Henry VIII (2003) (TV)

Director:

Pete Travis

Writer:

Peter Morgan (writer)

Release Date:

12 October 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

Heads Will Roll

Plot:

Two-part TV series documenting the stormy 38-year reign of King Henry VIII. |

Plot Keywords:

King Henry VIII | 16th Century | Roman Numeral In Title | Tudor | Queen Of England

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Ray Winstone	...	Henry VIII
Joss Ackland	...	Henry VII
Sid Mitchell	...	Young Henry VIII
Charles Dance	...	Duke of Buckingham
Mark Strong	...	Duke of Norfolk
Assumpta Serna	...	Katherine of Aragon
Thomas Lockyer	...	Edward Seymour
William Houston	...	Thomas Seymour
Danny Webb	...	Thomas Cromwell
Guy Flanagan	...	Tall Servant
David Suchet	...	Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
Scott Handy	...	Lord Henry Percy
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Anne Boleyn
Benjamin Whitrow	...	Thomas Boleyn
Stephen Noonan	...	Spanish Ambassador
John Higgins	...	Robert Barnes
Michael Maloney	...	Thomas Cranmer
Edward Kelsey	...	Campeggio
Jeremy Child	...	Courtier
William Hoyland	...	Lawyer
Lara Belmont	...	Mary Tudor (Katherine's Daughter) (also as Laura Belmont)
Emma Darwall-Smith	...	Anne's Lady in Waiting 1
Emma Buckley	...	Anne's Lady in Waiting 2
Edward Tudor-Pole	...	Friar Peto
Christopher Good	...	Sir John Seymour
Emilia Fox	...	Jane Seymour
Sean Bean	...	Robert Aske
Simon Meacock	...	Red Haired Man
James Hoare	...	Servant
Joseph Morgan	...	Thomas Culpepper
David Gwillim	...	Physician
Tina Malone	...	Nurse
Marsha Fitzalan	...	Duchess of Norfolk
Terence Harvey	...	Bishop Gardiner
Kelly Hunter	...	Lady Rochford
Pia Girard	...	Anne of Cleves
Britta Becker	...	German Lady in Waiting (as Brita Becker)
Catrin Rhys	...	Mary Lascelles
Emily Blunt	...	Catherine Howard
Tom Turner	...	Francis Dereham
Ryan Winsley	...	Young Executioner
Daniel Betts	...	John Lascelles
Clare Holman	...	Catherine Parr
Hugh Mitchell	...	Prince Edward
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Hornsby	...	George
Lorna Lacey	...	Young Elizabeth
Dominic Mafham	...	George Boleyn
Rhys Meredith	...	Thomas Smeeton
Ray Donn	...	Servant (uncredited)
Sean Francis George	...	Henry's bodyguard (uncredited)
Philip Harvey	...	Court Usher (uncredited)
Derek Jacobi	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Pete Travis

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Peter Morgan		writer

Produced by
Justin Bodle	....	executive producer
Rebecca Eaton	....	executive producer
Andy Harries	....	executive producer
Francis Hopkinson	....	producer
Peter Morgan	....	executive producer
Bill Shephard	....	line producer

Original Music by
Robert Lane		(as Rob Lane)

Cinematography by
Peter Middleton

Film Editing by
Edward Mansell		(as Eddie Mansell)

Casting by
Celestia Fox

Production Design by
James Merifield

Art Direction by
Jacqueline Abrahams
David Hindle		(supervising art director)

Costume Design by
Lucinda Wright

Makeup Department
Lucy Bonamy	....	makeup assistant
Jayne Buxton	....	makeup artist
Rebecca Cole	....	makeup artist
Julie Dartnell	....	makeup artist
Caroline Dent	....	makeup assistant
Karen Edwards	....	makeup artist
Christine Greenwood	....	makeup artist
Lizzie Judd	....	makeup assistant
Kerin Parfitt	....	makeup artist
Louise Rinaldy	....	makeup assistant
Laura Schalker	....	makeup assistant
Karen Scott	....	makeup assistant
Nicky South	....	makeup assistant
Liz Tagg	....	makeup designer (as Elizabeth Tagg)
Deborah Taylor	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Phil Brown	....	post-production supervisor
Duncan Flower	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Martin Harrison	....	first assistant director
Finn McGrath	....	second assistant director
Nick Shuttleworth	....	second assistant director
Chris Stoaling	....	crowd assistant director
Charlie Waller	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Brian Aldridge	....	dressing props
Mat Bergel	....	stand-by props
Lee Betis	....	painter (as Lee Betts)
Robert Betts	....	stand-by painter
Brian Bird	....	dressing props
Alan Chesters	....	construction manager
Leigh Chesters	....	carpenter
Denis Dawson	....	dressing props
Gary Dawson	....	dressing props
Martin Duffy	....	stand-by carpenter
Colin Elms	....	stand-by props
Rupert Gartrell	....	dressing props
Michael Gunner	....	supervising painter
Les Hall	....	carpenter
Joe Hawthorne	....	chargehand carpenter (as Jo Hawthorne)
Christian Huband	....	draughtsman
Paul Humbles	....	dressing props
David Ned Kelly	....	supervising carpenter (as David Kelly)
Matt Langley	....	carpenter
Nick Lloyd	....	carpenter
Nick Mollo	....	dressing props
Peter O'Donnell	....	painter
Tyrone O'Donnell	....	painter
David Reilly	....	storeman (as Dave Reilly)
Simon Robilliard	....	carpenter
John Russo	....	stagehand
Louise Turner	....	dressing props
Paul Turner	....	dressing props
John Watts	....	scenic painter
Kellie Waugh	....	graphic artist
Steve Wheeler	....	property master (as Stephen Wheeler)
Kemberlee White	....	model maker
Debbie Wilson	....	production buyer
Deborah Wilson	....	production buyer

Sound Department
Ben Brazier	....	foley mixer
Kevin Brazier	....	sound editor
Robert Brazier	....	sound editor
Wayne Brooks	....	sound editor
Matthew Desorgher	....	boom operator
David Old	....	dubbing mixer
John Rodda	....	sound mixer
John Rodda	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Graham Longhurst	....	special effects supervisor
Matthew Roberts	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Phil Attfield	....	visual effects supervisor
Simon Frame	....	visual effects supervisor
Tom Hocking	....	digital compositor
Gruff Owen	....	digital compositor
John Rowe	....	digital artist
Davide Tromba	....	matte painter
Hayley Collins	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Bruce Cain	....	stunts
Stuart Clark	....	stunts
Ray De-Haan	....	stunts
Ray Donn	....	stunt double: David Suchet
Tracey Eddon	....	stunts (as Tracy Eddon)
Jamie Edgell	....	stunts
Dave Fisher	....	stunts
Sarah Franzl	....	stunts
Paul Heasman	....	stunts
Paul Howell	....	stunts
Derek Lea	....	stunts
Tom Lucy	....	stunts (as Tom Lucky)
Daniel Naprous	....	stunts
Andreas Petrides	....	stunts
Dominic Preece	....	stunts
Seon Rogers	....	stunts
Lee Sheward	....	stunt coordinator
C.C. Smiff	....	stunts
Adrian Stuart	....	stunts
Bill Weston	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Keith Batterbee	....	rigger
John Cooling	....	stand-by rigger
Robert Diebelius	....	rigger
Daniel Edwards	....	assistant camera
Craig Feather	....	focus puller
Peter Field	....	camera operator
Neil Genower	....	still photographer
Ben Gibb	....	clapper loader
David Hedley	....	gaffer
Russell Kennedy	....	assistant camera
Ian Maghie	....	grip
Caren Moy	....	camera operator
Micky Patten	....	grip (as Mickey Patten)
Barry Read	....	best boy
James Russell	....	electrician
Xandy Sahla	....	Steadicam operator (as Alexander Sahla)
Colin Seers	....	electrician
Simon Walton	....	clapper loader

Casting Department
Alex Johnson	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Candy Arbuckle	....	costume assistant
Kate Constable	....	costume assistant
Lucy Denny	....	costume assistant
Jeanette Dmitri	....	costume assistant
Yvonne Duckett	....	costume assistant
Philip Goldsworthy	....	costume assistant
Mohammed Harchi	....	costume assistant
Mike Hodge	....	costume assistant
Caroline Hume	....	costume assistant
Ashwin Makan	....	costume assistant
Yolanda Peart-Smith	....	costume assistant
Claire Singleton-Nicholls	....	costume assistant
Sarah Touaibi	....	costume supervisor
Kirsty Wilkinson	....	costume assistant
Hannah Wood	....	costume assistant
Robert Worley	....	costume assistant
Diane Wren	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Shane Chapman	....	picture editor
Samantha Hollingdale	....	colorist
Mark Neale	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Peter Fuchs	....	music recording engineer
Julian Kershaw	....	orchestrator
Steve Parr	....	music mixer
Steve Parr	....	music recordist

Other crew
Will Aspinall	....	runner
Lucy Bedford	....	script editor
Natalie Cheary	....	publicist
Kerry Gill-Pryde	....	researcher
Heidi Gower	....	runner
Karen Jones	....	script supervisor
Matthew Julnes	....	production runner
Marigo Kehoe	....	head of production
Annabel Kennedy	....	production secretary
Jennifer Lambert	....	nurse
Harriet Lawrence	....	location manager
Rowena McInnes	....	production administrator
John Pritchard	....	location assistant
John Robertson	....	supervising rigger
Dania Shaw	....	runner
Kerry Smith	....	assistant accountant
Nathalie Tanner	....	production coordinator
Keith Wale	....	location assistant
Sue Wall	....	production assistant
Paula Jack	....	dialect coach (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Granada Television
• Power
• Powercorp
• WGBH

Distributors

• Danmarks Radio (DR) (2004) (Denmark) (TV)
• Granada Media Group (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Independent Television (ITV) (2003) (UK) (TV)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (2004) (USA) (TV)
• Sveriges Television (SVT) (2004) (Sweden) (TV)

Special Effects

• Men From Mars

Other Companies

• Casting Collective  extras casting
• St. Anne's Post  post-production facilities

Runtime:

UK:250 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Arundel Castle, Arundel, West Sussex, England, UK

Company:

Granada Television

Goofs:

Factual errors: Immediately preceding the scene (interior) where the Pope is seen writing his refusal to divorce Henry VIII from Catherine of Aragon, there is a panoramic view of the Vatican (with St. Peter's basilica), implying that the Pope was in Rome/the Vatican at the time.DIn fact, the Pope was at Orvieto at the time, and it was there, in the Papal palace, where he wrote and signed this particular document.

Quotes:

Katherine of Aragon: What did I do to upset you, that a maid of mine should turn against me like this?
Anne Boleyn: You failed to give England an heir.
Katherine of Aragon: And that upsets you so?
Anne Boleyn: What upsets the King, upsets me.
Katherine of Aragon: Let me tell you this. You want me to lie before God, and admit my first marriage was consummated? Well, it was not. You want me to retire, and withdraw my daughter's claim as sole rightful heir to the throne? Well, I shall not. Not in a thousand years. Not if you rack me within an inch of my life. So, I hope you have the belly for a fight, Anne Boleyn, because I'll fight you, every inch of the way.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Creating the Ultimate Beowulf (2008) (V)

Bodice-Ripper Mentality

Bodice-Ripper Mentality

Henry as played by Ray Winstone is a brawling, bawling, beastly Bluebeard. I realize Henry VIII was a spoiled brat of a king, reigning at the time when being an absolute monarch meant something, but the Tudors were also craftily intelligent. This Henry just appears to be a demanding brute. There is very little attempt to portray his intelligence or his charm. He may have been king (and it's good to be king), but when he wanted to Henry could be charming. It doesn't come through here. The history itself is a bit screwy. Let's call it history lite. There is a bodice-ripper mentality to the writing. Let's get into the hairshirt with Katherine of Aragon or the sex with Anne Boleyn. Let's show brutal war at its most brutal. Yes, war really is horrid and the Renaissance Europe was a cruel place, but the feeling of this piece is not the historical value of violence and sex, but rather for their voyeuristic quality. It's a bit smarmy. The acting was melodramatic, relieved only by good performances by Charles Dance and Sean Bean and their characters die fairly quickly. This was 3 unpleasant hours that I don't want to repeat again. Classic classy British fair, NOT.