I first saw this awesome series when it was originally broadcast when I was only 3 years old, & understood & enjoyed every second of it, to such an extent I would refuse to go to bed until it ended. 49 years later I am still hopelessly addicted to Tudor history!
"The Six Wives of Henry VIII" runs across 6 episodes with each episode focusing on each of the Kings wives & herein lies my only criticism is that as Katherine of Aragon was married to Henry for 20 years she should have had two episodes devoted to telling her FULL story. For instance, missing from episode 1 is the Battle of Flodden Field (1513) where Queen Katherine was Regent while Henry was in France which lead to victory for the Queen. However overall the screen play of all the episodes is exceptional, the script near perfect & the costumes the most accurate I have ever seen!
The acting too is amazingly good with the exception of Angela Pleasence (Catherine Howard) who occasionally over acts, but it certainly does not spoil her episode. My favorite was Elvie Hale as Anne of Cleves, who proves to be a sharp minded political operator & her beautiful costumes are perfect copies of the costumes worn by Anne in 2 portraits painted during her lifetime. Keith Michelle as Henry is absolutely AWESOME! we see him tansform form a young, handsome althletic King into the sick obese grumpy image we associate with Henry VIII.
Each episode presents us with an insight into what his wives may have been like, what made them tick, what inspired them & what drove them. Katherine of Aragon, abandoned at the court until Henry agrees to marry her, devotes 20 years to Henry only to be cast of. Anne Boleyn, intelligent well educated, but with a fierce temper who failed to make the transition from mistress to wife & fails to give Henry a son. Jane Seymore. Gentle quiet, & demure who wants to put everything to right in the world. Anne of Cleves turns disaster to her own advantage by out thinking even the King. Catherine Howard. young, vivacious & flirty but controlled by her devious Uncle into marrying Henry. & lastly Catherine Parr a pious protestant, twice widowed with her own wealth & a passion for writing (she wrote the first English book to be written by a woman!) who danced a tightrope of Henrys temper. Today's feminists could learn lots of lessons from the amazing wives of Henry VIII & this series could be the excellent starting point!
"The Six Wives of Henry VIII" runs across 6 episodes with each episode focusing on each of the Kings wives & herein lies my only criticism is that as Katherine of Aragon was married to Henry for 20 years she should have had two episodes devoted to telling her FULL story. For instance, missing from episode 1 is the Battle of Flodden Field (1513) where Queen Katherine was Regent while Henry was in France which lead to victory for the Queen. However overall the screen play of all the episodes is exceptional, the script near perfect & the costumes the most accurate I have ever seen!
The acting too is amazingly good with the exception of Angela Pleasence (Catherine Howard) who occasionally over acts, but it certainly does not spoil her episode. My favorite was Elvie Hale as Anne of Cleves, who proves to be a sharp minded political operator & her beautiful costumes are perfect copies of the costumes worn by Anne in 2 portraits painted during her lifetime. Keith Michelle as Henry is absolutely AWESOME! we see him tansform form a young, handsome althletic King into the sick obese grumpy image we associate with Henry VIII.
Each episode presents us with an insight into what his wives may have been like, what made them tick, what inspired them & what drove them. Katherine of Aragon, abandoned at the court until Henry agrees to marry her, devotes 20 years to Henry only to be cast of. Anne Boleyn, intelligent well educated, but with a fierce temper who failed to make the transition from mistress to wife & fails to give Henry a son. Jane Seymore. Gentle quiet, & demure who wants to put everything to right in the world. Anne of Cleves turns disaster to her own advantage by out thinking even the King. Catherine Howard. young, vivacious & flirty but controlled by her devious Uncle into marrying Henry. & lastly Catherine Parr a pious protestant, twice widowed with her own wealth & a passion for writing (she wrote the first English book to be written by a woman!) who danced a tightrope of Henrys temper. Today's feminists could learn lots of lessons from the amazing wives of Henry VIII & this series could be the excellent starting point!