The Tudors

Now I am no historian as I have said in one or two of my previous reviews, but I do take an interest in it. The Tudors I especially loved learning about, and by year 4 I was able to tell my class a few facts about Henry VIII, his life and his wives without referencing a book or asking the teacher for help. This is an imperfect but good and quite interesting series.

I do agree though about the inaccuracies. I would be lying if the writers didn't take liberties with the truth, or got a bit over-creative. I am especially talking about Henry's sisters and also flipping France for Portugal. Also I think the writers could have focused more on his musical skills and physical dominance not to mention the fiery red hair of his, as that was what made him famous and also what made stand out from the rest of the kings and queens.

I do agree to some extent about Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Granted he is dashing, has riveting eyes and does show some compelling acting chops. But... he is the wrong build, too tall and too thin and I also think he is too young for the part as well. Consequently any time shifts don't quite come across as believable.

Some of the earlier seasons could have done with more character development. It has improved significantly over time, as has the acting, but when it started I did think it was rather sketchy and underdeveloped.

Faults aside, The Tudors does look exquisite. The sets and scenery are truly sumptuous, with a very convincing Tudor look, while the costumes are often mesmerising. The photography is always top notch, while the editing is crisp and props authentic enough. I am also quite taken with the music in this show. The main theme has a wonderful Medieval lilt to it, while the background scoring is almost cinematic.

The writing is mostly good. Even with the inaccuracies, I do think the dialogue is thought-provoking and entertaining. The story lines are compelling enough, well paced and written with heart in my opinion. There are scenes that do make me emotional or do disturb me. In particular there was a recent episode where a woman was tortured and burned alive, the impact that had was almost reminiscent of the beginning of Elizabeth and some parts of Witchfinder General, scenes which disturbed me greatly.

The direction is solid enough as well, while the acting is in general fine. While the wrong build and age, Meyers as I said before does show some good acting and emotion. Out of his wives, I have liked Joely Richardson and Natalie Dormer most. My favourites of the cast though are Jeremy Northam and Sam Neill, who are both inspired casting and both give excellent performances.

All in all, this is a good if imperfect show. If you want a truer account of the life and six wives of Henry VIII though, watch the David Starkey documentary Channel 4 mini-series The Six Wives of Henry VIII, which I learnt a lot from, or the film Henry VIII and his Six Wives with Keith Michell, while compressed it benefits from splendid acting and a wonderfully sympathetic Henry. 7/10 for The Tudors. Bethany Cox

I think "The Tudors" is the best television I've watched in a long time. Interesting that it was a collaboration between Irish and Canadian TV, maybe that's why the BBC didn't give it more of a profile? I disagree with the approach taken by the other reviewers - it is a DRAMA and never purported to be an accurate historical documentary, so my advice is to understand that first and enjoy it as it was meant to be enjoyed. The acting is superlative from everyone with the exception perhaps of Joely Richardson whom I've never "got" anyway - too colourless and divorced from the part. Tamsin Merchant as Catherine Howard gave a consistently outstanding performance, and all credit to such a young actress. Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry VIII was absolutely excellent throughout, he thoroughly owned the character and delivered with incredible passion and conviction. (And yes, he was extremely pleasing to the eye unlike H8 - so what?). I would also like to praise the production itself, the incredible and spellbinding direction, the lavish sets and opulent costumes and not least of all the music which I am now intent on buying.

With the proposed ending of Rome - I think a lot of viewers will automatically turn to The Tudors as a replacement. I have watched the first episode and find that the acting and set alone can pull a viewer in. It is different than Rome, but the same core passions of humanity are present.

I am deeply saddened that Rome will be ending after such a short run, and I think that were it not, The Tudors would find far more competition. As it is, both shows are proving that there is an audience for historical dramas and I hope such endeavors continue in the future.

The Tudors has a quality cast with attractive actors for both genders to attach to. I cannot make an honest opinion yet on the plots and direction of the series until I see more of it, but the imagery alone is a good start for this series.

The Tudors is about as close to perfection as a show of its genre can get. I understand people may argue that there are many historical inaccuracies but these become irrelevant when you realise the quality of the sets, scripts and not to forget the incredible acting.

I also think that the costume department also deserve an enormous amount of credit for designing royal attire that would have been fit for any Tudor King or Queen. As soon as you see the women walk out in their gorgeous dresses and the men in their traditional Tudor dress you are pulled into the world of Henry V111's court, a world, which thanks to this beautifully made show, I would never want to leave.

Well, it's gorgeous, well-acted but far too much tampering with the facts of history. Henry had TWO sisters, not one, and it was his sister, Mary, who was married off to a king in his dotage - and it was to the king of France, not Portugal. Margaret was married to the Scottish King, from whence comes the Stuart claim to the English throne. Don't watch this for your history exam! Just enjoy the costumes, set, fiery acting and music. The portrait of Henry, though, is wonderful. Lest we forget; he was quite handsome and charismatic in his younger days. As he continued getting his way both in politics and the bedroom, he grew more and more self-absorbed and ruthless. One good historical item is pointing out that, whatever was going on in separating from the Roman church, most of the English reformers had little use for Luther and wished to distance themselves from the continental reformation. Odd that today the Anglican Communion and the Lutheran church work hand-in-hand in aid efforts and acknowledge more readily our common bonds. Just FYI, the word "protestant" actually means one who protests the abuse of the Sacrements, which was rampant in those days.