THE biggest landowners in the country, the biggest money-grabbers in the country and some of the most blood-thirsty monarchs to be found anywhere.

England has had the lot and Ian Croftons sweeping history of over 1,000 year of murder, invasion, usurping, adultery, civil war and revolution would make the biggest TV blockbuster of them all.

You have your heroes such as Richard the Lionheart, who defeated Saladin in the Holy Land and put the fear of God into the King of France, but who was so hard-up that he would have sold London if he could have found a buyer.

He still enjoys a glorious reputation while poor Richard III will forever be the villain of the piece - after all, he usurped the throne, had his nephews murdered in the Tower and ruled like a tyrant.

It seems Shakespeare has a lot to answer for and Richard, who ruled the North of England from Middleham Castle for many years, was generally beloved by the common people, renowned for his loyalty and devoted to his ailing wife.

Last but not least theres Queen Victoria, also Empress of India, whose reign saw the British Empire control over one quarter of the world.

She was both prim and grim while her husband Albert was around and a vigorous love life produced nine children, but after his death Victoria wore widows weeds for over 40 years, was hardly ever amused and did not have much time for either her family or her people. Now who could resist a "soap" with characters such as those?