'Wolf Hall': Prestige TV's Peak TV Returns Right On Time

Wolf Hall originally aired on PBS in 2015, during the year that saw the rise of the phrases "Prestige TV" and "Peak TV." For those unaware, "Peak TV" is a phrase coined by FX CEO John Landgraf to describe the current era of programming where TV production reached unsustainable record-breaking levels. Prestige TV, which some use interchangeably with "Peak TV," refers to the expensive, highbrow shows populated by A-list talent that are a subset of the Peak TV boom. (The phrase "Golden Age of Television" had already been improperly co-opted by the 1950s.) 

However, Wolf Hall's timing was less than ideal in 2015. It aired on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET against a block of already established shows, including Game of Thrones and the show's final round that is seen as kicking off this era, Mad Men. As Peak TV wanes and Prestige TV becomes the providence of those who emerge victorious from the streaming wars, Wolf Hall returns with the sequel Wolf Hall: The Mirror & The Light.

For those who missed it the first time, this show adapts Hilary Mantels' novel, which digs into the rise of Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance) and how his power waxed and waned with the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn (Claire Foy). It also covers Henry VIII's (Damian Lewis) schism with the Catholic Church that begat the Church of England. The title comes from the name of the estate Wulfhall, which was the seat of power of the Seymours - as in Jane Seymour, Henry's third wife. However, from the opening episode, "Three Card Trick," it becomes apparent that Wolf Hall is not your average prestige series. 

It has all the hallmarks of the genre: sumptuous settings were filmed in an embarrassingly long laundry list of historical Tudor-era castles and locations all over the UK. The costumes are stunning in their attention to period detail. (There will be no fluffy posts here about the jaunty hats, a la Downton Abbey. These are the 1530s, thank you very much, where hats were utilitarian devices to hide that everyone's hair desperately needed a wash.) 

The six-episode series was the programming most prestige shows wish they could achieve. Shows like the aforementioned Game of Thrones or Mad Men pride themselves on being shows that move slowly, that let you enjoy the meal before setting the plot twists on you — the slow build with the grand payoff, as it were. Wolf Hall is not slow; it is still. It would like you to sit and regard its beauty as one does a painting. (In fact, for art history nerds, some shots are recreations of famous paintings from that era.) Wolf Hall isn't interested in simplifying itself, either. It assumes you know your history regarding the subject matter and demands you keep up. (Google and Wikipedia are required tabs to be opened on your device while watching.)

The show is also dense; watching one episode of Wolf Hall is a seven-course meal. This is not a show designed for binging. You'll want a few days to ponder what you've seen before the second installment. 

If the 2015 original was lost among the louder, faster-moving shows, the 2025 follow-up feels like a corrective and one Masterpiece and the BBC waited until the right time to debut. The Mirror & The Light debuted in the U.K. in November 2024, and not only was it a ratings smash, but it brought in massive viewership with those ages 16-24, a feat most assumed was impossible. The U.S., being a broader, more diverse (and frankly larger) population, probably won't be able to recreate that. But it bodes very well for the show's March 2025 arrival.

There are still high-end prestige shows it will compete with; Shogun, for example, aired and streamed on that Sunday at 9 p.m. ET berth in March 2024. The amount of shows released is dropping year-on-year, but it will be a while before reaching sustainable levels, and we can confidently call Peak TV "over." But shows like House of the Dragon no longer pull in the eyeballs of its predecessors. Moreover, releasing a show of this level is a statement: We are coming out the other side. 

For the BBC, which still has to renew its 99-year charter in 2026, and PBS, which has another four years of super-conservative government to get through, being able to say that with such confidence was far from guaranteed, even just a couple of years ago. The fate of linear networks is still uncertain and probably won't be settled until the 2030s. Still, even if linear fully collapses (highly unlikely), public broadcasting on both sides of the pond seems confident it will survive.

All six episodes of Wolf Hall's first season are streaming on PBS Passport for members. Wolf Hall: The Mirror & The Light debuts on most PBS stations, the PBS app, and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel on Sunday, March 23, 2025, at 9 p.m. ET. All six episodes of The Mirror & The Light will be available as a binge for PBS Passport members on premiere day. As always, check your local listings.