-
2 stars
I'm torn
March 21, 2008
I have found the Tudors to be a gripping drama, rich with luxurious sets and costumes. The acting is top notch as well, but I am apalled however, by the historical innacuracies. One of my great ancestors Hans Holbein the Younger was a court painter for Henry VIII, and my fascination for this time period has never been quenched. I am always digging up something new.
I don't think the directors really thought this storyline through, and even though it is popular and compelling to watch, I doubt the producers will be able to sustain a false storyline for very long. I will give this season a chance, but I may ditch watching it all together.
-
5 stars
Laughable history; really good performances
May 15, 2007
I watched this show to see just how bad the history would be and in spite of myself was hooked by it's good performances and lush look. Yes, the history is truly bad in some places (for example, in this series, Henry VIII's acknowledged bastard son Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset, dies at about four years of age; in reality he died at age 17), but it's such good fun that if you throw reason to the winds it's going to pull you in and entertain you.
I worry a bit about the future of the show, however,--my biggest concern is that they are whipping along at such a pace that they are skipping over some history with good dramatic potential, and that they will move so quickly that many of their most interesting characters will die off soon... (the brilliant Sam Neill as Woolsey, for example). Still this series is really worth catching if you can suspend your disbelief over some of the glaring historical errors...
-
5 stars
Excellent, but....
May 11, 2007
This show just Rocks!!!! But there are 2 major details that have been altered for the sex it up factor. #1 Henry didn"t start Courting Anne Boleyn until his 40's, she was only 15. #2 Henry was no stranger to gluttony in any shape, and this made him VERY FAT! I love the show for entertainment value, and it inspires me to verify the facts.
-
3 stars
Not sure yet
March 28, 2007
I haven't made up my mind about this show. Usually, I'm not bothered by historical inaccuracies in tv and film (despite the fact that I got my BA in History), but I'm already kind of irritated by those in The Tudors. The review by Lola is incorrect, by the way, when he/she states that Catherine of Aragon had dark hair. She, in fact, had light hair. That is another inaccuracy that bugged me. But I do like Jonathan Rhys Meyers and I'm definitely going to watch the next few episodes to see how things go. Maybe I'll end up addicted.
(In response to JD, yes, actually, contemporary accounts of Henry and at least half of his wives (Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, that I know of) indicate that they were all very attractive for their time (at least before those that became old did so).
-
3 stars
It's the sopranos meet Shakespeare
April 22, 2007
I love it, but it's pretty inaccurate. And that many hotties in one small country with good teeth and normal sized ears is trully unbelievable.
I have keep telling myself that's it's showtime not BBC
