User Reviews

This would be like casting Tom cruise as Mohammed Ali, or the last samari which was just as stupid but his role there I do not believe in anyway was political. Even Jesus movies using a white guy obviously is not accurate.. that has just been going on for 2 thousand years. Watching it I passed on because I know that no matter how amazing a job any of the actors or actresses do the politics behind the role is just silly.. I feel like this is more blatantly casted due to the modern social issues.... I think this is fine with fictional characters .. like Cast anyone as say Sherlock Holmes, Santa clause, ... maybe this show has 0 to do with history in which case the name is the stupid part... I'd feel the same if they casted Sally field as Michelle Obama in a story about them two. I'd feel it's political and a calculated idea and agenda.

I really tried to give this a chance but in the end it was a disappointment. The story has been told many times so to make it feel fresh, the story requires great dialogue and solid acting. Unfortunately it had neither. The dull dialogue couple with bad acting from Jodi Turner Smith made this excruciatingly dull.

My review has nothing to do with the casting of this show. It has everything to do with the unnecessary twisting and turning of known facts from this historic event. The truth, or as much of it that is absolutely known as fact, is interesting enough without all the extra added interpretations this series provides. Another issue is the extremely slow, plodding way the story unfolds, especially in the final episode. Timing could have been so much better. I managed to complete it but have no desire to see it again.

What utter tripe is being served up to us. What is the point of setting a play or film in a time that could not have and did not support the alternative themes they producers are trying to convey.

It would have been much easier and acceptable to set it in any other time but the 16th century and declare it a work of fiction based on characters with similar names..that just about sums it up.

This series has created a fairly large 'noise' through casting choices. It might be confusing to some as to why they chose to cast this way - well 1 episode is enough to know why.. It's the only way people would pay attention to it, the show cannot stand on it's own feet as a drama or even historic show. Really awful writing, and it skips over important historical information.

Not worth the data to watch it unfortunately.

Such a wasted opportunity. The casting added nothing to a story that's been told so very much better before, so as a project about Anne Boleyn, it was a bit of a pointless project. If they wanted to make a slightly alternative/ modernised version of the story, they could have so easily have kept all of the script and all the cast but shot it in a modern London borough council sink estate (somewhat like Baz Lehrman did with Romeo and Juliette- but without the music). The themes of modern day power struggles, infidelity, rumours, religious leaders and of course one mustn't forget to (de-)cap it all off with an "honour killing" are all just as relevant in Multicultural cities of the 21st century as they were in Anne Boleyn's time. Filmed like that it could have made a powerful statement and drawn parallels to the past without pointlessly reducing this story to a poor joke.

I note some reviewers appear to believe we are either unable to see past colour, or haven't given the show a chance. I fear this is due to a lack of understanding for why people may not like the show.

I understand why some would have a problem with Anne Boleyn being played by a black actress, it's the same problem people have when they feel characters are being whitewashed. There would be the same reaction had someone made an alternative telling of Ngwane III's reign but LaYaka Ndwandwe was played by a white woman.

That said the concept been better thought out, and did not feel like lazy tokenism (yes, I feel it was lazy tokenism) this would have been better received

I was excited to see this, interested to see how it would work and how they had revisited the life of Anne Boleyn I love historical dramas, I love seeing unique takes on history, and had the show been better written it possibly could have worked... but I couldn't get into it.

Lead actress was wasted, a potentially interesting concept seemed lazily thrown together. I'm sure some people genuinely enjoyed it, but I wasn't a fan.

I feel more attention was spent clapping themselves on the back for casting decisions, than put into the script itself. Just my opinion.

Just another soap opera in historical costumes like so many, lazy writing, acting is okay. Fishing for compliments by putting up some "controversy" by casting choices - yawn. All in all a disappointing affair, the costumes are the best feature in this production - not recommended for the connoisseur of the genre of historical drama.

For this review to not content spoilers - I can just say that if it wasn't about certain historic person but completely fictional series it still would be very boring show, but would be somewhere around 4-5. But if you want to connect your work to some history - either do it good, or do not mention it at all.

And while black actress on role of historically white woman is a small issue(which is for me the same issue as white actor/actress on black/asian role), the main issue for me is weak plot, which could be done a lot better.

Why instead of taking the actual history out of "historical fiction" didn't they do the same thing as Bridgerton and create a story that isn't based in our traditional history but in an alternate world where the main character could tell us HER story, rather than the story of a white girl that's been told 100 times before. I'd be much more interested in that.

Sure, this is one of those shows and concepts where the first reaction anyone with any degree of Tudor history knowledge would be skeptical at best, and down right wary at worst.... I was one of these myself, initially I simply said no, I wouldn't watch this because the reviews and write ups on it suggested there were agendas that had less to do with telling a history story and more to do with modern politics... so I waited, and waited some more....

I am a little disappointed that I cannot add a voice of modest approval to the show back when it was first shown, there were a few modest or kind reviews by our reviewing peers, but they were swamped out by the plethora of reviews who I would dare to say had more than reviewing a historically based tv show on their minds.

There are plenty of other stories, documentaries, movies, bookes, podcasts and probably YouTube channels and snapchat stories about Anne Boleyn, it would be fair to assume at this point, that pending the Vatican actually opening ALL of their stash of files, the majority of the story, real or made up, from contemporary sources has pretty much been exhausted. It would seen to our eyes that she, and those who died with her for the crimes she was herself accused of, were without doubt not guilty, or at least not as guilty as the full story given at the time might try to want us to believe. Plenty of intellects have attempted rewrite of Anne's story, trying to make it seem less scheme and a whole lot more one of a woman who was surrounded by bad and awful men who wanted her out of the way. Given what we know know of Henry VIII, one would tend to conclude the kinder version of the story is likely the true one - after all, it is remarkable what a leader will do for power, or an heir, or to hang on to both.

I personally did not hate the writing, there were a few too many odd pauses in proceedings, and some rather unexplained drop offs to what they were saying. Fundamentally though, I think they did a good enough job for what this show was, it wasn't trying to be a documentary, it was trying to shed a new light, or a different one perhaps and that I think it did successfully. Henry was fairly light (unusually) in both dialogue and nature, it didn't seem this actor quite got the evil tyrant bit sorted

The shining star was Jodie, she showed elements of an almost mythical personality that I have no doubt were there, she was jealous and spiteful and rather petty and peevish at times, spoiled and more than a little bit snob and brat all mixed in with scheme and intellect and manipulation. I felt she portrayed a genuine care for her daughter that few other actors have radiated so well when playing this role. Sure, would Jodie has been the expected choice, probably not, but was she right, hell yes she was, because she bought to Anne some traits we have never really seen or heard about. There is no denying she is a strong actor with an immense talent for forecasting her emotion through both word, act and expression.

One may pick away at the details that were out of whack, like them all having lovely white teeth *unlikely in 16th century UK or even today, or the manufacturing on bulb candles or pots scattered about..... but it is fluff, it is not a core part of the story.

I think the makers and casting team are to be applauded loudly, Jodie is to be commended and congratulated for taking on what would always be a challenging role in the Uk and for delivering a performance I imagine Anne would appreciate.

Tell me, what exactly is the point of Anne Boleyn being a different race and even sexual orientation than the historical, actual person named Anne Boleyn? If someone wants to watch a historical series, what is the point of changing the historical facts? Name the series and the protagonist whatever else and there is no problem, it's just pure fiction. Maybe even closer to science fiction that history.

When they take fictional characters like James bond and make them female even though they never were before it's ok because they're fictional, but to take a historical character and change her color just to please how pc people is getting is stupid. And historically inaccurate. Leave the reimagining to imaginary characters. This never needed to be done.

Where to begin...? I'll lay it out in points.

-1. Costumes were the wrong period -2. Acting was wooden & passionless -3. Dialogue made no sense or at least 'lacked continuity.' -4. Extremely slow pacing, which is fine with me normally, but this was excruciating -5. Cinematography looked like it was done by a film student.

-6. Many better tellings of this story that exist, & i recommend them in regards to the Boleyn saga.

I'm interested in history and for me this series was downright painful. If I were to describe the stupid things that the writers used, I would have no room. The "Tudors" are an unrivaled role model here. Although this series also contradicted history in many places. Anna Boleyn is a horrible series. Boring and badly written. The creators put all their hope on the controversy which was the cast of the main role. The first episode goes on mercilessly and from time to time you think "Let them cut her off!". In addition, forcibly, the series is based on feminism, which had a caricature effect. Let us hope that this "work" will remain where it belongs, ie on the dustbin of history.

Could not get past the writing on this show. So many weird, almost unnatural interactions.

There is no excuse for the utter lack of creativity shown here. What a waste of time, money and talent. Write and produce original material. Hopefully they will lose money on this.

It was a little hard not to get caught up in the hype that surrounded this series when it was first transmitted, all sorts of opinions and unpleasantness surrounded it, now that the dust has settled, i have tried to watch it again, away from the noise.

I hate to say it, but my original opinions still apply, personally I have no issue with the casting, I think Jodie is one very talented actress.

It's almost like a parody, the script is written in such a way, that it feels almost like a school play, the characters are wafer thin, these were some of Britain's most famous, infamous and important figures, the actions of these two shaped the country's future, and yet none of that came across, these characters were almost bland.

Some of the production looked cheap, manufactured items pop up here and there, which an overly critical eye would spot, it need to appear a little less polished, the pearly white teeth for example, did The Tudors have such expert dentists?

It was a brave attempt, but it just didn't work, the only thing they succeeded in doing, was making a fascinating story, dull. 3/10.

...It seems Hollywood has lost its charm and luster, trying to force feed its viewers fodder. I watched 10 minutes of the first episode...and that was it. I imagine the Brits will be shocked at this Hollywood attempt at recasting their past Royal members. Awful. Don't waste your time.

The Boleyn family was cast out from society, vilified, and persecuted for being who they were. What better way to convey this in a modern movie than the casting of the family with black actors?

The performances are outstanding. The earthiness and the sense of how cold and how dangerous it must have been to live in a cold castle with people who hate you is palpable.

Shakespeare did not write accurate history. Philippa Gregory writes fiction, not history. Any work of art, be it a novel, a movie, a play or indeed 'history' itself is all interpretation. I thought this series was wonderful in the way that at last we saw a fresh, lively and naturalistic interpretation of a period of history that has so often been trotted out as either dull, dry academic boredom or salacious Carry On nonsense.

I have watched numerous Tudor dramas, and have read many Tudor era books so I knew what was coming.

This is the only show I have ever gotten teary eyed over Anne Boleyn's execution.

Great acting by Jodie Turner-Smith.

Boring drawn out script. Cant get over the use of someone black in a white role. Not being racist here it just doesnt work. It would be like using Katie Perry in the Aretha Franklyn movie. Its not right.

I tried...I mean I REALLY tried to give this a shot. I have no doubt in any other circumstance. Jodie Smith would be absolutely phenomenal in a role made specifically for a woman of color. But to fundamentally change the ethnicity of the main character...that's asking a bit too much of a willing suspension of disbelief. Score another loss for "wokeness." Sorry, not sorry. Couldn't keep watching after 10 minutes and don't plan to watch anymore. Epic fail...