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      Season 1 – Wolf Hall

      2015 History Drama List
      98% Tomatometer 53 Reviews 85% Audience Score 500+ Ratings Starring Damian Lewis, Mark Rylance and Claire Foy, this series is a six-part adaptation of Hilary Mantel's novels "Wolf Hall" and "Bring Up the Bodies." The historical drama follows the story of Thomas Cromwell through his rise in social hierarchy. From his humble beginnings as a blacksmith's son, Cromwell becomes King Henry VIII's chief minister. The episodes chronicle his life as he deals with the power struggles of the Tudor Court and a king who has difficulty producing a male heir. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

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      Wolf Hall — Season 1

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      Wolf Hall — Season 1

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      Critics Consensus

      Beautifully filmed and brilliantly acted, Wolf Hall masterfully brings Hilary Mantel's award-winning novels to life.

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      Critics Reviews

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      Chris Bennion Independent (UK) Subtle, brutal, elegant -- Wolf Hall embodied in one moment... This was simply brilliant television. Apr 9, 2019 Full Review Mark Lawson Guardian Avoiding the babying devices of voiceover or expositional speeches, Wolf Hall pays viewers the compliment of treating them as grownups... Apr 9, 2019 Full Review Rachel Cooke New Statesman In the context of cartoony 21st-century television, this is quite dazzlingly restrained. What a palate cleanser. There's nothing else like it right now and it deserves to win a tonne of awards. Apr 9, 2019 Full Review Eleanor Ringel Cater Saporta Report (Atlanta) Simply put, Wolf Hall is delicious. Smartly put together and exquisitely acted, it’s a character study of sorts, much like The Godfather, Part II. You almost expect Cromwell to whisper to whatever courtier he’s just destroyed, “It’s just business.” Sep 28, 2022 Full Review Tom Gliatto People Magazine It's horrifying and also exhilarating. Apr 9, 2019 Full Review Louisa Mellor Den of Geek It's an elegant script, and not without a sense of humour. Even the title cards have a wry personality about them. Apr 9, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

      View All (47) audience reviews
      0x d superb series, very authentic, love all the of the characters Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/11/23 Full Review Arthur B brilliant and spellbinding! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/02/23 Full Review Bart d Didn't even finish the 1st episode. Looking at the reviews we are the only ones who really didn't like it. Slow, cinematically awkward and somehow it looked like from the 80-ies. Perhaps only interesting for history fanatics. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review john c Based on Hilary Mantel's award-winning novel of the same name, the Wolf Hall TV series did its source material justice. The excellent Mark Rylance puts in a great understated performance as Thomas Cromwell, while the rest of the cast is stacked with talent. The way the scenes are designed and the series is filmed creates a compelling sense of being transported back to Tudor England. There was some controversy at the time of the show's release about the lighting during night time scenes, but in my view the use of only setting-appropriate sources of light, such as candles, was a strength - a loving attention to detail that not only made the shots beautiful but added to overall immersion. Everything about this series, from the writing and directing to the costumes, shows the mark of care and quality. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review James M I've seen it three times now, and it gets better on every watch. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/07/22 Full Review Audience Member After the rave reviews I was disappointed. The documentary-like use of shaky cam and following Master Cromwell from behind was not realistic or true to period; it took me out of the time period and kept reminding me "this is a modern movie about the past" so I couldn't get lost in it. The implication that the bulk of the information against Anne Boleyn came from Jane Rochford when there's strong historical evidence that the top snitch was Elizabeth Somerset, Countess of Worcester is copy-catting: "Jane Rochford did it" has been done to death. Anne as shrew and her sister Mary as sweet saint is a ripoff of The Other Boleyn Girl. Finally, depicting someone as shrewd and ruthless as Thomas Cromwell as staring poignantly at people like a depressed basset hound made no sense. If the books were as weak as this mini series, the awards baffle me. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

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      Episodes

      Episode 1 Aired Jan 21, 2015 Three Card Trick Thomas Cromwell's patron, Cardinal Wolsey, is dismissed as Lord Chancellor and forced to flee his palace at York Place; the old noble families of England, jealous of their own right to advise the king, have long waited for this moment. Details Episode 2 Aired Jan 28, 2015 Entirely Beloved Cardinal Wolsey has been forced out of court; for Thomas Cromwell, this is only a tactical retreat; in time the cardinal will regain the king's favor; Wolsey urges Cromwell to find a way to get close to Anne Boleyn. Details Episode 3 Aired Feb 4, 2015 Anna Regina Although he has no official title, Cromwell is relied on more and more in the running of the king's affairs; Cromwell maneuvers a bill through Parliament acknowledging Henry rather than the Pope as head of the Church of England. Details Episode 4 Aired Feb 11, 2015 Martyrs Anne gives birth to a baby girl, Elizabeth, and Henry does little to hide his disappointment; Anne is aware that her power at court rests on producing a male heir and, in her paranoia, cracks appear in her relationship with Cromwell. Details Episode 5 Aired Feb 18, 2015 Crows The Act of Supremacy has declared Henry supreme head of the Church of England, but the Holy Roman Emperor and his ambassador, Eustache Chapuys, have refused to recognize either his new title or his marriage to Anne Boleyn. Details Episode 6 Aired Feb 25, 2015 Masters of Phantoms Anne accuses Cromwell of betrayal when she finds out he tried to protect Mary and not Elizabeth at a time of crisis, but Anne's power is dissolving rapidly and her enemies are gathering. Details

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      Photos

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      Wolf Hall — Season 1

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      Season Info

      Director
      Peter Kosminsky
      Screenwriter
      Peter Straughan
      Network
      BBC
      Rating
      TV-PG
      Genre
      History, Drama
      Original Language
      English (United Kingdom)
      Release Date
      Jan 21, 2015