The Shadow of the Tower is a historical drama broadcasted on the BBC in 1972. It is based on the reign of Henry VII and the creation of Tudor dynasty.
Norma West as Elizabeth of York
The plot to The Shadow of the Tower is similar to The White Princess but extends pass where the book ends to cover Prince Arthur's marriage to Catherine of Aragon, the Prince of Wales's subsequent death, Elizabeth's death in childbirth in 1503, and finally Henry's own death six years later.
If you are interested in the life of the founder of the Tudor dynasty, skip the Phillipa Gregory book and head straight for this BBC classic.
The plot to The Shadow of the Tower is similar to The White Princess but extends pass where the book ends to cover Prince Arthur's marriage to Catherine of Aragon, the Prince of Wales's subsequent death, Elizabeth's death in childbirth in 1503, and finally Henry's own death six years later.
I give this historical drama 5/5. This and the White Princess are miles apart. James Maxwell nailed the part of King Henry VII. He had the right amount of paranoia, the cold exterior and even the heartfelt moments. The character of Elizabeth of York was perfect. She put up a bit of resistance at the beginning of the series considering that Henry is of the rival faction but she does warm up to him and you see that they do develop a loving relationship with one another. She was sweet and loving just like you'd expect her to be. Henry's relationship with his mother was spot on, he held in her the highest respect without looking like a man child who has his mother kiss his forehead every night before he goes to sleep.
This TV series is a true testament to the hay days of BBC historical dramas. It is a worthy prequel to Elizabeth R. and The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Even when I compare this their current historical drama, The White Queen, I am blown clear out of the water by The Shadow of the Tower. It doesn't have the large budget that The White Queen has but the scenery worked so much better. It was dark and dank and it really worked well in capturing that 16th century look. Like The White Queen, The Shadow of the Tower couldn't support filming a bunch of battle sequences but again this 1972 show got around this problem much better because it had much dialogue. Be forewarned this show is very dialogue heavy so if you like something that is action packed, this isn't the thing for you.
This TV series is a true testament to the hay days of BBC historical dramas. It is a worthy prequel to Elizabeth R. and The Six Wives of Henry VIII. Even when I compare this their current historical drama, The White Queen, I am blown clear out of the water by The Shadow of the Tower. It doesn't have the large budget that The White Queen has but the scenery worked so much better. It was dark and dank and it really worked well in capturing that 16th century look. Like The White Queen, The Shadow of the Tower couldn't support filming a bunch of battle sequences but again this 1972 show got around this problem much better because it had much dialogue. Be forewarned this show is very dialogue heavy so if you like something that is action packed, this isn't the thing for you.
If you are interested in the life of the founder of the Tudor dynasty, skip the Phillipa Gregory book and head straight for this BBC classic.
No comments:
Post a Comment