The Six Wives Of Henry VIII/Elizabeth R

[P-Bal]

I've snapped up both on DVD in the last few weeks, Henry VIII only having just been released by 2Entertain, remarkably with a disc of extras, unlike Elizabeth R. Annoyingly the R1 US version does have some extras including specially recorded material with Glenda Jackson. I digress.

As a result I'm working my way through them in order. I've seen Lizzy before, but not Henry. At 90 minutes a go, this might take me some time!

The opening episode is a very well crafted one which is dominated by a tour de force performance by Annette Crosbie as Catherine Of Aragon. I have to say her Spanish accent came as a surprise at first, but she conveys beautifully the fragility and resolute determination of the troubled Queen fantastically well.

Keith Michell is solid as Henry, even though his scenes are somewhat limited in this episode, similarly Dorothy Tutin shines with her vivacious performance as Anne Boleyn, even given her short screen time. Who-wise John Woodnutt makes an appearance as Henry VII (though surely his accent would be more Welsh than Scots?) and Patrick Troughton comes straight from Who to play the unpleasant Duke Of Norfolk.

As a slightly off-the-cuff aside, there's a terrific cameo from a very non-16th century boom in the scene where Catherine is on her knees before Henry at the court hearing. Not just briefly either!

Anyone else bought these boxed sets?

[Captain Tancredi]

I have Elizabeth R and am two instalments in (I can't really bring myself to call anything 90 minutes long an episode). If anybody does feel the need to see Anthony Ainley in doublet and hose, they'll be satisfied with this.

Just coming to the end of reading a biography of Henry VIII and Norfolk turns out to be one of the major players in Henry's reign so presumably Troughton appears in all six. One nice touch is that Rosalie Crutchley plays Catherine Parr in both series (although in Elizabeth R she's just in a few flashbacks).

[Captain Tancredi]

Just watched the third play 'Shadow in the Sun'- nice turn from Michael Williams as Alencon, although the real revelation is seeing people like Robert Hardy and Angela Thorne actually acting, rather than playing the personae they adopted later in their careers.

There's one glaring anachronism, though- in a couple of scenes set around Elizabeth's aviary, it's populated with cockatoos, which is interesting to say the least as the scenes are taking place about 200 years before the discovery of Australia. Either that or the cockatoos flew all the way to England...

[Lissa]

Historians have long debated whether the virgin queen had a cockatoo in her time.

[Captain Tancredi]

Certainly the swear filter doesn't seem to have any problems with them...

[Logo Polish]

I haven't bought the DVDs, but I did have the Henry VIII series on video at one time. My main impressions of the first episode were that it was full of wood panelled walls and contained a startlingly young-looking Annette Crosbie. Also noted John Woodnutt's turn as Henry VII. ISTR reading that he spent several years in France before invading to claim the throne so perhaps he would have had a French accent? Probably not Scottish anyway, no. As I recall, the first episode gradually got better, with some high drama in the last end, concerning the inquiry and Katherine's dramatic confrontation with her husband and then the final stages of her life.

I'm not sure if Troughton is in all the episodes now, but he's certainly in most of them, the second and fifth especially.

It's rather stagey and studio bound by today's standards but worth watching if you can get past that (and one or two episodes even have a little bit of location filming...).

[Larry]

I've snapped up both on DVD in the last few weeks, Henry VIII only having just been released by 2Entertain, remarkably with a disc of extras, unlike Elizabeth R. Annoyingly the R1 US version does have some extras including specially recorded material with Glenda Jackson. I digress.

As a result I'm working my way through them in order. I've seen Lizzy before, but not Henry. At 90 minutes a go, this might take me some time!

The opening episode is a very well crafted one which is dominated by a tour de force performance by Annette Crosbie as Catherine Of Aragon. I have to say her Spanish accent came as a surprise at first, but she conveys beautifully the fragility and resolute determination of the troubled Queen fantastically well.

Keith Michell is solid as Henry, even though his scenes are somewhat limited in this episode, similarly Dorothy Tutin shines with her vivacious performance as Anne Boleyn, even given her short screen time. Who-wise John Woodnutt makes an appearance as Henry VII (though surely his accent would be more Welsh than Scots?) and Patrick Troughton comes straight from Who to play the unpleasant Duke Of Norfolk.

As a slightly off-the-cuff aside, there's a terrific cameo from a very non-16th century boom in the scene where Catherine is on her knees before Henry at the court hearing. Not just briefly either!

Anyone else bought these boxed sets?

I can't remember if i've ever seen the Henry VIII, BBC series but it is again one of the many high quallity pieces of tv drama that the BBC did so well in the 70's. I've seen the film version and Keith Michell, gave a brilliant performance in that and I have to say the is a DVD set that I would consider buying.

[Captain Tancredi]

I'm not sure if Troughton is in all the episodes now, but he's certainly in most of them, the second and fifth especially.

That would make sense- the ongoing battle of Norfolk's life was to gain influence at court, and as part of that he married off two of his nieces to Henry- namely Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. Given that both were executed, the historical Norfolk was probably fortunate to outlive Henry, although it was a close run thing as he was in the Tower when Henry died.

[Logo Polish]

Yes, it's been claimed that he might well have ended up being executed had Henry VIII lived a few weeks longer. From what I recall reading he wasn't released from the Tower until 1553 when his daughter Mary became Queen (by which time he was 80).

[Thasc]

I'd definitely consider buying the DVD set of Henry VIII as I remember seeing it on tv. Keith Michell was brilliant