MINISERIES PREMIERE: This new, superlative six-hour adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s novels, about intrigue in and around the court of King Henry VIII, finds a fascinating new way into that often-dramatized court. It centers its drama around Thomas Cromwell, usually perceived as the Machiavellian villain of the era, and humanizes him – with British stage actor Mark Rylance, who won a Tony for Twelfth Night, playing the scheming, quick-thinking advisor to the king. Oh, and King Henry VIII is played by Damian Lewis of Homeland, with Jonathan Pryce as Cardinal Wolsey, Cromwell’s mentor, and Claire Foy as Anne Boleyn. In England, this Wolf Hall TV production was hailed as the best costume drama since Downton Abbey – and it’s an accurate assessment. Check local listings.