The Tudors

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Has anyone watched this TV series about English King Henry VIII? It consists of 4 seasons showing his reign and his six wives.

I find it absurd that they make Henry VIII into some blond Adonis type.

He actually had red hair. He became quite fat during the 1530's.

For reference, you should see the famous painting of him by Hans Holbein.

I guess they had to use poetic license.

For a really good series about Henry VIII, try to obtain "The Six Wives of Henry VIII," which was first televised around 1970.

I vaguely remember The Tudors airing on BBC Two several years ago but it wasn't very well recieved - a lot of people cited major historical inaccuracies, not least Henry VIII's appearance but notable historical figures either heavily altered (Henry's first natural son Henry Fitzroy didn't die in childhood like in the TV show but actually lived long enough to marry the Duke of Norfolk's daughter and later bear witness to Anne Boyeln's execution) or completely written out (i.e. Henry VIII's two sisters Margaret and Mary Tudor). Also, events were majorly sped up so according to the TV series, Henry went through his wives in under a half-decade.

I guess the criticisms were such that the BBC quietly decided to end showing The Tudors after two seasons. But it turns out there are actually four seasons altogether. More recently, The White Queen (a BBC-funded production based on some novels set around The War of The Roses) suffered the same fate after just one series.

Yup. I was watching it as it was being newly released each week years ago.

Historically, factually incorrect in a number of irritating places. But the actor who played the kings friend (Henry Cavill - lovely to look at) and the actor who played his 'teaher' (James Frain - good actor) kept me watching.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers I liked him in August Rush but I think Eric Bana made a far better King Henry.