TV on DVD

Dog-eat-dog era of Tudors is unchained on miniseries

Wolf Hall Miniseries, six episodes on three discs
Wolf Hall Miniseries, six episodes on three discs

What is it? Wolf Hall, Miniseries, six episodes on three discs from PBS

How much? $34.99

When? Now

Is this about wolves? Only the human variety. No, this is not a lupine Meerkat Manor.

It is 1529 England. King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis), desperate for a male heir, wants to get rid of his wife, Catherine of Aragon (Joanne Whalley), so he can marry Anne Boleyn (Claire Foy). But his chancellor, Archbishop of York Thomas Wolsey (Jonathan Pryce), is unable to get the pope to agree to grant an annulment. He falls fast and hard out of favor.

Watching all this is Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance), the son of a blacksmith who has become a lawyer and Wolsey's devoted adviser. Brilliant, observant and cunning, Cromwell is able to survive Wolsey's disgrace to become the right-hand man to the king.

It's not entirely an enviable position. In Tudor-era politics, backstabbing, closed-door deals and machinations are par for the course. All it takes is a little gossip and a few vicious rumors to take someone from the top of the heap to the Tower of London's chopping block.

When Anne Boleyn fails to produce a son (just a daughter named Elizabeth) and his interest turns to Jane Seymour (Kate Phillips), Henry appoints Cromwell to sort out his personal problems. Anne won't go quietly so it's up to Cromwell to find a way to get rid of her.

What's it like? In a way, it's a 16th-century version of House of Cards. Scheming, unscrupulous politicians are all over the place in Tudor England. Throw in the turmoil of the English Reformation and you've got a maelstrom of conspiracy and life-and-death political warfare.

The saga of Henry VIII and his relationship with Anne Boleyn has gotten plenty of attention in the past, but this series, based on the award-winning books Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel, gives a different take on the events. It's all told through the eyes of Cromwell. While he's usually a major character (and often a villain), his side of the story has rarely been examined. Other real-life but less glamorous figures also get a bit more of the spotlight than they do in Henry- or Anne-centric versions.

A word of warning, though. While it does a better job of sticking to history than some adaptations, it may be too slow-going for some viewers. Like Cromwell himself, it's slow and deliberate. It's not a passionate bodice-ripper.

It's also dark. Literally. A great deal of attention was paid to making the series look and feel as period-appropriate as possible. That means natural lighting or just candlelight for the interiors. It makes things that much more atmospheric, but it can also be difficult to tell what's going on.

And those who have no clue about Tudor-era history might find it hard to keep up. This is not a series that holds the viewer's hand. It jumps around some in the time line and while title cards give times, places and some context, it might be a bit hard to follow along for the complete neophyte.

All that said, it's a gorgeously made, fabulously acted series that allows viewers to absolutely wallow in Tudor history.

Are there extras? A few. There are interviews with the director and main cast and several brief behind-the-scenes featurettes on the making of the series and the historical figures involved.

New this week: American Dad, Volume 10; Beauty and the Beast, Season 2; Boardwalk Empire, Complete Series; Call the Midwife, Season 4; The Larry Sanders Show, Complete Series; Married ... With Children, Seasons 9-10; Midsomer Murders, Seasons 14-15; NewsRadio, Complete Series; Orange Is the New Black, Season 2; Rogue, Season 2.

Next week: Hill Street Blues, Season 5; Major Crimes, Season 3; The Nanny, Complete Series; Ray Donovan, Season 2; The Rockford Files, Complete Series; The Saint, Complete Series; Sons of Liberty, Miniseries; Welcome Back, Kotter, Season 3; The Wonder Years, Season 3.

Style on 05/17/2015

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