After 40 years, Elizabeth R appears more aged than the Gloriana herself, that is, of course, with the exception of the remarkable Glenda Jackson. Ms. Jackson holds court as Elizabeth I and holds court, still, as a magnificent actress. It is she and she alone that propelled me to watch the entire six episodes pausing frequently, to ponder its style, its eloquent speeches, its Shakespearean acting and its colourful, but rather old fashioned costumes.As in many BBC productions one feels as if we are in a small theatre, peering into the faces of the performers rather than in an expansive set, especially in this production that seems to have few sets, and fewer views of anything much outside the chambers of the Queen's court. We get a rare view of Ireland in the final episode, but it was short lived and not sufficient to my mind to feel anything but claustrophobic for most of the series.And as with all fashion, the costumes, both Elizabeth's and most particularly the male courtiers, are out of date and in the case of the tall, but massive Robin Ellis, Duke of Essex, and Elizabeth's second best after her famous Robbie, Robert, Earl of Leichester, nearly farcical. What was a delightful remembrance, however, is the depth and breadth of English drama, be it theatre, television or film. The English excel at developing and cultivating performers (actors) that are unmatched by Hollywood. In this presentation names of some of those long remembered appear in supporting roles to the Queen: Michael Williams as Anjou; Rachel Kempson (Michael Redgrave's wife and the matriarch of the Redgrave family) as Kat Ashley; among others. I salute them one, and all. The story itself may be the closest to history, but with so many showings of Elizabeth I since this production, it is difficult to give this version more applause, except in recognition that it attempted what few adaptations chose to do, that is, recreate a full picture of the Queen of England.

'I pity any student forced to watch this series', remarks a reviewer of this miniseries on this website. Well, I am a student and I certainly don't concur with this statement at all: having been fascinated by Elizabeth I as a child, (first watching this in my early teens) and having now studied Elizabeth and her reign at undergraduate level, I find it no less brilliant,charming, or committed to careful detail after many many viewings. It is, in fact, a tender and very accurate portrayal of Elizabeth's life, from the young queen to the aged one, treating her life with sympathy, insight, humour, and a heady dose of power and romance. The costumes and set are excellent, and in short, for many,Glenda Jackson really - and deservedly so - *is* Elizabeth I. Long after the film has finished, her portrayal will stay with you. Don't miss out on this, whatever you do, buy it and watch it, you certainly won't regret it.

I saw this over 30 years ago as a teenager and thought it was superb. I don't think I've seen it rerun since, but Glenda Jackson's astonishing performance has always stayed with me. I just got the DVD set and it's stunning, even better than I rememberedit. The research and writing are much more intelligent than almost anything currently produced (the BBC produced it).I had a love/hate reaction to the Cate Blanchett Elizabeth a few years back; I loved it because the performances and cinemetography were great, but hated the many, many historical errors in it. If you like movies that are both well-made and historically accurate, you can't get any better than Elizabeth R.

"Elizabeth R" is an outstanding biography of Elizabeth I of England. The performances by all of the actors, most notably the fantastic performance by Glenda Jackson in the title role, are all exemplary. After reading Alison Weir's excellent and detailed biography of Elizabeth and then watching the series again, I could see how accurate the series was and how much of Elizabeth's life they were able to cover in detail. (I would recommend anyone who has enjoyed watching "Elizabeth R" to read Weir's biography). Also, the series is a good follow up of the (also excellent) series "The Six Wives of Henry VIII". Some actors cross over from one series to the next in the same roles, giving a sense of continuity. Anyone who has an interest in the history of England's monarchy should enjoy this incredible series.