The Tudors hit Showtime last spring with a look at a time of royalty, intrigue, and death in our world's history. That masterpiece hit DVD just after the start of the new year with a box set that contains all of the first season's episodes and some extras thrown in for an in-depth look at how this series was made.
In this telling of the time, Jonathan Rhys Myers plays King Henry the VIII and Natalie Dormer plays his love, Lady Anne Boleyn. Sam Neill, Henry Cavill, Gabrielle Anwar, and a cast of others bring this time period to life in all its glory.
With The Tudors, we have all ten episodes contained on a four-DVD set. The story begins with Henry's infatuation with Mary Boleyn, but that is not the story to be told here. Mary is thrown to the wayside and glossed over as her sister Anne is brought to the forefront. She is played magnificently by Dormer. When I first heard of Myers taking on the role of Henry, I had to wonder if he would fit the role, but by the end of the first episode there was not one doubt in my mind that he was the one perfect for this telling.
The first season ends with us seeing the death of one and the joining of two while they wait for King Henry's freedom to marry his new love, Anne. We see Queen Catherine and what she goes through during this trying time as well. While taking some liberties and creative license in order to bring the series to the small screen, the series is actually done well enough to almost consider it a theatrical production. One can see the time and care the cable network took in bringing this series to life. The DVD does have behind the scene featurettes that take us into the production and costume design elements that are an essential part of how this series was brought to life.
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Article comments
1 - Phillip Winn
I can *finally* watch this show -- friends keep bugging me to check it out. Thanks!
2 - Triniman
It's great television. Jonathan Rhys Myers is riveting.
3 - James
Biggest pile of trash ever created on the TUDOR royal family. Most of these series on SHOWTIME TV are hyped up lies and nothing to do with true History. I kept waiting to see Mary Boleyn pregnant with Henry the VIII bastard child within the series and it just never happened. The directors and scrip writers cut out that very important and entire piece of history. COMPLETELY A LAME SOAP OPERA ON SHOWTIME..BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!!
4 - Sally
I totally agree with James on this post. I have read quite a bit of history on the Boleyn's and Tudor's and this series is absolutely ridiculous to say the least! I love history and this was not history nor did it resemble the true history...I guarantee you.