Showtime Network has always been known for pushing the boundaries of television, first with "The L Word," a show focusing on the intertwining lives of lesbians, then "Weeds," a show about a widowed housewife selling weed to support herself, and most recently, "The Tudors." Now in its second season, "The Tudors" is loosely based on the early reign of King Henry VIII. The first season began with Henry's negotiations with Francis I of France and ended with the death of the previous Chancellor Wolsley and the first seduction of the king by Anne Boleyn.
The second season opens with King Henry searching for a way to obtain a divorce from Catherine of Aragon so that he can marry (and finally sleep with) Anne Boleyn. Anne slowly gains power as she compels Henry to remove Catherine from court and send her to a palace in the country. Throughout the season, Anne will move into Catherine's apartments and slowly cement her place as Queen of England. There are other supporting characters moving around on the outskirts of scenes, such as Charles Brandon, the king's longtime friend and confidant, and Sir Thomas More, the Lord Chancellor
of England.
King Henry VIII is played by the beautiful Jonathan Rhys-Meyers of "Bend It like Beckham" (2002). The actual Henry VIII may not have been as handsome as the actor who now plays him, but in today's society, no one will complain - beauty is almost always associated with power. Anne Boleyn is played by the equally beautiful Natalie Dormer, who does a fantastic job of feigning innocence while playing one of the biggest strumpets in the whole of English history. Other than these two actors, there are hardly any who cross the screen more than two or three times per show. All of the characters are kept interesting, however, so one isn't always longing to see Rhys-Meyers and Dormer on screen together.
As one can see, the show takes much liberty with historical events, but this style only seems to strengthen the show's appeal. The timeline is incredibly compact to fit Rhys-Meyers' youth in with the seduction of Anne Boleyn, and many relationships, people and events are tweaked, and sometimes completely fabricated, to keep the drama at its unstoppable pace.
Whenever people mention "The Tudors," such a conversation typically relies heavily on the word "sex." There are at least two sex scenes per episode that are impressively immodest, especially considering the prude nature of most television shows these days. There is also violence galore; knowing that the real King Henry VIII was brutal enough to behead two of his own wives, it is no wonder that blood would run rampant in the show. In the premiere of the second season, one man is even boiled alive as his death sentence for poisoning high-level clergy.
The best part, though, is the unlikable nature of every single character on the show. Sure, Rhys-Meyers and Dormer are both attractive people, and that is the show's real appeal. "The Tudors," however, makes sure there is zero chance of garnering any sort of sympathy for any character. Henry VIII is presented as a whiny baby who constantly needs to be reassured and rewarded for his good behavior, and Anne Boleyn is a manipulative brat who is used to getting whatever she wants. In all likelihood, the best episode will be her beheading. Any character that appears to be good-natured will inevitably lose these qualities (see Thomas More when the power of Lord Chancellor goes to his head), and the bad will just keep
getting worse.
All of these factors combine for some must-see drama, and those for whom good drama just isn't enough anymore, there are always the massive amounts of sex. But if the blatant historical inaccuracy is going to be a bother, there really is no reason to watch, because they might as well have created a fictitious English king for all the resemblance the show bears to the real life of King Henry VIII.
