Becoming Elizabeth

Becoming Elizabeth
Genre	Drama Historical fiction
Created by	Anya Reiss
Written by	Anya Reiss Anna Jordan Emily Ballou
Starring	Alicia von Rittberg Romola Garai Jessica Raine Tom Cullen Bella Ramsey Oliver Zetterström John Heffernan Jamie Blackley Jacob Avery Alexandra Gilbreath Leo Bill Ekow Quartey Alex Macqueen Olivier Huband
Composer	Tim Phillips
Country of origin	United States United Kingdom
Original language	English
No.of seasons	1
No.of episodes	8
Production
Executive producers	George Ormond George Faber Anya Reiss
Producer	Lisa Osborne
Production company	The Forge
Original release
Network	Starz
Release	12 June(2022-06-12)– 7 August 2022(2022-08-07)

Becoming Elizabethis ahistoricaldramatelevision series, created byAnya Reiss,that follows the younger years ofQueen Elizabeth I,who lived in the 16th century. It premiered onStarzon 12 June 2022andChannel 4on 15 June. In October 2022, the series was cancelled.

Plot

The series follows the younger years of the only surviving child ofAnne BoleynandHenry VIII,Queen Elizabeth I,who starts out in the story as anorphanedteenager who becomes embroiled in the politics of the English court on her journey towards the crown. Before cancellation, the series covered almost the full reign of her younger half brother,Edward VI.

Cast and characters

• Alicia von RittbergasElizabeth Tudor
• Romola GaraiasMary Tudor
• Jessica RaineasCatherine Parr
• Tom CullenasThomas Seymour
• Bella RamseyasJane Grey
• Jamie ParkerasJohn Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland
• Oliver Zetterström asKing Edward VI
• John HeffernanasEdward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
• Jamie BlackleyasLord Robert Dudley
• Jacob Avery asLord Guildford Dudley
• Alexandra GilbreathasKat Ashley
• Leo BillasHenry Grey
• Ekow Quartey asPedro
• Alex MacqueenasStephen Gardiner
• Olivier Huband asAmbassador Guzman
• Robert Whitelock asRobert Kett
• Ruby Ashbourne SerkisasAmy Robsart

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date	U.S. viewers (millions)
1	"Keep Your Knife Bright"	Justin Chadwick	Anya Reiss	June 12, 2022(2022-06-12)	0.158
The death ofHenry VIIIleaves England in turmoil. His three childrenMary,Elizabeth,andEdwardare told and Edward is proclaimed king as Edward VI of England. Edward begins his reign with his uncle and Lord Protector,Edward Seymour, Duke of Somersetby his side. Henry's widowCatherine ParrmarriesThomas Seymour.Elizabeth and her cousinLady Jane Greymove into Catherine's Chelsea residence as the wards of Catherine and Thomas. Fourteen-year-old Elizabeth becomes infatuated with the much older Thomas, who indulges and preys upon her.
2	"You Cannot Keep The Birds From Flying Over Your Head"	Justin Chadwick	Anya Reiss	June 19, 2022(2022-06-19)	0.156
A suggestive court performance mockingCatholicismand thePopeupsets devout Mary. The strong sense of anti-Catholicism continues to mount at court. Mary warns Elizabeth about Catherine Parr and suggests that Elizabeth live with her. Edward begs Mary to convert toProtestantism,which she refuses to do. Elizabeth is torn between her siblings. Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour's relationship grows more intimate. Thomas and Edward Seymour are in conflict. Mary asks for Elizabeth’s support for her religious liberty, which Elizabeth refuses.
3	"Either Learn Or Be Silent"	Justin Chadwick	Anya Reiss	June 26, 2022(2022-06-26)	0.140
To her dismay, Catherine Parr learns that she is pregnant. The Catholic Bishop of WinchesterStephen Gardineris released from theTower of Londonand appointed to the privy council in an attempt to appease Mary, as a result of Elizabeth's letter to Mary refusing to side with her. Thomas and Catherine plan a spectacular birthday party for Elizabeth, in order to bring Edward to their home and take forward the plan to marry their ward Lady Jane Grey to the king. The party backfires after Elizabeth learns the true intention behind the event, and sabotages the evening. With the support of Catherine and Thomas, King Edward tries to assert himself against Lord Protector Somerset, but fails. Catherine discovers Elizabeth and Thomas's relationship, and sends Elizabeth away from Chelsea Manor.
4	"Lighten Our Darkness"	Justin Chadwick	Anya Reiss	July 3, 2022(2022-07-03)	0.128
Now living at the house of courtier SirAnthony Denny,brother-in-law of her governessKat Ashley,Elizabeth attempts to move on from what happened at Chelsea. A Catholic church is ransacked and the priest assaulted as religious turmoil escalates. Elizabeth is noticeably absent from court. She is fearful that she is pregnant, but this turns out to be a false alarm. She is visited by both Mary and her friendRobert Dudley.Mary attempts to reconcile with King Edward; they watch a cockfight together at court. Rumours fly about Elizabeth and Thomas Seymour. Catherine gives birth to a daughter, but soon afterwards dies ofchildbed fever.Chelsea Manor reverts to the Crown and is assigned to Elizabeth, who moves in with her household. Thomas goes to stay with his brother Edward Seymour. Elizabeth returns to court and pledges loyalty to her brother. At the same time, Mary holds a Catholicrequiem massfor Catherine. Thomas suddenly suggests to Elizabeth that she should marry him.
5	"Necessity Compels Me To Plague You"	Udayan Prasad	Anna Jordan	July 10, 2022(2022-07-10)	0.114
Widowed Thomas Seymour pines after Elizabeth and seeks her hand in marriage. Lord Protector Edward Seymour organises a secret deal with the French ambassador without the king's knowledge; this is eventually discovered and angers the king and council. Elizabeth agrees to marry Thomas if they obtain Edward Seymour's permission, but Edward refuses to give this. Next, Edward Seymour proposes to Elizabeth that she marry a royal man such asEric XIV of SwedenorOtto Henry, Elector Palatineto, moreover, establish a foreign alliance. In retaliation, Thomas Seymour makes a failed attempt to kidnap the king. Thomas is detained, while Elizabeth is implicated and presented with a warrant for her arrest.
6	"What Cannot Be Cured"	Udayan Prasad	Emily Ballou	July 17, 2022(2022-07-17)	0.151
Elizabeth is held under house arrest following Thomas Seymour's capture, and is interrogated by John Dudley. Dudley and his sons are then sent by the Lord Protector to put down a peasant rebellion in Norfolk. While doing so, the Dudleys stay with the Robsart family and Robert Dudley takes a liking to the family's daughterAmy.Council members pressure a conflicted Edward Seymour to countersign Thomas's death warrant, and Thomas is beheaded. Fed up with Seymour's orders, John Dudley disobeys him by executing peasant leaderRobert Kettand other rebellious peasants. On returning to court, he seizes power as the new Lord Protector, ending covert attempts by some council members to install Lady Mary as the new Lord Protector.
7	"To Laugh, To Lie, To Flatter, To Face"	Catherine Morshead	Anya Reiss	July 31, 2022(2022-07-31)	0.100
Protestant marriages to make foreign alliances are proposed for both Elizabeth and Mary, and the court prepares for the arrival of the Danish princeFrederick II of Denmarkfor whom Elizabeth is intended. The new Lord Protector John Dudley proves himself to be both brutal and cunning, making Mary's attempts to practise Catholicism more difficult. The Spanish ambassador attempts to convince Mary to flee to Spain. Elizabeth is confronted with Robert Dudley's romantic feelings. The young king Edward shows signs of illness.
8	"To Death We Must Stoop"	Catherine Morshead	Anya Reiss	August 7, 2022(2022-08-07)	0.140
Two months pass and Edward's illness worsens. Mary arrives at court; in anticipation of Edward's death, the council and the two princesses attempt to strip John Dudley of his power. Robert Dudley is revealed to have married Amy Robsart, shocking both his father and Elizabeth. The king's sudden recovery astounds the court, and the threat to Lord Protector Dudley's power is removed. Edward Seymour is beheaded, having taken part in the failed coup. Edward is told by Dudley that both his sisters have been disloyal, and he bans them from court. The king is reminded of another possible heir to the throne (his cousin Lady Jane Grey) as he vomits blood again.

Production

Development

In December 2019, it was announcedStarzhad greenlit an 8-episode series focusing on the younger years ofQueen Elizabeth Icreated byAnya Reiss,who would also serve as an executive producer.In October 2022, it was announced that Starz had cancelled the show and there would be no season 2 covering the reign ofMary I.

Casting

In October 2020,Alicia von Rittbergjoined the cast of the series.In May 2021,Romola Garai,Jessica Raine,Tom Cullen,Bella Ramsey,Oliver Zetterström,John Heffernan,Jamie Blackley,Jacob Avery,Alexandra Gilbreath,Leo Bill,Ekow Quartey,Alex Macqueenand Oliver Huband joined the cast of the series.

Filming

Principal photographybegan in December 2020.In March 2021, production took place atCardiff Castle.

Reception

On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,88% of 16 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10. The website's consensus reads, "Angsty as a disgruntled teenager and all the better for it,Becoming Elizabethfinds fresh drama in the Tudors by shifting focus onto the royal court's web of spiders. ".Particular praise was given to Romola Garai in her role as Mary Tudor, with many commentating that she stole the show.Metacritic,which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 73 out of 100 based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

The series was repeated in the UK onChannel 4from 15 July 2023.

External links

• Becoming ElizabethatIMDb