The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970– )

A six-episode dramatization of Henry VIII's relationships with each of his six wives. Each episode is devoted to one wife, and is a complete play in itself.

Stars:

Keith Michell, Anthony Quayle, Patrick Troughton

Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Keith Michell	...	Henry VIII (6 episodes, 1970)
Anthony Quayle	...	Narrator (6 episodes, 1970)
Patrick Troughton	...	Duke of Norfolk (5 episodes, 1970)
Bernard Hepton	...	Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (4 episodes, 1970)
Sheila Burrell	...	Lady Rochford (3 episodes, 1970)
Basil Dignam	...	Bishop Gardiner (3 episodes, 1970)
Wolfe Morris	...	Thomas Cromwell (3 episodes, 1970)
Angela Pleasence	...	Catherine Howard (2 episodes, 1970)
Anne Stallybrass	...	Jane Seymour (2 episodes, 1970)
Dorothy Tutin	...	Anne Boleyn (2 episodes, 1970)
Daniel Moynihan	...	Edward Seymour (Lord Hertford) (2 episodes, 1970)
John Ronane	...	Thomas Seymour (2 episodes, 1970)
Howard Goorney	...	Will Somers (2 episodes, 1970)
Patrick Godfrey	...	Sir Thomas Wriothesley (2 episodes, 1970)
Alison Frazer	...	Princess Mary (2 episodes, 1970)
Edward Atienza	...	Eustache Chapuys (2 episodes, 1970)

Storyline

A six-episode dramatization of Henry VIII's relationships with each of his six wives. Each episode is devoted to one wife, and is a complete play in itself.

---

Plot Keywords:

royalty | 16th century | british royal family | father daughter relationship | line of succession | 

---

Taglines:

The legendary, BAFTA award-winning BBC historical drama!

---

Genres:

Drama | History | Romance

---

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 January 1970 (UK)

Also Known As:

Le sei mogli di Enrico VIII

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

540 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The series was later adapted into the film Henry VIII and His Six Wives in which Angela Pleasence's father Donald Pleasence played Henry VIII's chief minister Thomas Cromwell.

---

Goofs

At the end of the segment "Jane Seymour", the supposedly dead Seymour is still breathing.

---

Connections

Version of Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)

User Reviews

Nearly Flawless!

This is a set I'd love to own. The costumes are great, and acting is even greater, especially Keith Michel. He brings real depth to Henry and we see him as the interesting, complex man that he was, not just the selfish, bloated glutton of his later years. The court intrigue and politics, and also the costumes are expertly presented and you get a real feel for the times. The only flaw was that the actresses were generally too old for the parts they played, but there aren't many young actresses of this caliber, so one has to suspend disbelief and just enjoy the show. If I had to choose the best performance of the wives, I'd choose Annette Crosbie as Catherine of Aragon.