Search - The Tudors - The Complete First Season on DVD

Flawed, but fun

Melissa Niksic | Chicago, IL United States | 12/21/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I just finished watching the entire first season of "The Tudors." When the show first premiered on Showtime, I watched the pilot episode and never bothered to watch it again. I thought the show was visually appealing, but way too melodramatic and historically inaccurate for my taste. However, I recently read a fascinating book about Henry VIII, and I needed something else to satisfy my Tudor fixation. I watched all the episodes of "The Tudors" On Demand in less than a week, and I really enjoyed them.



In order to appreciate this program, you have to be willing to accept the show for what it is. Yes, the majority of the characters and plots in the show are based on real historical events, but this is a cable television series, and of course things are going to be changed to appeal to a larger commercial audience. As a result, all of the people in King Henry's court are much more attractive than they probably were in real life, and there are some major alterations to historical timelines. Still, I'm impressed that the producers actually did get so many things right with the show, and overall, it's very engaging to watch. The pacing is exciting and fast...perhaps a little too fast, in my opinion. For example, Elizabeth "Bessie" Blount gets knocked up with Henry's illegitimate child in the very first episode, and by the second episode, she's already giving birth. I wonder how long "The Tudors" can realistically continue to air with such a rushed chain of events.



For the most part, I think the casting of the show is excellent. I've never been a big fan of Jonathan Rhys Meyers until now, but his portrayal of Henry VIII is intense, dramatic, and exciting. Sam Neill is brilliant as the two-faced Cardinal Wolsey, and Natalie Dormer is perfect as the bewitching Anne Boleyn. As far as the characterizations of these famous characters goes, I think Henry VIII has been a bit one-sided in Season 1. I'll be interested to see how Meyers tackles the role when Henry finds himself betrayed by the woman he nearly sacrifices his kingdom for. It would be nice to see a more emotional side of Henry. Also, I think Anne has actually been pretty likable so far...hopefully she'll become a much darker character in Season 2.



Overall, I enjoyed "The Tudors" much more than I thought I would. It's entertaining, and people who enjoy learning about this period in history will definitely get a kick out of it. I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of Season 2."

Who Should Buy These DVD's

D. Rizzo | United States | 04/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm an Anglophle, and I was excited when I heard of this series. I don't have Showtime, so I had no exposure to the show as it ran its first season, so when the DVD's came out, I was ready to rush off and purchase them -- but first I read the reviews. They seemed to praise (great production values!) and pan (ah, the history!) the program in equal measure. So I figured, "Well, some of the reviews are positive, and it's only $25, so why not find out for myself?" I went ahead and bought them, and I've watched them. Here's what I think you should do about them.



If you are a history buff who cannot abide such royalty productions of the nature of as Elizabeth and The Golden Age with Cate Blanchett, then consider avoiding these shows. They are not historical gospel. They're not even a historical prayer book or historical hymn. They're pretty much historical soap opera that takes extraordinary liberties with "the truth." Such liberties can offend the serious scholar. So, quite simply, if you're a serious scholar, save your nitroglycerin pill, and go for one of the highly regarded film histories on the market.



However, if you're either a casual royalty buff or a film scholar, then I think you'd get a kick out of these DVD's. The shows are gorgeously photographed. The cast is unilaterally compelling; I am unfamiliar with these actors, and yet, I can't take my eyes off of them, especially Maria Doyle Kennedy (Queen Catherine) and the actor who plays the Duke of Suffolk (too bad he's too young for me!). Gabrielle Anwar, as Henry's sister Margaret, is not only surpassingly beautiful but has an authentic comedic flair.



Now, I will confess that I was rather shortsighted not to realize that as a Showtime production, there's plenty of nudity and bad langauge in these shows. Fortunately, after the first few episodes, the producers seem to begin trusting the integrity of the production over a parade body parts to engage the audience -- not that the show would earn even a PG-13 rating in later episodes, but by later episodes the nudity and vocabulary begin to serve the story rather than serve to garner an audience.



I did agree with the person who noted that the actual story of Henry VIII would play equally well if not better than this rather invented history; the recreational viewer won't know where to draw a line between truth and fantasy. However, maybe this show could provoke a few people to research the history, and in the meantime, it's a fascinating and well designed program.



So who should buy these DVD's? The person whose sense of scholarship can ride in the backseat behind his or her desire for some solid entertainment!"