1 Week After Finale, Starz’s Divisive New Historical Drama Is Fighting Outlander for No. 1

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The competition for the best historical drama is getting fierce. Paul Bettany’s new show, Amadeus, is quickly becoming a contender for the number one spot, especially now that Outlander has finished its latest season. While the new series is popular with many, it hasn’t won over everyone and has sparked mixed reactions from viewers.

According to data from FlixPatrol, the movie Amadeus has been gaining popularity, rising to number 3 on Starz’s list of most-watched shows in the US by May 20th and reaching number 2 by May 25th. Meanwhile, Outlander has remained the most popular show all week, having been on the list for over 670 days.

I’m not sure if Amadeus will ultimately be the best take on this story we’ve seen, but it’s definitely a contender. This version takes some creative liberties with the lives of Mozart and Salieri, and it’s fascinating to watch. Will Sharpe, who you might recognize from The White Lotus, plays Mozart, and Paul Bettany, known for Vision Quest, is fantastic as Salieri.

Amadeus Offers a Fresh Retelling of Mozart’s Life Story

The Starz miniseries Amadeus is based on Peter Shaffer’s 1979 play of the same name, and it’s the second adaptation of the story – following the acclaimed 1984 film directed by Miloš Forman. Viewers so far haven’t found the miniseries as compelling as the original movie.

The limited series Amadeus currently has a 35% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, based on just over 50 reviews. Many viewers disliked the fictional additions and alterations to the original story, and felt it didn’t measure up to the acclaimed 1984 film.

One viewer on Rotten Tomatoes gave the show a very low rating (0.5 stars) and said the title is misleading. They felt it falsely suggests the story is about something other than Salieri’s jealousy of Mozart. The reviewer strongly advised against watching it, calling it overly dramatic and a waste of time.

Some viewers also disliked the show’s tone and language. One person commented that it didn’t compare to the 1984 film, explaining that it had lost the original’s humor and replaced it with unnecessary vulgarity. They questioned the overuse of strong language, finding it neither funny nor appealing, and simply ridiculous.

Despite some criticisms, many people loved the show Amadeus. One enthusiastic viewer, a big fan of the original film, gave it a 5-star review, saying they were pleasantly surprised by how brilliant it was. They praised the show’s depth, made possible by its longer runtime, the beautiful music, well-developed characters, clever writing, and lavish costumes and sets.

Amadeus Can’t Compete with Outlander When It Comes to Critics

Despite not attracting large audiences, the Amadeus miniseries has been a critical success. It currently holds an 89% ‘Fresh’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers particularly praising the performances of Sharpe and Bettany, and the compelling storyline. However, it still hasn’t reached its full potential in terms of critical acclaim.

Despite being a newer show, Outlander Season 8 is performing much better than Amadeus in terms of both what viewers and critics think. Fans give it a 53% rating, while critics have given it a perfect 100% score. Overall, Outlander has earned a strong 91% average critics’ score and an 81% audience rating, demonstrating its consistent quality.

Amadeus and Outlander are now both streaming on Starz.

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2026-05-27 16:06