Why is he staying so loyal to Wolsey, now his failure to secure a divorce for the King? Is it out of decency or is there a cunning plan in the long run? Perhaps the series will make the viewers ask questions and seek the answers themselves. This first episode mainly builds the scene of dark, sinister and intrigue, which future episodes will unravel, the mysteriousness of Cromwell. Viewers are reminded (and many most likely discover for the first time) that Cromwell has risen to from the backstreets of Putney, with a drunken abusive father- largely thanks to Mantel.

Here we are first introduced to the lead character in question, who appears faithful and loyal to his master Wolsey. Immediately viewers are thrown into the drama of the cut-throat politics of the Tudor court, with Wolesey’s downfall and his subsequent surrendor of the Seal Of Office at York Place (which later went on to become the Palace of Whitehall). Tonight saw the long-awaited debut of the first episode. The novels tell the story of the life and career of Thomas Cromwell, a man infamous as a lawyer, statesman and chief minister to King Henry VIII of England, famous for his role in the dissolution of the monasteries and the establishment of the Church of England and the break with Rome.Įarly reports of the drama where promising, with Peter Kosminsky (best known for political dramas such as The Government Inspector and The Promise) named as director and that filming would be taking place in England, in some of England’s finest Medeival and Tudor houses- Penshurst Place in Kent, Berkelely Castle in Gloucester, Montacute House and Barrington Court in Sommerset, Broughton Castle and Chastleton House in Oxforshire, and St Donat’s Castle in Wales - along with the casting of actors such as Mark Rylance, Damien Lewis, Claire Foy, Mark Gatiss and Joanne Whalley, to name just a few. Last night on BBC2 saw the premiere of the six part drama Wolf Hall, based on the best selling award winning novels by Dame Hilary Mantel (CBE), Wolf Hall and its sequel Bring Up The Bodies, both awarded the Man Booker Prize, Wolf Hall in 2009 and Bring Up The Bodies in 2012.

Bring up the bodies bbc