BBC Tudors Collection (The Shadow of the Tower / The Six Wives of Henry VIII / Elizabeth R)

Product Description The BBC Tudors Collection combines the three most highly-praised, historically authentic mini-series ever produced about the great Tudor monarchs in one collectible set. From the heyday of BBC drama, these three tour-de-force dramas are meticulously researched and brilliantly acted, together winning 6 Emmy® awards and 8 BAFTAs (Britain’s equivalent of the Emmys). In The Shadow of the Tower, James Maxwell (The Portrait of a Lady) plays Henry VII, the first of the Tudor monarchs, who took over the throne after Richard III was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. Keith Michell (Murder She Wrote) received an Emmy and a BAFTA for his masterful portrayal of England’s infamously fickle king in The Six Wives of Henry VIII. And double-Oscar winner Glenda Jackson (A Touch of Class, Women in Love) turns in one of the most remarkable performances in television history, transforming herself into England’s Virgin Queen in Elizabeth R, winning two Emmys and a BAFTA. All 25 episodes of these three breathtaking dramas are included in this 12-disc collection, the definitive screen portrait of England’s Tudor dynasty. Amazon.com SHADOW OF THE TOWER: Having aired on BBC2 in 1972, The Shadow of the Tower appears so authentic historically that it feels much, much older. Focusing on the rise of King Henry VII and the Tudor Dynasty, this 13-episode miniseries sheds light on not only what it took for a man to have usurped the throne in the 15th century, but also his difficulties in keeping it. Any viewer who has interest in the politics of royalty, as well as viewers who admire the cultural aesthetic of the Middle Ages, will find this program both pleasing to the eyes and highly dramatic. The episodes, having had several different writers, vary in dramatic tone and subject matter, ranging from focus on royal celebrations and fanfare, to religious and cultural matters of the time, to the ways Henry Tudor maintained rule while staving off various threats to the crown. Disc 1 opens with "The Crown in Jeopardy," the episode that introduces Henry Tudor (James Maxwell) in his victory over King Richard, and the lovely Elizabeth of York (Norma West), both of whom star in the remaining episodes. While Queen Elizabeth gossips with her sister about Henry's desire to marry her, Henry Tudor is securing his position against knights around the country who are plotting, just after his crowning, for hostile takeover. The following episodes, "Power in the Land," "T