The BBC's acclaimed period drama Wolf Hall almost didn't return for a second season for a sad reason.
The episodes, subtitled The Mirror and the Light, premiered in the UK last year, and continues the story of Thomas Cromwell (Mark Rylance) and his power play in the Tudor court of King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis).
The show is based on the Hilary Mantel books, though director Peter Kosminsky has revealed that the author's death in 2022 almost led to them cancelling the show as writing neared completion. However, they decided to go ahead as a tribute to Mantel.
What to Read Next
"If it hadn’t been for the support of the BBC and [US broadcaster] Masterpiece at that point, when our morale was pretty low, I think there might’ve been a different outcome," he told The Hollywood Reporter.
"I think there was a tremendous loyalty to her, to the project, from all of us," added writer Peter Straughan.
Related: Best streaming services
During the interview, the show's creatives detailed further issues during production with budgets, recalling: "Six weeks from production, we were shutting down. There was no way around… We were so far adrift on the money and we had cut and cut and cut."
Top names including Straughan and Rylance ended up deciding to take a cut in their fees to help with cash flow.
Producer Colin Callender further admitted that "costs in England for production over the years have escalated astronomically", lamenting "a problem across the whole of the British industry" that is "particularly affecting top-end British drama".
Kosminsky added that making the second season "was five times harder" than the first – which was released in 2015 – "because the money was so tight".
Related: BBC's Wolf Hall boss explains cast replacements as new series starts
Reiterating what he wrote to a parliamentary committee looking at the state of local film and TV, the director added: "The truth is the BBC and Masterpiece moved heaven and earth to get this show made, and some of us made our own contributions, but the world has moved on since.
"I wouldn’t have said this in front of the House of Commons if I didn’t mean it: It wouldn’t get made now and neither would a number of shows."
Wolf Hall was described as a "masterpiece" by The AV Club, while Digital Spy called the series "one of the greatest TV achievements of the century".
Wolf Hall seasons 1-2 are streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
You Might Like...
Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
