This month’s TV series is The Tudors (2007-2010).
The series follows the reign of
King Henry VIII. The show was created and written in its entirety by Michael Hirst (a rarity). He
also wrote Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age. He is
currently working on a Mary
Queen of Scots film. Jonathan
Rhys Meyers stars as King Henry VIII giving the best performance of his
career (he is utterly compelling). The cast overall is very good. Henry Cavill (in a star making
role), Anthony Brophy, James Frain, Sarah Bolger, Natalie Dormer, Max Brown, Nick Dunning, Rod Hallett, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Simon Ward, Jeremy Northam, Jamie Thomas King, Sam Neill, David O’Hara, Hans Matheson, Henry Czerny, Peter O’Toole, Gabrielle Anwar, Joss Stone, Joely Richardson, Tamzin Merchant, Annabelle Wallis, and Max von Sydow are all wonderful
in support. Spanning four seasons, the series covers all of Henry’s reign,
touching on the major events that shaped him. The story is interesting, but it
is the performances that make the show great and well worth watching
(especially for fans of period pieces and history). Aesthetically, the series
is beautifully shot and the production design in fantastic. The Tudors is one
of the better Showtime dramas to come out of their heyday of great new shows (with
Dexter, Weeds, Californication, and Brotherhood
– 2005-2007) that momentarily made them the best network for great series ahead
of HBO.
