Henry VIII Historical Doc for Channel 5

Blakeway Productions has been commissioned to make an in-depth drama-documentary series for Channel 5, Henry VIII: Man, Monarch, Monster, exploring Britain’s most notorious monarch.

The 3×1-hour program, co-produced by Blakeway and Motion Content Group, will uncover how Henry VIII changed from a clever, handsome prince full of promise into an overweight, paranoid multi-married monster. It joins other Blakeway docs for Channel 5 that include Tony Robinson’s History of Britain, Queen Victoria, and Her Tragic Family, Diana: 7 Days that Shook the World and Egyptian Tomb Hunting.

Emma Hindley, creative director at Blakeway parent Zinc Media, said: “Henry VIII is an iconic monarch, famous throughout the world, yet few understand what influences made him become the person he ended up being. We have worked with a team of Tudor experts and gained access to little-known historical records and documents never seen before on TV to help explain how Henry’s psychology and personality fundamentally shaped his rule—and therefore shaped England as a nation. Henry VIII has huge international appeal so we are confident that this series will also be of interest to audiences around the world.”

Lucy Willis, commissioning editor for factual at Channel 5, said: “This series takes a fresh look at our most famous monarch, exploring in granular detail his transition from clever, promising, handsome prince to overweight, paranoid monster.”