This whole series is in fact the best depiction of Elizabethan costume in television or film, the people in charge clearly spent a lot of time and skill in using not only the accurate concepts but the accurate patterns, fabric, pieces and details, a level of quality rarely seen after, chef's kiss
I watched this whole series when I was a teenager. The last episode with Elizabeth on her deathbed was captivating and has stayed with me my whole life. It is the gold standard.
I think Glenda's is more scholarly without a doubt! Cate Blanchette's Elizabeth puts a human face on her, quite relatable. Especially as a young woman still a teenager. Each version has particular strebgths.
@@ailleananaithnid2566 Glenda Jackson might be my favorite but I totally agree with your assessment of Cate Blanchette. I wish the script were as strong as it was for Glenda Jackson.
I have Elizabeth R on disk and watched “Lion’s Cub” last night. It’s amazing how brilliant performances can make you very forgiving. Glenda Jackson’s performance makes you forget the historical inaccuracies. Huge props also to Daphne Slater for her sympathetic portrayal of Mary I. The dialog between Jackson and Slater make you feel these are real people, and makes you wistfully sad for Mary despite her reputation. My favorite part; when Elizabeth is in the Tower, and convinces the jailer that the unsigned warrant for her execution would ultimate lead to his death. When he leaves, and she spins around and says “I have won, I have WON!!”, it was a moment of triumph.
I have the entire Elizabeth R series on dvd... it is one of my most treasured possessions, and to me, nothing as yet has come close to this level of quality in acting and production... Glenda Jackson is Elizabeth in the flesh, and no one has surpassed her depiction of her... everything else pales in comparison...
I am old enough to have watched the series when it first aired. In particular, this episode captured the drama and tension of the times. I remember breathing a sigh of relief when Glenda Jackson repeated the line 'This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.' WRT Edward VI: The scene in the bedchamber when Edward faces down Seymour showed how Edward, like all the Tudors, had a real sense of his own authority.
"......when it first aired." Right on! "......captured the drama and tension....." double right on!! Glenda Jackson seemed to channel the imperiousness of what I imagine the actual queen to have 'exuded'. (Is that correctly used?) What a treat it would be to see Jackson portray ER I again.
I have loved Elizabeth R since I was a child and what caught my interests in history to this day! I have every biography on Elizabeth and this is indeed the most accurate and well played. And the best thing is they didn't Hollywoodise everything like creepy medieval castles and stupid sexy dresses and open shirts!
Absolutely loved your review. Glenda Jackson has always been my top favorite actress to play Elizabeth I and did a phenomenal job bringing her to live. One of my favorite scenes from the first episode has to be the scene where we see the events of the Thomas Seymour affair in 1547/48 happen through a series of flashbacks but it is through the eyes of Elizabeth from seeing Thomas cut Elizabeth’s black dress (shown to be a mourning gown for her father Henry Viii) while Catherine Parr holds her to Thomas next opening Elizabeth’s curtains flirting with her up in his night shirt one morning. But what is interesting is how visibly uncomfortable it makes the viewer feel as we see the flashbacks unfold seeing how creepy Thomas acts towards Elizabeth even in front of Catherine Parr while Elizabeth acts both confused and ashamed but charmed by him at the same time.
Nice to see you back!! I love how they used some of the same actors as in the Six Wives series. The actor that plays Cranmer looks so much like the real Cranmer! Great video!
Your posts are so chocked with information I watch them over and over. Whenever I’m working or cleaning, I put on your reviews. Your work is simply brilliant. Edit: the scenes with Glenda Jackson entering into and her imprisonment in the Tower are IMHO some of the greatest in Tudor dramas. Ms. Jackson puts us there at the steps. When later in the scenes she convinces them to delay her execution and she wheels around and says, “I’VE WON, I’VE WON!!”, her rejoicing in victory is palpable. My favorite scenes of the whole series.
I'm the same, though I've never seen Shadow of the Tower. Is it on dvd? I have always wanted more done on Henry vii, his early years were full of drama. If done well I think it would be very good and what about a full drama of Edward vi and Mary Tudor. Or Henry viii's sisters?
"Us four " watched this on PBS. Glenda Jackson was a master at her craft. I've seen almost every period piece on Elizabeth , this was the Best. Thank You.👑
Thanks for a great review of this great series. Glenda Jackson IS Elizabeth, she is outstanding. I agree it's the weakest episode, but it's still better than any other portrayal of Elizabeth, by far. Looking forward to the other episode reviews.
Dame Jackson is THE only Elizabeth. I watched this back in the day and own the series on DVD. That being said, the only criticism in have was (on this episode) her incessant gasping at ever turn, it seemed like. That was just a personal annoyance. Otherwise, perfection and the gold standard.
I have the series on DVD and watched it as it premiered on American PBS with introduction by Alistair Cooke. I couldn’t agree more with you that Glenda Jackson’s portrayal of Elizabeth I is the ultimate. I will watch all your content since I enjoyed this first episode. I hope greedy PBS doesn’t get wind of free content on UTube since you add much historical perspective to the series. Thanks so much!!!
I have watched the whole thing. What impresses me is the portrayal of Philip II of Spain. Given his portrayal in the more recent Elizabeth movies, I found him to be a sympathetic character and accurately depicted as Spain's most bureaucratic king. I have been to Escorial, outside Madrid, and have seen the rooms where he worked. The series gets it right.
I remember my parents watching this series and the Six Wives of Henry VIII series. I decided to watch Elizabeth R some years ago and really enjoyed it. Plan to watch both series later. I think these are from the heyday of British historical dramas.
Absolutely love your reviews! Would love a video/book of a scene by scene analysis of the whole series of I Claudius, Warrior Queen, The Devils Crown, The Shadows in the Tower, The Six Wives of Henry 8th and Elizabeth R and films such as Land of the Pharaohs and Cleopatra. Admittedly a bit much to ask of one person though :D
Its always bothered me how ignored Edward and Mary are in terms of Tudor drama and literature. Worse, Mary is often depicted as down right villainous. Still i treasure this series for the performances and costume. Its a breath of fresh air since so many more recent period peices are all in a dark or dingey colour pallet.
I remember watching this series with my family when it first came out; like "Six Wives", it enchanted us and brought the characters to life. I remember that Elizabeth was not portrayed as a perfect, wonderful creature but as someone who could be difficult, petty and cruelly inconsiderate, as well as vulnerable. I liked this, as I feel that sometimes she's put on a pedestal and that even these aspects are shown as something to admire rather than to take into account as human features. Incidentally, we enjoyed two more British imports to the US PBS station: "The Pallisers", and "I, Claudius" (which, owing to the title sequence, we sometimes called "I, Clavdivs"). Marvelous writing, acting and directing for both of these, with "Clavdivs" in particular relishing the talents of Derek Jacobi, Sian Phillips, Brian Blessed, John Hurt and a younger Patrick Stewart, with hair, and playing a villain. For me, the standout character of this series was Tiberius, whose degeneration we get to witness and understand. But the twisted fun of the series is completely owned by Phillips as Livia and Hurt as Caligula, because while we enjoy the intelligence and sharpness of the first and the absurdity of the second, we never are allowed to forget that we are relishing monsters.
I really need to re watch 'I, Claudius'. They showed it on ITV 3 I think it was some years ago, but haven't had it on again since. In fact, ITV and BBC really ought to re run a lot of these old dramas again!
@@The_Laughing_Cavalier I agree that they should. There's a simplicity and a concentration on character interaction in these productions which I feel is often lacking in current historical series. We own DVDs of "Elizabeth", "Wives", "Pallisers" and "Claudius" and can watch them at our pleasure. Wonder if they're still available that way for you?
I agree totally with you about the series, Glenda Jackson really made one believe she was Elizabeth I. I couldn't warm up to the actor who played Robert Dudley, The Earl was suppose to be a truly handsome young man. Robert Hardy good looking but certainly not Lusty looking as the Earl was reportedly to have been.
Robert Hardy honestly looks more like surviving portraits of Robert Dudley than most actors who've played him, though. It's always weird when you have someone who was supposed to be incredibly good-looking, like Robert Dudley or (a generation earlier) Charles Brandon or Katherine Howard, and yet portraits of them don't necessarily look so to modern eyes. But standards of beauty do change somewhat over time.
Waiting with bated breath for your reviews of the other five episodes in this magnificent series. No other actress has even come close to capturing the essence of Elizabeth I. I watched these on PBS when they first came out and have watched them frequently on DVD since. I agree with you about how, ideally, the BBC would have followed "Six Wives" with an Edward VI-Mary series, and then turned to Elizabeth. To my way of thinking the glaring omission from Elizabeth R is an episode dealing with the Duke of Norfolk's treason and downfall. Keep writing!
Loved your review, and of one of my favourite period dramas. Having seen Glenda in the role I do not think anyone else compares. I think your review is spot on. However, I wonder if Elizabeth was that firm when she was younger. Glenda Jackson’s portrayal was so brilliant I wonder if we now see Elizabeth through Glenda’s lens. I have read Elizabeth was pretty frightened when she was sent to the Tower and I think some of the other portrayals of Elizabeth may capture that vulnerability at the time before she became queen better. Once she becomes queen I think Glenda’s performance is far and away the best.
-Actually I always liked this episode. -Yeah, the British TV dramas had actors playing roles too young for them (even though its temporary): 40-something George Baker as 19-year-old Tiberius, 40-year-old Timothy West as 21-year-old Bertie in EDWARD THE SEVENTH (I could say the same thing about Crosbie as the 20-something Victoria, but then the early photographs of Vicki make her rather mature). -I like the connections of actors from the two serials. When Bernard Hepton's Cramner looks at Elizabeth, I can't help thinking Cramner is remembering Anne's 'I must have a son!' breakdown in SIX WIVES, and that his blessing is his way of atoning for not protecting her. -The original script (which was published alongside SIX WIVES) has this description where during Mary's 'Mea Culpa!' Breakdown, the window is supposed to present this red glow, displaying the red skies from the Protestant burnings ("I will burn heresy from this land!"). Too bad it wasn't done. -Kat Ashley's daughter Vanessa and granddaughter Joely played Elizabeth.
This is my favourite Elizabeth I series. Glenda Jackson is amazing in this. Her portrayal of Elizabeth clearly influenced Cate Blanchett (who applied as much talent as she could to a very very poor script) and Helen Mirren (who channels Elizabeth's strength of character in all the scenes where she isn't portrayed as despondent - again, the scriptwriters are to blame). I watch 'Elizabeth R' once a year...possibly more often....I know entire parts of the dialogue by heart. I'm so looking forwards to your reviews of the rest of the series. After subjecting yourself to Gregory's horrors, you will find the work therapeutic....:-) This is not me putting on any pressure. Do take all the time you need. UA-cam isn't going anywhere and that covid19 vaccine is not knocking at my door any time soon.
Thanks, at the minute I will probably be working on the next Tudor Rant looking at season 2 of Spanish Princess, then after a few other videos I have lined up, I'll ge back to this series hopefuly.
Great review, just started the series last week via BBC4. I remember the clip of Elizabeth on the steps of the Tower being used at primary school when we did the Tudors. Something that's curious is last week when I looked, IMDB said Keith Michell appears in The Lion's Cub as Henry VIII (uncredited). Yet unless I blinked, I didn't notice.
I have already seen four episodes of Elizabeth r I'm going to be soon finishing him on the last two but there is something I really got to say I get the point that Elizabeth had a long reign with so much people can movies and shows of even docker memories but why I have only seen one poorly done movie of Mary Tudor. I get the point in her ring was short and most of all I was depressing and sad for what she did to keep herself alive back when she was 20 and she was forced to sign saying that she's nothing more but a bastard and her mother's marriage was illegal but she still has a long story of herself to tell I don't understand why. She has her own story to tell
Glenda Jackson does a spectacular job depicting Elizabeth I, as the real QEI was imperious, vain, hot-headed, moody, etc. Jackson will always be my favorite, RIP. For the series, I kind of wished, like you mentioned, that it would flesh out both Edward and Mary's characters more thoroughly, so I definitely see 1 hour 30 minutes as inadequate. But it does a great job at what it could do and we should appreciate what we got. I'd have to say for myself as a Catholic, I like the 4th episode the most for depicting somewhat about the heavy persecution of Jesuit priests during this time, as it does give us a brief scene about the torturing of a priest by the sadist Richard Topcliff, and I also love how Mary, Queen of Scots character is fleshed out as well, tha actress who played her was as well phenomenal. Anywho, can't wait for the upcoming reviews of the other 5 episodes and Thanks for this one!
A fantastic episode and series. The series expects the viewer to have a good understanding of the period, otherwise you would be lost. For example the way it portrays the Wyatt’s Rebellion makes sense for those who know about it, but if you didn’t you would have no idea what the battle depiction referred to.
This is my favorite version on Elizabeth. I was beyond impressed with the quality but more than that, the music was extraordinary and the absolute favorite was the death mask dressed singer in, I believe part 4.
This is my very favorite episode of "Elizabeth R", which certainly shows Elizabeth as a lion's cub. However, at 4:40 you can see the shadow of the dog's trainer on the floor, jumping up and down and waving his arms. Thomas Seymour didn't run the dog through with his sword; he shot it to death with his pistol. But I do agree with you that Edward, Jane, and Mary deserve their own TV series. The closest we've ever got to that so far is the 1986 movie "Lady Jane".
Wonderful video. I agree that, notwithstanding the compromises of budget and screen time, Elizabeth R is the best portrayal of the queen, her times, and the other historical figures during her life. It proves that great acting (Glenda Jackson, first and foremost, but also Ronald Hines, Robert Hardy, and so many others), writing, and period research can create a work that 50 years later still attracts an audience. Have you read Stephen Alford's masterly biography of William Cecil, the 1st Lord Burghley? If so, there is one other dramatic license in this episode you might mention, which is that there is no record of Cecil's intervening to assist Elizabeth when she's accused of conspiring to marry Thomas Seymour. However, even though the scenes are fictional, they capture Cecil's personality well (such as his line, "I'm a lawyer. I've told you the law; trust in that") and one wishes they'd happened that way.
I think this episode is the best of the series as it shows the peril of Elizabeth to eventually having achieved becoming the monarch. The hatred of the Catholics at the time, and the true tragedy of martyrdom cannot be underestimated. I regret that Ms Jackson utilized an gasping element that became off putting in its frequency. For me, watching this episode mirrors many people including myself, who have seen events turn in their favor; surely by God's hand. Watching this hundreds of times is like falling into a soft bed of gratitude and thanksgiving.
We grew up watching 'Elizabeth R', and so we were so interested in hearing your viewpoint these many years later. Thx for reaching back in time -- it brought back fond memories!I We ARE perplexed at your choice of painting to be your on-screen persona, however. Would you not want to choose 'The Laughing Cavalier' by Hals in The Wallace Collection, rather than the portrait of Richard Neville by Dobson that is in the National Portrait Gallery @ Trafalgar Square? This is a timely question, because The Wallace will be hosting an excellent focus exhibition surrounding Hals' male portraiture (including said 'Cavalier ') from 22 Sep 2021 to 30 Jan 2022--the 'Cavalier' image is sure to show up on the sides of buses and on Tube stop walls to advertise for this important exhibition! MF Anders Sotheby's/Mayfair
I can't begin to tell how much i treasure my most beloved 3 dvd boxes. The six wives of Henry and Elizabeth R. My 3rd dvd box is about Willem van Oranje with Jeroen Krabbé and Willem Nijholt. I'm dutch myself but that's not the only reason why i love this one. It's because it has the same golden quality as the other 2. It's a shame that the dvd box doesn't contain English subtitles. Not that i know of anyway. I love how Mary really wants Elizabeth death. But out of fear of god she doesn't really have the guts to do it.
So this episode is even though rushed and the crew is incredibly poor is better then the moden tudor dramas, guess we're going to need ice for that burn cavalier just gave.
Thank you for this review and your analysis. I am studying representations of the Tudors at the moment for my own research and your videos have really helped. I disagree with you on one point, i.e that Mary's reaction to her 'failed' pregnancy was one of anger, I would say rather more despair and probably shame, given the pressures on elite women of this period to produce heirs, especially queens. However, I do agree with you that we just don't see enough of this depiction of Mary in Elizabeth R and wish there has been an Edward and Mary series in between the Six Wives and this one. Perhaps if a whole series had been produced we might have got less of the sickly Edward/Bloody Mary stereotypes. Personally, I would rather see this quality of interpretation, costume and acting on a minimal budget than any of the more sumptuous sets and 'style over substance' of more modern productions.
There is a lot on comparison between Mary Tudor and Catherine de Medici. Excellent review and I agree that more attention should be given to so called "lesser monarchs", who are just as important to the history. You should look up a Byzantine emperor named Justinian II, not the first, the second. His life would be a great drama.
On hold for the moment whilst I finish of Tudor Rant 4. I have the audio all done for Waterloo so once I get Tudor Rant 4 done it shouldn't take too much longer after that (although will have to deal with copyright and so on). Haven't done anything else for the Sharpe stuff, will probably be the Imperial Guard stuff next but I will see.
I have watched a good bit of the series. Good show, though volume keeps going up and down. Like it so far. The Duke of Anjou must have died before his brother Henry. The portrayal of Catherine de Medici was interesting to say the least.
About the costumes.. they were, as in the six wives, by Janet Arnold. You need to read up on her precious.she was the premier costume historian big the time and. Has 2 books you can quickly Access to get a glimpse ( my husband calls her the British Renaissance Edith Head) BTW.. she used to tell an anecdote in her lectures about making costu out of anything she could find from garage sales( jumbles) and painting and stenciling then. By the time Elizabeth r was ready for production... Most of the costumes in storage were unusable. The paint had reacted badly with the fabric.. so she had much more work and to stretch the budget much further .
Pardon me if I am mistaken but didn’t some of Mary’s council try to forge a death certificate for Elizahbeth which got pretty far up until it was noticed that it did not have Marys signature. So suffice to say Mary’s council were willing to execute Elizabeth behind her back.
No, I have never come a cross any sources claiming this and it sounds like something the Victorians made up. There were some who wanted to, but there was a proper legal process for all this, you couldn't just forge a death warrant, a person either had to be brought to trial and found guilty that way or Parliament had to pass an Act of Attainder, which would then be signed by the Monarch. The only time a Monarch did it without was Richard III with Lord Hastings, and even there it is most likely a later invention by the Tudors and he probably had some sort of trial. As I said,, if you went behind Mary's back and just killed Elizabeth, the conspirators would themselves have been executed for treason.
There is one almost unforgivable mistake in this episode: when they show Mary I affectionally fondling the portrait of her intended Philip II of Spain, the man in the picture is wearing a picadel, the so called wheel collar of Elizabethan age, which became fashionable many decades later.
1. Do you mean a ruff? I have literally never heard it called that before and can find nothing about the term. 2. They started to appear in the 1560's not "many decades later". Even in portraits of Philip from the 1550's you can begin to see the origins of the ruff: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Jooris_van_der_Straeten_-_Portrait_of_Philip_II_of_Spain.jpg 3. I wouldn't call it an "unforgivable mistake", they probably didn't have an original portrait of Philip and needed one that looked the part as best they could given the low budget, so they used that one, It is perfectly fine in context of when the series is made and is only on screen briefly.
@@The_Laughing_Cavalier Firstly I apologise, one should not write comments while intoxicated. Secondly, I admit to misspelling the word Piccadill en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piccadill I'm not a native speaker of English, so I hope you can find it in you to forgive me. Thirdly I will maintain that the portrait shown in the episode in question is anachronistic and exhibits fashions that did not yet exist at the time the action is supposed to take place in.
Back then they did their homework properly, unlike now, where they have gone backwards to the thirties and fourties, shoving the women in any old dress and thinking it will do, and getting the facts wrong.
I think that it should be mandatory for anyone who wants to make a Tudor Drama to watch these 1970 classics before they begin shooting a modern adaptation. Otherwise why bother at all?
I would love to but I got a copyright claim the last time that was hell to fight off and the video didn't do as well. I will definitely do a part 2 in the future, but I am currently focused on my other videos.
Robert Hardy as Robert Dudley -yuck, yuck.yuck!! Glenda Jackson was marvelous, but I almost couldn't get through the scenes with Hardy/Dudley when those should have been some of the highlights of the series.
All-bite? Eeeekkkk! 😱 You mean albeit? Pronounced: all-bee-it. (Brit pronunciation = emphasis on the second syllable. (It took me a while and a bunch of tries before I realized WTH you were saying. Ouch!
![АЛАУДИНОВ у Скабеевой: эти их ВСУ нас НЕ ДОГОНЯТ 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/an0anqU4WGQ/mqdefault.jpg)
This whole series is in fact the best depiction of Elizabethan costume in television or film, the people in charge clearly spent a lot of time and skill in using not only the accurate concepts but the accurate patterns, fabric, pieces and details, a level of quality rarely seen after, chef's kiss
Where can i find itt?
@michaelIt is on dvd.younge5767
I watched this whole series when I was a teenager. The last episode with Elizabeth on her deathbed was captivating and has stayed with me my whole life. It is the gold standard.
Is amazing the difference 30 or 40 years makes isn't it, THIS is how you make a damn Tudor drama series
oh yes
Amen!!
Yes, why can't we do this now with historical drama?
excellent series and Glenda spot on. yes episodes covering Edward VI and Mary I would have been great as a fascinating period
Enjoyed your review. I compare all future portrayals of Elizabeth to Glenda Jackson's. She far outshines all others..
It sets me out to be bummed, tbh
I so agree!!
I think Glenda's is more scholarly without a doubt! Cate Blanchette's Elizabeth puts a human face on her, quite relatable. Especially as a young woman still a teenager. Each version has particular strebgths.
@@ailleananaithnid2566 Glenda Jackson might be my favorite but I totally agree with your assessment of Cate Blanchette. I wish the script were as strong as it was for Glenda Jackson.
I have Elizabeth R on disk and watched “Lion’s Cub” last night. It’s amazing how brilliant performances can make you very forgiving. Glenda Jackson’s performance makes you forget the historical inaccuracies. Huge props also to Daphne Slater for her sympathetic portrayal of Mary I. The dialog between Jackson and Slater make you feel these are real people, and makes you wistfully sad for Mary despite her reputation. My favorite part; when Elizabeth is in the Tower, and convinces the jailer that the unsigned warrant for her execution would ultimate lead to his death. When he leaves, and she spins around and says “I have won, I have WON!!”, it was a moment of triumph.
I have the entire Elizabeth R series on dvd... it is one of my most treasured possessions, and to me, nothing as yet has come close to this level of quality in acting and production... Glenda Jackson is Elizabeth in the flesh, and no one has surpassed her depiction of her... everything else pales in comparison...
I know, I'm the same!
💯💯💯 For me, Glenda is THE definitive Elizabeth, as is Keith Michell's Henry VIII. Great series!
I am old enough to have watched the series when it first aired. In particular, this episode captured the drama and tension of the times. I remember breathing a sigh of relief when Glenda Jackson repeated the line 'This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.'
WRT Edward VI: The scene in the bedchamber when Edward faces down Seymour showed how Edward, like all the Tudors, had a real sense of his own authority.
"......when it first aired." Right on! "......captured the drama and tension....." double right on!! Glenda Jackson seemed to channel the imperiousness of what I imagine the actual queen to have 'exuded'. (Is that correctly used?) What a treat it would be to see Jackson portray ER I again.
I have loved Elizabeth R since I was a child and what caught my interests in history to this day! I have every biography on Elizabeth and this is indeed the most accurate and well played. And the best thing is they didn't Hollywoodise everything like creepy medieval castles and stupid sexy dresses and open shirts!
Absolutely loved your review. Glenda Jackson has always been my top favorite actress to play Elizabeth I and did a phenomenal job bringing her to live. One of my favorite scenes from the first episode has to be the scene where we see the events of the Thomas Seymour affair in 1547/48 happen through a series of flashbacks but it is through the eyes of Elizabeth from seeing Thomas cut Elizabeth’s black dress (shown to be a mourning gown for her father Henry Viii) while Catherine Parr holds her to Thomas next opening Elizabeth’s curtains flirting with her up in his night shirt one morning. But what is interesting is how visibly uncomfortable it makes the viewer feel as we see the flashbacks unfold seeing how creepy Thomas acts towards Elizabeth even in front of Catherine Parr while Elizabeth acts both confused and ashamed but charmed by him at the same time.
Man, I loved this series!
Nice to see you back!! I love how they used some of the same actors as in the Six Wives series. The actor that plays Cranmer looks so much like the real Cranmer! Great video!
Your posts are so chocked with information I watch them over and over. Whenever I’m working or cleaning, I put on your reviews. Your work is simply brilliant. Edit: the scenes with Glenda Jackson entering into and her imprisonment in the Tower are IMHO some of the greatest in Tudor dramas. Ms. Jackson puts us there at the steps. When later in the scenes she convinces them to delay her execution and she wheels around and says, “I’VE WON, I’VE WON!!”, her rejoicing in victory is palpable. My favorite scenes of the whole series.
FINALLY SOMEONE ELSE LOVES THIS VERSION AND EXPLAINS WHY. It’s the BEST VERSION in my opinion.
Definitely!!!! No one comes close!
I re-watch Six Wives, Elizabeth R, and Shadow of the Tower regularly. So damned excellent.
I'm the same, though I've never seen Shadow of the Tower. Is it on dvd? I have always wanted more done on Henry vii, his early years were full of drama. If done well I think it would be very good and what about a full drama of Edward vi and Mary Tudor. Or Henry viii's sisters?
I was only eight when this came out. I remember watching it with my Mum.
I'm watching it now, and really enjoying it since I have studied the Tudors.
"Us four " watched this on PBS. Glenda Jackson was a master at her craft.
I've seen almost every period piece on Elizabeth , this was the Best. Thank You.👑
Thanks for a great review of this great series. Glenda Jackson IS Elizabeth, she is outstanding. I agree it's the weakest episode, but it's still better than any other portrayal of Elizabeth, by far. Looking forward to the other episode reviews.
This was one of my favourite historical series ,did watch it several times ,until it was removed from UA-cam
Thank you for doing this! I have watched this series at least once a year. I hope you will review ALL 6 episodes!
Will definitely try and get the quick reviews done at least!
Dame Jackson is THE only Elizabeth. I watched this back in the day and own the series on DVD. That being said, the only criticism in have was (on this episode) her incessant gasping at ever turn, it seemed like. That was just a personal annoyance. Otherwise, perfection and the gold standard.
It'd be wonderful if you could review other episodes of this series, it's absolutely wonderful through every episode
As much as the wait for new reviews on the Six Wives series is painful, I am HERE for this! Glenda Jackson is the best Elizabeth.
I have the series on DVD and watched it as it premiered on American PBS with introduction by Alistair Cooke. I couldn’t agree more with you that Glenda Jackson’s portrayal of Elizabeth I is the ultimate. I will watch all your content since I enjoyed this first episode. I hope greedy PBS doesn’t get wind of free content on UTube since you add much historical perspective to the series. Thanks so much!!!
I have watched the whole thing. What impresses me is the portrayal of Philip II of Spain. Given his portrayal in the more recent Elizabeth movies, I found him to be a sympathetic character and accurately depicted as Spain's most bureaucratic king. I have been to Escorial, outside Madrid, and have seen the rooms where he worked. The series gets it right.
I Loved Both Henry and Elizabeth R.
I remember my parents watching this series and the Six Wives of Henry VIII series. I decided to watch Elizabeth R some years ago and really enjoyed it. Plan to watch both series later. I think these are from the heyday of British historical dramas.
Absolutely love your reviews! Would love a video/book of a scene by scene analysis of the whole series of I Claudius, Warrior Queen, The Devils Crown, The Shadows in the Tower, The Six Wives of Henry 8th and Elizabeth R and films such as Land of the Pharaohs and Cleopatra. Admittedly a bit much to ask of one person though :D
Its always bothered me how ignored Edward and Mary are in terms of Tudor drama and literature. Worse, Mary is often depicted as down right villainous. Still i treasure this series for the performances and costume. Its a breath of fresh air since so many more recent period peices are all in a dark or dingey colour pallet.
Does prince and the pauper count 🤣
@@gracefutrell1912 HA!
I remember watching this series with my family when it first came out; like "Six Wives", it enchanted us and brought the characters to life. I remember that Elizabeth was not portrayed as a perfect, wonderful creature but as someone who could be difficult, petty and cruelly inconsiderate, as well as vulnerable. I liked this, as I feel that sometimes she's put on a pedestal and that even these aspects are shown as something to admire rather than to take into account as human features.
Incidentally, we enjoyed two more British imports to the US PBS station: "The Pallisers", and "I, Claudius" (which, owing to the title sequence, we sometimes called "I, Clavdivs"). Marvelous writing, acting and directing for both of these, with "Clavdivs" in particular relishing the talents of Derek Jacobi, Sian Phillips, Brian Blessed, John Hurt and a younger Patrick Stewart, with hair, and playing a villain. For me, the standout character of this series was Tiberius, whose degeneration we get to witness and understand. But the twisted fun of the series is completely owned by Phillips as Livia and Hurt as Caligula, because while we enjoy the intelligence and sharpness of the first and the absurdity of the second, we never are allowed to forget that we are relishing monsters.
I really need to re watch 'I, Claudius'. They showed it on ITV 3 I think it was some years ago, but haven't had it on again since. In fact, ITV and BBC really ought to re run a lot of these old dramas again!
@@The_Laughing_Cavalier I agree that they should. There's a simplicity and a concentration on character interaction in these productions which I feel is often lacking in current historical series. We own DVDs of "Elizabeth", "Wives", "Pallisers" and "Claudius" and can watch them at our pleasure. Wonder if they're still available that way for you?
@@melenatorr Yeah, probably. I have Elizabeth R, Six Wives and Shadow of the Tower on DVD.
I agree totally with you about the series, Glenda Jackson really made one believe she was Elizabeth I. I couldn't warm up to the actor who played Robert Dudley, The Earl was suppose to be a truly handsome young man. Robert Hardy good looking but certainly not Lusty looking as the Earl was reportedly to have been.
I agree. I was SO disappointed with the casting of Robert Hardy as Dudley.
Robert Hardy honestly looks more like surviving portraits of Robert Dudley than most actors who've played him, though. It's always weird when you have someone who was supposed to be incredibly good-looking, like Robert Dudley or (a generation earlier) Charles Brandon or Katherine Howard, and yet portraits of them don't necessarily look so to modern eyes. But standards of beauty do change somewhat over time.
Hardy is too identified with Siegfried Farnon to work for me….
Waiting with bated breath for your reviews of the other five episodes in this magnificent series. No other actress has even come close to capturing the essence of Elizabeth I. I watched these on PBS when they first came out and have watched them frequently on DVD since. I agree with you about how, ideally, the BBC would have followed "Six Wives" with an Edward VI-Mary series, and then turned to Elizabeth. To my way of thinking the glaring omission from Elizabeth R is an episode dealing with the Duke of Norfolk's treason and downfall. Keep writing!
Loved your review, and of one of my favourite period dramas. Having seen Glenda in the role I do not think anyone else compares. I think your review is spot on.
However, I wonder if Elizabeth was that firm when she was younger. Glenda Jackson’s portrayal was so brilliant I wonder if we now see Elizabeth through Glenda’s lens. I have read Elizabeth was pretty frightened when she was sent to the Tower and I think some of the other portrayals of Elizabeth may capture that vulnerability at the time before she became queen better. Once she becomes queen I think Glenda’s performance is far and away the best.
-Actually I always liked this episode.
-Yeah, the British TV dramas had actors playing roles too young for them (even though its temporary): 40-something George Baker as 19-year-old Tiberius, 40-year-old Timothy West as 21-year-old Bertie in EDWARD THE SEVENTH (I could say the same thing about Crosbie as the 20-something Victoria, but then the early photographs of Vicki make her rather mature).
-I like the connections of actors from the two serials. When Bernard Hepton's Cramner looks at Elizabeth, I can't help thinking Cramner is remembering Anne's 'I must have a son!' breakdown in SIX WIVES, and that his blessing is his way of atoning for not protecting her.
-The original script (which was published alongside SIX WIVES) has this description where during Mary's 'Mea Culpa!' Breakdown, the window is supposed to present this red glow, displaying the red skies from the Protestant burnings ("I will burn heresy from this land!"). Too bad it wasn't done.
-Kat Ashley's daughter Vanessa and granddaughter Joely played Elizabeth.
This is my favourite Elizabeth I series. Glenda Jackson is amazing in this. Her portrayal of Elizabeth clearly influenced Cate Blanchett (who applied as much talent as she could to a very very poor script) and Helen Mirren (who channels Elizabeth's strength of character in all the scenes where she isn't portrayed as despondent - again, the scriptwriters are to blame).
I watch 'Elizabeth R' once a year...possibly more often....I know entire parts of the dialogue by heart. I'm so looking forwards to your reviews of the rest of the series. After subjecting yourself to Gregory's horrors, you will find the work therapeutic....:-) This is not me putting on any pressure. Do take all the time you need. UA-cam isn't going anywhere and that covid19 vaccine is not knocking at my door any time soon.
Thanks, at the minute I will probably be working on the next Tudor Rant looking at season 2 of Spanish Princess, then after a few other videos I have lined up, I'll ge back to this series hopefuly.
Great review, just started the series last week via BBC4. I remember the clip of Elizabeth on the steps of the Tower being used at primary school when we did the Tudors. Something that's curious is last week when I looked, IMDB said Keith Michell appears in The Lion's Cub as Henry VIII (uncredited). Yet unless I blinked, I didn't notice.
Yeah, I have looked through it before and not seen him in it, unless it was in an original version but got cut later or something.
Great series!! Loved it
Daphne Slater is the definitive Mary Tudor for me.
Dude I was missing your vids😭😭😭. Glad to have another.😉
I have already seen four episodes of Elizabeth r I'm going to be soon finishing him on the last two but there is something I really got to say I get the point that Elizabeth had a long reign with so much people can movies and shows of even docker memories but why I have only seen one poorly done movie of Mary Tudor.
I get the point in her ring was short and most of all I was depressing and sad for what she did to keep herself alive back when she was 20 and she was forced to sign saying that she's nothing more but a bastard and her mother's marriage was illegal but she still has a long story of herself to tell I don't understand why.
She has her own story to tell
Love this series
Glenda Jackson does a spectacular job depicting Elizabeth I, as the real QEI was imperious, vain, hot-headed, moody, etc. Jackson will always be my favorite, RIP. For the series, I kind of wished, like you mentioned, that it would flesh out both Edward and Mary's characters more thoroughly, so I definitely see 1 hour 30 minutes as inadequate. But it does a great job at what it could do and we should appreciate what we got. I'd have to say for myself as a Catholic, I like the 4th episode the most for depicting somewhat about the heavy persecution of Jesuit priests during this time, as it does give us a brief scene about the torturing of a priest by the sadist Richard Topcliff, and I also love how Mary, Queen of Scots character is fleshed out as well, tha actress who played her was as well phenomenal. Anywho, can't wait for the upcoming reviews of the other 5 episodes and Thanks for this one!
I want the reviews of the other episodes!
Cavalier: (wishes for an Edward and Mary series)
Emma Frost: "Allow me..." :P
A fantastic episode and series. The series expects the viewer to have a good understanding of the period, otherwise you would be lost. For example the way it portrays the Wyatt’s Rebellion makes sense for those who know about it, but if you didn’t you would have no idea what the battle depiction referred to.
This is my favorite version on Elizabeth. I was beyond impressed with the quality but more than that, the music was extraordinary and the absolute favorite was the death mask dressed singer in, I believe part 4.
FINALLY!!!!!!!!! LOVED this series and keen to hear your take on it!
My mum saw Bernard Hepton live on stage some years ago
This is my very favorite episode of "Elizabeth R", which certainly shows Elizabeth as a lion's cub. However, at 4:40 you can see the shadow of the dog's trainer on the floor, jumping up and down and waving his arms. Thomas Seymour didn't run the dog through with his sword; he shot it to death with his pistol. But I do agree with you that Edward, Jane, and Mary deserve their own TV series. The closest we've ever got to that so far is the 1986 movie "Lady Jane".
Wonderful video. I agree that, notwithstanding the compromises of budget and screen time, Elizabeth R is the best portrayal of the queen, her times, and the other historical figures during her life. It proves that great acting (Glenda Jackson, first and foremost, but also Ronald Hines, Robert Hardy, and so many others), writing, and period research can create a work that 50 years later still attracts an audience. Have you read Stephen Alford's masterly biography of William Cecil, the 1st Lord Burghley? If so, there is one other dramatic license in this episode you might mention, which is that there is no record of Cecil's intervening to assist Elizabeth when she's accused of conspiring to marry Thomas Seymour. However, even though the scenes are fictional, they capture Cecil's personality well (such as his line, "I'm a lawyer. I've told you the law; trust in that") and one wishes they'd happened that way.
can you do review on Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
Funny that, I have literally just ordered the DVD of it! I will definitely do a quick review like this some time in the near future.
I think this episode is the best of the series as it shows the peril of Elizabeth to eventually having achieved becoming the monarch. The hatred of the Catholics at the time, and the true tragedy of martyrdom cannot be underestimated. I regret that Ms Jackson utilized an gasping element that became off putting in its frequency. For me, watching this episode mirrors many people including myself, who have seen events turn in their favor; surely by God's hand. Watching this hundreds of times is like falling into a soft bed of gratitude and thanksgiving.
Glenda Jackson IS Elizabeth R
We grew up watching 'Elizabeth R', and so we were so interested in hearing your viewpoint these many years later. Thx for reaching back in time -- it brought back fond memories!I
We ARE perplexed at your choice of painting to be your on-screen persona, however. Would you not want to choose 'The Laughing Cavalier' by Hals in The Wallace Collection, rather than the portrait of Richard Neville by Dobson that is in the National Portrait Gallery @ Trafalgar Square? This is a timely question, because The Wallace will be hosting an excellent focus exhibition surrounding Hals' male portraiture (including said 'Cavalier ') from 22 Sep 2021 to 30 Jan 2022--the 'Cavalier' image is sure to show up on the sides of buses and on Tube stop walls to advertise for this important exhibition!
MF Anders
Sotheby's/Mayfair
Please do the other episodes I enjoy your analysis
Wait, you actually make history videos and not just anime memes about Henry VIII?
I can't begin to tell how much i treasure my most beloved 3 dvd boxes. The six wives of Henry and Elizabeth R. My 3rd dvd box is about Willem van Oranje with Jeroen Krabbé and Willem Nijholt. I'm dutch myself but that's not the only reason why i love this one. It's because it has the same golden quality as the other 2. It's a shame that the dvd box doesn't contain English subtitles. Not that i know of anyway. I love how Mary really wants Elizabeth death. But out of fear of god she doesn't really have the guts to do it.
So this episode is even though rushed and the crew is incredibly poor is better then the moden tudor dramas, guess we're going to need ice for that burn cavalier just gave.
Well worth the wait, thank you.
There's plenty of information and entertainment here as always!
Thank you for this review and your analysis. I am studying representations of the Tudors at the moment for my own research and your videos have really helped. I disagree with you on one point, i.e that Mary's reaction to her 'failed' pregnancy was one of anger, I would say rather more despair and probably shame, given the pressures on elite women of this period to produce heirs, especially queens. However, I do agree with you that we just don't see enough of this depiction of Mary in Elizabeth R and wish there has been an Edward and Mary series in between the Six Wives and this one. Perhaps if a whole series had been produced we might have got less of the sickly Edward/Bloody Mary stereotypes. Personally, I would rather see this quality of interpretation, costume and acting on a minimal budget than any of the more sumptuous sets and 'style over substance' of more modern productions.
There is a lot on comparison between Mary Tudor and Catherine de Medici. Excellent review and I agree that more attention should be given to so called "lesser monarchs", who are just as important to the history. You should look up a Byzantine emperor named Justinian II, not the first, the second. His life would be a great drama.
Great review. Thank you.
Hey, how's the progress for Waterloo part 2. Or even your rant on William of Orange.
On hold for the moment whilst I finish of Tudor Rant 4. I have the audio all done for Waterloo so once I get Tudor Rant 4 done it shouldn't take too much longer after that (although will have to deal with copyright and so on). Haven't done anything else for the Sharpe stuff, will probably be the Imperial Guard stuff next but I will see.
@@The_Laughing_Cavalier Good to here.
If you're interested, I have a video about the costumes in this series on my channel. ua-cam.com/video/vsUsYwLZ3SM/v-deo.html
Thanks, I'll give it a watch later.
I have watched a good bit of the series. Good show, though volume keeps going up and down. Like it so far. The Duke of Anjou must have died before his brother Henry. The portrayal of Catherine de Medici was interesting to say the least.
About the costumes.. they were, as in the six wives, by Janet Arnold. You need to read up on her precious.she was the premier costume historian big the time and. Has 2 books you can quickly Access to get a glimpse ( my husband calls her the British Renaissance Edith Head) BTW.. she used to tell an anecdote in her lectures about making costu out of anything she could find from garage sales( jumbles) and painting and stenciling then. By the time Elizabeth r was ready for production... Most of the costumes in storage were unusable. The paint had reacted badly with the fabric.. so she had much more work and to stretch the budget much further .
Could you please review all the other episodes in the series?
Pardon me if I am mistaken but didn’t some of Mary’s council try to forge a death certificate for Elizahbeth which got pretty far up until it was noticed that it did not have Marys signature. So suffice to say Mary’s council were willing to execute Elizabeth behind her back.
No, I have never come a cross any sources claiming this and it sounds like something the Victorians made up. There were some who wanted to, but there was a proper legal process for all this, you couldn't just forge a death warrant, a person either had to be brought to trial and found guilty that way or Parliament had to pass an Act of Attainder, which would then be signed by the Monarch. The only time a Monarch did it without was Richard III with Lord Hastings, and even there it is most likely a later invention by the Tudors and he probably had some sort of trial.
As I said,, if you went behind Mary's back and just killed Elizabeth, the conspirators would themselves have been executed for treason.
i have been looking for this series for a very long time but i cant find it anywhere can someone please tell me where i can find it . please !
There is one almost unforgivable mistake in this episode: when they show Mary I affectionally fondling the portrait of her intended Philip II of Spain, the man in the picture is wearing a picadel, the so called wheel collar of Elizabethan age, which became fashionable many decades later.
1. Do you mean a ruff? I have literally never heard it called that before and can find nothing about the term.
2. They started to appear in the 1560's not "many decades later". Even in portraits of Philip from the 1550's you can begin to see the origins of the ruff: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Jooris_van_der_Straeten_-_Portrait_of_Philip_II_of_Spain.jpg
3. I wouldn't call it an "unforgivable mistake", they probably didn't have an original portrait of Philip and needed one that looked the part as best they could given the low budget, so they used that one, It is perfectly fine in context of when the series is made and is only on screen briefly.
@@The_Laughing_Cavalier Firstly I apologise, one should not write comments while intoxicated. Secondly, I admit to misspelling the word Piccadill en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piccadill I'm not a native speaker of English, so I hope you can find it in you to forgive me. Thirdly I will maintain that the portrait shown in the episode in question is anachronistic and exhibits fashions that did not yet exist at the time the action is supposed to take place in.
Woop! 😁
The English are accurate and this is my favorite tv series.
Mary the First was the best monarch in England and this episode of Elizabeth R is the only one that is good because Queen Mary is in it.
5:50 yes do this!
CROMWELL turns 50 today!
Back then they did their homework properly, unlike now, where they have gone backwards to the thirties and fourties, shoving the women in any old dress and thinking it will do, and getting the facts wrong.
There sure were a lot of men named Thomas
I think that it should be mandatory for anyone who wants to make a Tudor Drama to watch these 1970 classics before they begin shooting a modern adaptation.
Otherwise why bother at all?
Tanya part 2
I would love to but I got a copyright claim the last time that was hell to fight off and the video didn't do as well. I will definitely do a part 2 in the future, but I am currently focused on my other videos.
@@The_Laughing_Cavalier *angry anime fan noises* you take to long, and to be damn those copystrike claim are BS
Do it
Philip II didn't love her.
Robert Hardy as Robert Dudley -yuck, yuck.yuck!! Glenda Jackson was marvelous, but I almost couldn't get through the scenes with Hardy/Dudley when those should have been some of the highlights of the series.
Without any further 'adieu'?... Are you doing it on purpose?
All-bite? Eeeekkkk! 😱 You mean albeit? Pronounced: all-bee-it. (Brit pronunciation = emphasis on the second syllable. (It took me a while and a bunch of tries before I realized WTH you were saying. Ouch!
Al Bite?... I think you mean all-be-it.