BBC’s ‘masterpiece’ period drama almost never returned after cancellation fears for sad reason

As a devoted admirer, I can share that the highly-praised period drama “Wolf Hall” nearly didn’t see a second season due to a melancholy circumstance.

The installment titled “The Mirror and the Light” aired in the United Kingdom recently, and it’s part of a series that delves into the ongoing political machinations of Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance) within the Tudor court of King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis).

The series is inspired by Hilary Mantel’s books, but it was nearly cancelled when she passed away in 2022 during production, with the director stating this. However, they chose to continue with the project as a way of honoring Mantel.

He shared with The Hollywood Reporter that without the assistance of the BBC and Masterpiece during a time when our spirit was quite low, there might have been a different ending to our situation.

According to writer Peter Straughan, there seemed to be an immense devotion towards her and the project from everyone involved.

During the interview, the creative team behind the show shared more challenges they faced during filming, particularly regarding budget issues. They reminisced about a time when, six weeks into production, they were forced to shut down. They emphasized that there was no alternative solution; they had overspent significantly and had already made numerous cuts.

Leading figures, such as Straughan and Rylance, ultimately opted to reduce their charges to aid in managing their funds.

As a gamer, I’d put it like this: Over the years, I’ve noticed the production costs in England for gaming content have skyrocketed. It’s a challenge that’s not just limited to my niche, but seems to be a widespread issue across the entire British gaming industry. Particularly high-end British games seem to be affected the most by this problem.

Kosminsky mentioned that creating the second season proved to be five times more challenging compared to the first, released in 2015, primarily due to financial constraints.

In his statement to the parliamentary committee examining the local film and TV scene, the director emphasized that both the BBC and Masterpiece went to great lengths to produce this program, with some of us even pitching in personally. However, he pointed out that times have changed since then.

I wouldn’t have expressed this opinion in the House of Commons unless it was sincere: Modern times wouldn’t permit its production, and many similar programs wouldn’t be created either.

According to The AV Club, Wolf Hall is considered a “tremendous accomplishment,” and Digital Spy went so far as to say that the show ranks among the “most impressive TV productions of the century.

Wolf Hall seasons 1-2 are streaming now on BBC iPlayer.

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2025-03-25 19:19