10 thoughts on “Top Five Elizabethan Movies & TV Series

  1. I absolutely love Blackadder II. My favorite of all the Blackadders. And I love Glenda Jackson as QEI. Great choices!

  2. Please allow me to correct Trystan’s comment regarding Jean Hunnisett “was on Elizabeth Waller’s staff, and helped to make …costumes.” Jean Hunnisett worked for the BBC at the time and made ALL of Glenda Jackson’s costumes for the series, with some help from staff members, and Janet Arnold, who was working on ruff construction at the time.

    1. Well she’s not the costume designer of record, so I didn’t want to say that. She was in the BBC’s costume department, and even her own books don’t list what her exact job title was on those productions.

    2. Yes, I was also under the understanding that Jean played a major part in the costume design. One of the reasons why Glenda looked so authentic, was because she wore the correct underpinnings underneath the costume.

  3. Love that Blackadder made your list. I’ve always loved the costumes in those series! i also really liked Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth. Glad it’s on Netflix.

    1. Oh no!!! I just looked & Netflix took Eliz R (& Blackadder II for that matter) away!!!! It was there in January, so they must have cancelled it on Feb. 1. It’s not on Amazon streaming either, dammit, I’m so sorry.

  4. As you know, I love The Princess of Montpensier. The costumes aren’t perfect (one of the main character’s looks is a country/sexy/casual/semi-undress look that is inspired by Queen Margot), but she does have a more formal look that she wears most of the time, with her hair up and more layers, that is pretty damn awesome. I think what the film does especially well that it evokes the brutal atmosphere of France during the religious wars that is lacking in older films like Mary, Queen of Scots (which I really can’t stand, nice costumes asides). It’s also a breathtaking, exciting movie with great performances.

  5. I’ve only recently discovered your blog. I’m a big history fan – and this blog pretty much sums up all that frustration i’ve ever felt about these shows. I loved the tudors for the feeling it gave but I spent a lot of time shouting at the TV about the outfits they stuck them in (Mary Tudor actually was usually dressed ok but she was the only one!).
    Elizabeth R is the standby best show yet. I can drink in that show. Plus the historical accuracy.
    We had a drinking game once, every historical inaccuracy in the Cate Blanchett Elizabeth movie, we took a swig. We were rolling drunk by 20 minutes in.

    I’ve recently done a series of art works based on portraits of the English royalty (posing with dinosaurs – of course). Lots of both Elizabeths …. I’ve been as accurate in the painting style being as true to the period as possible. You may enjoy.

    Cheers! And i LOVE this blog.

    http://avrilejean.net/exhibition-regina-rex/

  6. “Mary Queen of Scots” also re-used some costumes from “Elizabeth R”. The white dress where Elizabeth meets the Duke of Alencon “for dinner”? An extra wears it. That much I remember specifically, but there’s a few more.

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