Wolf Hall (miniseries)
Wolf Hall (miniseries)
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| Wolf Hall | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Historical drama |
| Based on | Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel |
| Written by | Peter Straughan |
| Directed by | Peter Kosminsky |
| Starring |
|
| Composer(s) | Original music by Debbie Wiseman Tudor music by Claire van Kampen |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Colin Callender |
| Producer(s) | Mark Pybus |
| Cinematography | Gavin Finney |
| Running time | 60–65 min (episode) |
| Production company(s) | Company Pictures |
| Distributor | BBC Worldwide |
| Release | |
| Original network |
|
| Original release | 21 January (2015-01-21) – 25 February 2015 (2015-02-25) |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Wolf Hall is a British television serial first broadcast on BBC Two in January 2015. The six-part series is an adaptation of two of Hilary Mantel's novels, Wolf Hall[1] and Bring Up the Bodies,[2] a fictionalised biography documenting the rapid rise to power of Thomas Cromwell in the court of Henry VIII through to the death of Sir Thomas More, followed by Cromwell's success in freeing the king of his marriage to Anne Boleyn. Wolf Hall was first broadcast in April 2015 in the United States on PBS and in Australia on BBC First.
The series was a critical success and received eight nominations at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards and three nominations at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards, winning for Best Miniseries or Television Film.
Contents
1 Cast
1.1 Principal
1.2 Supporting
2 Production
3 Episodes
4 Reception
5 International broadcast
6 Accolades
7 References
8 External links
Cast[edit]
Principal[edit]
Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell[3][4]
Damian Lewis as Henry VIII[5][6]
Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn
Bernard Hill as Duke of Norfolk
Anton Lesser as Thomas More
Mark Gatiss as Stephen Gardiner
Mathieu Amalric as Eustache Chapuys
Joanne Whalley as Katherine of Aragon
Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey
Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Rafe Sadler
Tom Holland as Gregory Cromwell
Harry Lloyd as Harry Percy
Jessica Raine as Jane Rochford
Saskia Reeves as Johane Williamson
Charity Wakefield as Mary Boleyn
Edward Holcroft as George Boleyn
Supporting[edit]
David Robb as Sir Thomas Boleyn
- Joss Porter as Richard Cromwell
- Emma Hiddleston as Meg More[7]
Jonathan Aris as James Bainham
Natasha Little as Liz Cromwell
Will Keen as Thomas Cranmer
Ed Speleers as Edward Seymour
Kate Phillips as Jane Seymour
Edward Holcroft as George Boleyn
Hannah Steele as Mary Shelton
Richard Dillane as Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk
- Florence Bell as Helen Barre
- Iain Batchelor as Thomas Seymour
Paul Clayton as William Kingston
Felix Scott as Francis Bryan
Luke Roberts as Harry Norris
Alastair Mackenzie as William Brereton
- Max Fowler as Mark Smeaton
Robert Wilfort as George Cavendish
Aimee-Ffion Edwards as Elizabeth Barton
Bryan Dick as Richard Rich
Lucy Russell as Lady Shelton
Kerry Ingram as Alice Williamson[8]
Enzo Cilenti as Antonio Bonvisi
James Larkin as Master Treasurer FitzWilliam
Tim Steed as Lord Chancellor Audley
Joel MacCormack as Thomas Wriothesley
Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as Francis Weston
Paul Ritter as Sir John Seymour
Sarah Crowden as Lady Exeter
Janet Henfrey as Lady Margaret Pole
Thomas Arnold as Hans Holbein the Younger
Nigel Cooke as Sir Nicholas Carew
Benjamin Whitrow as Archbishop Warham
Richard Durden as Bishop Fisher
Production[edit]
On 23 August 2012, BBC Two announced several new commissions, one of which was Wolf Hall.[9] According to The Guardian £7 million was to be spent on the adaptation.[10] BBC Two controller Janice Hadlow said it was "very fortunate to have the rights" to the two novels and called Wolf Hall "a great contemporary novel".[11][12]
Peter Kosminsky, the director of the series, said:
This is a first for me. But it is an intensely political piece. It is about the politics of despotism, and how you function around an absolute ruler. I have a sense that Hilary Mantel wanted that immediacy. ... When I saw Peter Straughan's script, only a first draft, I couldn't believe what I was reading. It was the best draft I had ever seen. He had managed to distil 1,000 pages of the novels into six hours, using prose so sensitively. He's a theatre writer by trade.[10]
The drama series features 102 characters and Kosminsky began casting the other parts in October 2013. Although originally set to film in Belgium,[13] most of the filming took place on location at some of the finest British medieval and Tudor houses and buildings: Berkeley Castle, Gloucester Cathedral and Horton Court in Gloucestershire, Penshurst Place in Kent, Broughton Castle and Chastleton House in Oxfordshire, Barrington Court, Cothay Manor and Montacute House in Somerset, St Donat's Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan, and Great Chalfield Manor and Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire.[14][15] The series was filmed in May to July 2014. The series, which was made in association with Masterpiece Entertainment and Playground Entertainment,[16] consists of six episodes and was broadcast on BBC Two in the UK from 21 January 2015.
The Guardian speculated that the BBC's hiring of Kosminsky with Straughan showed they wanted "a darker and grittier take on British history" than more fanciful programs like The Tudors or The White Queen.[10] Mantel called Straughan's scripts a "miracle of elegant compression and I believe with such a strong team the original material can only be enhanced."[10]
Kosminsky's decision to film many of the interior scenes by candlelight led to the actors bumping into things, and fearing they might catch fire.[17]
Wolf Hall was filmed in two locations in Kent: Dover Castle doubled for the Tower of London, and the Long Gallery, Tapestry Room, and Queen Elizabeth Room in Penshurst Place were used as specific rooms in Whitehall (York Place), which was Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII's residence. The Long Gallery doubled as Anne Boleyn's chamber.[18]
The series' executive producer, Colin Callender, stated in February 2015 that he hoped that the BBC would commission an extension of the series based on the final novel in Mantel's trilogy, The Mirror and the Light, which Mantel is currently writing.[19] Callender said that lead performers Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis were "eager" to return.[19]
Episodes[edit]
| Number | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | U.S. air date[20] | UK viewers (million) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Three Card Trick" | Peter Kosminsky | Peter Straughan | 21 January 2015 (2015-01-21) | April 5, 2015 | 5.99[21] |
In 1529, as Cardinal Wolsey receives news of his dismissal as Lord Chancellor, his lawyer, Thomas Cromwell, reminisces about how he and Wolsey met and the events leading up to the Cardinal's downfall. | ||||||
| 2 | "Entirely Beloved" | Peter Kosminsky | Peter Straughan | 28 January 2015 (2015-01-28) | April 12, 2015 | 4.46[21] |
As 1529 draws to a close, Cardinal Wolsey moves to York while Thomas Cromwell attempts to gain support for him from King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and in the process, gradually wins favor for himself. | ||||||
| 3 | "Anna Regina" | Peter Kosminsky | Peter Straughan | 4 February 2015 (2015-02-04) | April 19, 2015 | 4.13[21] |
In 1531, King Henry VIII has proposed a bill which will make him the Head of the Church in England and allow him to marry Anne Boleyn. However, his plans are met with a series of complications. | ||||||
| 4 | "The Devil's Spit" | Peter Kosminsky | Peter Straughan | 11 February 2015 (2015-02-11) | April 26, 2015 | 4.29[21] |
In 1533, Anne Boleyn has given birth to a daughter, much to King Henry VIII's disdain. As Anne's paranoia over her inability to produce a son grows, Thomas Cromwell tries to convince Sir Thomas More to sanctify the royal marriage. | ||||||
| 5 | "Crows" | Peter Kosminsky | Peter Straughan | 18 February 2015 (2015-02-18) | May 3, 2015 | 3.72[21] |
In 1535, King Henry VIII's attempt to be declared Head of the Church in England has been denied by the Holy Roman Emperor. Meanwhile, Anne Boleyn's failure to produce a male heir leads Henry toward Jane Seymour. | ||||||
| 6 | "Master of Phantoms" | Peter Kosminsky | Peter Straughan | 25 February 2015 (2015-02-25) | May 10, 2015 | 3.74[21] |
In 1536, King Henry VIII's request that Thomas Cromwell find a way to rid him of Anne Boleyn - a sentiment supported by others, who wish for Jane Seymour to take her place - leads to a series of allegations and revelations. | ||||||
Reception[edit]
Critics have been "almost unanimous" in their praise of the show, with particular reference to the attention to period detail, the faithful adaptation of the source novels, and the performances of the leading cast members, particularly Rylance as Cromwell and Foy as Boleyn.[22] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the show a 98% rating based on 41 reviews with an average rating of 8.45/10, the critical consensus being that the series is "beautifully filmed and brilliantly acted."[23] Sam Wollaston in The Guardian called it "sumptuous, intelligent, event television."[24] Will Dean in The Independent felt that it did not compare favourably with the stage adaptation of the book, yet he predicted that it would "secure a devoted following."[25] James Walton in The Daily Telegraph gave the first episode five stars out of five, commenting: "it’s hard to see how this one could have been done much better."[26] Mick Adam Noya from the television review show Channel Crossing called Wolf Hall "the best show of 2015".[27]
A few dissenting voices have found some flaws. The Daily Telegraph alleges that there was a substantial drop in ratings between the first and second episode, despite all the following episodes holding high and consistent ratings.[28]Simon Schama has stated concerns about how the series depicts historical figures.[29]
International broadcast[edit]
- Australia: BBC First premiered the series on 11 April 2015[30] and it was watched by 46,000 viewers.[31]
- United States: PBS broadcast the series on Masterpiece from 5 April 2015 to 10 May 2015.[32] The series was subsequently licensed to Amazon Prime.[33]
- Germany / France: Arte broadcast the series on 21 and 28 January 2016.[34][35]
Accolades[edit]
 | This section relies largely or entirely on a single source. (August 2017) |
For the 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards, the series received four nominations: Best Limited Series, Mark Rylance for Best Actor, Jonathan Pryce for Best Supporting Actor, and Claire Foy for Best Supporting Actress.[36]
| Award | Category | Recipients | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
BAFTA TV Awards | Best Drama Series | Wolf Hall | Won |
Best Actor | Mark Rylance | Won | |
Best Actress | Claire Foy | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actor | Anton Lesser | Nominated | |
| Best Editing - Fiction | David Blackmore | Nominated | |
| Best Costume Design | Joanna Eatwell | Nominated | |
| Best Photography and Lighting | Gavin Finney | Nominated | |
| Best Sound - Fiction and Entertainment | Rodney Berling, Simon Clark, Peter Gates, James Hayday, and Rob Hughes | Won | |
Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Limited Series | Wolf Hall | Nominated |
Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries | Mark Rylance | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries | Jonathan Pryce | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actress in a Movie/Miniseries | Claire Foy | Nominated | |
Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Television Film | Wolf Hall | Won |
Best Actor | Mark Rylance | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actor | Damian Lewis | Nominated | |
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Limited Series | Wolf Hall | Nominated |
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Mark Rylance | Nominated | |
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie | Damian Lewis | Nominated | |
Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special | Peter Kosminsky | Nominated | |
Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special | Peter Straughan | Nominated | |
Outstanding Casting for a Limited Series, Movie, or Special | Nina Gold and Robert Sterne | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series or Movie | Joanna Eatwell, Ken Lang, and Clare Vyse | Nominated | |
| Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited Series or Movie | David Blackmore | Nominated | |
Satellite Awards | Best Miniseries or Television Film | Wolf Hall | Nominated |
Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Mark Rylance | Won | |
| Damian Lewis | Nominated | ||
Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Claire Foy | Nominated | |
Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Mark Rylance | Nominated |
TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries, and Specials | Wolf Hall | Nominated |
References[edit]
^ Mantel, Hilary (2009). Wolf Hall (1st ed.). New York City: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 978-0805080681..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ Mantel, Hilary (2012). Bring Up the Bodies (1st ed.). New York City: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 978-0805090031.
^ "Mark Rylance set for Hilary Mantel TV drama". BBC News. 8 March 2013. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
^ Cast & Credits, Wolf Hall, PBS.
^ Barraclough, Leo (31 January 2014). "Damian Lewis Set to Star as Henry VIII in 'Wolf Hall'". Variety. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
^ Vincent, Alice (2 May 2014). "Wolf Hall TV cast to include Damian Lewis and Mark Rylance". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
^ "Emma Hiddleston Resume". Hamilton Hodell. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
^ "Wolf Hall Series 1 Episode 2 Cast & Credits". PBS. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
^ "BBC Two announces raft of new commissions". BBC. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
^ abcd Brown, Maggie (11 October 2013). "Peter Kosminsky and Mark Rylance team up for BBC's Wolf Hall adaptation". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
^ "Wolf Hall adaptation planned for BBC Two". BBC News. 24 August 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
^ "Wolf Hall is to be a BBC drama". The Daily Telegraph. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
^ Conlan, Tara (18 January 2015). "Wolf Hall sticks to England after director rejects plan to film in Belgium". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
^ Frith-Salem, Benjamin (20 January 2015). "Wolf Halls: take a look inside the properties where the new BBC series is filmed". BBC History Magazine. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
^ "The stately homes of Wolf Hall". BBC News.
^ Daniels, Nia (10 January 2014). "Wolf Hall now to film in the UK". The Knowledge Online. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
^ Furness, Hannah (21 Jan 2015). "Wolf Hall: the perils of filming by candlelight". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2015-02-26.
^ Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office Wolf Hall Article".
^ ab Ben Dowell, BBC poised to commission Wolf Hall series two, Radio Times (February 9, 2015).
^ Lisa de Moraes, 'Wolf Hall' Premiere Crowd Hits 4.4 Million, Deadline Hollywood (April 30, 2015).
^ abcdef Weekly Top 10 Programmes – Broadcasters' Audience Research Board
^ "Wolf Hall: Critics hail TV debut". BBC Online. 22 January 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ "Wolf Hall: Series 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
^ Wollaston, Sam (22 January 2015). "Wolf Hall review – 'event television: sumptuous, intelligent and serious'". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ Dean, Will (21 January 2015). "Wolf Hall review: An imperious Mark Rylance revels in darkness in Hilary Mantel adaptation". The Independent. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ Walton, James (22 January 2015). "Wolf Hall: episode one, review: 'subtle & surprising' – Telegraph". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
^ Channel Crossing: Wolf Hall Review (Best TV of 2015)
^ Anita Singh,Wolf Hall a turn-off as a million viewers switch over, Daily Telegraph, 29 January 2015
^ Schama, Simon (13 February 2015). "What historians think of historical novels". Financial Times. Retrieved 2015-08-20.
(subscription required)
^ "APRIL on FOXTEL: Game Of Thrones, Mad Men, Wentworth, Deadline Gallipoli and 200+ other new shows". The Green Room. Foxtel. March 30, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
^ "Ratings: Saturday 11th April 2015". Mediaspy. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
^ "Wolf Hall". Masterpiece. PBS. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
^ https://deadline.com/2015/06/amazon-licensing-rights-wolf-hall-grantchester-1201464264/
^ "Wölfe (1/6)". ARTE Programm. 21 January 2016.
^ "Wolf Hall (1/6)". Programmes ARTE. 21 January 2016.
^ "Justified, Broad City, Empire, Mom, 24, Jane The Virgin, Transparent Lead the 2015 Critics Choice Nominations". Team TVLine. May 6, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
External links[edit]
 | Wikiquote has quotations related to: Wolf Hall (miniseries) |
Wolf Hall at BBC Programmes
Wolf Hall on IMDb & Episode list at IMDb.- Hilary Mantel's website
- Hilary Mantel's Facebook fan page
Categories:
- 2010s British drama television series
- BBC television royalty dramas
- English-language television programs
- Television series by All3Media
- Television shows set in the United Kingdom
- Cultural depictions of Henry VIII of England
- Cultural depictions of Anne Boleyn
- 2015 British television programme debuts
- 2015 British television programme endings
- Television series about the history of England
- Television set in Tudor England
- House of Tudor
- Monarchy in fiction
- Television series set in the 16th century
- 2010s British television miniseries
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