Judi Dench fans, rejoice! If you think you’ve seen all the actress’s greatest performances, there’s one that we have a feeling you might have missed – and it’s a period drama sensation. Based on Shakespeare’s history plays, The Hollow Crown first aired on the BBC in 2012 and is split into two crucial bits of history: firstly, the ‘Henriad’ (that part of history where all the kings seemed to be called Henry) and secondly, the War of the Roses, a civil war period in Britain’s bloody history.

Judi Dench’s is quite the memorable one as Cecily, Duchess of York and mother to Richard III, in the second brilliant instalment: The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses. Her life is tinged with sadness: the rest of her family are dead and she’s surrounded by those battling for power, but according to Judi, “she knows who’s done it and is a kind of Miss Marple!”.

Like the sound of it? Here’s everything you need to know about The Hollow Crown before you do, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.out?

As we mentioned, The Hollow Crown is a TV adaptation of Shakespeare’s history plays. There are two series, with the first covering what’s known as the Henriad: Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2 and Henry V. The second series aired four years later in 2016, and is an adaptation of Henry VI Part 1, Henry VI Part 2, Henry VI Part 3 and Richard III. It’s a fascinating – and sometimes tough – watch as the series takes us through the power struggles within the British monarchy across five kings: Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, Henry VI, and Richard III.

The cast is a spectacular one – in series one, Tom Hiddleston plays King Henry V, while Ben Whishaw stars as Richard II. When we arrive at series two, Tom Sturridge steps into the shows of Henry VI and Benedict Cumberbatch plays Richard III. The first king we encounter is Richard II, who’s known for being weak, while by the second series, Richard III is terribly ruthless and it’s fascinating to see each character evolve over time.

Star Judi Dench told the BBC of her role: “I play this old bag, Cecily the Duchess of York. Everybody she loves has been killed; her husband, her children. She knows who’s done it and is a kind of Miss Marple! If anyone says, ‘I’m in a terribly bad way,’ she says,’You may be in a bad way, just wait until you hear what’s happened to me!’ That’s the Duchess of York in Richard III.”

She added of the female characters in the series: “[Shakespeare] writes some wonderful female parts in Richard III. There’s Mad Margaret, Elizabeth Woodville, Cecily and Lady Anne. Richard not only kills Lady Anne’s husband but he also gets her to marry him. There are wonderful parts for women in it and they are very much a comment on the play.”

Who’s in the cast of The Hollow Crown?

There’s a star-studded cast in The Hollow Crown, which includes:

• Judi Dench (James Bond, All is True)
• Tom Hiddleston (The Night Manager)
• Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock)
• Sophie Okonedo (The Secret Life of Bees)
• Simon Russell Beale (The Choral)
• Tom Sturridge (The Sandman)
• Ben Whishaw (James Bond)
• Keeley Hawes (It’s a Sin, Scoop)
• Julie Walters (Mamma Mia!)