[News] 'The Pillars of the Earth' Premieres July 23 on Starz and The Movie Network

Simulcasting deals are not just done between TV networks; it can also be done by two premium cable networks. In fact, the eight-parts miniseries The Pillars of the Earth will premiere on July 23 at 9 PM on The Movie Network and Movie Central, which are respectively two Canadian premium cable networks from Eastern and Western Canada, along with Starz, an American premium cable network.

The miniseries is obviously based on a novel by Ken Follett. Moreover, it's a co-production between Canada and Germany that was made with a budget of $40 million. Speaking about the shooting locations, the show was shot in Budapest and Austria.

The story takes place during the 12^th century in England. It's set against a backdrop of war, religious conflict, power struggles and human drama, Follett weaves love-stories and clashes between heroes and villains. The characters we follow are Tom (Rufus Sewell), the master builder, Aliena (Hayley Atwell), the noblewoman, the sadistic Lord William (David Oakes), Philip (Matthew Macfadyen), the prior of Kingsbridge, Jack (Eddie Redmayne), the artist in stone work and Ellen (Natalia Wörner), the woman from the forest who casts a curse.

Other stars of the miniseries include Donald Sutherland (The Italian Job), Gordon Pinsent (Away From Her), Alison Pill (Milk) and Sarah Parish (Merlin).

Finally, here are the Canadian broadcast details:

• The first two episodes of The Pillars of the Earth will debut as a two-hour special on Friday, July 23 at 9 p.m., day-and-date with Starz in the U.S.
• On Monday, July 26, the two-hour special will repeat at 9 p.m., the miniseries’ regular timeslot.
• For the following four weeks, new one-hour episodes will premiere Monday nights at 9 p.m.
• The miniseries will conclude with a special two-hour finale on Monday, August 30 at 9 p.m.