The BBC Tudors Collection combines the three most highly-praised,
historically authentic mini-series ever produced about the great
Tudor monarchs in one collectible set. From the heyday of BBC
drama, these three tour-de-force dramas are meticulously
researched and brilliantly acted, together winning 6 Emmy® awards
and 8 BAFTAs (Britain’s equivalent of the Emmys). In The Shadow
of the Tower, James Maxwell (The Portrait of a Lady) plays Henry
VII, the first of the Tudor monarchs, who took over the throne
after Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in
1485. Keith Michell (Murder She Wrote) received an Emmy and a
BAFTA for his masterful portrayal of England’s infamously fickle
king in The Six Wives of Henry VIII. And double-O winner
Glenda Jackson (A Touch of Class, Women in Love) turns in one of
the most remarkable performances in television history,
transforming herself into England’s Virgin Queen in Elizabeth R,
winning two Emmys and a BAFTA. All 25 episodes of these three
breathtaking dramas are included in this 12-disc collection, the
definitive screen portrait of England’s Tudor dynasty.
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SHADOW OF THE TOWER: Having aired on BBC2 in 1972, The
Shadow of the Tower appears so authentic historically that it
feels much, much older. Focusing on the rise of King Henry VII
and the Tudor Dynasty, this 13-episode miniseries sheds light on
not only what it took for a man to have usurped the throne in the
15th century, but also his difficulties in keeping it. Any viewer
who has interest in the politics of royalty, as well as viewers
who admire the cultural aesthetic of the Middle Ages, will find
this program both pleasing to the eyes and highly dramatic. The
episodes, having had several different writers, vary in dramatic
tone and subject matter, ranging from focus on royal celebrations
and fanfare, to religious and cultural matters of the time, to
the ways Henry Tudor maintained rule while staving off various
threats to the crown.
Disc 1 opens with "The Crown in Jeopardy," the episode that
introduces Henry Tudor (James Maxwell) in his victory over King
Richard, and the lovely Elizabeth of York (Norma West), both of
whom star in the remaining episodes. While Queen Elizabeth
gossips with her sister about Henry's desire to marry her, Henry
Tudor is securing his position against knights around the country
who are plotting, just after his crowning, for hostile takeover.
The following episodes, "Power in the Land," "The Schooling of
Apes," and "The Crowning of Apes," describe Henry and Elizabeth's
marriage and pregnancy, and the ways Henry united England, often
controversially, by imposing taxes, banning private liveries, and
holding public executions of anyone accused of treason. Disc 2's
episodes "Serpent and the Comforter" and "The White Hart" are
highlights, covering first the merger of church and state during
the Tudor reign, and then showing the Tudors' hard-line approach
to punishment for oft-accused treason. In "Serpent," a priest is
threatened with being burned at the stake for heresy simply for
alleging that the church is corrupt, implying that a new era of
reason and logic is in the air. In "White Hart," Henry VII
decides whether or not to behead his council member, William
Stanley (Robert James), for treason. The last half of the series,
from episodes like "The Fledgling" to "King Without a Face,"
focuses on two main plots, the first being Henry and Elizabeth's
childrearing and their efforts to marry off their son and
daughter in the interest of forging Scottish and Spanish
alliances. Secondly, extreme dramas ensue surrounding those
"pretenders" like Perkin Warbeck (Richard Warwick) who cl to
be the true heir to the throne, while the real boy, the Earl of
Warwick (Christopher Neame), has his own problems to deal with.
In all, this sweeping period drama allows one to imagine what
life was truly like during this turbulent time. It depicts Henry
VII with an equal blend of villainy and heroism, giving him a
well-rounded character thanks to James Maxwell's excellent
performance. There's never a dull moment in the shadow of London
Tower. --Trinie Dalton
THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII: A British television series
originally broadcast on CBS (and rebroadcast on PBS) in America
in 1971, The Six Wives of Henry VIII remains a painless way to
learn something about royal history and its impact on the
political and religious landscape of England. Keith Michell stars
as King Henry VIII, who assumes the throne as a boy after the
death of his older brother and inherits the latter's Spanish
betrothed, Catherine of Aragon (Annette Crosbie), as well.
Growing up and increasingly complicated in personality, with an
ever-growing appetite for elusive happiness as well as power and
food, Henry maneuvers (and is maneuvered by) forces around him to
break from Rome and create the Church of England, in part to
accommodate his wish for a divorce.
Each story of the king's successive brides takes up an entire
episode in the series. Dorothy Tutin plays the doomed Anne
Boleyn, Anne Stallybrass is Henry's favorite, Jane Seymour, Elvi
Hale is Anne of Cleves, Angela Pleasence is Catherine Howard, and
Rosalie Crutchley plays last-in-line Catherine Parr. A very large
and fine supporting cast adds intrigue and extra layers of
tragedy to the proceedings, especially John Baskcomb as Cardinal
Wolsey, Wolfe Morris as Thomas Cromwell, and Ralph Bates as
Thomas Culpepper. Each 90-minute episode was crafted by a
different writer, but the series holds together very well under
Keith Michell's dazzling performance as the despicable if
sympathetic Henry, whose emotional arc over many years and losses
is something to see. --Tom Keogh
ELIZABETH R: Glenda Jackson is majestic in the six-video
miniseries from the BBC, Elizabeth R. Covering the entire reign
of Elizabeth I, from her struggles with her half-sister Mary just
before being crowned as queen to her death in 1603, the series
profiles the life of the Virgin Queen in detail--and with
historical accuracy--not possible in the as beautiful, but much
shorter, theatrical release, Elizabeth. Religious conflicts, her
struggle over the execution of her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots,
battles with Spain, court politics, and of course her flirtations
with Robert Dudley (portrayed as an almost-comical fop by Robert
Hardy) and her decision to remain unmarried are just some of the
highlights of this magnificently costumed and finely acted piece.
Jackson skillfully captures the capricious moods and incredible
intellect of the queen who defied the pope and the conventions of
the time as a strong-willed woman, and characters from
textbooks--Sir Francis Bacon, Sir Walter Raleigh, King Phillip
II--come vividly to life. Elizabeth R (and for those not in the
know, the "R" is for "Regina") is a splendid melding of history
and entertainment, and as thorough as this series is, you will
still long for more. --Jenny Brown