Bruce Mitchell

A drama led by historical research. A splendid spectacle that truly did justice to the scale, the gravity, the complexity of the last weeks of the Byzantine Empire (Morea and Trebizond excepted). Greatly appreciated the periodic interventions of the academic advisors. Though I have been familiar with the tale for decades, this showed both the Ottoman and Byzantine points of view and neither lionized nor demonized either side. Even the conflicted Genoese positions were made clear. Exemplary! Occasional apparent liberties (did Mehmet really charge the walls ahead of the Jannisaries, or deal face to face with Gustiniani?) fitted so well with the narrative that they fitted the character of Mehmet as so well portrayed. The cast were perfect too. I will be looking out for more from this stable. In response to other comments, I had no problems whatsoever with the English. There were accents, of course. None were impenetrable or even difficult. Diction was always clear. I am a native speaker. It is of course curious to have 15th c.Turk, Greek, Hungarian, Serb and Italian conversing in a language few if any of them would ever heard. But such is the modern world. English is our lingua franca (intentional irony).