The Tudors presents the rarely dramatized, tumultuous early years of King Henry VIII's nearly 40 year, omnipotent reign (1509-1547). In addition to his famous female consorts and 20+ year marriage to Catherine of Aragon to the infamous dalliance with Anne Boleyn, the series delves in to Henry's most notable political relationship and the deconstruction of the Roman Catholic Church in England.
The Tudors: The Complete First Season may cover the same subject matter as the 1970 BBC series The Six Wives of Henry VIII, but in every other respect it is a different idea of historical drama. Sexy and violent, The Tudors envisions Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) as a young man of both passion and ambition, driven by boundless sexual energy and the desire to establish a legacy early in his monarchy. When he isn't sleeping with any available beauty--heedless of whose daughter or wife a lover might be--he's getting fired up about going to war with France. He is amenable, however, to alternative ideas, including the counsel of his Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey (Sam Neill), who wants his king to sign a treaty of universal peace with all of Europe. Henry's fiery temperament endangers such a move, but Wolsey persists in hopes of gaining France's support for his own, possible ascendance to the papacy. His ambitions are not to be, however, and his fortunes go downhill as Henry's desire to wed Ann Boleyn (Natalie Dormer) puts Wolsey in the position of petitioning Rome for a hearing on the legitimacy of Henry's marriage to Queen Katherine.
Henry's shrewd alliance with the king of Spain is also testament to his desire to have more influence over European affairs. But his even greater desire for another woman proves an obstacle there, too. Over the course of the ten episodes on The Complete First Season, Henry's confidence grows as a monarch while his self-interest undercuts his better judgement about making a difference to Europe's progress. While the series makes the historical events rich and captivating, it also makes Henry's love life a voyeuristic delight, full of candlelit flesh and romps in the royal bed. Some of the most fascinating characters in the show are those who figure out the link between Henry's libido and his exercise of power--including Boleyn's own father (Nick Dunning), who encourages Ann to keep up the good work. Sheesh. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Sinfully Delightful:
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by Henry VIII. So of course I was excited when Showtime presented The Tudors! If you're someone who wants everything to be 100% accurate to history, then this isn't for you. But if you can put that aside and just appreciate the series for what it is, you'll love it. You can see all the glamour and gore of the Tudors. Henry VIII was a true Renaissance man, and this series shows that quite well. The costumes and sets are just amazing. View it as Historical... more info
LOVE IT!!!:
I couldn't stop watching the show on showtime and was so excited when I was able to purchase the complete season. I loved the second season just as much as the first and can't wait to buy that either.
Amazing and Addicting!:
I love this period of history, I studied it in master's school. This is a great series and I cannot wait till season 2 comes out on DVD. Do not expect this to be historically accurate because it is not. Although in season 2 they get a little bit better with following history. Nonetheless, this is entertaining and Jonathan Rys Myers is amazing as Henry VIII, even if he doesn't really look like him. This is a drama filled, sometimes raunchy series that will get you hooked from episode 1. If you want to learn... more info
Total Rock 'n Roll Crapola:
So bad that words fail me utterly. This series evinces an embarrassingly sad and abysmal testament to the paucity of interest in history, scholarship & art on the part of its makers. It wouldn't even work as a music video. Just ghastly.
