Fandom/Canon Name: The Shadow of the Tower What's awesome about it: Did you watch The White Princess and pine for a more historically accurate dramatisation of the same period?* Your luck is in: the BBC made such a thing in 1972, a 13x 50 min serial composed entirely of historical accuracy, curtains, bad wigs and absolutely no budget whatsoever. And a monkey. \o/
It was made as a prequel to the BBC's earlier Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R. It's an odd little serial, but it is fairly accurate as these things go (although not entirely, of course; it's fiction and it has its own agenda), and has a really interesting take on many aspects. It does require some getting used to the theatrical style, and episode 1 is unfortunately pretty dire - but it improves fairly rapidly after that. If you're into Shakespeare's histories, Tudors, or historical drama generally and don't mind theatrical TV, there's a lot to appreciate in this, especially James Maxwell's layered take on Henry VII. It's all about trust/mistrust, power, paranoia, the terribleness of kings, and irony and, of course, people getting their heads chopped off. I would love to have some things followed up, or missing years covered, and just more generally. ("The Serpent and the Comforter" "The White Hart" and "Do the Sheep Sin?" are definite highlights, at least IMO.)
Also, James Maxwell's face generally, although I accept that is probably just me and I need help or something.
Where to find:here on YouTube. It is also out on DVD in R1 and R2 (although oddly, only in non-UK editions, but they play! I have the Dutch one, which came pretty cheap second hand.)
* I haven't actually seen TWP, so apologies if I'm maligning it, but I have seen The White Queen, so I suspect not.
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What's awesome about it: Did you watch The White Princess and pine for a more historically accurate dramatisation of the same period?* Your luck is in: the BBC made such a thing in 1972, a 13x 50 min serial composed entirely of historical accuracy, curtains, bad wigs and absolutely no budget whatsoever. And a monkey. \o/
It was made as a prequel to the BBC's earlier Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R. It's an odd little serial, but it is fairly accurate as these things go (although not entirely, of course; it's fiction and it has its own agenda), and has a really interesting take on many aspects. It does require some getting used to the theatrical style, and episode 1 is unfortunately pretty dire - but it improves fairly rapidly after that. If you're into Shakespeare's histories, Tudors, or historical drama generally and don't mind theatrical TV, there's a lot to appreciate in this, especially James Maxwell's layered take on Henry VII. It's all about trust/mistrust, power, paranoia, the terribleness of kings, and irony and, of course, people getting their heads chopped off. I would love to have some things followed up, or missing years covered, and just more generally. ("The Serpent and the Comforter" "The White Hart" and "Do the Sheep Sin?" are definite highlights, at least IMO.)
Also, James Maxwell's face generally, although I accept that is probably just me and I need help or something.
Also: I wasn't joking about the monkey.
Online info & reviews:
Shadow of the Tower (Wiki entry)
http://venetianvase.co.uk/2015/01/27/henry-vii-winter-king-and-the-shadow-of-the-tower/
https://thehistorylady.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/henry-vii-the-tudor-who-started-it-all-beset-by-pretenders-in-the-shadow-of-the-tower/
http://www.frockflicks.com/the-shadow-of-the-tower-pt-2/
tumblr post on my favourite episode: http://lost-spook.tumblr.com/post/147694255839/favourite-episodes-of-old-telly-3-the-shadow#notes
Where to find: here on YouTube. It is also out on DVD in R1 and R2 (although oddly, only in non-UK editions, but they play! I have the Dutch one, which came pretty cheap second hand.)
* I haven't actually seen TWP, so apologies if I'm maligning it, but I have seen The White Queen, so I suspect not.