Elizabeth R (original) (raw)

The first episode of Elizabeth R was shown on 17 February 1971. After the success of The Six Wives of Henry VIII the BBC was quick to produce another lavish colour drama set in the same period. Elizabeth R starred Glenda Jackson as the Tudor queen and proved so popular that a hurried repeat showing was scheduled the week after its first run ended.

Queen Elizabeth's life story was told in six, 90 minute episodes, each by a different writer. Over the course of the series Jackson had to age from teenage princess to elderly queen. She achieved the transformation by shaving her hairline back to the crown to accommodate a succession of wigs, and by wearing a prosthetic nose, which became bonier and thinner as she aged. Interviewed in the Radio Times, Jackson said "developing a character over this enormous width of canvas was a challenge I just couldn't resist".

Elizabeth R was seen around the world, and won several awards, including an Emmy for Jackson. The costumes from the show - designed by Elizabeth Waller, went on tour, due to public demand. Glenda Jackson has since become a politician, but her portrayal of Elizabeth I remains a landmark performance.

Further reading

• Elizabeth R, 40 years on... Robert Seatter, Head of BBC History, reflects on the series in 2011.

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