(MENAFN- The Conversation) We seem to have an endless appetite for Tudor history. Films, TV shows, documentaries, books and exhibitions about this famous dynasty are produced every year. And more recently, the touring production Six has offered a compelling reimagining of Henry VIII's wives as a work of musical theatre.

As a historian of the Tudor age, I am perhaps even more interested in these offerings than most. Here are five of my favourite TV shows about the Tudor dynasty.

1. The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970)

Each episode of this six-part BBC series was written by a different dramatist and focused on a different wife of Henry VIII, who was played by Keith Michell.

Modern viewers will immediately notice the stripped-back nature of the production compared with contemporary shows. There are, for example, hardly any outdoors scenes. But what makes this series compelling are the outstanding performances.

Katherine Howard on screen.

Michell bears an almost unnerving resemblance to the Tudor king. And his queens are distinguished by a commitment to historical accuracy, rather than being sexualised. The character of Katherine Howard (Angela Pleasence), for example, was undoubtedly influenced by the latest academic research at the time of production.

2. Elizabeth R (1971)

This six-episode BBC drama starred Glenda Jackson as the“virgin queen” Elizabeth I. It begins in 1549, during the reign of her brother Edward VI, and ends with her death in 1603.

Jackson's portrayal of the queen is one of the most convincing. This is in no small part due to the highly effective use of costume and makeup. In the course of playing Elizabeth from young princess to elderly monarch, Jackson had her head partially shaved in order to acquire a high hairline.

And the costumes, which recreated Elizabeth's gowns from her portraits, were regarded as so authentic that author Robert Seatter dubbed the BBC“the pre-eminent maker of costume drama”.

Glenda Jackson in Elizabeth R.

The series explores a period of over 50 years from Elizabeth's life, from her trials and tribulations as princess during the reigns of Edward VI and Mary I to her death as an aged queen. It also compellingly depicts Elizabeth's highly charged relationships and dramatises key episodes from her reign, including her defeat of the Spanish Armada.

3. The Shadow of the Tower (1972)

Television shows about the first Tudor king, Henry VII, are few and far between. The Shadow of the Tower is little known today, but it offers perhaps the best portrayal of Henry on screen. This 13-episode BBC series served as a prequel to the earlier dramas The Six Wives of Henry VIII and Elizabeth R.

James Maxwell stars as a shrewd, intelligent and capable king, with Norma West as his consort Elizabeth of York and Marigold Sharman as his mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort. The series depicts momentous events from Henry's reign, including his triumph at Bosworth and his struggles with the pretenders Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck. The latter have subsequently been dramatised in later productions (The White Queen, 2013, and The White Princess, 2017) and have been the subject of recent research.

The Shadow of the Tower.

However, the undoubted strength of The Shadow of the Tower is its depiction of lesser-known events from Henry's reign, including the 1497 Cornish Rebellion and the exploits of the navigator and explorer John Cabot.

Compared with modernised and sensationalised dramatisations of the 21st century, The Shadow of the Tower presents a believable Henry VII and his court that is grounded in historical accuracy.

4. Wolf Hall (2015, 2024)

Released in two instalments almost ten years apart, this series dramatised three of Hilary Mantel's novels: Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies and The Mirror & the Light. It explores the rise to power of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's chief minister, and his downfall and execution.

Like the other shows discussed in this article, Wolf Hall is compelling viewing because of its overall commitment to historical accuracy and the stellar performances of its cast, namely Mark Rylance as Cromwell, Damian Lewis as Henry and Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn. As in the novel, the favourable portrayal of Cromwell in the TV series presented a revisionist take that caused controversy among some historians.

The trailer for Wolf Hall.

The second season also proved controversial on account of its decision to incorporate colour-blind casting – an issue that has also emerged with regards to other contemporary TV shows including Anne Boleyn (2021).

The strength of Wolf Hall lies in offering a more nuanced portrayal of a minister traditionally regarded as a ruthless thug and bully, which has subsequently inspired further research into his life and career.

5. Becoming Elizabeth (2022)

Becoming Elizabeth is set entirely during the reign of Edward VI (1547-1553) and focuses on Elizabeth's younger years. German actress Alicia von Rittberg stars in the titular role, with her siblings Edward and Mary played by Oliver Zetterström and Romola Garai.

The series begins after Henry VIII's death and concludes with the illness of Edward VI. The opening episodes focus on Elizabeth's residency in the household of her stepmother Katherine Parr and the predatory attentions of Katherine's new husband Thomas Seymour. This attention engulfed both Seymour and Elizabeth in scandal and has been recognised by historians as a formative episode in the young royal's life.

The trailer for Becoming Elizabeth.

This scandal is interspersed with scenes of religious and political intrigues at Edward's court, including the machinations of the Lord Protector Edward Seymour, duke of Somerset and John Dudley, earl of Warwick. The series also dramatises lesser-known episodes from Edward's largely neglected reign, including the outbreak of Kett's Rebellion.

Becoming Elizabeth is a fascinating series in view of its focus on a period of Elizabeth's life that is traditionally somewhat neglected, despite some attention from historians such as David Starkey and Nicola Tallis.

It also deserves to be regarded as one of the best TV shows about the Tudors because of the much greater attention given to Edward and Mary who, like Henry VII, have traditionally been marginalised in television.

Do you have a favourite television show about the Tudors that didn't make our list? Let us know in the comments below.

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