A First Look at PBS's Upcoming Drama 'Marie Antoinette'

You've watched the drama accompanying a young English queen's rise in Victoria; now you can turn your attention to France in a slightly earlier period, with the upcoming drama Marie Antoinette. Premiering on WTTW and PBS in March, 2023, the eight-episode series follows the teenaged Maria Antonia as she travels to Versailles to marry Louis-Auguste, soon to be Louis XVI, king of France.

The young German actress Emilia Schüle plays the last French Queen before the French Revolution as she navigates the byzantine etiquette and intrigue of Versailles. Her husband, Louis XVI, is played by Louis Cunningham, who has appeared in Bridgerton. The Tony nominee Marthe Keller takes on the Marie Antoinette's mother, the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, who is determined to secure an alliance via Austria and France via her daugher's marriage.

Other characters include the Madame du Barry, Louis' mistress, and the Princesse de Lamballe, an early friend of Marie Antoinette's in the French court. 

It's a rich historical period to take on, given the lavishness of Versailles and the political ferment of the American Revolution and eventual French Revolution, which removed Louis from the throne and led to his and Marie Antoinette's beheading. We won't get that far in this drama—at least not yet.

Enjoy a few photos from the upcoming series.

The future King Louis XVI is also just a teenager when he marries Marie Antoinette. Photo: Caroline Dubois - Capa Drama / Banijay Studios France / Les Gens / Canal+

Louis' mistress, the Madame du Barry, is a rival to Marie Antoinette. Photo: Caroline Dubois - Capa Drama / Banijay Studios France / Les Gens / Canal+

The Princesse de Lamballe is an early friend of Marie Antoinette at the French court. Photo: Caroline Dubois - Capa Drama / Banijay Studios France / Les Gens / Canal+