Anne Boleyn
GenreDrama
Written byEve Hedderwick Turner
Directed byLynsey Miller
StarringJodie Turner-Smith
ComposerKeaton Henson[1]
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerDan Jones
Producers
  • Faye Ward
  • Hannah Farrell
Production companyFable Pictures
Original release
NetworkChannel 5
Release1 June (2021-06-01) –
3 June 2021 (2021-06-03)

Anne Boleyn is a British three-part psychological thriller miniseries developed for Channel 5 starring Jodie Turner-Smith in the title role. It was written by Eve Hedderwick Turner and directed by Lynsey Miller with historian Dan Jones as executive producer.[2][3]

Premise

The series is set in Anne's final five months prior to her execution by beheading for treason in 1536.[4]

Cast

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [5]U.K viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"Lynsey MillerEve Hedderwick Turner1 June 2021 (2021-06-01)1.44
2"Episode 2"Lynsey MillerEve Hedderwick Turner2 June 2021 (2021-06-02)1.05
3"Episode 3"Lynsey MillerEve Hedderwick Turner3 June 2021 (2021-06-03)1.00

Production

Development

Ben Frow of Channel 5 first mentioned the project at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in summer 2020.[6] The three-part "convention-defying" series from Fable Pictures was officially announced in October 2020, with Eve Hedderwick Turner as writer and Lynsey Miller as director. Faye Ward and Hannah Farrell of Fable produced and historian Dan Jones executive produced. The series "sets out to examine Anne Boleyn's life through a feminist lens as she struggles to conceive a boy heir and pushback against the society she was born into."[4][7]

Casting

In October 2020, it was announced with the series that Jodie Turner-Smith would star as Anne Boleyn with Paapa Essiedu, Amanda Burton, Thalissa Teixeira, Barry Ward, and Jamael Westman also set to feature. Mark Stanley joined the cast as Henry VIII in November.[8]

Filming

Principal photography took place in Yorkshire over six weeks, finishing in December 2020.[7] Filming locations included Castle Howard in North Yorkshire, Bolton Castle in Wensleydale, Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale, Oakwell Hall in Birstall, St Michael's Church in Emley, Harewood House in Harewood, and Ripley Castle in Ripley.[9][10]

Release

The first episode premiered in the UK on Channel 5 on 1 June 2021. Sony Pictures Television co-financed the project with Channel 5 and distributed the series internationally.[11] The drama was released in the United States on AMC+ and on Crave in Canada.[12]

Reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 53% based on 17 critic reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Though the show around her isn't quite up to snuff, there's no denying the pleasure of Jodie Turner-Smith's powerful turn as the one-and-only Anne Boleyn."[13]

The Guardian and The Independent both gave the drama 3 stars out 5. Lucy Mangan of the former said the series "works" but criticised its "silly surplus of metaphors" and portrayal of Henry.[14] Adam White of the latter found the show a "soapy romp" but that it made sense for the story being told.[15] Turner-Smith's performance was widely praised. Beth Webb of Empire called the series a "showcase of Jodie Turner-Smith's resilience as a performer" and mentioned how the "small but well-assembled supporting cast elevates her performance".[16]

There was some criticism of the color-blind casting, as some of the actors were Black and the characters portrayed were White, such as Boleyn herself.[17] The Radio Times described this as "identity-conscious casting" and quoted the actor Mark Stanley: "It was all about this being the right person for the job, rather than what we as a society might perceive as the ‘right look’ for the job".[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Keaton Henson scores Channel 5's 'Anne Boleyn'". Faber Music. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  2. ↑ "Anne Boleyn to be played by Jodie Turner-Smith in new Henry VIII thriller for Channel 5 | Evening Standard". Archived from the original on 25 November 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  3. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (8 April 2021). "Jodie Turner-Smith Exits 'The Witcher: Blood Origin' Netflix Limited Series Due To Scheduling Issue". Deadline. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  4. 1 2 Kanter, Jake (30 October 2020). "Jodie Turner-Smith To Play Anne Boleyn In Convention-Defying Channel 5 Series From Sony-Backed Fable Pics". Deadline. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  5. ↑ Channel 5. "Anne Boleyn – Listings". Channel 5. Retrieved 27 May 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ "Ben Frow pledges to 'shake up' Channel 5 programming". Televisual. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  7. 1 2 Carr, Flora (20 May 2021). "Anne Boleyn release date: Cast, trailer for Channel 5 drama starring Jodie Turner-Smith". Radio Times. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  8. ↑ Ravindran, Manori (13 November 2020). "Jodie Turner-Smith's Anne Boleyn Drama Sets 'Game of Thrones' Star Mark Stanley as Henry VIII (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  9. ↑ Ramsden, Sam (1 June 2021). "All The Gorgeous Anne Boleyn Locations You Can Visit IRL". Bustle. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  10. ↑ Smith, Stephanie (3 June 2021). "The Yorkshire historic castles and stately homes used for filming the Channel 5 Anne Boleyn drama". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  11. ↑ Firth-Bernard, Bryony (9 April 2021). "Channel 5 releases first look trailer for new Anne Boleyn drama". Good Housekeeping. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  12. ↑ "August 2021: Crave Streaming Overview". Bell Media. 22 July 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  13. ↑ "Anne Boleyn: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  14. ↑ Mangan, Lucy (1 June 2021). "Anne Boleyn review – spoiler alert: she won't make it out alive!". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  15. ↑ White, Adam (1 June 2020). "Anne Boleyn Review". The Independent. Archived from the original on 7 May 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  16. ↑ Webb, Beth (3 June 2021). "Anne Boleyn Review". Empire. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  17. ↑ Solly, Meilan (3 June 2021). "Why the Controversy Over a Black Actress Playing Anne Boleyn Is Unnecessary and Harmful". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  18. ↑ Carr, Flora (3 June 2021). "Why Channel 5's Anne Boleyn is a Black woman – a look at the real Anne". Radio Times. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
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