"The Shadow of the Tower" (1972) TV mini-series 1972-

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

6 January 1972 (UK)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Plot:

A series of dramas by various writers recording the key events in the reign of Henry Tudor and his founding of the Tudor Dynasty

Plot Keywords:

Monkey | Death Of Queen | Civil War | Tudor England | TV Mini-Series

Cast

James Maxwell	...	Henry VII / ... (13 episodes, 1972)
Norma West	...	Elizabeth of York / ... (8 episodes, 1972)
Hugh Sullivan	...	Earl of Oxford (7 episodes, 1972)
Denis Carey	...	Cardinal Morton / ... (6 episodes, 1972)
Marigold Sharman	...	Margaret Beaufort (6 episodes, 1972)

Series Directed by
Prudence Fitzgerald		(4 episodes, 1972)
Moira Armstrong		(3 episodes, 1972)
Anthea Browne-Wilkinson		(2 episodes, 1972)

Series Writing credits
Anthea Browne-Wilkinson		(8 episodes, 1972)
Julian Mitchell		(2 episodes, 1972)
Brian Rawlinson		(2 episodes, 1972)
Rosemary Anne Sisson		(2 episodes, 1972)
Hugh Whitemore		(2 episodes, 1972)

Series Produced by
Jordan Lawrence	....	producer (13 episodes, 1972)

Series Original Music by
Herbert Chappell		(7 episodes, 1972)

Series Production Design by
Michael Young		(4 episodes, 1972)
Spencer Butler		(3 episodes, 1972)
Jeremy Davies		(2 episodes, 1972)
Barry Newbery		(2 episodes, 1972)

Series Costume Design by
Odette Barrow		(4 episodes, 1972)
Velma Buckle		(4 episodes, 1972)
Ursula Reid		(3 episodes, 1972)

Series Makeup Department
Penny Bell	....	make-up / makeup artist (11 episodes, 1972)

Series Art Department
Colin Cheeseman	....	graphics (2 episodes, 1972)

Series Sound Department
Ray Angel	....	sound (9 episodes, 1972)
Colin Dixon	....	sound (2 episodes, 1972)

Series Stunts
John Waller	....	fight arranger (1 episode, 1972)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Dennis Channon	....	lighting (7 episodes, 1972)
Howard King	....	lighting / lighting technician (5 episodes, 1972)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Odette Barrow	....	costumes (4 episodes, 1972)
Velma Buckle	....	costumes (4 episodes, 1972)

Series Music Department
Herbert Chappell	....	title music / composer: title music (5 episodes, 1972)

Series Other crew
Joan McAlpine	....	research / researcher (11 episodes, 1972)
Anthea Browne-Wilkinson	....	script editor (6 episodes, 1972)
Bridget Espinosa	....	movement (2 episodes, 1972)

Distributors

• BBC Archives (1980) (UK) (TV)

Also Known As:

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Movie Connections:

Remake of Tower of London: The Innocent (1969) (TV)

Neglected and never repeated

Henry Tudor was second only to his Granddaughter, Elizabeth I as a successful monarch. Unfortunately, his latter years were bitter and overshadowed by illness. Further, his son, the future Henry VIII lived in his shadow and did much to outdo and erase his father's legacy. He was also cast by wishful thinkers as the murderer of the Princes in the Tower because they want to re-invent the worthless Richard III. The problem for the BBC when they wanted to complete their coverage of the Tudors, following The Six Wives and Elizabeth R series, is that Henry VIIIth claimed many of his father's achievements as his own and did much to bury the personal history. Thus, the writers of this series had little material to flesh out Tudor's rise from obscurity to creation of a dynasty, defeating his enemies and becoming a millionaire. So, notwithstanding a good cast and, potentially, a much more exciting story, the project was dogged by wordy and worthy scripts making an under-performing prequel to the bloodier dramas. This story needs a remake! A valiant effort at portraying the least bloodthirsty of the Tudors, but somewhat bloodless!