TV series review: Becoming Elizabeth

 Historical adaptations can break new ground in two ways. They can peel back the curtain and tell us the story from a point of view or character that is usually sidelined, or they can focus on a period that usually gets skipped over.

Becoming Elizabeth has chosen the latter course and it is a masterstroke that seemingly reveals a new seam of gold in the caves of history. Of course, it was always there, those eleven years in which so much happened, and so much that Princess Elizabeth had to be either clever or just lucky to live through. 

Her nine year old brother, Edward is now king, her sister Mary (Romola Garai,) is on the other side on religion (at a very dangerous time to do so) and has that chip on her shoulder from being the daughter that Henry VIII pushed aside more than once. Ms Garai's performance is perfect and I must say it's a delight to see her on the screen again in such a multilayered character as Mary. She may be the adult in the room, but  she still must bow to her much younger brother and show obeisance, but you can still see the pain in her eyes.

She is brought to live with her stepmother, Catherine Parr (portrayed by Jessica Raine) and her cousin, Lady Jane Grey (portrayed by Bella Ramsey). Both have done stunning work so far. Ms Ramsey was recently holding her own in the film Resistance (set in World War II) alongside Jesse Eisenberg and Clémence Poésy, which says a lot about her ability and it's clear to see here as well. 

Case in point, four episodes in and the floor is increasingly unsteadier under foot. There is slander at court, no one who can really protect her interests and she has to learn to keep her own counsel, very much hitting the ground running. And despite having some great tutors and all the rest of it, we are still talking about a 14 year old girl. Portrayed perfectly by Alicia von Rittberg. 

And so far, the writers have done a brilliant job at portraying the drama that ensues, the good and the bad. My favourite scene (despite this being a show on Elizabeth) focuses on Catherine Parr, the woman to survive being married to Henry and now seems to finds herself in a worse position than before. Ms Raine's portrayal is something special and the scene itself seems almost Shakespearean in her speech to her husband (fourth for anyone counting) and her own response to the world she lives in. 

Tom Cullen, portraying Thomas Seymour, in the few lines he has in that scene (as Catherine rails at him) and in the series so far, has done a fine job in portraying the nobleman in all his faults and the love he has for his wife.

And let's not forget his brother, Edward, Lord Somerset and Lord Protector portrayed by John Heffernan. He has been given the reins on a country torn apart by the old king's reign and has to support a child as the new king. 

The ground is cracking for everyone and the very real drama of it has been showcased beautifully - quite literally with the production design fit for royalty and cinematography for days.

If the second half of the first season is as good as the first, it'll be a cracking series for sure.