Damian Lewis fans line up for Wolf Hall tonight

[Travelledtheworld]

Wednesday 21st January BBC2 Channel 4

lush costumes.

www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/11358197/Damian-Lewiss-inspiration-for-Wolf-Halls-Henry-VIII-Wills-and-Harry.html

should've got Ben Willbond

I think DL is a great fit for the young dashing Henry.

I'm not very good with faces and keep getting all the dark haired-medium height men muddled up. More/Norfolk/Cranmer even.

Agree that the lighting makes some of the scenes look like paintings. I keep thinking how cold they all must be, all the time. Brrrrrr.

Muddha - the rushes business I did see a bit about on the recent series about some people who were restoring a medieval castle (which was otherwise fairly dull I'm afraid).

I always assumed they were 'strewn' on the floor but it looked much more like at pattern of layering & weaving. What I hadn't realised was that in peasant huts there wouldn't even be a wooden floor but bare earth, so the layers of rushes was essential as insulation, which had to be regularly topped up as the under layers rotted down into the earth, and perhaps it would only get a proper clear out once a year. A bit like having a layer of spongy, springy compost to stand or sit on rather than cold hard soil.

Must have been different in well-to-do homes which had wooden or stone floors though.

I am a bit confused, was it his wife's sister he dallied with last night?

Yep.

But isn't sleeping with your wife's sister as bad as uncovering the nakedness of your brother's wife?

Not if no one knows you've done it!

Did he actually sleep with her? I might be misremembering the book but I thought he didn't.

Well I'm not sure about the book but it was definitely implied in the programme. He had one heck of a pep in his step the following morning, there was even some cheery whistling.

It's implied in the book that they have an arrangement if I remember rightly but it's never explicitly mentioned.

BOFster: "It struck me last night that Rylance's Thomas Cromwell has a touch of Ted from The Fast Show about him."

Yes! I knew he reminded me of someone.

You know, I really want to like it, but there's something about it that doesn't quite gel for me. I can't quite suspend disbelief - possibly because of the presence of so many famous actors. Every time Henry VIII comes on, I think: "What on earth is Damian Lewis doing in that ridiculous getup?"

Yes, TC definitely slept regularly with Jehane in the books, for quite a while as I remember. It is referred to in delicate but unmistakable terms.

Is it just me? Can nobody else see the resemblance?

Mark Rylance

And Kenneth Connor off the Carry Ons

Quenelle I can see it now! Actually if you google mark Rylance and Kenneth Connor you get search results from Twitter and the Telegraph letters page, so it's definitely not just you

We've been spotting the Dr Who actor too. Seen two so far.

Mark Gatiss and Harry Lloyd?

Oh and Thomas Brodie Sangster

After re-watching this I've decided DL has H8 pretty spot on - I'm sure he's been biting his nails waiting to for my opinion of course!

I'm really liking the relationship TC has with the boys. It feels very genuine and warm. Spikey and waspish Stephen Gardiner is great fun to watch. Also liking George.

Clearly I need to read it again!

Afraid I agree absolutely with LaQueen on Rylance, and for me it makes him a less interesting character than in the book. The contrast between his bouncer physique and both his role at court and urbane character, were what made him so interesting.

Interesting comments about Cromwell's appearance and how it was at odds with his character. Agree Mark Rylance looks nothing like him. I do like the portrayal though and am willing to suspend disbelief.

I'm remembering a scene in Wolf Hall (the novel), where he's talking or thinking about getting married to his first wife; and someone says something along the lines of, she's obviously not fussed about looks.

Does anyone else remember that?