Free Event Will Premiere New Masterpiece Series “Victoria” on Jan. 8

The public can be among the first to see the premiere episode of Prairie Public Television’s (PPT) new drama, “Victoria,” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 8, at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, Bismarck. The series will premiere on PPT on Sunday, January 15. The seven-episode drama draws on real-life events and Queen Victoria’s own diaries to paint a portrait of her transformation from an impulsive 18-year-old to her early years as wife, mother, and head of a global empire. The story follows Victoria (Jenna Coleman) from the time she becomes queen in 1837 at the age of 18 through her relationship with Lord Melbourne (Rufus Sewell), her first prime minister and intimate friend, and her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert (Tom Hughes). For DVDs and more “Victoria” items, visit shopPBS.org. The Masterpiece series is presented on PBS by WGBH Boston. Rebecca Eaton is executive producer. Funding for the series is provided by Viking River Cruises and Farmers Insurance with additional support from public television viewers and contributors to The Masterpiece Trust. Prairie Public Television and the State Historical Society of North Dakota (SHSND) will host the premiere episode showing as part of SHSND’s Sensational Sundays program. Sensational Sundays are free programs that include a variety of lectures, concerts, movies, and tours that provide engaging, educational, historic, and cultural information.