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Wolf Hall to air on BBC First

Damian Lewis stars as Henry VIII in a new 6 part period drama to air in the first half of 2015.

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2015-01-22_1136Arise Sir Damian Lewis…

BBC First has announced it will air upcoming 6-part TV series Wolf Fall, in the first half of 2015.

An adaption of Hilary Mantel’s Booker Prize-winning novels Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up The Bodies, it stars Damian Lewis as Henry VIII, Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell and Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn.

It also stars Jonathan Pryce (Cranford), Joanne Whalley (The Borgias), Mark Gatiss (Sherlock), Jessica Raine (Call The Midwife), Mathieu Amalric (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Game Of Thrones) and Saskia Reeves (Turks & Caicos).

It premiered in the UK this week, described by The Telegraph as “masterful” bringing “a fascinating, dangerous world into our living rooms. Pay attention: this is TV worth watching.” It’s not clear why the series isn’t being fast-tracked to Australia, in keeping with the BBC First strategy.

Tim Christlieb, Acting Director of Channels for BBC Worldwide Australia & New Zealand, says “Wolf Hall is an enormously ambitious project that has resulted in genuine event television and we’re thrilled to continue to premiere blockbuster British drama in Australia on BBC First. Widely acknowledged as a literary masterpiece, it’s been crafted for TV with modern audiences in mind and is a hugely compelling and rewarding experience for viewers.”

Directed by BAFTA-winning Peter Kosminsky and adapted by Oscar-nominated Peter Straughan, the flagship drama presents an intimate portrait of Thomas Cromwell, the brilliant consigliere to King Henry VIII, as he manoeuvres the corridors of power at the Tudor court. The story follows the complex machinations and back room dealings of this pragmatic and accomplished power broker – from humble beginnings and an enigmatic past – who must serve king and country while navigating deadly political intrigue, the King’s tempestuous relationship with Anne Boleyn and the religious upheavals of the Protestant reformation.

Mark Rylance says: “I love it when an author, such as Hilary Mantel, does her research and discovers an original understanding of a very familiar piece of history. Even during our rehearsals her detailed imagination of the world of Thomas Cromwell is alive in Peter Straughan’s ingenious and faithful adaptation.”

5 Responses

  2. One of the dullest dramas in the genre I’ve seen for sometime – but that’s what happens when you film by candlelight!

    It’s a story that has been told better by other dramas so many times and having seen the first episode this show certainly doesn’t justify it’s existence. Poorly filmed and poorly written.

  4. BBC First need to save some shows for later in the year, otherwise they will have nothing to show when viewing here is at its highest and content from the UK is at it lowest during their summer.

    The plot of Wolf Hall is 500 years old and not exactly a secret.

    You need a Foxtel Drama package subscription to watch Game of Thrones, Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Justified etc. in one convenient service. BBC First comes with it.

  5. So BBC First are saying, if we don’t want the relatives in the UK to spoil the plot, we should get on a VPN and watch it on BBC iPlayer now, rather than waiting until they get around to sharing it with us.

    So why do I need a Foxtel subscription?

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