THE TUDORS has enjoyed a dedicated audience since it first impressive Season I and now the final season IV is over: there will be a void on Sunday evenings, but it seems the promise of a series on the BORGIAS will step into that slot next season. For those of us who enjoy historical drama (whether fictionalized to enhance the drama or not) this view of the beginning of the Tudor reign in England was a satisfying treat - visually and dramatically. Yes, there were errors of omission and commission and some jumbling of times and incidents, added characters and subtracted or mutated characters, but the spectacle won us over. Probably some of the finest set dressing and costuming ever assembled for a huge cast kept the eye entertained while the quality of acting included some of the more important actors of the day along with introducing some fresh and exciting faces: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, James Frain, Sarah Bolger, Natalie Dormer, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Jeremy Northam, Sam Neill, Hans Matheson, Henry Czerny, Peter O'Toole, Joely Richaradson, Max von Sydow, Joss Stone, Gabrielle Anwar, David O'Hara and on and on.
What may have been lacking in verisimilitude was compensated by a richly dramatic portrayal of one of the most fascinating royal families ever. Michael Hirst wrote all 38 episodes, no minor feat! The cinematography was superb and the running themes by composer Trevor Morris kept the series connected. Let's hope the next series will be as rewarding!
Grady Harp
What may have been lacking in verisimilitude was compensated by a richly dramatic portrayal of one of the most fascinating royal families ever. Michael Hirst wrote all 38 episodes, no minor feat! The cinematography was superb and the running themes by composer Trevor Morris kept the series connected. Let's hope the next series will be as rewarding!
Grady Harp