Henry VI Part 1 is unbelievable, fantastic, moving like only Richard II has been in this series. Cumberbatch isn't in Part 1, but if you're interested in English history, you will never see a better production of this play. Absolutely stunning, pitch-perfect performances from every cast member, especially Hugh Bonneville.
shareI agree. Very well done and Hugh Bonneville had one of the very few truly sympathetic roles. All the actors do a great job with their roles, but most of the characters are quite nasty. The king is sweet and kind, but ineffectual, and you kind of start hating him because he can't or won't stop the horrors from happening around him.
Cumberbatch fans will benefit from watching the first two installments of the series even though he doesn't figure prominently until the second half of the second episode. Obviously he's the star of the third installment; that episode, although it can stand on its own, will make more sense to viewers if they've seen parts one and two.
I bought the DVD set when it became available last summer or I would be busy streaming away. :)
If the next two installments are as good as this, I'll buy the DVDs too. Yes--and as I said on the series' IMDB board--Tom Sturridge is like Ben Whishaw, the Next Generation. But everyone else is sooo good. Glad people from this board watch BBC productions besides "Sherlock."
shareYes it is highly recommended. All three installments are extraordinarily well acted, with beautiful direction, scoring, etc. Definitely worth watching and I think they will reward more than one viewing. There is so much to pull the viewer in and some of the characters, performances, plot twists just keep building throughout the entire series and continue to pay dividends. For example, Sophie Okonedo's first scenes are good, but then as her character continues to evolve, the performance really takes off and delivers.
Three weeks of these Great Performances really are an excellent lead up to the next series of Sherlock coming in January.
Have a lovely day - John Finnemore
Other than Ben Whishaw's incredible Richard II, I was disappointed with the first series of The Hollow Crown. The second series, however, is fabulous all the way through. There are too many standout performances to mention, but I completely concur re Hugh Bonneville. I thought Adrian Dunbar was excellent, too, as is Sophie Okenedo. And you can call me biased, but I think Cumberbatch's Richard III is the jewel in the crown. An astonishing performance. Glad you're enjoying it, Hilary.
https://rycardus.wordpress.com/2016/11/02/sherlock-and-the-sorcerer/
Other than Ben Whishaw's incredible Richard II, I was disappointed with the first series of The Hollow Crown. The second series, however, is fabulous all the way through. There are too many standout performances to mention, but I completely concur re Hugh Bonneville. I thought Adrian Dunbar was excellent, too, as is Sophie Okenedo.
I thought of you in that spine-chilling last scene/fade-to-black. I had no idea that "Plantagenet" was Richard's father and thought Dunbar was chosen because he and Cumberbatch share a resemblance; I thought he was playing "Richard III" in the series' incarnations leading up to the big kahuna .Ha! I'm delighted you're enjoying it. I can't wait for you to see BC as Richard. He really is diabolically evil, but sooo charming. His "Now is the winter of our discontent" scene will knock your socks off.
Damn, did I like Gloucester (Bonneville). His wife stole the show.Played by Sally Hawkins, I think, and yes, she was amazing. I loved how strong the women were in this series. There wasn't many of them, but their quality is undeniable.