December 26, 2008.

Best Viewing of the Life of Henry VIII and his Queens/ The standard to which all others should be compared!.

Rating: 5
I am so glad to hear this series is now available on DVD!! I recall watching this wonderful series on our little 19" black and white TV in 1971 and have raved about it to people ever since whenever anything Tudor-related is brought up. The acting was so good, and the history of the times was respected.

One reviewer mentioned that the DVD needed freshening. Hers was a 2000 release, while this is a 2006 release, btw.

It got me hooked on Tudor history. Since then in my opinion, its hard to find anything in film or historical non-fiction books that don't make me want to wince...or worse.


Phillipa Gregory should be ashamed of herself, I think anyway. The only good thing about her books being best-sellers is perhaps some people will go on to read better written, more accurate Tudor history or historical fiction.

As for other older films: "Man of All Seasons" feels dated, as does "Anne of a Thousand Days" but they're at least good entries into the field, and were well made. Glenda Jackson's "Elizabeth I" sold as a package with the "Six Wives of Henry VIII" was excellent, though I read in reviews it appears more dated than the Henry VIII films do. Its's nevertheless a great acting experience to watch.

I found the two Elizabeth movies starring Cate Blanchett released in the last few years to be discouraging. Many things were correct historically: the lovely clothes, the feel of the great icy cold castles, the constant fear of being "out of favor" and risking death thereby; but others were so far off, it felt like a "just miss" to me.

....Of course, wondering how serious Elizabeth's relationship with Robert Dudley was is one of those popular and never-to-be-known historical questions. That movie, however, with its' silly concept that Elizabeth I decided to recreate herself as the "VIRGIN QUEEN" for all time; a sort of symbol for...something..is ludicrous. She certainly spent a lot of time considering marriage for someone determined to be remembered as the "Virgin Queen".

The movie made from the Phillipa Gregory book....much was historically based but SO MUCH was based on rumor and theory---some from the time of the Tudors themselves. Its' too distressing. Makes me feel how I felt when I first read the "DaVinci Code". History for the lowest common denominator, and wild theories presented as facts...!

In this "Six Wives of Henry VIII" series, at last we have available good acting, good story telling, honest history, (so far as it is known) and a story that really holds you. Henry's tragedy, his desire for a son and heir, changed all of English history and perhaps even that of W.Europe, as he threw over Catholicism to allow him to marry a younger woman who might give him a son. The tragedies build up, as each queen has some flaw, major or minor, that he cannot abide. THEY of course, were even more tragic figures, losing one's head is after all a bigger tragedy than someone's longing for a male heir. But the women are seen as minor creatures in the big play of history while Henry VIII remains important, a major factor in events of his time and even down to ours, due to his decision to remake the entire religion (and in some ways the culture) of his lands.

A well written, well acted piece of film craft that anyone who is interested in that era should own.

December 22, 2008.

Bad German accents.

Rating: 3
I thought this was OK but have a few reservations about the actresses who played his wives. The woman who played Catherine of Aragon was not very believable and over-acted way too much when she screamed histrionically at being told of Henry's intention to divorce her. And the actors who played the German Cleves family (Duke and two daughters Anna and Amelia) had the most ridiculous accents, which only distracted from the drama. I doubt Ann of Cleves was as stupid as they portrayed her, but in this miniseries she comes across as almost mentally retarded.

December 23, 2008.

Engrossing History.

Rating: 5
From start to finish, the story of Henry VII is played out so well that you can't wait to see the next episode. Engrossing, historically accurate, and portrayed by the finest of English actors.I have rarely been so engrossed in a series.I am not going into each episode because most know the story. And for those who don't, you will enjoy this production even more while learning...HISTORY, Heaven forbid!Guaranteed to keep you watching.

December 06, 2008.

The Mini-Series That Started My Tudor Fandom.

Rating: 5
When I first watched "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" on CBS during the summer of 1971, I had no idea this mini-series would transform me over the course of six weeks into the Tudor fan I am today. I had never before seen costumes like the ones in "Six Wives", so authentically reproduced that the actors wearing them look as if they had stepped right out of the paintings of Hans Holbein. There's no more perfect Henry VIII than Keith Michell, who flawlessly portrays the monarch from a slender, idealistic 18-year-old youth to a grossly fat, paranoid, and diseased old man of 55. The actresses who portray his six wives - Annette Crosbie, Dorothy Tutin, Anne Stallybrass, Elvi Hale, Angela Pleasence, and Rosalie Crutchley - give dazzling, deeply nuanced performances as six queens of differing appearances, ages, backgrounds and personalities, with Henry VIII as the link that connects them all together. I was overjoyed when PBS aired "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" in late 1971, and even happier when it was followed in early 1972 by a second Tudor-themed mini-series: "Elizabeth R".

December 01, 2008.

Henry and wives couldn't be better.

Rating: 5
This is the Henry viii for the Historical Set. Keith Michell was multi married monarch from 18 to his death. He actually looked like the portraits come to life.

As to the wives my absolute favorite is Dame Dorothy Tutin as the tragic Anne Boleyn then Elvi Hale as cunning Anne of Cleves .

All of the actresses and actors are brilliant. Some have not been seen since this series others went on to become well known in their own right.

The program was classic BBC/Masterpiece Theater in the old days. Along with such programs as I Claudius, Edward the King, and Elizabeth R.

For younger viewers who do not remember these programs first run don't be put off by the soap opera appearance. That was part of the magnificence of the series.