Reviews In
The New York Times, Jack Gould described Harris' performance as impeccable, magnificent, inspired, touching, and "a work of flowing ecstasy and poignancy." Gould also credited Robert O'Bradovich with a triumph for his makeup work. In the
Los Angeles Times,
Cecil Smith called it "a rich and delicately woven tapestry that gave television its most rewarding 90 minutes of the season." For special honors, he called out Harris ("a superb performance"), Warren Clymer (scenery), and Noel Taylor (costumes). Cynthia Lowry of the
Associated Press wrote that it was "beautifully produced" and "meticulously performed". However, partly due to the shadow cast by
Helen Hayes who played the role in the original stage production, Lowry opined that Harris "never was convincing as the great imperious queen". Fred Danzig of the UPI wrote: "Beautiful, beautiful acting. Sensible and sensitive direction by George Schaefer. And my compliments to Miss Harris's makeup man – 60 years from start to finish – was accomplished with impressive skill." Danzig also praised writer Robert Hartung for improving upon the original play. In January 1962, Percy Shain of
The Boston Globe selected
Victoria Regina as television's best drama of 1961, noting that it was a "fairly easy" pick.
Emmy Awards The production was nominated for seven
Primetime Emmy Awards, winning three:
Program of the Year, Outstanding Single Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (for Harris), and Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actress (for Brown). Additional nominations included Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for
James Donald and Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actor for
Barry Jones. ==References==