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THE TUDORS. USA opinions wanted.

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I didn't get round to catching it...and reading the Augusta's and Spittle's opinions it seems I ddin't miss much. I did see a rather funny review of the series courtesy of Charlie Brooker a few weeks ago as well.

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Not EVERYONE with ginger hair is ugly!!!

 

julianne Moore (Boogey Nights, Children of Men) is gorgeous!

 

And the actor who played one of the young officers on Band of Brothers was handsome enough.

 

My main argument would be that Henry VIII was HUGE and the guy on The Tudors is roughly the same size as Danny DeVito. When he wrestled the Frech King he was about 6 inch shorter. Which would have made the Gallic Royal about 7ft 3in tall.

 

Well, I won't say that I actually watch this load of tosh but they keep running the ads for it over what I am watching.

 

I only have one question - they are now up to Anne Bolyen and precisely what age is the actor playing Henry supposed to be?

 

According to my reference books he should be in his 40's! :D

 

Melvadius

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My main argument would be that Henry VIII was HUGE and the guy on The Tudors is roughly the same size as Danny DeVito. When he wrestled the Frech King he was about 6 inch shorter. Which would have made the Gallic Royal about 7ft 3in tall.

 

On this note, Spittle - I don't know if you have seen the suit of armour in the Tower of London that belonged to Henry? Although it is undoubtedly wide, it is not that long! Perhaps he wasn't so tall after all :D I remember being quite taken aback by it. They have it placed astride a horse and I was struck by how 'squat' it looks.

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Traffic Bollard Spoiler

 

I did attempt to watch an episode , but just drifted away from the screen (sober). I do not wish to spoil my Keith Michell inspired version of Good King Henry , its part of the cultural territory of my youth.Ive found myself in a similar quandry with Robin Hood (Prince of Modern Liberal Inclusivnesss) , who is forever Richard Greene. However , I was interested to see that viewers have noted the following inappropriate items on set : a modern concrete traffic bollard, victorian gates (near the Albert Hall exit of Hyde park ), and a splendid Tudor central heating radiator.

 

Henry's armour in the Tower is robust, in modern sporting terms one would suggest a hefty prop-forward from a Rugby team or perhaps one of your "Fullbacks" (large running back?) from The NFL.

http://www.burbage-jun.leics.sch.uk/HTML%2.../p95_armour.jpg

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On this note, Spittle - I don't know if you have seen the suit of armour in the Tower of London that belonged to Henry? Although it is undoubtedly wide, it is not that long! Perhaps he wasn't so tall after all

Perhaps they put it in the dryer?

 

29henryviiisarmorfe7.jpg

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My main argument would be that Henry VIII was HUGE and the guy on The Tudors is roughly the same size as Danny DeVito. When he wrestled the Frech King he was about 6 inch shorter. Which would have made the Gallic Royal about 7ft 3in tall.

 

On this note, Spittle - I don't know if you have seen the suit of armour in the Tower of London that belonged to Henry? Although it is undoubtedly wide, it is not that long! Perhaps he wasn't so tall after all ;) I remember being quite taken aback by it. They have it placed astride a horse and I was struck by how 'squat' it looks.

 

OK. I must find out just how tall Henry VIII was.

I was under the impression he was well over 6ft BUT I cannot remember why I think this so it could be wrong.

 

Nice washing instructions, G-Man!

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I saw my first episode of the Tudors last night. I Couldn't get to sleep, so I flicked through a few channels and came across it. The show wasn't as bad as I expected, but it wasn't terribly exciting either. Most of it seemed to revolve around Henry VIII sitting in a castle in seclusion, with demons and the devil haunting his dreams.

 

I don't know much about the Tudor period (other than the patchy stuff I learnt in school) so the historical errors didn't trouble me in the same way as the 2001 TV movie Attila did.

 

With my expectations lowered, I might watch another episode of this...but only if I come across it on air again.

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OK. I must find out just how tall Henry VIII was.

 

A Venetian diplomat named Pasqualigo in 1515 described the young (nearly 25-year-old) Henry VIII as being "the handsomest potentate I ever set eyes on; above the usual height, with an extremely fine calf to his leg, his complexion very fair and bright, auburn hair combed straight and short, in the French fashion, and a round face so very beautiful that it would become a pretty woman, his throat being rather long and thick..."

 

For those watching The Tudors, this website may enhance your viewing enjoyment (or, at any rate, point out glaring errors in the series' historical treatment of Henry and his contemporaries):

 

Primary Sources: Eyewitness Accounts of People and Events in Tudor England; Letters; Journals; etc.

 

-- Nephele

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Well, I spent 10 hours yesterday watching the DVD.

 

Having read a little on the history of the era, I realize now just how horribly inaccurate some of the details are.

 

But nonetheleess I greatly enjoyed the series, at least in relation to the 2nd season of Rome. Maybe it was the writing. Maybe it was Sam Niell's performance. Maybe it was the sets and costumes. Maybe it was a never ending series of beautiful and often naked females. Maybe it was the fact I don't internalize British history the way I do Roman. But I enjoyed myself. ;)

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I see no one has posted in a while, but here is my opinion:

I like the Tudor's. The first eposode I hated, but then I had to sit back and watch it for enjoyment. There were a few things that made me cringe, but I got through them.

I like the idea of showning Buckingham. Not too many people know about his claim to the throne. I love JN as Thomas More. He was amazying. Sam Neil was also good as Wolsey. I have imagined Wolsey as a "kisser upper" at the end. Henry was his life.

I wish more historical books and movies would stick to the descriptions of a person. Catherine of Aragon had arburn colored hair. But she is shone with black hair to tell the audience she is from Spain. In the PBS Henry VIII, Catherine did have aburn hair. It drives me crazy that in movies about Julius Caesar, they always have Julia with dark hair, she had the blonde hair of the women of the Julii.

Back to The Tudors. Anne Boylen had black hair and black eyes. I know someone mentioned that already. But it was one of the things that drove Henry wild. So different from his other wives. He liked blondes and light red hair. Even in Anne of the Thousand Days (the movie that started my study of history in 8the grade) Anne had brown hair. But GB played a wonderful Anne. To me, it was a wonderful movie and will always be my favoite.

It will be interesting to see how The Tudors will age Henry. I am looking forward to that. I think they are going to do two wives per season. Jane and Anne of Cleaves (who is suppose to be ugly). Then probably Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr.

It took me a few eposode to sit back and let my mine free, but I really do enjoy The Tudors.

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"It will be interesting to see how The Tudors will age Henry. "

 

The last scene of the last episode should tell us something. The way he was stuffing himself with that baked swan pie or whatever it was. Me thinks his girth will grow this season.

Edited by Crispina

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The 2nd season seems to have resolved a lot of the historical inaccuracies, and downplayed the sex scenes. I didn't enjoy it as much without Sam Niell's performance, but it was still entertaining.

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Anyone know if this show will be getting a third season?

 

If it does, then it's certainly more popular than Rome (the show it was probably trying to imitate). I've been thinking of buying this series for sometime now, as I constantly see the price dropping, but I've held back. Now with all the economic troubles going around it's certainly slipping further down my list of DVDs to buy.

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Yes, the third season is a go. It will focus on his 3rd and 4th wives.

 

Interesting - Thanks for the reply Ursus!

 

Have they already started filming, or is it still in the casting stage? Makes you think who'll they'll have to play Henry's other wives.

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