The BBC is heading back to Tudor England, but not in the way you might expect. Rather than focusing on the glittering halls of Hampton Court, new drama ‘1536’ drags us into the mud and gossip of an Essex village, as the shockwaves of Anne Boleyn’s arrest ripple far beyond the Tower.
Commissioned for BBC iPlayer and BBC One, ‘1536’ is based on the award-winning play by Ava Pickett (How To Get To Heaven from Belfast, The Great) and comes from Drama Republic, the team behind Riot Women and One Day. The 8×30-minute series blends royal scandal with rural struggle, asking a chilling question: if a King can execute his Queen, what does that mean for the women who live under his rule?
Set in 1536, the story follows Anna, Mariella and Jane, three young women gossiping, arguing and dreaming of futures that feel perpetually just out of reach. When news arrives that King Henry VIII has arrested Anne Boleyn, they never imagine that events unfolding in London will seep into their own lives. But as puritanism tightens its grip and misogyny sharpens its teeth, marriage, betrayal and survival become increasingly fraught. Friendship may be their only refuge, yet even that begins to fracture under pressure.
The series is described as darkly comic and terrifyingly relevant, exploring how decisions made in the corridors of power reshape the lives of working-class women on the edges of the country. It is Tudor drama with mud on its boots and a modern sting in its tail.
Ava Pickett says:
“1536 is something I am immensely proud of, and I feel so lucky and privileged to have the chance to bring Anna, Jane and Mariella to a wider audience and to build out their lives even more. In a world where every decision made in the corridors of power ricochets through all of our lives, this story feels more relevant than ever. I’m so grateful to Lindsay Salt for being such a champion of it from the start.”
Rebecca de Souza, executive producer for Drama Republic, says:
“Ava Pickett’s writing is truly unique, thrilling, and funny, and we are so excited to be working with her in producing her first original series. Audiences were knocked out by her play 1536; it is so bold and entertaining, but it also creeps under your skin, leaving a profound warning for the modern world – a period show from a fresh and urgent viewpoint.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, adds:
“From the moment we saw Ava’s play we knew that we had to have the TV version on the BBC. Visceral, funny, provocative, timely and full of courage, this is a piece of work like no other. Ava is an exceptional voice, so we feel very lucky to be working with her and the brilliant team at Drama Republic to bring three iconic female characters to the screen.”
‘1536’ is written by Ava Pickett, who also serves as an executive producer alongside Jude Liknaitzky, Roanna Benn, Rebecca de Souza and Chloe Beeson. The series was commissioned by Lindsay Salt.
‘1536’ does not yet have a premiere date but will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in the UK. If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss: https://www.geektown.co.uk/nevermiss/
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