The Tudors: The Complete First Season

 

 

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This series takes a look at WHY Henry the VIII married Anne Boleyn, and the events leading up to Englands original break with the Catholic Church. While some people believe that Jonathan Rhys Meyers was a miscast in the title role mainly due to the lack of physical resemblance (he's a bit lanky compared to what historians suggest the real Henry to have been...robust and "built") however I believe that his acting abilities outweigh any physical discrepencies that might be present. Obviously the events that take place during the show occured over several years instead of what seems like a short period of time, and there's no difference in the physical appearance of Anne in the show, despite the historical proof that towards the end of their courtship, Anne was getting quite on in years (for the time period of course)and her peers at court, who obviously were her enemies, would come to describe her as a "crone".

All in all however, this is a nice delightful period soap opera/drama that is quite enjoyable to watch! Similar to "The Other Boleyn Girl" in paperback, "The Tudors" represent the time period well and the costumes are amazing!

Either you love "The Tudors" or you hate it. I have never met anyone who simply "liked" it, so I won't waste time talking about the show itself. Instead, I will address the subject of the Canadian DVD set release, which is superior to the US release when it comes to extras, but does cost a bit more as a result. This set includes:

+ All ten uncut episodes (the CBC trimmed them for content when they aired)
+ Deleted scenes
+ Blooper Reel
+ Cast & Crew Interviews
+ Promotional Material

The episodes are lovely. Nothing much to comment on there, apart from the fact that you can now enjoy the "porn lite" of the original show if that's your thing.

The Deleted Scenes include about fifteen minutes of moments trimmed for time or interest. They break down into the following segments (all included in a jumble together):

+ A missing scene from the opening segment, in which Henry's uncle the ambassador to Italy waits around in the court before being told he has been granted a private audience (and goes off to his death)

+ Thomas Tallis coming to court -- nothing much to see here. I'm bored just writing about it.

+ Buckingham at desperate prayer before his execution, before the guards come and drag him away.

+ The painter crafting his portrait of Katharine of Aragon and Henry Tudor, in which he experiences a vision of Anne Boleyn coming to stand between them. I'm not surprised this was taken out, as it was a little too surreal for the series, and including it would have been, in a word, absurd.

+ Margaret and Brandon on the ship together, presumably either on their way to France, or returning from it. Margaret is half hopeful that they will founder on the rocks.

+ Henry writing a desperate letter to Anne Boleyn wondering why she is ignoring him.

+ Thomas Tallis in a random conversation with a musician at court. I never have understood why he was included, so it's not surprising they cut this scene because it had no bearing on the plot.

+ Thomas More having a sketch done for his painting. This is the scene that should have remained in the show, because it has a lot of smaller plot points and characterization needed in order to make later events more understandable. The painter's family is starving, and he asks Thomas More a moralistic question of whether or not he should agree to paint the Boleyns for profit, because he believes the Boleyn family is responsible for the Lutheran "propaganda" being circulated at court. Thomas tells him that if he and his family have need of the money that painting would provide, he should paint them.

+ Another scene with Thomas Tallis and the dark-haired girl he wanted to marry, in bed together. He's arguing about why they cannot get married, and she says her sister's ghost would not allow it. (... yeah.)

+ Anne berates Cardinal Wolsey's reputation before Henry, and encourages him not to trust the cardinal because he must have his own agenda. This scene too should have been left in the series, because it explains why the following morning Henry leaves Wolsey without so much as a farewell.

+ A frosty dinner sequence between Norfolk and Wolsey, in which we get the feeling they have finally become sworn enemies.

+ Brandon proposes to Elizabeth, his ward, without much pomp or ceremony and it's clear from the look on her face that the marriage is far from her idea.

+ Thomas Tallis buries the second sister, with a lock of his hair, and sees both their ghosts. The conclusion to what was a ridiculous minor plot, but all the same, needed in order to "end" that storyline.

The Blooper Reel is HYSTERICAL... all for one thing. On some editions of this set, the sound is so off that it gets out of sync and makes the entire second half of the reel unwatchable. I happened to get one of these defective sets, which does not make for a happy customer.

I have not yet watched the cast and crew interviews, but I'm assuming they are the same ones showcased on the official Tudors website. The promotional trailers are three -- one longish general trailer, and two slightly shorter trailers with (surprise!) footage that never made it into the show, and makes one wonder where the REST of the deleted scenes are (like Anne meeting her father on his return from court on the front steps, or Henry standing atop a table shouting in the midst of a feast). They did not include some of the fantastic promo shots that I love most, however, so overall this set gets 4 stars. I took one off for the massive blunder concerning the bloopers.

The Tudor era, while it has intrigued the modern public, has never been portrayed accurately in film or television. The Tudors shares in that tradition and is entirely a fictional tale never to be confused with fact. There were real people like Henry VIII, Anne Boelyn, Thomas More et al. but the series blightfully ignores what actually occurred. Henry Fitzroy, the king's illegitimate son, is killed off when he lived past Anne's execution. The Duke of Suffolk marries Margaret Tudor (who also is terminated)when he really married Mary Tudor and Margaret married the King of Scotland (allowing the Stuarts to assume the English throne in 1603 after the death of Elizabeth). And in the interest of twenty-first century values, the Tudor court supposedly was a hot bed of seduction and sex. Not. Read Eric Ives's biography of Anne Boelyn for something more realistic. And, of course, everyone is far too pretty, physically. Jonathan Rys Meyers bears no resemblance to Henry VIII and almost looks wimpy since he lacks the age (not old enough) and the physique of a middle-aged king who truly was a big man. Anne was not a stunning beauty, though like Cleopatra she always is so portrayed. The series, nonetheless, is addictive fun despite these sorts of faults. The key weakness is a proliferation of dumb and irrelevant sub-plots like the relationships of Tallis or Wyatt. It is well acted, with nice location shots, and a good build-up to the inevitable series of crises: the Great Matter; the fall of Wolsey, More, Anne, Cromwell and Norfolk; the split from Rome. Heads will roll and the audience gets to revel in the fun.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining
As the season opens, Henry VIII is bored with his wife and frustrated with his lack of a male heir. While satisfying his carnal desires elsewhere, he's also beset with political... Read more

Published on Mar 30 2010 by Kona

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Renaissance Soap Opera
The Tudors: The Complete First Season (Uncut Edition) [Blu-ray]
While not being completely historically accurate, the major players are authentic and if the whole is in the... Read more

Published on Mar 22 2010 by Marcia

5.0 out of 5 stars Great old fashioned drama!
Graet series if you like the old fashioned english drama with some history thrown in. Well acted.

Published on Jan 10 2010 by Paul Holscher

4.0 out of 5 stars OH, YOUR HIGHNESS!!!
I guess could say that "The Tudors" isn't much more than dumbed-down English history for the MTV generation. Read more

Published on Oct 10 2009 by B. C. Whitcomb

4.0 out of 5 stars THE TUDORS REVIEW
"The Tudors", season one was terrific, however it's too bad it did not have sub-titles for the hearing impaired. Read more

Published on Feb 9 2009 by Ernest R. Giardino

5.0 out of 5 stars Not Accurate but Inspiring
This series follows the life of Henry V111 and his court. We are drawn into the politics of the day as well as daily life at court. Read more

Published on Aug 3 2008 by Faith

5.0 out of 5 stars Blooper Reel Out of Sync
The reason the blooper reel is out of sync on some sets [and I happened to get one of these sets] is because, although the sound is there for it, an entire scene is missing... Read more

Published on July 19 2008 by Sandra Montgomery

5.0 out of 5 stars The Tudors
The Tudors history is something only vaguely cover in the history class. The work on this serie is impressive because it make something very distant becoming very close, you can... Read more

Published on Jan 12 2008 by Jesse Leveille

5.0 out of 5 stars A- for The Tudors
A- for "The Tudors: Season 1"

This show is a semi-historical depiction of Henry VIII's reign. Read more

Published on Jan 3 2008 by Zafri M.

5.0 out of 5 stars Une superbe évocation de l'Angleterre des Tudors
Cette série est une magnifique évocation de l'Angleterre du roi Henry VIII, malgré quelques libertés prises avec l'histoire (le personnage de Margaret,... Read more

Published on Dec 29 2007 by Jacques Vallee

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