"The Tudors" (2007) TV series

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Creator:

Michael Hirst

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance | War

Tagline:

Prepare for Reign

Plot:

A dramatic series about the reign and marriages of King Henry VIII.

Plot Keywords:

King | King Henry VIII | Court | England | Intrigue

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 25 wins & 26 nominations

Cast

Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	King Henry VIII (28 episodes, 2007-2009)
Henry Cavill	...	Charles Brandon (28 episodes, 2007-2009)
James Frain	...	Thomas Cromwell (24 episodes, 2007-2009)
Natalie Dormer	...	Anne Boleyn (20 episodes, 2007-2008)
Nick Dunning	...	Thomas Boleyn (20 episodes, 2007-2008)
Anthony Brophy	...	Chapuys / ... (18 episodes, 2007-2009)
Guy Carleton	...	Chamberlain (18 episodes, 2007-2009)
Maria Doyle Kennedy	...	Queen Catherine of Aragon (17 episodes, 2007-2008)
Padraic Delaney	...	George Boleyn (16 episodes, 2007-2008)
Jeremy Northam	...	Sir Thomas More (15 episodes, 2007-2008)
Jamie Thomas King	...	Thomas Wyatt (14 episodes, 2007-2008)
Rebekah Wainwright	...	Catherine / ... (14 episodes, 2007-2009)
Sarah Bolger	...	Mary Tudor (13 episodes, 2008-2009)

Runtime:

USA:60 min

Country:

Ireland | Canada | USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Czech Republic:15 | Hungary:16 | Argentina:13 | South Korea:18 | Brazil:18 (season 1) | Brazil:16 (season 2) | UK:15 | Australia:M (some episodes) | Australia:MA (some episodes) | New Zealand:M (season 2) | New Zealand:R13 (season 1) | Singapore:M18 (season 2)

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios - Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Reveille Productions

Trivia:

The character of Princess Margaret, Henry's sister, is actually a composite of two sisters, his older sister Margaret Tudor and his younger sister Mary Tudor. While the events in the series come from Mary's life, the substitution of Margaret's name helps to avoid confusion with Henry's daughter with Catherine of Aragon, also named Mary.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The character of Princess Margaret is actually a composite of Henry's two sisters, Mary and Margaret. As such, there are several historical timeline inaccuracies for Princess Margaret, including dates, death and marriages.

Quotes:

Duke of Buckingham: I am a direct descendant of Edward II. This is MY crown!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: (#7.26)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Lacrymosa

Exciting, but founders on miscast Henry & historical inaccuracy

I'm glad to see Showtime taking on the Tudor era, even if they are doing it because Henry's life is a tabloid-seller's dream come true, and our culture is tabloid-obsessed.

I love the casting of Jeremy Northam (Sir Thomas More) and Sam Neill (Cardinal Wolsey).

I read an earlier comment after I had already expressed the following thought elsewhere, and I completely agree -- Steven Waddington (Buckingham) would have been a better Henry VIII - he's bigger (he properly fills the screen, which in various shots J R-M painfully cannot, either in height or breadth); red-haired (as Henry was); and a POWERFUL, mesmerizing actor who's a better age for the part. (J R-M's eyes are riveting, but that's not enough for the part b/c at this stage of Henry's life, his fame was largely due to his physical dominance, learning & musical skill.) Showtime seems to be trying to appeal to a VERY young, VH-1 audience with the J R-M casting. Or, as they suggest, to people who don't know the story.

That's my second issue - don't suggest in the ads that you're going to tell the REAL story when you're not. Some dramatic license is expected (like flipping France for Portgual b/c they introduced Francis I early on) but there is no GOOD excuse for making a composite of Henry's sisters by telling Princess Mary Rose Tudor's story, but calling the character Princess Margaret, which was her older sister's name.

The real Margaret had a dramatic story, too -- and she's got the line to the current royal family through her great-granddaughter, Mary, Queen of Scots -- but they lost the chance to tell that by combining the sisters. Presumably they did it b/c they thought the audience was so dumb that we couldn't handle Henry's daughter and sister both being named Mary. Too bad.