HBO, BBC Team for ‘1536’ Drama From Writer Ava Pickett
HBO and the BBC have greenlit a television adaptation of writer Ava Pickett's stage success, marking her debut as a series creator. Directed by Molly Manners, the six-part drama will be produced by Drama Republic and the BBC, with the play having completed its West End run in early August.
Set in the aftermath of Anne Boleyn's execution, the series pivots away from royal drama to examine the lives of working-class women whose worlds were transformed by the actions of those in power. Through darkly comedic storytelling, the narrative explores interconnected themes of friendship, female solidarity, and the relationship between authority and vulnerability, whilst posing broader questions about whether fundamental power dynamics between men and women have substantively evolved across centuries.
In short
- HBO and BBC commission Ava Pickett's acclaimed West End play for a six-episode television series
- The drama follows ordinary women navigating life after Anne Boleyn's execution, examining how male authority reshapes female destinies
- The show uses Tudor-era history to explore contemporary questions about power, patriarchy, and women's agency
Explained simply
Anne Boleyn was the second wife of Henry VIII, who ruled England from 1509 to 1547. Her execution in 1536 was part of a period of religious and political upheaval, as Henry broke with the Catholic Church and changed the line of royal succession.
The drama focuses on working-class women living in the aftermath of her death, rather than on the royal court. It uses their friendships and shared experiences to explore how decisions by people in power affected ordinary lives, and how gender and authority shaped those relationships.
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