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Showtime’s version of history comes to an end with the series finale of “The Tudors” this coming Sunday night at 9 p.m. Eastern. Interestingly as it is Father’s Day here in the States, and Henry VIII was most obsessive about becoming a father. Of boys, naturally, but the girls came in handy too down the road, didn’t they?
The show has received its fair share of criticism. Overly-lush costumes, gratuitous sex, women who could star in a Nair commercial, queens who look like Barbie, and of course some liberties with historical events (not to mention the ageing process).
I do love, though, that the show surely sparked an interest in the era for some of us who didn’t give a toss previously, or who may have only had a passing interest and are now hooked. And for those of us who have passed many an evening engrossed in an Alison Weir or David Starkey tome, hearing some speeches verbatim or watching scenes played out as they were indeed recorded by observers was quite a thrill!
If you are looking for posts that do reference the show, JRM chats with Martha Stewart about his role here, Natalie Dormer tours Tudor goodies at the British Library here, there are ideas for a “Tudors”-themed par-tay right here, and a post on why our hearts can’t go on after the current season right this way.
Although we say goodbye to the pop culture phenom in just a few days, iTunes and Amazon ensure that we can watch Henry and Anne’s love romps and Cromwell’s execution as often as we like. The Tudor Tutor, however, will still be right here. This blog didn’t begin as a result of the series, and it won’t end when the series ends. I’ll still be doling out cheek on the dynasty, as always in an effort to entertain as well as inform. Stay tuned!
Despite its flaws and over-emphasis on sex and playing loose with the time-line, this series treated a serious and important moral and cultural issue, namely the role of faith and church in modern society. None of the other treatments of this period that I have seen (the 6 Wives, The Private Life of Henry VIII, Anne of 100 Days, Lady Jane) addressed this issue with any seriousness or sense of its importance. I regret that the series is not extended through the reign of the succeeding Tudors (Edward, Jane, Mary and Elizabeth), exploring the continuous development of the Protestant Reformation and its mpact on the Church of England and on Western culture en masse. It seems to me, that this great theme even extends through the succeeding dynasty and believe it would be fascinating to see a series called “The Stuarts” continue the story. Is there anyone out there with the vision and means to make this happen? I hope so!