An Age of Kings

Watched this on KQED, with Frank Baxter commenting, as I recall. Have never seen it since, but would like to find out where it is available.

It is amazing how good something can be, but be in black and white, and have zero special effects. In fact, amazing how much BETTER something like that is!

Possibly the finest moment of TV, at least in my memory, as millions could watch Shakespeare's gripping Kings cycle (Richard II - Richard III) play out on prime time TV (I believe it was on Friday nights). No word was left out, and the plays awoke in me (who was then in elementary school) a thirst for history and a hunger for Shakespeare and drama.

Let's see these reissued on DVD. What a set this would be!

All right - it was in black and white and probably on 2" tape - which means the BBC wiped it, right? But it stays in my mind from all those years ago (1960??) as a perfect slice of history enlivened by the most innovative editing and wonderful actors full of youth and bravado.

I WANT TO SEE IT AGAIN! Are you reading this, BBC? Find your original 2" tapes or the 35mm film, deal with the actors and directors for the rights, and re-issue! I know, I know, some of them are dead, some of them are missing in action.

Where else will I be able to see Mary Morris as the 'serpent's heart wrapped in a tiger's hide'? Where else will I be able to see Paul Daneman do 'Now is the winter of discontent....'? Or Robert Hardy deliver his speech about 'that idol ceremony'?

I believe it has been over 40 years since I saw this series, yet memory of it hasn't faded a bit. This would be a natural for DVD re-issue, it seems to me. Many of the performers have gone on to greater fame (Robert Hardy, Sean Connery, to name a couple); though it was a smallish role, I still remember Judy Dench, then in her 20's, as Katherine of France (Henry V). She was very lovely then as now.

There is a hint on this site that the series was filmed in color - is this so? Who of us would know - virtually no color TV in those days. Mores the pity, no VCR's; if so, some might have recorded it. As a way of teaching English history, this series made it come alive in ways few class room teachers can manage.

What a fine re-issue this would be!

An Age of Kings was my introduction to Shakespeare. I still have the viewing guide you had to mail in for. I remember the series as stimulating, exciting, and entertaining. I saw the broadcasts when I was in 9th grade...15 years old. That was quite an accomplishment for any TV drama. I have awaited a Video or DVD reissue for many years. Also a devote of the films of Akira Kurosawa, I have collected his works when issued by the Criterion Collection. I feel that An Age of Kings is certainly deserving of such loving treatment. What can we as individuals do to move the BBC or some other group to actually reissue a quality set of this series. Living outside the UK, a trip over to view the series is currently not feasible.