Elizabeth R (1971– )

When Elizabeth Tudor comes to the throne, her (male) advisors know she has to marry. Doesn't she? Thus starts a decades-long political/ matrimonial game, during an age of high passions and ... See full summary »

Stars:

Glenda Jackson, Ronald Hines, Stephen Murray

Won 5 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Glenda Jackson	...	Queen Elizabeth I (6 episodes, 1971)
Ronald Hines	...	William Cecil (Lord Burghley) (5 episodes, 1971)
Stephen Murray	...	Walsingham (3 episodes, 1971)
Robert Hardy	...	Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester) (3 episodes, 1971)
Angela Thorne	...	Lettice, Lady Leicester (3 episodes, 1971)
John Shrapnel	...	Earl of Sussex (3 episodes, 1971)
Robin Ellis	...	Robert Devereaux (Earl of Essex) (2 episodes, 1971)
Rachel Kempson	...	Kat Ashley (2 episodes, 1971)
Peter Howell	...	Lord Howard (2 episodes, 1971)
Peter Jeffrey	...	King Philip II of Spain (2 episodes, 1971)
Vivian Pickles	...	Mary, Queen of Scots (2 episodes, 1971)

Storyline

When Elizabeth Tudor comes to the throne, her (male) advisors know she has to marry. Doesn't she? Thus starts a decades-long political/ matrimonial game, during an age of high passions and high achievement.

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Plot Keywords:

royalty | british politics | tv mini series | queen elizabeth i | monarchy | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

PBS [us]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 February 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Elzbieta, królowa Anglii

Filming Locations:

Parham Park, Storrington, West Sussex, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min 85 min (6 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Two hundred gowns were made specifically for the series. Some were so heavily padded that Glenda Jackson could barely bend her arms. Some were so heavy that she could only wear them while sitting. Some required weights to maintain their shape. Some were so large that Jackson found it hard to walk through doorways.

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Goofs

The courtyard in Elizabeth's palace contains an aviary with several Australian white cockatoos, long before any European had landed in Australia.

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Quotes

Queen Elizabeth I: I grieve, and dare not show my discontent. I love, and yet I am forced to seem to hate. I do, yet dare not say I ever meant. I seem stark mute, but inwardly I do prate. I am, and not. I freeze, yet am burned since from myself my other self I turned. My care is like my shadow in the sun... follows me flying, flies when I pursue it. Stand and lies by me, doth what I have done. This too familiar care doth make me rue it, not means I find to rid him from my breast. Til, by the end of things, it be ...

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Connections

Follows The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970)

User Reviews

Brilliant

One of the best mini series ever shown on television.

I am a lover of British costume drama and love that period of history and so must admit a bias

The series is written by depicting a significant event in Elizabeth's life in each episode - First as the young Elizabeth and the dangers she faced. The subsequent episodes show the early years on the throne and Elizabeth's early relationship with Dudley, her forays into the marriage game, the events surrounding Mary Queen of Scots' last days, the Spanish Armada and the last days of her reign and her relationship with Dudley's step son Essex

Unlike the movie Elizabeth, this series is highly accurate. Each time I watch the episodes I pick up more details of the research that has gone into the series. For example the costumes are based on portraits of the Queen and gowns depicted in them. The inside scenes are based on the actual make up of Tudor palaces relatively small wood panelled rooms, not large stone Gothic chambers.

Being a mini series the events of her reign can be given more depth. The actors and writers have more time to develop the characters and show the changing relationships between the characters. There is time to show the Queen's development from the young queen depicted in Elizabeth the movie to icon Elizabeth created for herself over time. The series is fascinating to watch for the transformation in each episode for the aging of the queen from the young puritanical princess, with simple clothes and no make up to the aged queen, who has to virtually put on a mask of make up to be seen in public.

The mini series shows the enduring relationships the queen maintained with Dudley and Cecil.

Glenda Jackson produces the definitive interpretation of Elizabeth, warts and all. Elizabeth was not always a "nice" woman, but she was a great queen and the series shows this.

For anyone who enjoyed Elizabeth the movie I strongly recommend that they watch this series.