Despite the fact that there have been countless movies, TV shows, miniseries and documentaries about Queen

Elizabeth I – Britain’s first-ever female ruler – there’s always room at the top for another one. Let me rephrase that – there’s always room if that other one is as good as HBO’s “Elizabeth I” starring the great Helen Mirren, which debuts

tomorrow night on HBO.

But first you’ll have to suspend disbelief for a bit at the beginning when a doctor examines the queen and declares that she’s fit for child bearing.

Good God! Not for nothing, but Mirren is 61 years old. I realize that in the 1500s, 40-something-year-old women didn’t freeze their eggs – not to mention their faces with Botox – and probably looked a lot more used up, but still.

However, once you get past that, Mirren’s Elizabeth is flawless, playing it for all it’s worth as an aging queen who refuses to give up her crown to any man through marriage – or give up her sexual attraction to men who want that crown.

The story begins with Elizabeth already on the throne for 15 years. From there, it traces her story through the two most important men and relationships in her life.

The first is with the Earl of Leicester (Jeremy Irons), her lover and trusted adviser, which takes up the whole of part one, ending after Bess goes to the front to inspire her troops in battle.

Part two begins with Leicester – right before he dies – introducing her to the Earl of Essex (Hugh Dancy). He’s the handsomest – not to mention youngest – courtier/lover/adviser, who rose under her, er, tutelage to become a great leader. He eventually led her navy to victory against the Spanish Armada.

But because Essex was blindly and dangerously ambitious, he bedded her (there’s no proof she remained a virgin) and consistently betrayed her (including drawing his sword against her and getting one of her ladies-in-waiting preggers).

The script, brilliantly written by Nigel Williams, is filled with double entendres, which apparently was the code of the times for the nobility. Although, sometimes it wasn’t so subtle, like the queen hissing at her advisers, “My dogs wear my collars, sirs! And let no one at this table ever forget that fact!”

“Elizabeth I” soars on every level from the writing, to the directing to the acting – and not just the stars, but of the

supporting cast members, most especially Toby Jones as Robert Cecil, her deformed adviser.

We know through this telling why Elizabeth I became one of the best-loved, toughest, most complex monarchs of all time, despite the fact she was plotted against for her entire reign.

But make no mistake, there aren’t many who could accomplish what Mirren does here – creating an Elizabeth that can go from blind rage to compassion to passion in the blink of an eye without seeming like a giant psycho. God save this queen!

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“Elizabeth I”

[****] (Four stars)

Saturday night at 8 on HBO

Monday night at 8 on HBO