The period piece, starring Mark Rylance as 16th-century royal fixer Thomas Cromwell, faced steep funding challenges amid ballooning production costs in the U.K.

And how producer Colin Callender is fighting for “quintessentially British” TV like his other hit, All Creatures Great and Small.

Find out who's who, where we left off with them, and how they fit into the intrigue & drama that will mesmerize you as it breaks your heart.