A new television dramatisation of one of history's greatest musical rivalries has landed with a disappointingly flat note. Sky Atlantic's six-part series 'Amadeus', a reimagining of Peter Shaffer's iconic play and the subsequent Oscar-winning film, has been met with criticism for failing to capture the original's wit and profound depth.
A Diminished Legacy on the Small Screen
Co-created by Joe Barton and Julian Farino, the series retains elements of Shaffer's 1979 play and Milos Forman's beloved 1984 film. However, critics argue it surrounds these with new, lesser scenes that feel airless and banal. The grand themes that powered the original—the corrupting nature of envy, the mystery of divine talent, and the crisis of faith—are reportedly reduced to pale imitations.
The narrative structure sees an aged Antonio Salieri, played by Paul Bettany, confessing his sins to Mozart's widow, Constanze, rather than to a priest. This shift is seen as an early lowering of the dramatic stakes. The story proper begins in 1781, ten years before Mozart's death, with the composer's arrival in Vienna from Salzburg.
Performances Hampered by Script and Comparison
Will Sharpe takes on the role of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, depicted initially as a brilliant but vulgar young man who vomits in the street upon arriving in the city. Paul Bettany's Salieri is the established court composer who immediately recognises Mozart's world-changing genius, a realisation that seeds a bitter and all-consuming envy.
The review suggests Bettany manages as well as possible with a script that offers no chance to compete with F. Murray Abraham's Oscar-winning film performance. Sharpe's Mozart, meanwhile, is criticised as a 'thin, half-hearted' portrayal, likened in look and sound to a 'milquetoast with a drink problem', which undermines Salieri's visceral hatred.
Key Moments Lose Their Power
An emblematic moment of the series' perceived crassness comes when Constanze brings Salieri Mozart's original manuscripts. In the film, this is accompanied by Salieri's awe-struck monologue about the perfection of the work. In this version, the camera simply pans from Mozart's flawless pages to Salieri's own crossed-out drafts, a visual shorthand deemed insufficient.
The series charts Mozart's initial success and subsequent fall into penury, exacerbated by both Salieri's machinations and his own arrogance. Yet, throughout the six episodes, the review finds 'so little to grab on to, let alone to love'.
With supporting roles from Rory Kinnear as Emperor Joseph II and Gabrielle Creevy as Constanze, the production ultimately serves as a cautionary tale about reworking classics without a compelling new vision. It concludes with a hope that 2026 will bring new dramas and ideas, rather than further diminished reworkings—especially not of 'Amadeus'.
The series is available on Sky Atlantic and Now in the UK, and on Binge in Australia.
