This widely acclaimed mythic Mozart series is the perfect hot and steamy end-of-year watch.
A remake of the Oscar-winning 1984 movie, the five-part series from Joe Barton reimagines the rivalry between prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Will Sharpe) and court composer Antonio Salieri (Paul Bettany) in 18th-century Vienna.
Both based on the 1979 Peter Shaffer play, the plot follows 25-year-old Mozart as he establishes his musical legacy in Europe, meets his future wife, singer Constanze Weber (Gabrielle Creevy) and navigates royal court life.
All the while, Salieri clashes with his genius as he plans for his doom.
Forget Bridgerton, from the get-go, this period drama gets sexy as sparks fly between Mozart and Constanze, leading to more than one sensual rendezvous.
There’s innuendo after innuendo, ‘depressed wanks at his piano’, and strawberries in places they simply shouldn’t be. It’s a historical piece infused with jazz, rock and roll and a brush of modernity to make it pop.
It’s been called everything from ‘sexy, quirky fun in wigs’ to ‘raunchy, vulgar and funny’.
‘It’s all about great characters, pulpy action — plenty of sex and jokes and set-pieces — and a fast pace that makes you devour the whole thing in a day or two,’ The Evening Standard praised.
The Financial Times called this version ‘sordid and ribald’.
‘It is an absolute riot, a sensory banquet, sometimes funny, sometimes very dark indeed… it’s the sort of drama in which Mozart splendidly tells an ungifted boy he is tutoring at piano that he has “flaccid baby cocks for fingers”,’ The Times warned.
This is among the wider praise for the series, which landed 82% on Rotten Tomatoes among critics.
iNews called it an ‘arch, wry romp’ while News Statesman dubbed it ‘highly enjoyable television: a success for delicate times’.
A sentiment echoed by fans, as X user Gerry Moore hailed it ‘the best thing on Sky in a long while.
‘Goes far deeper into Mozart’s relationship with father and wife than the brilliant play and all the lead actors are very strong. A good Christmas binge’
Prateek Tiwari called it’a brilliant and beautiful remake’.
Discussing how he embodied the renowned musician, Too Much star Will told Metro: ‘For me, it was sort of like approaching any other role.
‘You start with what’s on the page, try and find a way into it. I did some research about Mozart’s life, but I felt like anything that I found there was to be taken or left because it’s such a famously fictionalised version of the story.’
Amadeus is available to stream on Sky and NOW.
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