This costume drama features Englands splendid Renaissance dynasty under King Henry VIII. Beginning in Season 1 when Henry VIII was growing desperate for an heir and growing distant from his first wife the series moves quickly to the period when Anne Boleyn became his obsession. During this time Cardinal Wolsey rose to become the power behind his throne ruling ruthlessly and nearly absolutely while Henry (played by Johnathon Rhys Meyers) for the most part followed the Cardinals advice maneuvering through a series of betrayals and plots against him. When Anne Boleyn plays much harder to get than any woman ever has Henry begins to search for a way out of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon so that he can make Anne his wife. Needing a divorce Henry turns to Wolsey who promises to help him create waves of backlash from the church as well as the Spanish Habsburg dynasty and its overseas empire. Against this background gyrate the private lives and political intrigues of several ...
Review
Rather than disliking this show I'd just say I was kind of disappointed. Being a bit of a fan of the Tudor history I was kind of hoping for an indepth look at a very complex time in British history sort of like Ye Olde West Wing. The Tudors could have been a show that dramatically explored what was one of the most intelligent erudite and politically savvy royal lines this country has ever seen. Instead I felt like I was watching a slightly more sexed up Ye Olde Hollyoakes. As a diversion there's absolutely nothing wrong with that I guess but we just had Rome which did it a lot better in my opinion. There's no one thing I dislike about this show I'm just a little down that it wasn't as "clever" as I thought it could be. Maybe I'm in a minority though. Hollyoakes still runs despite my best efforts so.....
