new series of The Tudors tonight 9pm.

[sallybowles]

Did anyone watch the last series? what did you think of Jonathan Rhys Mayers as Henry VIII? Is this a true depiction of the randy monarch....or do you have a different view as to what he was really like?

[tonymclark]

There is a fair bit of re-writing of history in The Tudors, little of it could be said to be true. I think they even amalgamated known people into one character and extended life-times of others.

[juliacornwal]

Well I'm going to be a kill-joy and say I thought the series was rubbish; an excuse for an endless sexual romp in funny costumes. I only watched a couple of episodes and I thought the depiction of Henry V111 was frightful; his age and size was all wrong as (according to history books) was his temperament and his potency!!!

Of course the fact is we don't know, but from what I've read about Henry in particular and Tudor times in general it was hopelessly historically inaccurate, but for those who find it hugely watchable tv, well good luck to them!

[sallybowles]

I agree with both of you. I always imagined, and from what we have seen of paintings and such, that Henry was much bigger in size and of course he had red hair.
But maybe it is because we don't actually know if some of the things are true, that this gives the script writers licence to put their view. Only small things I mean, like was Anne Boleyn really as vampish as they are making her out to be?

[tonymclark]

The image of Henry as a large size is indeed accurate of him in later life, but when he was young, he was a lot slimmer.

[sallybowles]

I just don't know what it is about this programme though. I find that I can't help but watch it!! whether it's all hokum or not..... maybe I just like watching endless sexual romps in funny clothes....lol.

[sallybowles]

not me wearing funny clothes....lol
now that would be a bit strange....

[Postdog]

That's not strange...................is it?

[sallybowles]

aahhhh....you've seen me in cabaret havn't you?

[sallybowles]

or do you mean you watch the tudors while wearing funny clothes....hhmmmm, well I would call it strange, yes.

[juliacornwal]

I know the pictures we see of Henry in later life are of a large man, but frankly in real terms this was 'later life'. He was married to Catherine of Arragon for 33 years, so by the time he was frolicking with Anne Boleyn he was no spring chicken.

And no, I've never thought Anne was particularly vampish. I think she might have been a touch shrewish, but she held out for marriage before sex, unlike her sister who tumbled into the sack with Henry as soon as she was asked.

Mind you, by then I think Catherine had become so holy that he rarely if ever got any leg-over with her, and Anne was undoubtedly young and pretty. Lord, wouldn't it be lovely to go back and be a fly on the wall, to find out what really happened between them all.

One thing for sure, I'm certain they did more than have sex - and you wouldn't have thought so at the beginning of this series. Dunno what it's like now because I simply don't watch it.

[sallybowles]

well I shall be tuning in for the first episode....then I'll make my mind up about whether to watch it again next week.

[MrsMoore]

The last series was totally historically incorrect. I wrote to the BBC and told them so but the reply I got was "the scriptwriters do not say it's historically correct". What really got me mad was: Henry VIII had two sisters, Margaret, and Mary. Margaret married the King of Scotland and Mary married 1 the King of France and 2 The Duke of Suffolk, whom she eloped with. They now have Margaret marrying the King of Portugal!!!!