Elizabeth R

An amazing series with beautiful costumes and scenery.Glenda Jackson is stunning as Elizabeth Tudor. Very acute telling of the life of Elizabeth before her reign and throughout as Queen of England. A must see.

'I pity any student forced to watch this series', remarks a reviewer of this miniseries on this website. Well, I am a student and I certainly don't concur with this statement at all: having been fascinated by Elizabeth I as a child, (first watching this in my early teens) and having now studied Elizabeth and her reign at undergraduate level, I find it no less brilliant,charming, or committed to careful detail after many many viewings. It is, in fact, a tender and very accurate portrayal of Elizabeth's life, from the young queen to the aged one, treating her life with sympathy, insight, humour, and a heady dose of power and romance. The costumes and set are excellent, and in short, for many,Glenda Jackson really - and deservedly so - *is* Elizabeth I. Long after the film has finished, her portrayal will stay with you. Don't miss out on this, whatever you do, buy it and watch it, you certainly won't regret it.

Before the first episode was over I'd forgotten I was watching an actress - I felt as if I was experiencing an audience with a Queen! Glenda Jackson so inhabits the body and soul of Elizabeth I that all other interpretations of the role are diminished and it's impossible to think of anyone else in the role, even Bette Davis in her two films, PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH & ESSEX and THE VIRGIN QUEEN.

While it's perfectly true that production values have come along way since this early Masterpiece Theater effort, the writing and acting are of such high quality that you won't mind; this one certainly helped set the standards for subsequent series and performances.

"Elizabeth R" is an outstanding biography of Elizabeth I of England. The performances by all of the actors, most notably the fantastic performance by Glenda Jackson in the title role, are all exemplary. After reading Alison Weir's excellent and detailed biography of Elizabeth and then watching the series again, I could see how accurate the series was and how much of Elizabeth's life they were able to cover in detail. (I would recommend anyone who has enjoyed watching "Elizabeth R" to read Weir's biography). Also, the series is a good follow up of the (also excellent) series "The Six Wives of Henry VIII". Some actors cross over from one series to the next in the same roles, giving a sense of continuity. Anyone who has an interest in the history of England's monarchy should enjoy this incredible series.

Only the BBC could produce such a historically correct mini-series on this fascinating character. Although Cate Blanchett did a very good job portraying Elizabeth, Glenda Jackson nails the character on a lesser set and with fewer flattering camera angles. Jackson becomes more Elizabeth and less Jackson as this very long series plods on. If you want lots of swordplay and action, pass on this one. This is for someone who enjoys reading history biographies, not historical novels. Although production values are a bit dated, you will not be disappointed by the detail of the story and the portrayal of the main character by Jackson.