WATCH: The Shadow of the Tower

Henry the VII of England doesn’t have the larger-than-life image of his son, Henry VIII, or his granddaughter, Elizabeth I. He seems to have spent most of his time putting down rebellions and proving his right to reign. But his story contains the seeds of all those interesting events that took place in the other Tudor monarchs – the Reformation, the Armada, the question of succession, and more.

The Shadow of the Tower is a 13-part series from the BBC originally broadcast in 1972, and released on DVD in 2011. It stars James Marshall as Henry VII and begins with his victory over Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field and ends with the death of his son Arthur shortly after his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.

Overall, the series is very well written and acted. Some of the episodes are extremely interesting, particularly number 5: “The Serpent and the Comforter.” Written by Hugh Whitemore, it’s a discussion of faith, heresy, reason, mystery, and faith and how easily they intertwine and create a numbing confusion. Others episodes, such as Number 8: “The Princely Gift,” about the explorer Lewes Cabot, are uninvolving and seem to be taking up airspace.

As with all older BBC productions, actors who are now household names crop up in smaller roles in single episodes – John Castle, Geoffrey Palmer, and Peter Bowles to mention just a few. Stars of the British stage, like Rachel Kempson and Donald Eccles, appear in several episodes. Everyone, of course, looks so very young.

Another interesting thing about the series is that women play a very minor, almost invisible role. Unlike The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth or Elizabeth R, the women in this retelling of history have little to do. It’s difficult to tell if Henry loved Elizabeth of York or not, since they rarely interact. This aside, it’s a great way to spend a rainy weekend.