User reviews

Make sure you read up on Emperor Fran's Josef and Elizabeth to learn their true story, because this series is not it.

That being said, it was a very good TV series, well done and entertaining. If you're a stickler for history it will grate for sure, but hopefully will spur viewers to do some research on these characters and the times, and that would not be a bad thing.

The true story of Sisi is actually far more tragic than this portrayal. She did influence her husband in certain matters, particularly in relation to Hungary but her experience as Empress was nowhere near that depicted in this show. She was beloved by the people but spent little time even living in Vienna, and she herself was assassinated when she was in her 60's.

Also interesting is that the Emperor Franz Josef would later be responsible for setting the wheels in motion that resulted in WWI, after his presumptive heir, Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie, were assassinated in Sarajevo by a Serbian.

To me, the true story -or history - is almost always better than what these writers and producers feel they need to conjure up for whatever reasons. That's disappointing.

But it's a good TV series, "based on a true story", with good acting, and beautiful direction in a beautiful country. You'll just have to bear with the alterations of fact, something I'm not fond of watching happen but as I said hopeful folks will be intrigued enough to do some research and find out the true story.

I'd recommend watching it but with those caveats.

Got to admit that I wasn't expecting anything out of it, and yes this isn't for everyone because it's historical BUT the cinematography and the fact that the actress that plays Sisi were great!

Since I was a child I was interested in Sissi's life.. I saw 1000 times Romy Schneider's movie (very nice trilogy but not realty) and I have read countless books about her life.

This mini series finally close to reality... so no, it's not a fairy tale... Super cast, nice costumes and places... I can't wait for the new season.

This show probably has very little to so with the actual lives of the emperor and empress. If the characters were names to fictional persons, people might have given higher ratings. As the story is entertaining, the decor and costumes are beautiful and the acting is good. So if you are looking for more insight in the imperial couple watch a documetary, if you want an entertaining costume drama, this is a good watch.

I saw this already the third time. It is Not a Romy Schneider remake. It is a completly new fiction series. Yes it is fiction, But Shows more complex charakters- more like the real Sisi was. You can feel how many passion was put into this.

I definetly Love it. As a kid I loved the Romy Schneider films. You have to be open minded to really enjoy this Show- But then I promise you will:)

To be honest, I disagree with the reviews that are marked lower than 6, because I think this series is not really as bad as people have written in previous reviews!! The costumes, the cast, and the plot were all really impressive👍🏼 maybe you didn't like some open scenes but that does not mean that this series is a "waste of time", besides that I think if creators retell the story again, it will be boring (there are no historic series that are filmed only true stories). Truly, this movie is worth to watch, because if you like period/historical dramas, then this is for you🌟 I am sure that these series are more enjoyable for watching than, say, the film "Euphoria" where is only nudity, sex scenes and nothing at all. Just please, appreciate the historical movies/series that teach more or less history of some nations. I am looking forward to the 2nd season too!!!👍🏼

Season One: 5.5/10

Themes: Costume Drama, History, Royalty, Court, Marriage, Nineteenth Century, War, Feminism & German.

Review: I'm not sure how I feel about this series. The main emotion I felt while watching this was frustration or indignation. I think the series harmed itself by naming it Sisi: everything about this plot and the characters were different from what I was hoping or expecting them to be. The love story was also not a love story at all: Franz and Sisi were absolutely horrible together and I still do not know if either of them even knew the other. Franz treated Sisi like dirt and Sisi let him walk all over her. Gone was the strong and beloved woman we associate with Sisi, and instead we had this pathetic girl, desperate to get the attention of a man unworthy of her love. I did think Sisi grew into herself more in the later episodes, especially with how she got involved with the politics, but I still wasn't a fan. Overall, I did enjoy watching the series quite a bit, but it simply wasn't all that great. It could be fun from time to time, but it was ultimately very flawed.

Least favourite character: Franz Jozef.

Finally an extraordinary serie about sissy, customes, decors, landscapes, schlosses are so fantastic...the 2 head personages are so beautifull & do their job fantastic. When you follow this serie, you absolutely want to see see the rest. It's just fabulous. The story don't follow the real history, but most of the time it does, Romy Schneider is not in this world anymore, but in the serie is much better than the romatic movie. So, people: watch it & see the unbelievable of the imperatrice Sissi. Watch the beautifull Schlosses, the clothes, landscapes & how it was in that time when it was all so romantic & so luxury.

I'm sick of reading "it's historically inaccurate" in every review about historical drama's. This is not a documentary, it's just a show like any other.

I think the creators didn't want to retell a story that has already been told so many times. Maybe not everything that happened in this series is based on true events, but in my opinion that's what makes it interesting. It's new and refreshing and I'm here for it!

The series was visually very beautiful. It was well filmed and the shots were really nice. I'm not sure if the costumes were historically accurate, but they were beautiful for sure.

What I loved most, was Sisi's character developement. In the start she was this cheerful and happy person, but you could see how she felt less happy each episode. The prince's emotions were good portrayed as well. I could feel his sadness and anger by just looking at him.

The only thing that bothered me, which is propably the most important thing too, is the storyline. It just didn't have a good continuous storyline. I can't really explain what exactly is wrong with it, but it most certainly isn't perfect.

Overall it's actually pretty good. Yes, the storyline could've used some more work, but it was still very enjoyable.

I am not one of those who think "Romy Schneider is the only Sissi ever". No, the Romy movies were great fairytales, but Sissi's complicated and dramatic story would finally deserve a good historical drama.

This series is NOT that. I honestly wonder how the rating can be as "high" as 6 and how some people could like it so much they gave 8 or 10 stars. It is very bad, in every way.

It is even more inaccurate than the Romy movies, but that is least of the problem. The storyline is simply not interesting. The pacing is very bad, it does not work at all. Acting is average at best, in some cases it is awful and not at all believable. Characters are not written well, none of them has more than 1 layer. Sissi's character is boring and superficial, the "best friend" character is abolute nonsense. Franz J is the worst man ever in this - but that does not seem to be the writers' intentions, no, they think it is okay in 2021 to romanticize such a violent a man (not to mention that the real FJ was not like that at all). Besides, there is no chemistry between the "lovers". You watch it and simply can't understand why they love each other, other than being supposedly attracted to each others' good looks (which is very childish and even Disney tales go beyond than that nowadays).

If you want to watch a good Sissi movie, watch the 1950s movies.

If you want to watch something quite close to her real story and the real history of Europe in the 1850s and 1860s, watch the 2009 miniseries.

I honestly see no reason to watch this 2021 garbage. It is a complete waste of time.

I saw this series not having expectations about it. With curiosity of a high school history teacher, hunting not the inaccuracy but interested by the manner of director to propose the portrait of Elisabeth of Wittelsbach.

Dissapointment is missing.

For many reasons, it is a correct historical series and Dominique Devenport is an inspired option for main character. It is just unfair to compare it with other adaptations. It is only a fair, surprising well nuanced series , not docu-drama, not documentary, seductive for costumes and locations but not reduced at them.

The cinematography has a great good point and the manner to tell the story is far to be bad. The target is large and one of precious virtues of Sisi remains the historical sketches, good kick to history books.. Jannick Schumann? Yes, he can be a problem. He has the sin, especially the sin, to not be the expeted Franz Joseph. But his work is interesting and the hopes about the second season are not so reduced.

So, just a correct series, nice for atmosphere and for the honest , fair effort to resurrect the air and flavors of a period.

1st of TO IDIOTS SAYING NAPOLEON WASNT ALIVE: please do check your facts!!!

Napoleon III ruled till 1870 I believe.

Not "The" Napoleon, but still 'A Napoleon'

2ND: I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!

Especially the costumes, sets.... WONDERFULL WORK!!!

REALLY REALLY REALLY GREAT I know it's historically not completely accurate. But i do not care.

I like how they brought some more action into it with the coups and the kidnappings and i also liked the stealing couple a lot. This brought some humor into it. That's what period drama's often lack. Humor.

About the chemistry between Franz & Sisi. Ppl forget that the movie with Romy Scheider was even less historically accurate than this series. The love between the emperor and empress faded soon into their marriage.

I've always heard that Franz tried to do everything to keep sisi happy, but this was nearly impossible. The empress had a very complicated personality and always had a reason to be miscontent. She mostley locked everyone out completely, hated contact with big crowds & almost didn't have any contact with her children. But I think the series wouldn be much fun if they would make it THAT accurate :p :p.

The cast is excellent, a viewer can really feel the chemistry between Franz and Sisi. But unfortunately the plot lacks historical accuracy. Franz Joseph is depicted as the most horrible, emotionally unstable husband, healing every personal tradegy or political defeat by escaping into heavy drinking and having sex with prostitutes, leaving his wife suffering alone (for example, after the death of their daughter).

Season 2 started very promising but lost track soon after part 1. The character of Marie doesn't seem to have a logical place there; it is somehow forced and innatural to the development of the story. And when the "Hungarian" part of the story kicks in, the imagination of the screenwriters went very very very wild (here, they got completely off the track as far as the historical facts go).

On the flip side, the scenery is beautiful and some shots are breath-taking. I feel really sorry for the actors, they would deserve a better-written story. The public as well.

For quite some time I haven't watched a tv show this good. I was absolutely amazed by the scenery, actors and plot. Everything was done so well and it has really taken me far from this time and into this new world. Such a beautiful, idyllic world and stunning period in the past.

From a young age I have loved stories about Sisi. I read so many books and stories about her, they were definitely my favourite. She is, after all, such a strong, carefree and kind woman. An empress we didn't hear enough about, but which has, undoubtedly, played a significant role in the past.

It has evoked in me such good feelings and memories. I would definitely recommend this mini tv series for all lovers of period dramas, those interested in the past, past traditions and empires. The plot always leaves you wanting more and you will not be bored! It is good, so, so good!

This is historical fiction that touches upon true history on occasion. Giving Sisi a far more important role in the politics of the time than she actually had.

With that said, this is a nice and really enjoyable series. Nice costumes, nice locations and good acting. Both the mrs and myself enjoyed it.

If you enjoy historical stories , but feel the need to have them told accurately, you probably shouldn't watch drama series, but instead turn your attention to the many excellent documentaries you can find.

Compared to the Netflix take on the same story, called "The Empress", this feels like the version for adults, while Netflix as usual has teenagers as their main target audience.

To be honest, I really loved this series! If you are into historic drama, this series is definitely a treat: it's visually beautiful, with dazzling costumes, all major characters are played by attractive actors, and the acting itself is overall perfect.

Maybe the historical details are not always correct, but the makers deliberately aimed at this, to give it all a refreshing and nowadays twist. In addition, I'd like to see Franz and Sissi's love blossom again in the second season. I highly recommend this series!!

Look, for all of you that gave a 10/10, you need an education. To call this a historic drama is like calling anime a reality TV show. Other than the names and a few limited facts (Sisi's daughter's death, etc) there is little to no history in it.

The redeeming value of this show is that the scenery is outstanding. Visually this show is beautiful, the actors/actresses are alluring, and the costumes (while not periodically correct) are vibrant and well done.

If they would have just stuck to history, I could have given this at least a 9 if not a 10. It is a shame the writers could not find the time to research the history, or found it ok to blend two eras together.

I agree with that review. You need to research. I looked at the writers and could not find Allison Pataki, who wrote a book entitled, I believe, entitled Sisi. She was a Wittelsbach from Bavaria as was, I believe, Franz Joseph's mother. Pataki sounds like a Slovak name, certainly a name from Austria-Hungary. Of course, Allison cited many sources of research; but imagine the stories she heard from aunts and uncles and grandparents.

By 1914, Franz Joseph was a doddering old fool insulated from reality by his handlers. He was jealous of the chosen heir, his nephew Franz Ferdinand, whom FJ saw as waiting for him to die. So FF gets assassinated, everybody gets their backs up, WWI begins and Franz Joseph dies in 1916. The Brooklyn TABLET of that Roman Catholic diocese mourned the loss of their brother in Christ. The USA was still neutral in 1916 so it was OK to say that. One wonders if Sisi would have had a more conciliatory influence against Kaiser Wilhelm's Prussian bullies.

So I haven't seen it yer but I read the book and am looking forward to the Masterpiece showing. Allison Pataki is the daughter of the former governor of New York State.

I'm a very big fan of Elisabeth of Austria, been twice to Vienna, been to Madeira to see the place where she's been and this tv serie doesn't represent her story at all. Maybe 10% of the series is based on true events and what angered me the most, it wasn't filmed in Austria, and never filmed in Vienna. The first Sissi movies made in 1955 were much better, with real sceneries and real castles where Elisabeth lived. Yes it's modern, made in 2021 and modernity means a lot of nude scenes and sex. I don't recommend it if you know the real story of Elisabeh because you will be disappointed. If you've never heard of Sissi and Franz Joseph, then you might like it for the costumes and the castles of Lituania and Latvia. Which are nowhere near Austria and Sisi has never been to those countries. I give 4 stars because I'm generous !