Emmanuelle Chriqui in The Borgias (2011-????)

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The Borgias is the newest in Showtime’s series of “updated” (read: violent and sexy) historical dramas. The real-life Borgias ruled Rome during the Renaissance; patriarch Rodrigo Borgia (Jeremy Irons), aka Pope Alexander VI, is skinfamous for not taking the whole “vow of chastity” thing very seriously, attending orgies and bedding a boatload of women while wearing the pointy Pope hat. 500 years later, rumors persist that Rodrigo’s daughter Lucrezia Borgia (Holliday Graniger) thought incest was best, having affairs with both her father and her brother Cesare Borgia (Francois Arnaud).

This torrid tale provides fertile ground for the Borgias, a mouthwatering mix of political intrigue and historical humping. Speaking of fertile ground, Dutch dish Lotte Verbeek is pretty as a picture as Rodrigo’s lusty mistress Giulia Farnese; she shows Renaissance rump in the very first episode, with the promise of more to come. And it’s always a holiday with beautiful Brit Holliday as the sweet-but-cunning Lucrezia. Add to the mix a supporting cast of naked thousands and you’ve got a period piece that’ll stiffen your piece!