This has been my favorite show of the summer. Ian McShane once again delivers. Not as good a role as Deadwood or Kings, but still he helps make the show. Donald Sutherland had a good part as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pillars_of_the_Earth_(TV_miniseries)
12th century England during the period known as "The Anarchy" which was characterized by civil war and unsettled government. Basically a ship sinks off the coast carrying the heir to the king. The king dies. There is struggle to bring a new ruler to the land, and more struggle for whoever is in charge to keep the power. It's also centrally about building a giant cathedral that will take years to complete, and the procurement of funds and supplies. And of course sex, incest, adoption, rape, love, hangings, murder, war, etc. Ian McShane plays a corrupt Bishop. It's somewhat gritty, similar to Spartacus, in that the violence is portrayed fairly realistic (particularly in small settings, like 1 on 1 combat), yet the war combat scenes often have the "300" effect used in Spartacus.