Young Catherine

It's 1744 in a small German principality. Catherine (Julia Ormond) is selected by Prussian Frederick the Great (Maximilian Schell) and brought to St. Petersberg to marry Peter, heir to the Russian throne. The empire is ruled by his aunt Empress Elizabeth (Vanessa Redgrave). Peter is a failure in everything and Catherine must fight for her place. She is befriended by Sir Charles (Christopher Plummer) but few others. She maneuvers to take the throne and the empire.

In 1744, Catherine would have been 15. Julia Ormond was about 10 years older than that. It would have been more compelling to have a teen trying to deal with the political intrigue. The role does span a long time so it's a tough casting proposition. She was 33 when she took the throne. Ormond was relatively new and did a very nice job. The production is pretty high for a TV mini-series. The cast is filled with great veterans. It is better than most TV movies. As for accuracy, don't ask me. I'm no historian.