Rating: 
Summary: Too good to miss
Review: This 9 hour series and Elizabeth R, both from the BBC, are TV at it best. Whether you want history, fine acting, lush costumes and settings, great drama, terrific tales, or soap opera that shows how a great soap should play, Henry VIII and Elizabeth R belong on your shelf and in your VCR.
Rating: 
Summary: Tudors caught on film!!!
Review: If you're like me and can't get enough of those wild Tudors, then you'll want to see this set of six videos originally put on Masterpiece Theatre back in the 70's. I watched it as a child w/ my Mother, and again as an adult, because it had immense impact. The only reason for four stars vs. five, is that as an adult I was let down by the somewhat low budget scenery and wardrobe, although you mustn't let that discourage you from seeing such a fine piece of Tudor biography. We get to know Henry, not just as a tyrant and wife abuser, but as a victim himself of politics and the times. Once you've seen these stories of his life and six wives, be sure to check out the sister series, Elizabeth R, starring Glenda Jackson, for it is at least of equal value, and Ms. Jackson's performance is majestic indeed. No other films have given me such a taste for life in sixteenth century England under the rule of the Tudors.Henry, his wives, and his children are the stuff writers and historians dream of...no lack of intrigue or drama here! Enjoy!!
Rating:
Summary: Improved with age.
Review: I originally saw this production on television in the early 1970's..It was one of the first Mini Series on TV. If you thought Anne of a Thousand Days was a good film(Elizabth the II loved it)then this video will knock your socks off. You truly get to know all of the characters and such a feel for that period in history..5stars plus!!! Mary Poland-Smith
Rating:
Summary: A Beautifully Told Story
Review: The Six Wives of Henry VIII is a wonderful set of movies. The story follows Henry from boyhood to his death bed, and like "Elizabeth R", the viewer is privy to Henry's and his wives' most private moments, and those of their enemies who plot against them. One can even pity Henry and all his wives at times, the portrayals are very real and believable, I believe they stuck to actual history as much as possible, and you feel as if you are there when viewing this movie. It is a "must have"!
Rating:
Summary: Henry IIIV, A glimpse of England's History...
Review: Stellar performances by all key actors/actresses, specially
Keith Mitchell. This TV miniseries shows in a course
of 6 episodes the journey of Henry IIIV and his 6 wives from
his adulthood until his death. Showing in little detail the
struggle between him and the Pope over the Christian faith
(Catholics & Protestants) imbued with political differences
and alliances, and how some of his marriages were the source of all that.
I liked the firmed and stable acting roles of the king and his
closest aides that made a lot of influence in the political
process. The costumes were fabulous specially of the king.
The series don't show any battle sequences, while most of the
filming is interior.
The DVD is visually clear and nice as well as for the sound.
It is worth watching....
Rating:
Summary: Best acting I've ever seen, and I mean ever
Review: I now have five DVDs in my collection. This is because I see a movie once, and that's that--upward and onward. I'd rather spend my money on books. The first three I bought are music DVDs. This is only the second dramatic DVD I've ever bought.
Why? Keith Michell's performance as Henry VIII is simply the best I've ever seen, or probably will see, period. Even the almighty Olivier or Anthony Hopkins couldn't kick out a performance of this stature. I was only a kid (single-digit age) when I first saw this series, and it stayed with me ever since. The production can be almost laughably flawed at times--during the first play, "Catherine of Aragon," for example, you can easily see the microphones sticking up during the court scene, and in "Jane Seymour," you can see it's a doll instead of a real baby, but the acting overrides what's not so good. The supporting actors also give admirable performances, with the actress portraying each queen doing a fine job. Anne Stallybrass as Jane Seymour and Rosalie Crutchley as Catherine Parr are particular standouts. Basil Dignam as Bishop Gardiner, Wolfe Morris as Thomas Cromwell, and John Ronane as Thomas Seymour are also wonderful. But Keith Michell is the man. Over all six plays, running a total of nine hours, his performance is flawless. Young, handsome, and idealistic to old, fat, and full of self-pity and ego, he gets it right from facial expressions to dialogue delivery. And he can dance and sing so well, I'm getting ready to order a performance or two of him in some Gilbert and Sullivan productions. Now, to be warned, I only bought the DVD instead of the videotapes simply because I knew I'd be watching them a lot, and didn't want to wear out a tape. They list "scene selection" on the box, but the scenes are actually the choices between plays on each DVD. That's it. No extras, no nothing, so only buy the DVD if you are either going to watch them a lot, or want a DVD because it's easier to store. I spent a lot of time when I first got the DVDs trying to find the scenes for selection, when it finally dawned on me that I could choose a play, and that's it. Oh, well. After seeing this series for the first time, I became totally obsessed with finding out more about the era, and have since read dozens of books about Henry and his wives and his children. Although each wife's story is condensed to 90 minutes, all six playwrights do a fine job of elaborating the basics. Less dramatic license than I would have thought has been taken in many cases. Glenda Jackson is also marvelous in her six-play series, "Elizabeth R," which I recommend. But it's Keith Michell all the way here. I can't praise him enough. I'll keep looking for acting this good, but I doubt I'll find anything.
Rating:
Summary: The Six Wives of Henry V111
Review: I purchased this DVD with some misgivings - based on a review I read on Amazon which stated it was very poor in technical quality. Having the viewed all the discs, I disagree. While it is true there are not additional features on the set (like interviews, directors comments, etc) I found the picture quality and sound to be good. There were no times when I had to raise the sound to hear. In other words, it is like watching the tapes - except on 3 discs which take much less space. The performances need no comment. This series has stood for years as superb and transfering it to DVD hasn't changed that
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Series Brilliantly Acted!
Review: A very well researched and executed miniseries on the six wives of Henry VIII. Every performance is outstanding and the only thing that might detract from your complete enjoyment are the low TV production values of the period in which it was produced. Nonetheless, it will provide you with many hours of engrossing and enlightening entertainment. Don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: Needs to be reissued
Review: The Six Wives of Henry VIII consists of three dvds in a boxed set. There are six 'plays', each running about 90 minutes and written by different authors. They include some of the most fascinating and controversial figures in English history. The tale of each wife is necessarily abbreviated but the most important points are covered. Katharine of Aragon's story includes a lengthy account of her first years in England. Anne Boleyn is introduced in Katharine's story, but her play begins after the birth of Elizabeth and mainly concerns her arrest and execution. The stories of Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves are done sympathetically, lending dignity to two queens who are often dismissed as boring cyphers. Catherine Howard's play adds pathos to a silly young girl's fatal brush with power. And Katharine Parr's play reveals how close she also came to losing her head. Throughout it all, Keith Michell portrays the definitive Henry VIII, conflicted, dynamic, and determined to always have his own way. The supporting actors are also very good, bringing Stephen Gardiner, Thomas Cromwell, Princess Mary and others to life. But I give the dvd set three stars because of its poor technical quality. The picture is often faded and the sound is inconsistent, veering from too quiet to too loud within the same scene. The dvds are also difficult to navigate. For example, there is no scene index so you cannot skip from scene to scene. If you stop watching and then start up again, you are forced to fast forward through everything you watched before. Since the scene index feature is one of the main reasons people watch dvds instead of videotapes, its absence means these dvds are no better than VHS tapes - and far more expensive. However, the opportunity to view this miniseries again is a reason to celebrate in itself. It's simply a shame the BBC did not put nearly as much effort into The Six Wives of Henry VIII as they did Elizabeth R. Beautifully transferred with lots of special features, the Elizabeth R dvds are a genuine treat for the Tudor enthusiast. The Six Wives is a necessary purchase for the compelling stories and thorough recreation of Tudor history, but watching it is a needlessly frustrating experience. I wish the BBC had put more care into this transfer.
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