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BBC and HBO to turn Tudor stage play 1536 into TV drama series after acclaimed West End run

The TV drama will transport viewers back to the reign of Henry VIII.

The cast of the 1536 play, behind the scenes, wearing Tudor costumes. They are three women, with one stood up and the others crouching by her. They are in a studio, in front of a piece of yellow material which is hung up behind them.

Almeida Theatre

Published: Thursday, 6 August 2026 at 10:30 am

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The BBC and HBO are teaming up to bring an adaptation of Ava Pickett’s historical stage play 1536 to our screens.

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The series, which will have the same title, is coming from production company Drama Republic (Riot Women), and will explore the execution of Henry VIII’s second wife, Anne Boleyn, through the eyes of working class women in Tudor England.

“A darkly comic and terrifyingly relevant story about friendship, sisterhood, and a changing world, 1536 explores how the actions of a man in power changes the fate of working-class women on the edges of the country,” reads the logline. “It asks if a king can murder his queen, what does that mean for women elsewhere and how much have things really changed?”

Pickett, who has previously written for shows including How to Get to Heaven from Belfast and The Great, said in a statement that she's "so excited and thrilled to be working with HBO, the BBC and Drama Republic on 1536" and feels "very lucky to have them champion this story so fiercely".

Pickett will serve as showrunner, writer and exec producer on the show, while Molly Manners (One Day) will be on directing duties.

Manners will also serve as an executive producer alongside Jude Liknaitzky, Roanna Benn, Rebecca de Souza and Chloe Beeson for Drama Republic and Anna Ferguson for the BBC.

Pickett added: “And to be collaborating with the brilliantly talented Molly Manners is a dream come true. I can’t wait to bring this story about power, patriarchy and friendship to a new audience.”


Ava Pickett, Siena Kelly, Angus Cooper, Tanya Reynolds, Liv Hill and Adam Hugill attend the press night after party for "1536" at The Almeida Theatre on May 13, 2025 in London, England.

Cast and creatives of 1536. Dave Benett/Getty Images

The stage play first premiered at the Almeida Theatre in 2025 before transferring to the West End earlier this year.

HBO’s head of drama Francesca Orsi said: “We’re elated to partner with Ava Pickett and the BBC to bring her first television series to life. Ava is an immense talent, and we couldn’t be more excited and honoured to work with her on transforming her singular vision of ‘1536’ from stage to screen.”


Lindsay Salt, director of drama at the BBC, added: “We are thrilled to be working once again with the HBO team and look forward to bringing Ava’s brilliantly bold scripts to life together with the team at Drama Republic. We can’t wait for viewers to see these funny, courageous, and iconic female characters on screen.”

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Authors

RadioTimes.com senior trends writer Molly Moss. She is sitting outside wearing a black top, holding a white teacup with a smily face on it to her mouth

Molly MossTrends Writer

Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.

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