Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Queen Isabella: The Sitcom

In church on Sunday, being the pious rockin' blogger girl that I am, I thought when the lesson about Mary and Martha was read, "Wouldn't this make a good sitcom?" Well, the hamster in the ol' brain started going, and thanks to that and Alianore's recent post on Queen Isabella's later years, this was the twisted result:

"Rising to the Occasion": A New Sitcom

Queen Isabella expected things to be a little different when she left her son's court for a quieter life on her estates, but she didn't bargain for the wild and wacky retainers at Castle Rising! Can a dowager queen adjust to the simple life amongst the local yokels?

Episode #13: "A Heart in the Wrong Place"

When Isabella's new damsel, Alice, takes it upon herself to polish the dowager queen's jewel caskets, she accidentally throws out something very important—Edward II's heart! Can Alice and her friend, Isabella's bumbling steward, find it and put it back in its place before Isabella notices?

Episode #22: "Ladies' Knight"

Thanks to a gift of wine from the folks of Lynn, Isabella is having a rollicking girls-only evening with her old friends Elizabeth de Burgh and Marie de St. Pol—when Henry de Grosmont shows up! Will three merry widows be too much for even the gallant Henry?

Episode #49: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?"

Isabella plans to ask her son Edward III for an increase in her allowance—but just as the king settles into his chamber, Isabella's cousin King John of France comes to visit, expecting to be entertained in high style! Will the gang be able to convince Edward that Isabella's poor while impressing John with Isabella's riches?

Episode #53: "The Papal Chase"

Just for fun, Isabella's clerks write a letter to the Pope in which Isabella confesses to her husband's murder—and they accidentally give it to the queen's messenger! Can they outride the messenger to Avignon?

(P.S. Vote for your favorite Henry in the sidebar!)

9 comments:

Gabriele Campbell said...

Since I'm not a good little Christian who goes to church on Sundays, I now have to look up the story of Mary and Martha.

Well, at least I have a Bible somewhere. :)

Anonymous said...

I think I would nominate episode #53 for an Emmy!

Cory said...

Definitely sitcom material. I would have to record it!

alternatefish said...

I would so watch this. Whatever you're doing, please stop and write this show. Especially episode 49.

Daphne said...

So who would you want to play Isabella??

ElaineMomNC said...

Susan, are you Catholic? The Martha and Mary Gospel is the one read in our church last weekend? Yes, I happen to be Catholic.

Susan Higginbotham said...

Thanks for stopping by, all!

Daphne, I'm leaning toward Gwyneth Paltrow, though I guess makeup would have to do some work on her for the older Isabella.

Elaine, yup! We go to St. Mary Magdalene here in Apex. Quite a few members of the congregation are young children, which makes for some interesting sermons when three or four babies start screaming in stereo!

Carla said...

I remember puzzling over the Mary and Martha story and thinking: all very well, but I bet he ate the dinner when it came!
Yes, you can tell me I missed the point :-)

Kathryn Warner said...

Hilarious - you really need to write some of these. ;)

I voted for Henry II, by the way! I'm not much of a fan of the Henrys in general, though.