Sissi

The new German-Austrian series on the topic of Sisi is exceptional in that it has set out to finally retell the life of Empress Elisabeth (1837-1898) as a whole. It, of course, falls into the new wave of popularity of this phenomenon along with other films and series: 'Die Kaiserin' (2022), 'Corsage' (2022), and 'Sisi & Ich' (2023). Moreover, all previous films, TV productions, plays, musicals, anything you can think of, always chose only something. Similarly, the dramatized fates of other members of this Wittelsbach princess's family. The list of actresses who have ever played Sisi is too extensive for the scope of this comment, so I will only mention my favorite works - 'Elisabeth von Österreich' (1931), 'Sissi' (1955), 'Kronprinz Rudolfs letzte Liebe' (1956), and 'The Substitute for Sissi' (1995). (28/11/2023)

In the first season, the creators offered a slightly different perspective on the notoriously known story. 1854 - marriage to Franz Joseph I, in the years 1855, 1856, and 1858, the birth of the first three children, Sophie Frederica, Gisela, and Rudolf. But to make it even more thrilling, the revelation of the crown prince's gender was left as a cliffhanger. Over almost 200 years, so many ideas on how to dramatically portray these years emerged, that it really couldn't be expected for this series to bring anything significantly new. The new viewer experience is only in the new style, in the new cast, and in the presentation of the empress's biography to the new generation. The modern approach also enjoys youthful rulers who first have to come to terms with their sexuality before being able to experience the joys and sorrows of motherhood. People today have much greater freedom in these questions, and perhaps that's why they so willingly travel back to the past from the safety of their present. (28/11/2023)

The second season is set in the first period, in which Empress Elizabeth began to emancipate herself, represented, and often stayed in Hungary. She had fulfilled her historical role of three births including a boy. These years are not often dramatized and may be surprising for some viewers. Negotiations with von Bismarck, a meeting with Napoleon III, a romance with Count Andrassy... The highlight is, of course, the coronation in 1867. (28/11/2023)