The Czech king who built Prague but couldn't build a family that wouldn't kill each other.
Czech Television's epic historical film draws on the breathtaking dramatic life of the great of Czech history, King Charles IV.
Production
Karlštejn Castle looking so good you'll book train tickets.
Acting
Hádek ages 40 years and somehow makes Charles sympathetic despite everything.
Costume
Crowns so heavy you feel neck pain through the screen.
Director
Václav Křístek
Kryštof Hádek
Karel IV.
Tereza Ramba
Blanka z Valois
Stanislav Majer
Jan Lucemburský
Hana Vagnerová
Eliška Přemyslovna
Petr Štěpán
Ludvík IV. Bavorský
Petr Jeništa
Bušek z Velhartic
Jan Vondráček
Karel IV. Sličný
Jaroslav Plesl
Dobeš z Bechyně
Marián Geišberg
Baulduin Lucemburský
Norbert Lichý
Wolfram
Jan Plouhar
Igor Chmela
Luboš Veselý
Karel Zima
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Kryštof Hádek spent six hours daily in makeup for the elderly Charles scenes, and reportedly started calling crew members 'my children' by week three.
This was Czech Television's most expensive production ever, essentially their answer to HBO's 'Rome'—complete with similar family dysfunction but with more Gothic architecture.
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