The Hollow Crown (TV series)

The Hollow Crown
Genre Historical drama
Shakespeare
Based on Selected works of William Shakespeare's history plays
Directed by Rupert Goold
Richard Eyre
Thea Sharrock
Dominic Cooke
Starring Cycle I
Ben Whishaw
Jeremy Irons
Tom Hiddleston
Cycle II
Benedict Cumberbatch
Judi Dench
Sophie Okonedo
Michael Gambon
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
Production
Executive producer(s) Sam Mendes
Producer(s) Rupert Ryle-Hodges
Running time Cycle I
Richard II
(148 minutes)
Henry IV Part I
(120 minutes)
Henry IV Part II
(121 minutes)
Henry V
(139 minutes)
Cycle II
Henry VI, Part I
(111 minutes)
Henry VI, Part II
and Henry VI, Part III
(123 minutes)
Richard III
(130 minutes)
Production company(s) Neal Street Productions
NBCUniversal
WNET
Release
Original network BBC Two
PBS
Original release
  • 30 June 2012 (2012-06-30)
External links
Website

The Hollow Crown is a series of British television films featuring William Shakespeare's history plays.

The first cycle is an adaptation of Shakespeare's second historical tetralogy, the Henriad: Richard II, Henry IV, Part I and Henry IV, Part II and Henry V,[1] starring Ben Whishaw, Jeremy Irons and Tom Hiddleston. Olivier Award winners Rupert Goold, Richard Eyre and Thea Sharrock directed the telefilms,[2] which were produced by Rupert Ryle-Hodges for BBC Two and executive produced by Sam Mendes and Pippa Harris under Neal Street Productions in association with NBCUniversal. The first series, which aired in the United Kingdom in 2012, received positive reviews from critics. Ben Whishaw and Simon Russell Beale won British Academy Television Awards for Leading actor and Supporting actor for their performances, and Jeremy Irons was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Actor for his role as Henry IV. The first episode, Richard II, was nominated for the Best Single Drama at the BAFTAs.[3]

The BBC aired the concluding cycle in 2016 as The Hollow Crown — The Wars of the Roses, a reference to the historical event of the same name.[4] The plays were produced in 2015 by the same team that made the first series of films and were directed by the former artistic director of Royal Court Theatre and Olivier Award winner, Dominic Cooke.[5] They are based on Shakespeare's first tetralogy: Henry VI, Part I, Henry VI, Part II, Henry VI, Part III and Richard III.[6] The adaptation presents Henry VI in two parts, incorporating all three Henry VI plays. In April 2014, BBC Two announced that Benedict Cumberbatch would play King Richard III.[7]

Cast and crew

The Hollow Crown (2012)

From left to right: Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V
Film Cast Director
Richard II Ben Whishaw as King Richard II
Rory Kinnear as Henry Bolingbroke
Clémence Poésy as the Queen Isabelle de Valois
David Suchet as the Duke of York
Patrick Stewart as John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster
David Morrissey as Earl of Northumberland
Tom Hughes as the Duke of Aumerle
James Purefoy as Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk
Lindsay Duncan as the Duchess of York
Rupert Goold
Henry IV, Part I Jeremy Irons as King Henry IV
Tom Hiddleston as Prince Hal
Simon Russell Beale as Sir John Falstaff
Julie Walters as Mistress Quickly
Joe Armstrong as Henry 'Hotspur' Percy
Alun Armstrong as Earl of Northumberland
David Hayman as Earl of Worcester
Michelle Dockery as Kate, Lady Percy
Richard Eyre
Henry IV, Part II Jeremy Irons as King Henry IV
Tom Hiddleston as Prince Hal
Simon Russell Beale as Sir John Falstaff
Julie Walters as Mistress Quickly
Alun Armstrong as Earl of Northumberland
David Bamber as Justice Robert Shallow
Geoffrey Palmer as the Lord Chief Justice
Henry Faber as Prince John
Richard Eyre
Henry V Tom Hiddleston as King Henry V
Patterson Joseph as the Duke of York
Anton Lesser as the Duke of Exeter
Owen Teale as Captain Fluellen
Jérémie Covillault as Montjoy
Lambert Wilson as King Charles VI of France
Mélanie Thierry as Catherine of Valois
Stanley Weber as Duke of Orléans
Geraldine Chaplin as Alice
Edward Akrout as Louis, the Dauphin
John Hurt as the Chorus
Thea Sharrock

The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses (2016)

The second cycle of The Hollow Crown are based on Shakespeare's history plays about Henry VI (left) and Richard III (right).
Film Cast Director
Henry VI, Part I Sophie Okonedo as Queen Margaret
Hugh Bonneville as Gloucester
Sally Hawkins as Duchess of Gloucester
Tom Sturridge as Henry VI
Adrian Dunbar as Richard of York
Stuart McQuarrie as Vernon
Lucy Robinson as Young Cecily
Samuel West as Bishop of Winchester
Stanley Townsend as Warwick
Michael Gambon as Mortimer
Anton Lesser as Exeter
Ben Miles as Somerset
Jason Watkins as Suffolk
Philip Glenister as Talbot
David Troughton as Duke of Anjou
Laura Frances-Morgan as Joan of Arc
Dominic Cooke[8]
Henry VI, Part II Benedict Cumberbatch as Richard III
Sophie Okonedo as Queen Margaret
Keeley Hawes as Queen Elizabeth
Tom Sturridge as Henry VI
Adrian Dunbar as Plantagenet
Geoffrey Streatfeild as Edward IV
Sam Troughton as Clarence
Stuart McQuarrie as Vernon
Kyle Soller as Clifford
Richard Lynch as Westmorland
Lucy Robinson as Young Cecily
Stanley Townsend as Warwick
Anton Lesser as Exeter
Ben Daniels as Buckingham
Ben Miles as Somerset
Jason Watkins as Suffolk
Phoebe Fox as Lady Anne
James Fleet as Hastings
Andrew Scott as King Louis
Dominic Cooke[8]
Richard III Judi Dench as Cecily, Duchess of York
Benedict Cumberbatch as Richard III
Sophie Okonedo as Queen Margaret
Keeley Hawes as Queen Elizabeth
Geoffrey Streatfeild as Edward IV
Sam Troughton as Clarence
Ben Daniels as Buckingham
James Fleet as Hastings
Phoebe Fox as Queen Anne
Luke Treadaway as Henry VII
Dominic Cooke[8]

Production

The BBC scheduled the screening of Shakespeare's history plays as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad, a celebration of British culture coinciding with the 2012 Summer Olympics.[9] Sam Mendes signed up as executive producer to adapt all four plays in September 2010.[10] He is joined as executive producer by Pippa Harris (both representing Neal Street Productions), Rupert Ryle-Hodges as producer, Gareth Neame (NBCUniversal), and Ben Stephenson (BBC).[11]

Parts of the series were filmed in Kent at Squerryes Court and Penshurst Place.[12]

The concluding cycle of plays were produced in 2015 by the same team that made the first series and were directed by Dominic Cooke. Richard III was played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Executive producer Pippa Harris stated, "The critical and audience reaction to The Hollow Crown series set the bar high for Shakespeare on screen, and Neal Street (Productions) is delighted to be making the concluding part of this great history cycle. By filming the ‘Henry VI’ plays as well as ‘Richard III,’ we will allow viewers to fully appreciate how such a monstrous tyrant could find his way to power, bringing even more weight and depth to this iconic character."[13]

Once again, the production returned to Kent for The Wars of The Roses, filming at Dover Castle, Leeds Castle and Penshurst Place.[14]

Broadcast

The first four plays aired on consecutive Saturday evenings on BBC Two between 30 June and 21 July 2012. The start time of Henry IV, Part I on 7 July was delayed by an hour because of coverage of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, and the play was shown a second time the following evening on BBC Four.[15] The plays were shown in the United States from 20 September to 11 October 2013 as part of the PBS Great Performances series.[16]

All four plays were shown again on consecutive evenings on BBC Four in April 2016 as part of the BBC Shakespeare Festival commemorating the 400th anniversary of the playwright's death.

The second cycle of plays aired on consecutive Saturday evenings on BBC Two commencing Saturday 7 May 2016.[17][18]

Home media

The overseas and DVD rights for The Hollow Crown series are owned by NBC Universal.[19] A Region 2 DVD set of the four films was released on 1 October 2012.[20] A Region 1 DVD set was released on 17 September 2013.[21] A 2-disc DVD set of The Wars of the Roses will be released on 20th June 2016.

Awards

Cycle I

Award Result Category Recipient
Music & Sound Awards 2013 Nominated Sound Design (TV Programme) The Hollow Crown
South Bank Sky Arts Awards 2013 Nominated Best TV Drama
Won Times Breakthrough Tom Hiddleston
Broadcasting Press Guild 2013 Won Best Single Drama The Hollow Crown
Nominated Best Actor Ben Whishaw
BAFTA Television Awards 2013 Won Leading Actor (Richard II)
Won Supporting Actor Simon Russell Beale (Henry IV Part II)
Nominated Single Drama Richard II
RTS Programme Awards 2013 Won Single Drama
BAFTA Craft Awards 2013 Won Original Television Music Stephen Warbeck (Henry IV)
Won Sound (Fiction) Tim Fraser, Adrian Rhodes, Keith Marriner (Richard II)
Nominated Costume Design Odile Dicks-Mireaux (Richard II)
British Society of Cinematographers Nominated Best Cinematography in a Television Drama Ben Smithard
4th Critics' Choice Television Awards Nominated Best Miniseries The Hollow Crown

References

  1. "The Hollow Crown: Series Info". Thetvdb.com. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  2. Lawson, Mark (2012-06-29). "The Hollow Crown: as good as TV Shakespeare can get?". The Guardian. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  3. "TV Baftas 2013: all the winners". The Guardian. 12 May 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  4. "BBC Two announces further casting for The Hollow Crown: The Wars Of The Roses". BBC Media Centre. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  5. BBC Two (6 April 2014). "Richard III...". Twitter. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  6. "Tony Hall announces greatest commitment to arts for a generation". BBC Media Centre. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  7. BBC Two. "We're thrilled...". Twitter. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 "Principal photography begins on The Hollow Crown: The Wars Of The Roses". BBC Media Centre. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  9. "Liverpool actor David Morrissey to star in new BBC production of Richard II". Liverpool Echo. 2011-05-30. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  10. "Sam Mendes for BBC Shakespeare season". BBC News. 2010-09-29. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  11. "Cast confirmed for BBC Two's cycle of Shakespeare films" (Press release). BBC Drama Publicity. 2011-11-24. Archived from the original on 2011-12-30. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
  12. Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office The Hollow Crown – Henry V Article".
  13. Barraclough, Leo (6 April 2014). "Benedict Cumberbatch to Play Richard III in Neal Street's Film for BBC". Variety. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  14. Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses Article".
  15. "Henry IV – Part 1". Retrieved 2013-09-08.
  16. "The Hollow Crown: Shakespeare's History Plays – About the Series". PBS. Retrieved 2013-10-12.
  17. "Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Henry VI". UPI. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  18. "The best star studded Shakespeare TV adaptations". UK Radio Times. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  19. Brown, Maggie (2 July 2012). "Sam Mendes: BBC Worldwide rejected 'Hollow Crown' Shakespeare films". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  20. "The Hollow Crown (4 Discs)". Retrieved 2012-07-14.
  21. "The Hollow Crown: The Complete Series". Retrieved 2013-09-08.

External links

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