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HBO, BBC Team Up on “1536” Anne Boleyn Drama

8/6/2026

50 11 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

HBO and the BBC will co-produce the six-episode drama “1536.”
Ava Pickett will write, show-run and executive-produce the series, based on her play that closed on Aug. 1.
Molly Manners will direct and also serve as an executive producer.
Drama Republic, a Mediawan Group company, will produce “1536” for HBO, BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
The drama, set after Henry VIII’s execution of Anne Boleyn, examines its effect on working-class women.

History

Historical Context

In May 1536, King Henry VIII ordered the beheading of Anne Boleyn, ending her brief queenship (1533-1536) and prompting the 1536 Act of Succession that declared their marriage void. Her fall, driven by Henry’s desire for a male heir and political maneuvering by Thomas Cromwell, reshaped Tudor succession and gender power dynamics. The new six-episode series “1536” revisits these class and gender tensions for audiences.

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Story summary

HBO and the BBC will co-produce the six-episode drama “1536.”
Ava Pickett will write, show-run and executive-produce the series, based on her play that closed on Aug. 1.
Molly Manners will direct and also serve as an executive producer.
Drama Republic, a Mediawan Group company, will produce “1536” for HBO, BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
The drama, set after Henry VIII’s execution of Anne Boleyn, examines its effect on working-class women.

1 / 2