The Six Wives of Doctor III

[parrot_knight]

Comparing The Six Wives of Henry VIII, made in late 1969/early 1970, with the contemporary seventh season of Doctor Who raises questions about value judgements. The Six Wives walked off with BAFTAs, no doubt deservedly so, though I haven't made any evaluation of the competition. The scripts of The Six Wives (on my acquaintance with two) are

Comments

[daniel_saunders]

They don't go for the 'Anne Boleyn was a Reformer removed by more conservative-Catholic elements at court when she was out of favour' theory, then.

vaseline-smeared lens... erotic bliss...

I'm never going to look at The Web Planet the same way again! (Yes, I know it was a filter not vaseline, but still...).

I'm not sure people really do celebrate (or criticize) Doctor Who as bad television any more, post-2005.

Also: value judgments about different programmes - very unPC! (My tongue is firmly in my cheek: I believe that appreciation of art is necessarily subjective, but not nearly as subjective as some academics would have us think.)

[parrot_knight]

Or indeed that Anne was a Reformer who wanted to establish a network of charitable foundations using monastic money which Cromwell thought belonged in the Treasury...

As for Doctor Who as bad television, I was moved by a specific instance.

I'd forgotten that The Web Planet used a filter... the effect used in Six Wives reminded me of it, though.

[gervase_fen]

imdb has the winners and nominees. Keith Michell triumphs over a future Doctor, and could there be any other winner of the Shell International Award?

[parrot_knight]

There couldn't!

The principal rival to The Six Wives seems to be Roads to Freedom, a project very much of its time.

[segh]

I remember that the Six Wives seemed amazing at the time for its production values and classy scriptwriting. I also remember going to see the costumes and learning lessons that have been useful to me all my life about how to get effects.

[parrot_knight]

The costumes are used very effectively. Anne Boleyn is established as the wearer a vivid poppy red dress on her first appearance in Catherine of Aragon which contrasts with the browns and greens of Henry's chamber, so it's very difficult not to notice her listening behind the corner.