The Six Wives of Henry VIII

I first saw this BBC production at 13 in 1971, and was simply fascinated. I have seen it several times since, and it's always fresh and interesting to watch. Keith Mitchell is excellent as Henry VIII, and I found no fault with the acting or history of the series. Well-cast, well-acted. I must say that my favorite episodes were Dorothy Tutin as Anne Boleyn and the very unfortunate young Katherine Howard, played by Angela Pleasence. I was surprised that she is the daughter of of Donald Pleasance. All of the episodes are outstanding, and are educational as well. Keith Mitchell plays Henry the VIII with all the conceited, bombastic, loving, hating and self-indulging qualities that history describes him as having. A must-see for lovers of drama, romance, and English History. 10 out of 10 stars easily.

I have seen this series many times and enjoy it immensely every time I see it. I have read a number of biographies of Henry VII and this series is the most accurate portrayal of Henry VIII I have seen, making him a sympathetic character in spite of the way he treated some of his wives (in contrast, "The Private Life of Henry VIII," with Charles Laughton as Henry, is absolutely ludicrous in its portrayal of Henry and his wives). Watching this series gives one a good understanding of how a king could go through six wives, having two of them executed and one driven to an early death through mistreatment. Yet he is never exactly hero or villain, he is portrayed as a human being, who only once went into a marriage that was not for love, and quickly got out of it (through annulment). Anyone who is interested in the history of England's monarchy should enjoy this series. And a good follow up series is "Elizabeth R", with Glenda Jackson playing the title role (quite excellently).

Six or seven hours of film (or was it tape) make "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" a series, not a movie. But here's a clear case of more is more. Each of Henry's wives gets her own story and collapsing those stories into a couple of hours is a disservice. Keith Michell as Henry and Anthony Quayle as the narrator are fine actors and they provide continuity. But the actresses playing the six wives are also excellent and each of the episodes stands up on its own. Ignore the nay sayers on this. This is another of the drama series that BBC does so well and that have benefited those of us who watch them on PBS. There have been a lot of good ones but this may be the best of the lot.

Impeccable in casting, sets, dialogue, and period feel. All of the principals are magnificent; but the actors who play Stephen Gardiner and Robert Barnes are simply extraordinary. The much-maligned Keith Michell is still the best Henry this century, easily brushing aside Robert Shaw, Richard Burton, and Charles Laughton. Michell's combination of vanity, insecurity, overweening machismo, and determination to stay top dog at all costs is painful but fascinating to watch. This TV series does full justice to all facets of the Tudor period; best of all, it reveals extra magical touches with each re-viewing. Which means, in short, that this is a video which you should buy, rather than rent.

This was one of the most amazing pieces of television/theater. I was 17 when I watched it for the first time and about 10 years ago, acquired the miniseries on VHS. Just recently I was given the DVD set as a gift. I've been re-watching it and I marvel at just how amazing the production and the performances were. At the time Keith Michell played Henry, the actor was in his early 40's yet managed to portray the monarch from age 18 till his death at 56. Simply remarkable and I think Michell is the consummate Henry VIII. As the previous poster, my favorite episodes were Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard; I didn't know Ms. Pleasence was Donald Pleasance's daughter. I also enjoyed Annette Crosbie's performance; she also portrayed Queen Victoria in the miniseries about Edward VII. All in all, this is one of the finest miniseries ever done on television and I doubt we'll see its equal anytime soon.