The Tudors

[Duxxy]

Yay! I am so nerdily happy that this show is coming back. Goodness knows they have enough material to work with! This show could easily cover 50 years!

sidenote: I'm going to see The Other Boleyn Girl in theaters this week. The Tudors are just facinating, as were their French counterparts; Francois I and Henri II.

[Google]

 

[pakacat]

So glad it is coming back!

Originally Posted by brunette trixie

Just a little historical fact I was ignorant of until last week. Did you know Catherine (Henry's first wife) waited 7 years in England to marry Henry after her first husband Prince Arthur died?

And she suffered quite a bit during the time... Henry VII was a tightwad, and Catherine was reduced to selling most of her possessions; she couldn't even pay the members of her household. His not wanting to give up her dowry led to the betrothal to the future Henry VIII, but he also had him repudiate it later.

For any here interested in the story of Anne, check out The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives. More in-depth than almost anything out there I've read, and aside from a slight bias in favor of Anne and being a little hard to follow at times, no real flaws.

[GingerLVNV]

yaaaay! I'm thrilled its coming back! I haven't seen the Other Boelyn girl yet, but its on my list!

I'm fascinated by her. I even have a countdown clock going for when it comes back!!!

[Duxxy]

YAY!! Tomorrow is the day.

Regarding Henry: The Tudors Second-season Preview

King Henry VIII is all grown up and has politics — and sex — on his mind. In the second season of Showtime's bodice ripper The Tudors, Jonathan Rhys Meyers relates to the monarch's new maturity. "I like growing older," he muses, sitting in his trailer at Dublin's Ard­more Studios, puffing on a Marlboro Light. "I just turned 30, and it does inform the way I play Henry, who is much more mature and less erratic. I've changed over the past year."

Ask him how, and the angry young man reemerges: "It's none of your business." True, Rhys Meyers had a rough 12 months, including a drunken brush with authorities at the Dublin airport, days before the death of his mother. And The Tudors shot 10 episodes over 102 grueling 12-hour days during a summer of torrential rain. It's enough to try the patience of a king.

Henry faces his own set of new challenges. "In the last season, Henry was a young boy who falls in love for the first time and dabbles in poli­tics. We left things on the edge of the abyss," creator Michael Hirst explains. "Season 2 jumps into it with the Reformation — the most impor­tant single decade in English history."

Spanning 1530 to 1536, Season 2 focuses on Henry's battle of wills with Pope Paul III (Peter O'Toole). "The pope established the fortunes of his Farnese family by stealing golden objects from St. Peter's and smelting them down," Hirst says. "He also thought it might be a good idea to 'remove' Anne Boleyn if she caused trouble."

Hirst describes Henry and Pope Paul III as "rivals, enemies and power brokers." Yet they never met. "It's war… but at a distance." Across town from the studio, O'Toole sits serenely on a bar stool in a church, having just delivered a scene entirely in Latin (for which he received a standing ovation from the cast and crew). "I have to be honest; I hadn't heard of The Tudors when I was sent the script," O'Toole says. "But I was amused by it, and so here I am. I'm very much enjoying playing the pope. Not least, I'm enjoying the fact that people bow, and kiss my ring."

If Henry finds the pope strong-willed, that's nothing compared to his new wife, Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer). The connection between Rhys Meyers and Dormer still sizzles. "When you shoot such a lengthy series, relationships become established, and there's genuine respect and tenderness between actors that is not dis­similar to a married couple," Dormer says. "There is a natural chemistry between Jonathan and me, and Jonathan is a true gentleman."

The same can't be said for King Henry, who starts to stray (with Anne's lady-in-waiting, Jane Seymour, for one, played by Anita Briem) almost as soon as he marries Anne. Dormer says Anne's troubles may earn viewers' sympathy: "She be­comes a wife and a mother. And she goes from having been the other woman to finding herself at the other point of the triangle."

The season will follow Anne's story to its conclusion, which makes it darker than the first. "It's more about conspiracy and, ultimately, mur­der," Hirst says, adding that the day before, they filmed a man being boiled in hot oil. "There are not a whole lot of belly laughs in this series."

Even so, Rhys Meyers is in it for the long haul, provided the series continues. "I can't really evolve from The Tudors," he says. "It's very hard to better it." Long live the king!

That's great!! I can't wait to see Anne melt down. I wonder if they will show the alleged relationship with her brother.

[pakacat]

First two episodes of the new season were very good. Finally introduced Cramner, and brought Chapuys right back. Looks to be an interesting season! Now we know they are going to go to the death of Anne; wonder if they will go further.

[ButterflyFaery]

Originally Posted by pakacat

First two episodes of the new season were very good. Finally introduced Cramner, and brought Chapuys right back. Looks to be an interesting season! Now we know they are going to go to the death of Anne; wonder if they will go further.

I wondered that myself....would they carry it through to Elizabeth I or what...I don't know how things work on showtime if it involves that famous RATINGS system so many of our other shows are judged by

[FireWoman]

I was rather shocked that they did 9 months in one show... i wanted a bit more dragged out. No mention of Jane Seymore yet either.. its about time to do that, or at least with in the next year (real time lol)

[pakacat]

I agree, I'm surprised they put so much into one show.

And while I understand the creation of an assassination subplot for more drama, William Brereton of all people? From all I know, he was simply one of the "clique" of men that fawned on her to up his own stock at court, and lost his head for it; there are others they could have put in that role that had real animosity towards her.

Other than a few gripes like that, like this season more than last, so far. Though they are obviously not concerned with strict accuracy of couse, they do seem to be using more real quotes and incidents. JRM looks a little more comfortable in his role now, though I still think the guy they had playing Buckingham would have been better. It is the actors playing some of the more minor roles in this that really shine.

[ButterflyFaery]

Someone tell me how to get a hold of Showtime...grrrrrrrrrr its Sunday Morning and next weeks episode is NOT on the "on demand"...its always on a week early...I get up on Sunday mornings just waiting to watch The Tudors..grrrrrrrrrr..they done messed up my entire day

[ButterflyFaery]

Well episode 2.5 finally showed up on the showtime on demand today..NO..I won't spoil it for those that won't see it til this coming Sunday...I will just tell you that was one of the BEST episodes of the entire series and one of the most heart-wrenching