Anne Boleyn

Nothing like a bit of controversy to boost viewing figures, totally cynical.

Witzend

I can’t help wondering how many people only watched it because of the ‘black Anne’ controversy.

Would those GNers who did watch it, have watched it anyway?
Just interested. (I didn’t watch it.)

I have to agree with you there. I wondered if they decided to cast a black Anne Boleyn to stoke up some interest. After all, there's no such thing as bad publicity. If so, it is a shame for Jodie Turner-Smith. She is a stunning woman and a better actress than this load of codswallop deserved.

I would like to see a script that shows them as man and wife, as opposed to king and queen, if that makes sense? Something that concentrated on their relationship, rather than the politics of the thing. Obviously the fact that he was king couldn't be ignored, but it could be less of a focus than their private life - a bit like The Crown did with the Windsors.

I think that that would be very interesting, and I had hoped that this would be what this version would be about. It would definitely give scope for new theories, even though of course that's all they could be, and people would get hung up on 'facts' ?.

Wasn't tonight's episode slow? So much drama involved - the trial of the King's favourites, the trial of the Queen herself, the execution of the men, Henry deciding to be "merciful" and get the swordsman from France rather than have her burned. How did they make it so dull and pedestrian?

There still didn't seem to be any new light shone on Anne as a person. Perhaps they should have started at the beginning of her relationship with Henry. They might have come up with some new theories about why she acted as she did.

An absolute travesty.

Callistemon

EllanVannin

The most natural black actors and actresses were in the series called Roots. The whole thing deserved an Oscar.
Picking out some black actress just for the heck of it doesn't cut it for me.

Is it tokenism as opposed to realism?

The cast is multi-racial, so there is no tokenism.

As we thought - Lady Shelton is there on the scaffold. I've watched it all now (a few minutes to go), and it wasn't the best use of three hours I've ever had?.

Madge Shelton was supposed to have been asked to provide a diversion for Henry when he was tiring of Anne; keep it in the family as Lady Shelton, formerly Anne Boleyn, was Thomas Boleyn's sister. She was not pleased at the way her daughter was used as a pawn. Anne Boleyn was of course, the cause of Henry Norris's disgrace and death even though I don't believe anyone believed for a minute they committed adultery.

Roots was a wonderful series.

EllanVannin

The most natural black actors and actresses were in the series called Roots. The whole thing deserved an Oscar.
Picking out some black actress just for the heck of it doesn't cut it for me.

Is it tokenism as opposed to realism?

I loved the original Roots. I wonder how it’s stood the test of time.

EllanVannin

The most natural black actors and actresses were in the series called Roots. The whole thing deserved an Oscar.
Picking out some black actress just for the heck of it doesn't cut it for me.

Do you mean the 1977 series Roots or the remake in 2016? The original series won numerous awards and was one of the most-watched series ever on American TV. I was so impressed at the time, I later bought it on DVD.

Witzend

I can’t help wondering how many people only watched it because of the ‘black Anne’ controversy.

Would those GNers who did watch it, have watched it anyway?
Just interested. (I didn’t watch it.)

Good question, Witzend! I doubt I'd have watched it had I not seen the trailer. I thought it looked excellent. The fact she was black wasn't important. I thought she looked stunning. However I turned it off before the end of the first episode. I found it rather a slog to watch and some of the script just wasn't convincing.

Oh yes!

I don't think the casting was relevant at all, and didn't before I watched it. Skin colour is not the most important thing to me, and I don't think the casting added or detracted from the story a bit. I wish the same could be said for the scriptwriting and the direction ?

I can’t help wondering how many people only watched it because of the ‘black Anne’ controversy.

Would those GNers who did watch it, have watched it anyway?
Just interested. (I didn’t watch it.)

The most natural black actors and actresses were in the series called Roots. The whole thing deserved an Oscar.
Picking out some black actress just for the heck of it doesn't cut it for me.

Nanna58

Total disappointment, wooden acting, awful costumes, will not bother with the last episode. It’s tempting to believe they thought that having Anne played by a black actress was enough of an innovation that they didn’t need to make a drama of quality.

I think you have hit the nail on the head there.??

trisher

Didn't Anne in the first episode ask Madge if she had been visited by Henry? which I took to mean that she knew and was manipulating her to provide services, so would she be upset? I think providing women for Henry when one of his wives was pregnant was usual practice.

Yes, usually that is true, but by this stage Anne would have been aware that her position was precarious, and that she was ripe for being replaced. Others in the court would be aware of the situation too, and there would have been jockeying for position as the next Queen.

Total disappointment, wooden acting, awful costumes, will not bother with the last episode. It’s tempting to believe they thought that having Anne played by a black actress was enough of an innovation that they didn’t need to make a drama of quality.

Didn't Anne in the first episode ask Madge if she had been visited by Henry? which I took to mean that she knew and was manipulating her to provide services, so would she be upset? I think providing women for Henry when one of his wives was pregnant was usual practice.

I don't think that Madge Shelton's betrothal to Norris is reason enough to be sure that Anne would resent her mother, although Madge's affair with Henry would have been.

I knew that she was dismissed from Anne's service immediately before the execution, but as far as I am aware there is no record of which ladies accompanied her to the scaffold. In fact there was no coffin provided for Anne's body, so she ended up in a trunk - it doesn't seem that the logistics of it all had been thought through very well.

Yes, that was my point about Amanda Burton. As her role so far has been small, I think she will work for her fee in tonight's episode!

Namsnanny Good point about the dresses. The fabrics don't seem suitable for the styles, so the gathered skirts are bunched up at the waist, and you're right about the bodices.

Watched both episodes out of curiosity. DH who is no history buff kept asking who people were. Very unclear characters nothing new. To smack the kings face was probably punishable by death anyway!!!! Another" Anne of a thousand days ", to be archived and forgotten. A lot of hype about nothing much except a person of colour playing Anne and George to get the ratings up? Though I will watch tonight just to see how they end it

Yes Deedaa the woman with the fringe is really irritating me too!?
I agree with others, nothing new (yet?), poor script.
I must look up the costume designer, because the dresses look ill fitting, and the bodices look like shields. Lovely colours but not very authentic.
I'm probably comparing it with the Cate Blanchett film of Elizabeth 1, which obviously had a bigger budget (and a different subject matter!!).

Lady Shelton accompanied Anne to the Tower and certainly spied on her; her daughter Madge was betrothed to Henry Norris so even more reason to resent her, but she was dismissed from Anne's service four days before her execution, along with Mrs. Coffyn. The Queen was accompanied to the scaffold by 'four young ladies', names unknown but possibly from her younger ladies in waiting.
However, the author of this drama isn't particularly influenced by accuracy, so I expect Amanda Burton, an excellent actress, will be there; she is certainly familiar with blood and death.

Ilovecheese

I think Jane Seymour is just right. All pretend youth and innocence.

Yes, especially the 'pretend' bit . She is so often seen as the 'good' contrast to the 'wicked' Anne, and it is unlikely that this was the case at all (even allowing for the fact that few women then had much say in their lives and choices).

I think Amanda Burton will get a chance to come into her own tonight. Lady Shelton accompanied Anne to the tower to spy on her - Anne wasn't allowed to have her own ladies around her.

It's another case where we have little by way of evidence, but it is likely that the women did not like one another - Anne did say words to the effect that the king had been unkind to put those around her whom she did not call friends, and as has been shown in the drama, Lady Shelton's daughter, Madge had an affair with Henry.

We don't know who accompanied Anne to her execution, but it was quite likely that Lady Shelton was among the ladies who supported her, and dramatically it is likely that a better known actress will be given a bigger role than she has had so far.

Amanda Burton is capable of a lot more than her role so far has allowed her to do, so maybe things will improve with tonight's episode? ?

I think Jane Seymour is just right. All pretend youth and innocence.