane Austen's works.

What propelled me to watch this, and read the book eventually, was because Paul Dano is starring in it! First noticed and love him for his role as an author in Ruby Sparks then watched him in 12 Years of Slave.

Taking place in the early 19th century during French invasion to Russia and Austria by Napoleon Buonaparte, War & Peace tells the perspectives of five aristocratic families.

What distinguishes this to other classics is Leo Tolstoy's dark and dramatic storyline infused with virtues and philosophy of life and war itself, being an author and historian altogether.

With almost similar genre to Downton Abbey, War & Peace still serves way better quality (i think BBC One has done a very good job in adapting it to motion picture, esp. how they open each episode with so much intensity and a strong theme song to support).

Putting it in superhero movies' terms, comparing Downton Abbey and War & Peace is like watching Marvel comics and DC Universe. Marvel (Downton Abbey) has wide array of colours and normally PG-13 (or more, but never R-rated), whilst DC is much more darker in the selection of colour palettes (though not as dark as Tim Burton's) and much rich and deep characters.

My fave character is Pierre Bezukhov. Somehow i can relate myself to him, being socially awkward myself, unintentionally making people uncomfortable and a tad altruist that sometimes losing touch with reality. But i also really really like Andrei Bolkonsky for his intelligence, deep thoughts to the depth of the abyss (i have tendency to be drawn to grief and sorrow stories).… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

daviddelnorte23

Mar 4, 2017

'Guerra y Paz' es una magnífica producción sobre la aristocracia rusa, durante el intento de invasión de Napoleón Bonaparte. Pero esto no es nada más que un marco histórico donde se sitúa la serie. Está centrada principalmente en el personaje de Paul Dano y muestra su evolución a medida que'Guerra y Paz' es una magnífica producción sobre la aristocracia rusa, durante el intento de invasión de Napoleón Bonaparte. Pero esto no es nada más que un marco histórico donde se sitúa la serie. Está centrada principalmente en el personaje de Paul Dano y muestra su evolución a medida que se lleva a cabo la ocupación.

Paul Dano está rodeado de magníficos actores secundarios durante el desarrollo de la historia, entre los que destacan: una soberbia Lilly James, James Norton... ( ¡Ojo con este chaval! ) La serie tiene una magnifica fotografía, aunque bueno, en los aspectos técnicos me parece maravillosa en todos. También, está escrito muy bien, con un guión muy bien trabajado.

En conclusión, es un "Tv-Show" que no es de mi estilo, no es mi tipo de televisión. Este tipo de dramas centrados en la aristocracia es un tema que todavía, a día de hoy, no me convence y me llega a aburrir bastante. Por lo demás, la serie es cojonuda.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

HarryNuggets

Apr 10, 2016

The English are at it again. A bloated, class obsessed sumptuous looking but not particularly interesting adaption of the novel. What would be more iritating than a bunch of self absorbed aristocrats with Russian accents? One featuring a load of the same thing English style. Dano is notThe English are at it again. A bloated, class obsessed sumptuous looking but not particularly interesting adaption of the novel. What would be more iritating than a bunch of self absorbed aristocrats with Russian accents? One featuring a load of the same thing English style. Dano is not particularly well cast, but then again he's not much of an actor. I'm sure the Downtown Alley crowd will lap this stuff up. Don't think this is Tolstoy.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Dzimas

Jan 28, 2016

From what I've seen so far (4 hours) this is more like Real Housewives of Early 19th Century Russia than it is War & Peace. The creative team of Davies and Harper has served up a juicy set of scandalous women dressed as how J. Peterman might have imagined them, with a combination of nabobsFrom what I've seen so far (4 hours) this is more like Real Housewives of Early 19th Century Russia than it is War & Peace. The creative team of Davies and Harper has served up a juicy set of scandalous women dressed as how J. Peterman might have imagined them, with a combination of nabobs and cads for men. Pierre Bezukhov, the heart and soul of the novel is reduced to a doleful young man who turns to Free Masonry to find some purpose in his miserable life. Of course, one has to wonder how a man who has inherited such great wealth could be so sad. There seems no room for philosophical asides in this bedroom drama. Davies and Harper are more interested with who is sleeping with whom and for how much. It is hard to imagine the second half will be any better, as Moscow finds itself buried under the full weight of Napoleon's Grand Armee, but at least it will bring back Brian Cox as Gen. Kutusov, one of the few compelling performances in this mini-series.… Expand

2 of 6 users found this helpful24

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Seasons & Episodes

72

Series Overview
Season 1

72
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: November 12, 2017
- tbd
  S1:E7. Episode #1.4
  Air Date: October 13, 2019
- tbd
  S1:E6. Episode 6
  Air Date: November 30, -0001
- tbd
  S1:E5. Episode 5
  Air Date: November 30, -0001
- tbd
  S1:E4. Part 4
  Air Date: February 8, 2016
- tbd
  S1:E3. Part 3
  Air Date: February 1, 2016
- tbd
  S1:E2. Part 2
  Air Date: January 25, 2016
- tbd
  S1:E1. Part 1
  Air Date: January 18, 2016