# Wolf Hall (2015)

> Thomas Cromwell rises from obscurity to navigate the volatile court of Henry VIII as the king pursues his annulment and marriage to Anne Boleyn.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/54963

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 12
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, history
- Created by: Peter Straughan, Peter Kosminsky, Hilary Mantel
- Network: BBC One, BBC Two
- Cast: Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Claire Foy, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Joss Porter, Jonathan Pryce, Bernard Hill, Charlie Rowe
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3556920/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: measured, menacing, contemplative, wry, melancholic

## What critics say

Critics and audiences broadly acclaim the series as a sumptuous, intelligent adaptation of Hilary Mantel's novels, driven by Mark Rylance's performance as Thomas Cromwell.

## Synopsis

Wolf Hall (2015-2024) is a British historical drama series created by Peter Straughan, Peter Kosminsky and Hilary Mantel for BBC One and BBC Two, adapted from Mantel's novels. The story follows Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance), a charming, bullying and calculating commoner who climbs into the orbit of the volatile King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis) as the king seeks to annul his twenty-year marriage and wed Anne Boleyn (Claire Foy). Cromwell's engine is the pursuit of power in a court where enemies gather and every alliance can turn fatal, and each episode is built from negotiations, whispered deals and tense confrontations with the Pope's envoys and rival nobles. Across two seasons of six episodes each, the series unfolds as one continuing story rather than standalone cases, a measured and stately chronicle of ambition and survival. Set in 1520s England, it is rendered in candlelit interiors, rich costume and a restrained, contemplative register that is by turns wry, menacing and melancholy. Its atmosphere of court paranoia and political calculation will appeal to viewers who enjoy the prestige period drama of The Tudors, The Crown and House of Cards. The series remains a sober, adult portrait of power and its cost.

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