The Six Wives of Henry VIII [DVD] [1970] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

The production team did an enormous amount of research to provide accurate portrayals of the notoriously virile king and the women in his life. The result is an utterly riveting and intensely moving drama, that is at the same time as accurate as possible. This is, without a doubt, the definitive dramatisation of the reign of possibly the most famous monarch in history.

Each episode is devoted to the very different stories of Henry's six marriages and the series ends with his death, after murdering so many others before him.

The six women emerge as entirely different characters, who were at times fighting a deadly battle with each other, and many others, to keep the love of the king that they feared so much, yet despite their different personalities, you grow to love, respect and sympathise with each of them. However, Catherine of Aragon - Henry's first wife - is my favourite because of her inspring bravery, strong principles and dignified defiance.

These women are played to perfection by six extremely talented actresses, but the star of the show is Keith Michell in one of the greatest and most memorable performances of all time (greater even than the likes of Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud, in my opinion). Michell repeated his role a year later in the film 'Henry VIII and His Six Wives' and thirty years later in the BBC drama serial 'The Prince and the Pauper'.

The prestigious supporting cast includes Annette Crosbie as Catherine of Aragon ('One Foot in the Grave', 'Oliver Twist'), Dorothy Tutin as Anne Boleyn ('Cromwell', 'A Tale of Two Cities'), Anne Stallybrass as Jane Seymour ('The Onedin Line', 'The Mayor of Casterbridge'), Elvie Hale as Anne of Cleves, Angela Pleasance as Catherine Howard ('Mansfield Park'), Rosalie Crutchley as Catherine Parr (who repeated her role in 'Elizabeth R' and played Catherine of Aragon in 'The Sword and the Rose'), Bernard Hepton as Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury (who repeated his role in 'Elizabeth R' and 'Henry VIII and His Six Wives' and also starred in 'I Claudius' and 'Gandhi'), Wolfe Morris as Thomas Cromwell, Patrick Troughton as Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk ('Edward & Mrs Simpson'), John Ronane as Thomas Seymour (who repeated his role in 'Elizabeth R'), Basil Dignam as Steven Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester (who repeated his role in 'Elizabeth R'), Sheila Burrel as Lady Jane Rochford, John Baskcomb as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey ('The Forsyte Saga' and 'Poldark'), Ralph Bates as Thomas Culpepper ('Poldark'), Jonathan Newth as Lord George Boleyn ('Poldark') and Mollie Sugden as Lotte, Anne of Cleves' lady-in-waiting ('Are You Being Served?').

If you are a fan of the classic dramas of the era, such as, 'I Claudius', 'The Forsyte Saga', 'Poldark', 'War and Peace' and 'Elizabeth R' or if you are interested in Tudor history, this is definitely for you. Make sure you buy all six.

Keith Michell and Angela Pleasence are both outstanding as are the entire supporting cast. Make sure you buy all the other videos as well.

Hopefully the BBC will release this masterpiece on DVD soon.