# The Tudors (2007)

> A lusty young King Henry VIII navigates the dangerous intrigues of the English court and his own desires.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/2797

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 38
- Episode runtime: 55 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, history
- Created by: Michael Hirst
- Network: Showtime
- Cast: David Alpay, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Perdita Weeks, Sam Neill, Callum Blue, Henry Cavill, James Frain, Henry Czerny
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758790/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: sensual, opulent, paranoid, volatile, dramatic

## What critics say

Audiences rate The Tudors positively for its lavish period production and the charismatic lead performance, though viewers note its liberties with history.

## Synopsis

The Tudors (2007-2010) is a United States premium cable historical drama series created by Michael Hirst for Showtime. Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays the vigorous, lustful King Henry VIII, whose appetites and suspicions drive every crisis at the English court. Around him orbit Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn, Maria Doyle Kennedy as Catherine of Aragon, Sam Neill as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey and James Frain as Thomas Cromwell, each maneuvering for influence as the king's favor shifts. Across four seasons the engine is simple and relentless: a monarch who wants heirs, pleasure and total control, and courtiers who must read his moods to survive. Episodes are built around banquets, bedchambers, councils and plots, with sexual intrigue and sudden violence threaded through the power games. The mood is sumptuous and sensual, shadowed by paranoia and dread. Set in sixteenth century Tudor England, the story unfolds in palaces, castles and the streets of London. Fans of Rome, The Crown and Wolf Hall will find resonance in its lavish period staging and dynastic scheming. The series is a serialized, one continuing story across its seasons, and it wears its adult, provocative register openly.

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- [The Virgin Queen (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/12780)
- [The Borgias (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/30388)
- [The Pillars of the Earth (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/30578)
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- [Camelot (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/31253)
- [Borgia (2011)](https://ember.film/tv/31653)
- [Catherine the Great (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/66403)

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