Over all the BBC shows that it can outmatch the production value of Game of Thrones on a much smaller budget particularly its impressive battles. GoT has learned from this in recent years and no longer does a battle need to take up a whole episode.
The first series, started amazingly strong with Richard II, great performance from Rory Kinnear and Patrick Stewart showed why he was one of the finest living actors with his John of Gaunt speech. Jeremy Irons was superb as the old King Henry IV, and Tom Hiddleston did a cracking job as the young Hal. He was weaker as Henry V, and Branagh version was still better, particularly on the St Crispins day speech.
The second series makes a lot of odd choices. It starts well Anton Lesser returns as Exeter and Hugh Bonneville has a greatly nuanced performance as Gloucester. Ben Miles is a composite of Somerset and Suffolk, and the general machinations of political ambition are good. The wheels start to come of the wagon in sophie okonedo second scene, I'm not sure if she was directed to or chose to play the role as the villain from a panto, but her entire performance feels like it belongs in another play. Things only get worse when Benedict Cumberbatch lumbers into screen with full on cripface just being painfully embarrassing. It was a real pity the Jack Cade plot is lost as it juxtaposes nicely with the lords chasing the crown you have the common folk rising up to be free (though Shakespeare paints him as villain).
All in all the best Shakespeare you'll see outside the Globe, but let down with some poor choices.
The first series, started amazingly strong with Richard II, great performance from Rory Kinnear and Patrick Stewart showed why he was one of the finest living actors with his John of Gaunt speech. Jeremy Irons was superb as the old King Henry IV, and Tom Hiddleston did a cracking job as the young Hal. He was weaker as Henry V, and Branagh version was still better, particularly on the St Crispins day speech.
The second series makes a lot of odd choices. It starts well Anton Lesser returns as Exeter and Hugh Bonneville has a greatly nuanced performance as Gloucester. Ben Miles is a composite of Somerset and Suffolk, and the general machinations of political ambition are good. The wheels start to come of the wagon in sophie okonedo second scene, I'm not sure if she was directed to or chose to play the role as the villain from a panto, but her entire performance feels like it belongs in another play. Things only get worse when Benedict Cumberbatch lumbers into screen with full on cripface just being painfully embarrassing. It was a real pity the Jack Cade plot is lost as it juxtaposes nicely with the lords chasing the crown you have the common folk rising up to be free (though Shakespeare paints him as villain).
All in all the best Shakespeare you'll see outside the Globe, but let down with some poor choices.