The Six Wives Of Henry Viii

Jean Plaidy fans rejoice! Hank the Ocho and his six wives, most of whom met untimely ends, are now available in full living color on home video. Televised to huge acclaim, these six plays trace the political and romantic machinations of Henry VIII, and his ongoing battles with his wives, his advisors, and the Catholic Church. We watched the first two titles in Vol. 1: Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Catherine of Aragon begins on a frantic note with Henry's ascendancy. Names of royalty fly fast and furious during the opening scenes, and non-Tudor trained viewers are likely to be lost. No problem. The play soon settles down to the meat of the matter: Henry and Catherine. Idyllic romantic moments in the royal bedroom are bookended by equally stormy moments later on as Catherine fails to produce an heir for Henry, and Henry trumps up a bogus divorce case. The battle between two strong personalities is joined with ardor. Keith Michell is excellent as the burly King, and Annette Crosbie is mannered, yet fiery, as Catherine. In Anne Boleyn, Henry, now living with his mistress Anne, marries her, and the same cycle is basically repeated. No heir; pissed Henry. The King's advisors ensnare some court unfortunates into signing confessions that they have known the Queen in a biblical sense. Unjustly tried as a whore, Queen Anne loses the case. Dorothy Tutin is, by turns, coquettish, valiant, and dignified in her excellent portrayal of the tragic Anne. The final tape in the first volume is Jane Seymour. Volume 2 contains: Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. For all the praise bestowed upon the series (which is rarely shown on TV), The Six Wives of Henry VIII is basically upper crust soap opera. Good soap, true, but soap nonetheless. It may not appeal to scholars of Tudor history, but Jean Plaidy fans are gonna love it. Recommended. (Available from: BFS Video, 350 Newkirk Road North, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada L4C 3G7.)