Synopsis
It covers the life of Charles II - beginning just before his Restoration to the throne in 1660. He was deeply traumatized by the execution of his father in 1649, after the former's defeat in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms; it begins, however, with his penurious exile in Antwerp in 1658. The mini-series' emphasis is on his court, and his conflicts with Parliament - essentially the same issues which led to the Civil War between his father and the House of Commons, the politics of whom would succeed him - and his relationships with his family as well as his mistresses and illegitimate son James, Duke of Monmouth.
The mini-series dramatizes both Charles's laziness and frivolous diversion, leaving political issues to his chancellor Sir Edward Hyde, but becoming increasingly irritated by the paternalistic way which Hyde behaves towards him. Dismissing Hyde, he takes the reins of power himself, determined that his brother should succeed him in the event of him not having any legitimate children (despite opposition to James's Catholicism), and that Royal Power not be challenged by Parliament.
The production won the British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Serial in 2004; the series was also nominated for a minor Emmy (see the Internet Movie Database's entry, http://imdb.com/title/tt0364800/awards).
Read more about this topic: Charles II: The Power And The Passion