Am currently watching the BBC’s big-budget adaptation of Tudor epic Wolf Hall, resplendent in its complex plotting, full-service costuming, and dense candlelit dialogue.
This week’s episode featured some hot longbow action involving the leads, and incredibly… they got it right. Have a look:

The clip shows Damien Lewis (as Henry VIII) and Mark Rylance (as Thomas Cromwell) shooting, and the form is… pretty good, really.  The target butt and quoit appears to be correct too.

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Cromwell draws to his ear (pretty much) and doesn’t hold, and from the tension at full draw from both actors it even appears they are using real longbows, instead of the stick-with-a-bit-of-elastic of your average Robin Hood knockabout. Although: should they be wearing shooting gloves, in the 1500s?  Perhaps someone can confirm.

Thanks to Rik, Butt Face, Bimble, Raven’s Eye, and Matthames over at A.I.