The Tudors - The Complete Series [Blu-ray]

THIS DRAMA IS ABOUT KING HENRY VIII (28TH JUNE 1491-28TH JANUARY 1547), HIS WIVES, AND HIS RELIGIOUS AND POLITICAL AMBITIONS DURING HIS REIGN IN ENGLAND.AS WRITER AND DIRECTOR MICHAEL HIRST PUT IT, " I WANT MY AUDIENCE TO ASSOCIATE KING HENRY VIII WITH FLESH AND BLOOD". YES HE HAD BEEN CRITICISED FOR BEING HISTORICALLY INACCURATE, BUT I BELIEVE THAT HE WAS TRYING TO FILL UP THE GAPS WHICH MIGHT HAD BEEN LEFT UNTOLD, FOR EXAMPLE KING HENRY VIII'S FINAL YEARS OF REGRET AND EMOTIONS BEFORE HIS EVENTUAL DEATH. CERTAINLY KING HENRY VIII, LIKE ANY OTHER ORDINARY HUMAN BEING, WOULD ALSO HAVE FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS DURING HIS REIGN AS KING, ALTHOUGH SUCH THINGS WILL NEVER BE DEPICTED IN HISTORY TEXTBOOKS.JONATHAN RHY MEYERS WAS SUPERBLY ENGAGING IN HIS PORTRAYAL OF HENRY VIII ALTHOUGH THE CHARACTER, TRUE TO ITS ACCURACY, COULD BE SLIGHTLY EMBELLISHED. BUT THAT DOES NOT DETRACT VERY MUCH FROM ITS TRUE AND RUTHLESS NATURE OF HENRY VIII. INDEED IT IS HENRY VIII MINUS HIS WHISKERS AND BEARD:- A REFRESHINGLY ORIGINAL HENRY VIII LOOKING MORE ALTHETIC AND SEXY AS EVER.NATALIE DORMER IS IRRESISTIBLE AS EVER AS THE SULTRY AND SEXY ANNE BOLEYN, DEPICTING THE LUSTFUL COQUETTISH LOVE INTEREST FOR HENRY VIII WITH ACCURACY.OF COURSE, ALL EPISODES ARE SUPERBLY ENGAGING TO WATCH WITH WELL SELECTED CASTS FOR EACH AND EVERY ROLE.SAM NEIL AS THE CARDINAL OF ENGLAND IS AS DEVIOUS AS EVER BUT FEARFUL AS WELL FOR THE KING AS HE TRIES TO SECURE AN IMPENDING DIVORCE FROM ROME FOR HENRY VIII. WHILE JEREMY NORTHAM AS THOMAS COMES CLOSE TO ADVISING THE KING PRIVATELY ON HIS POLITICAL MATTERS IN SOME RESPECT, LATER ON HE SEEMS TO HAVE HIS PRIVATE AGENDA. EVENTUALLY HE SUFFERED FROM HIS OWN DOWNFALL FOR PLOTTING AGAINST THE KING.THERE ARE NUMEROUS SEX SCENES THAT ARE ALMOST GRAPHICALLY DEPICTED WHICH ARE VERY INTERESTING TO WATCH.PRODUCED BY SONY PICTURES, THE PICTURE IS DIGITALLY WELL MASTERED, ITS QUALITY IS EXCELLENT, OF HIGH RESOLUTION, WITH DEEP COLOUR SATURATION TO SATISFY ONE'S VIEWING SENSES. THE SKIN TONES ARE ACCURATELY DEPICTED AS ARE THE BEAUTIFUL COLOUR TONES OF THE BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES OF ENGLAND. I VIEW THE SERIES WITH SONY BDP S 590 AND S 4100 BLU RAY PLAYERS, AND BOTH PLAYERS RUN THE SERIES SMOOTHLY WHEN VIEWED ON THE SONY KV 32 INCH EX710. EVEN THE PANASONIC BLU RAY PLAYER BD75 IS NOT TO BE LEFT BEHIND AND DISMISSED AS IT GIVES EXCELLENT COLOUR DEFINITION AND CONTRAST. THE BLU RAY PLAYER BD 75 IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DEEP BLACKS AND SOME UNIQUE TEXTURE WHEN VIEWED ON THIS SONY KV LED TV.THE SERIES, WHICH COMES WITH ATTRACTIVE SPECIAL FEATURES ON THE MAKING OF THE FILM, IS VERY MUCH HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THE HISTORY OF KING HENRY VIII.JONATHAN RHY MEYERS IS INDEED THE FINEST IF NOT THE COMPLETE DEFINITIVE ♔ KING HENRY VIII IN HIS POTRAYAL OF THE KING HIMSELF.TOP MARKS FOR THE DIRECTOR MICHAEL HIRST FOR BRINGING KING HENRY VIII TO LIFE!!! THERE IS NEVER ONE MOMENT OF BOREDOM IN WATCHING THIS ENGAGING SERIES. 5 STARS!!! A SERIES WORTH BUYING IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THE HISTORY OF KING HENRY VIII.

The first thing that has to be said is do NOT expect this series to be historically accurate. 'The Tudors' uses facts to make an outline of the story, and then uses poetic license and fiction to fill the middle. Yes, we know that Henry VIII did not look like Jonathan Rhys Meyers, yes we know that Wolsey did not kill himself, and YES WE KNOW that many aspects of this series is either mere speculation or a complete diversion from historical fact. But does that make this a bad series? Not for me atleast.Having Meyers play Henry VIII was clearly to make this series 'sexy'. I doubt that the series would have had the same appeal, if they had used a man who looked like Holbeins portraits of Henry VIII, especially in say, the risque sex scenes that this series is famous for. And it can't be denied that Meyers is a good actor, despite the slight hint of an Irish accent in series 4 especiallyThe series starts with Henry VIII's failing marriage to Catherine of Aragon who failed to provide a male heir, and follows his 6 marriages, ending with him looking at his portrait and then his death (well, we assume).As a brief summary, Series 1 focuses on the kings lust for Anne Boleyn and a divorce from Catherine of Aragon.series 2 shows Anne becoming established as his wife and queen, the birth of Elizabeth, and then ending with fall and execution.Series 3 shows his 3rd wife and the birth of his son Edward, as well as her death and then his fourth marriage to Anne of Cleaves.Series 4 is the later part of the kings life and his final two wives, Catherine Howard and her adultery and execution, and the final wife Catherine Parr.And amid Henry VIII's lovelife, we also see the reformation and the various struggles with this, as well as many other events that happened in this turbulent period. It is a pity that they didn't continue with the other tudors- Henry VII's children; the boy king Edward, Bloody Mary, and of course, Elizabeth I.One thing I must say is this series is not for the overly sqeamish or children. There are sex scenes and some nudity (which I don't mind although some may view them as unnecessary or take offence) as well as violence. The 'worst' episodes for me would be the fall of Anne Boleyn, with the torture of Smeaton and the exuecutions of her 'lovers' being particularly hard to watch. Aside from this there are various executions, behadings and a 'hung drawn and quartered scene' in series 4, and I have to say the torturing of Anne Askew is uncomfortable viewing. Although it is realistic of the period, seeing this once was enough and I fast foward them.Even though this plays with the history, it is one of my favourite dramas. Give it a go

The five star mostly comes from the series being complete and me finding it for a good price. There are some drawbacks: notably, there’s no subtitle option. The loss of this is felt. Also, only a few episodes to a disc. It’s weird, but I don’t remember navigating DVDs feeling so archaic. Nostalgic, yes. Convenient, not so much.But since The Tudors is no longer available for free on prime (ugh), and I’m planning a D&D campaign set in Tudor England that requires me to reference this show frequently, I was happy to pick this up for the price I found. Buy physical media, people. It’s a little annoying, but you’ll be glad you did later.

Très bien

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This series is brilliant I am only part way through it but I am enjoying every minute. What can I say but you have to watch this.... I be surprised if viewers did not enjoy this series.

The complete Series "The Tudors" was a great enjoyment. It was all I ever expected and then some. I now watching again with my grandchildren,and I hope that they will as much find in a time of history that I enjoyed and loved so much. It seems you are "living that time" with all the goodand bad and with enormous learning of a time long gone. I highly commend seeing it all - it is wonderful.