New Jamestown TV Drama Will Drive International Interest In 1619 Virginia And Highlight AMERICAN EVOLUTION™ Themes

Virginia's 2019 Commemoration, AMERICAN EVOLUTION™, Commemorates the 400th Anniversary of Pivotal 1619 Virginia Events that Set Virginia and America on a Course towards Democracy, Diversity and Opportunity

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2019 Commemoration

May 05, 2017, 15:58 ET

JAMESTOWN, Va., May 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Downtown Abbey producer, Carnival Films, released its new television drama, Jamestown, on Sky 1 in the United Kingdom. Set in 1619 Virginia, the eight-part television drama series charts the early days of the first English settlers as they embark on their new lives in Virginia. Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation President and CEO James Horn was a historical consultant on the series, providing counsel to ensure an accurate portrayal of the conditions in the early days of Jamestown. While the series is based on historical events that took place in Virginia in 1619 and following years, it is an interpretive drama and not a documentary of actual events.

"We can only imagine the bravery of the women who set sail for Jamestown and the unknown in these years," says James Horn. "This compelling drama portrays in vivid color the challenges they faced and what it took to be among the first women pioneers in English America. Without these courageous young women, the colony would not have survived."

"Virginia's 2019 Commemoration, AMERICAN EVOLUTION™ is pleased that this production will drive interest in the historic sites and properties in Virginia," said Kathy Spangler, Executive Director of the 2019 Commemoration. "It is serendipitous that the release of Jamestown is concurrent with the timing of AMERICAN EVOLUTION™ events that commemorate the 400^th anniversary of pivotal events that occurred in 1619 Virginia and continue to influence America today. We will harness this heightened public interest with our signature events, education programs and legacy projects that inspire local, national and international engagement in the 2019 Commemoration themes of democracy, diversity, and opportunity."

Set in 1619 Virginia, the first season tracks the arrival and interactions of a large number of women in the colony. Actresses Naomi Battrick, Sophie Rundle and Niamh Walsh play three fictional heroines among the group of about 150 young women sent to Jamestown to become wives for the planters in these years. Another key storyline for the show will be relations between the settlers and Virginia Indians. The cast of male settlers is portrayed by actors Max Beesley, Jason Flemyng, Dean Lennox Kelly, Shaun Dooley, Stuart Martin, Steven Waddington, Matt Stokoe and Burn Gorman.

Today, viewers of the Jamestown television series can learn more about the Jamestown colony at Historic Jamestowne, site of the original settlement jointly administered by the National Park Service and Jamestown Rediscovery on behalf of Preservation Virginia, and Jamestown Settlement, a living-history museum of 17th-century Virginia administered by the Commonwealth of Virginia's Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

For information on AMERICAN EVOLUTION™, visit www.americanevolution2019.com.

About the 2019 Commemoration
The 2019 Commemoration, AMERICAN EVOLUTION™, highlights events that occurred in Virginia in 1619 that continue to influence America today. Featured programs, events and legacy projects will position Virginia as a leader in education, tourism and economic development. AMERICAN EVOLUTION™ commemorates the ongoing journey toward the key ideals of democracy, diversity and opportunity. Dominion Resources is an AMERICAN EVOLUTION™ Founding Partner and Altria Group is a Virginia Colony Partner. The 2019 Commemoration is a sub-agency of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.

CARNIVAL FILMS
Carnival Films is a division of NBCUniversal International Studios and one of the UK's leading drama specialists. The company is responsible for the global television phenomenon Downton Abbey and current primetime series such as The Last Kingdom for the BBC and co-produced with Netflix and Sky 1's Jamestown and Stan Lee's Lucky Man. Other shows produced over Carnival's history include Poirot, Hotel Babylon, Whitechapel and Dracula as well as award-winning mini-series such as Traffik, Any Human Heart, The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies and The Hollow Crown anthology. Carnival has received a host of national and international awards including Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes and BAFTAs and has been recognized as the UK's best production company at both the Bulldog Awards and Broadcast Awards.