"The Tudors" (2007)TV series

Creator:

Michael Hirst

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance

Tagline:

Prepare for Reign

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Husband Wife Relationship | King | Court | Intrigue | Absolutism

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 9 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	King Henry VIII (20 episodes, 2007-2008)
Henry Cavill	...	Charles Brandon (20 episodes, 2007-2008)
Natalie Dormer	...	Anne Boleyn (20 episodes, 2007-2008)
Nick Dunning	...	Thomas Boleyn (20 episodes, 2007-2008)
Maria Doyle Kennedy	...	Queen Katherine / ... (17 episodes, 2007-2008)
James Frain	...	Thomas Cromwell (16 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)
Anthony Brophy	...	Chapuys (12 episodes, 2007-2008)
John Kavanagh	...	Cardinal Campeggio (11 episodes, 2007-2008)
Sam Neill	...	Cardinal Thomas Wolsey (10 episodes, 2007)
Callum Blue	...	Anthony Knivert / ... (10 episodes, 2007)
Henry Czerny	...	Norfolk (10 episodes, 2007)
Hans Matheson	...	Thomas Cranmer (10 episodes, 2008)
Guy Carleton	...	Chamberlain (10 episodes, 2007-2008)
Joe Van Moyland	...	Thomas Tallis (9 episodes, 2007)
James Gilbert	...	William Brereton (9 episodes, 2008)

Country:

Ireland | Canada | USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

Hungary:16 | Czech Republic:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Bórd Scannán na hÉireann

Trivia:

Steven Waddington’s character, Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, lays claim to the English Crown by being the descent of Edward II. 1991 Steven Waddington played Edward II in Derek Jarman's film version of Christopher Marlowe's play Edward II (1991). Each of their claims to the English Crown were brought to an horrible end.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Cardinal Wolsey was not imprisoned and did not commit suicide. After being accused of treason, he set out for London to answer the charges and died en route in Leicester. Wolsey's death came in 1530, three years before the death of Henry's sister Mary; in the series, the two events are juxtaposed.

Quotes:

King Henry VIII: [to Anne Boleyn] I love your neck.

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.