The series, produced by Mark Shivas, was set in Italy during the late 15th and early 16th centuries and told the story of Rodrigo Borgia (played by Adolfo Celi) – the future Pope Alexander VI – and his family, including his son Cesare (Oliver Cotton) and daughter Lucrezia (Anne Louise Lambert).

Despite high ratings, the programme was not a critical success, with many commentators focusing on Celi's accented English and making invidious comparisons with ITV's high-profile competitor Brideshead Revisited.

Shortly before it was broadcast, The Sunday Telegraph reported the production as the most expensive drama series in the BBC's history;[1] the Corporation declared the budget as £2.3 million.

Elkan Allan wrote, in a preview for The Times of both titles: Watching a compilation of scenes from The Borgias, chosen to display its range and approach, I was worried by what appeared to be its attempt to cash in on the success of I, Claudius.

[2]Because both networks were concerned about the possibility of a scheduling clash between the two series, BBC2 Controller Brian Wenham took the unusual step of letting ITV know informally that The Borgias would be screened on Wednesday nights.

[15] As the series drew to a close, The Times reported that "The Borgias is a critical laughing stock" but added that it had been a "triumph" for ratings, noting that its weekly viewing figures of 8 million were particularly high for BBC2.

[2] John J. O'Connor, reviewing for The New York Times, praised Tim Harvey's design but found Celi's performance sluggish, the action confusing and the dialogue poor.