Series synopsis
Wolf Hall is a British drama television series that premiered on BBC One on January 21, 2015. It ended on December 15, 2024. It was created by Peter Straughan, Peter Kosminsky, Hilary Mantel. It stars Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Claire Foy and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.
England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the King dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry Anne Boleyn. The Pope and most of Europe oppose him. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell: a wholly original man, a charmer, and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people, and implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell help ...
Premise
England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the King dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry Anne Boleyn. The Pope and most of Europe oppose him. Into this impasse steps Thomas Cromwell: a wholly original man, a charmer, and a bully, both idealist and opportunist, astute in reading people, and implacable in his ambition. But Henry is volatile: one day tender, one day murderous. Cromwell helps him break the opposition, but what will be the price of his triumph?
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell
- Damian Lewis as Henry VIII
- Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn
- Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Rafe Sadler
- Joss Porter as Richard Cromwell
- Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey
- Bernard Hill as Duke of Norfolk
- Charlie Rowe as Gregory Cromwell
Supporting cast
- Harry Lloyd as Harry Percy
- Kate Phillips as Jane Seymour
- Hannah Steele as Mary Shelton
- Jessica Raine as Jane Rochford
- Anton Lesser as Thomas More
- Harry Melling as Thomas Wriostheley
- Joanne Whalley as Katherine of Aragon
- Mark Gatiss as Stephen Gardiner
- Ed Speleers as Edward Seymour
- Luke Roberts as Harry Norris
- Tom Holland as Gregory Cromwell
Guest cast
- James Larkin as William Fitzwilliam
- Will Keen as Thomas Cranmer
- Emma Hiddleston as Meg More
- Emilia Jones as Anne Cromwell
- Jonathan McGuinness as Little Bilney
- James Laurenson as Earl of Shrewsbury
- Sam Alexander as Painter
- Kerry Ingram as Alice Williamson
- Izzy Lee as Jo Williamson
- Enzo Cilenti as Antonio Bonvisi
- Sean Buckley as Henry Pattinson
- Jonathan Aris as James Bainham
Episodes
This series spans 2 seasons with 12 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 6 | January 21, 2015 | February 25, 2015 |
| Season 2 | 6 | November 10, 2024 | December 15, 2024 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Three Card Trick Lacking a male heir, the King is desperate to annul his marriage to Katherine of Aragon. |
January 21, 2015 |
| 2 |
Entirely Beloved As Cardinal Wolsey retreats north, he urges Cromwell to get close to Anne Boleyn. |
January 28, 2015 |
| 3 |
Anna Regina Cromwell has Parliament acknowledge Henry as head of the Church of England. |
February 4, 2015 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Wreckage As Anne Boleyn’s blood is sluiced from the scaffold, Thomas Cromwell picks his way through the wreckage of her death to take his place as principal councillor to King Henry VIII. |
November 10, 2024 |
| 2 |
Obedience As the dissolution of the monasteries gathers speed, Cromwell makes a personal pilgrimage to Shaftesbury Abbey to speak with a young nun, who profoundly shakes his view of himself. |
November 17, 2024 |
| 3 |
Defiance A rising in the north destabilises Henry's kingdom. Despite the risks to his own life, Cromwell moves to protect Lady Mary from becoming the rebels’ greatest prize. |
November 24, 2024 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | BBC One |
|---|---|
| First aired | January 21, 2015 |
| Last aired | December 15, 2024 |
| Status | Ended |
| Schedule | Sunday at 21:00:00 |