"The Tudors" Episode #1.1 (2007)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Directors:

Charles McDougall
Steve Shill

Writers:

Michael Hirst (creator)
Michael Hirst (written by)

TV Series:

"The Tudors" (2007)

Original Air Date:

1 April 2007 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance | War

Plot:

King Henry VIII, the young and ambitious monarch of England, prepares for war with France but is dissuaded by the diplomatic manipulation of his powerful Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey, who proposes that the King sponsor a "Treaty of Universal Peace." The harmony of the King's domestic affairs is threatened, however, when he discovers that Elizabeth Blount, the young and beautiful lady-in-waiting to his Queen, Katherine of Aragon, is pregnant with his child. |

Plot Keywords:

Treaty | Queen | Cardinal Wolsey | Affair | Breasts

Cast

Jonathan Rhys Meyers	...	King Henry VIII
Sam Neill	...	Cardinal Thomas Wolsey
Callum Blue	...	Anthony Knivert
Henry Cavill	...	Charles Brandon
Henry Czerny	...	Norfolk
Natalie Dormer	...	Anne Boleyn
Maria Doyle Kennedy	...	Queen Catherine of Aragon
Nick Dunning	...	Thomas Boleyn
Jeremy Northam	...	Sir Thomas More
Kristen Holden-Ried	...	William Compton (as Kris Holden-Ried)
Sean Pertwee	...	King Henry's Uncle
Steven Waddington	...	Duke of Buckingham
Ruta Gedmintas	...	Elizabeth Blount
Joe Van Moyland	...	Thomas Tallis
Matt Ryan	...	Richard Pace

Runtime:

53 min

Country:

Canada | Ireland | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

USA:TV-MA

Filming Locations:

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

Trivia:

While plotting against the king, the Duke of Buckingham claims that he is a direct descendant of Edward II. Steven Waddington, the actor portraying Buckingham, played Edward II in the film, Edward II.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: There are numerous ways in which the series does not coincide with history. Liberties are taken with character names, relationships, physical appearance, and the timing of events. Time is conflated in the series, giving the impression that things happened closer together than they actually did. By the time of most of the events in this series, King Henry VIII was already in his mid-to-late 30s. Catherine of Aragon was really only six years older than Henry VIII, instead of the 15-year age gap implied by the show (Henry is said to be 25 as the series opens) and the relative ages of the actors. The character of Henry's sister, called "Princess Margaret" in the series, is actually a composite of his two sisters: the life events of his youngest sister, Princess Mary Tudor, coupled with the name of his eldest sister, Margaret Tudor (to avoid confusion with Henry's daughter, Mary I of England). Historically, Henry's sister Princess Mary first married the French King Louis XII. The union lasted approximately three months, until his death; Louis was succeeded by his cousin Francis I, who was married to Louis' daughter Claude of France. Mary subsequently married Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk. As The Tudors begins, Henry is already negotiating a peace treaty with Francis; the series' Princess Margaret thus marries the Portuguese king, who lives only a few days until she murders him in his sleep.

Quotes:

Queen Katherine: Though I love Your Majesty and I'm loyal to you, in every way, I cannot disguise my distress and unhappiness.
King Henry VIII: Well, you're going to have to.

Lackluster king keeps 'Tudors' from becoming a worthwhile investment

First and foremost, I am not a history buff. I know what was taught when I was in high school and little else. That said, I am judging this pilot episode of "The Tudors" based on its artistic merits and entertainment value alone, not its historical content. Those looking for comparisons to what actually happened are better off looking elsewhere.

"The Tudors" is one of many Showtime series to pop up recently in the network's attempt to become the next HBO. Some series have proved successful ("Masters of Horror", "Weeds", "Dexter") while others have floundered ("Huff", "The Underground"). Judging from the pilot episode, "The Tudors" falls somewhere in between quality wise. It's not groundbreaking like "Masters of Horror" or particularly original like "Dexter", but it's more competently written and produced than previous network dramas like "Huff". The main problem so far lies with the acting. While Jonathan Rhys Meyers doesn't leave a strong impression as King Henry VIII. He comes across as simply reciting lines rather than giving a performance. It appears as if he's playing King Henry VIII in a play rather than a television series. His co-stars fare much better. Sam Neill as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey is strong as always, underplaying nicely when necessary. If there is a reason to keep watching the series, it's Maria Doyle Kennedy as Queen Katherine. She portrays the role of the wife with just the right amount of compassion and frustration. It will be interesting to see how her relationship with Henry changes throughout the next few episodes, if I can stand to sit through them.

My rating: 5/10