‘The Hollow Crown: Wars of the Roses’ to Air on 'Great Performances'

Fans of the star-studded Shakespeare adaptation The Hollow Crown will be pleased to know that the sequel series The Hollow Crown: Wars of the Roses has an American airdate at last! The films will premiere as part of the new season of PBS' Great Performances and will air on three consecutive Sunday nights from December 11 -25th.

[Insert multiple screaming face emojis here.]

The original Hollow Crown adapted four of Shakespeare’s history plays – Richard II, Henry IV Pts. 1 and 2 and Henry V – into a single chronological narrative, with the majority of the relevant actors performing the same roles across all the plays. The three-part sequel takes on the next part of the story, and will feature adaptations of Henry VI (streamlined into two parts) and Richard III. The plays recount the story of the titular Wars of the Roses, when two families – the Plantagenets and the Lancasters – battled for control of England’s throne.

Sherlock’s Benedict Cumberbatch headlines a positively star-studded cast, taking on the role of Richard III. He’s joined by many other British acting luminaries, including Dame Judi Dench as Cecily, Duchess of York, Sophie Okonedo as Margaret of Anjou, Keeley Hawes as Elizabeth Woodville, Hugh Bonneville as Humphrey, Duke of Glouchester, Tom Sturridge as King Henry VI, Michael Gambon as Sir Edmund Mortimer, Andrew Scott as King Louis XI of France, Philip Glenister as Talbot and more.

Whew.