Anne Boleyn

Some of the dialogue and phrases used pulled me out of the drama (“trot on” and “woman to woman” spring to mind). ... That aside, the series brilliantly captures the essence of the doomed Anne Boleyn: a woman whose power and intelligence threatened the toxic, patriarchal Tudor court.

Anne Boleyn proves that a modern spin on a historical milestone doesn’t have to be radical to make its mark. A dazzling showcase of talent, that cements Turner-Smith as one of the finest emerging actors working today.

What Anne Boleyn and Turner-Smith do so well in this series is make Anne a far more defined woman with her own ambition, intelligence, and keen strategic savvy.

This adaptation does its best to take her seriously as a woman, mother and, in some of its most interesting asides, as a boss to a roomful of dissatisfied ladies-in-waiting. And yet, neither Turner-Smith nor series’ sharpest scenes are the most explosive or devastating. ... Its most compelling moments come when Turner-Smith gets to embrace Anne’s pettier, more impulsive instincts.

Look, it’s not Wolf Hall. Nothing will ever be Wolf Hall again and although its shadow looms large, it looms unfairly and should be banished. On its own terms, Anne Boleyn works well enough.

Turner-Smith, the show’s star attraction, has a strong handle on the more arch dialogue, as well as Anne’s moments of quiet devastation. She's a good fit, too, for the show’s heightened soapiness.

“Anne Boleyn” is a cold retelling of the the English queen’s life that is only given life through Jodie Turner-Smith’s performance. Maybe if this had been a full-length series with more opportunity to expand the world out, there would be more reflection here.

Turner-Smith wears these moods as confidently as she does Anne’s extravagant gowns, weaving them together into a portrait of a woman equal parts frustrating and enchanting. Yet Anne Boleyn as a whole feels like a missed opportunity.

Unfortunately, the casting is the most exciting thing about “Anne Boleyn.” ... Everyone does what he or she can with an anemic script, notably Barry Ward as Cromwell, who has the bad luck to be operating in the shadow of Mark Rylance and “Wolf Hall.” But so is “Anne Boleyn.”