Anybody else catch the first episode yet? I don’t think it has officially premiered, but it’s available on Showtime On Demand in my area. I watched the first episode last night and was quite pleased: It has loads of palace intrigue, international diplomacy and espionage, jousting, and a near Rome level of hot sex.
Can’t wait for episode 2!
I plan on catching it online later today, though I have to admit that I probably wouldn’t have bothered if it weren’t for the promise of lots and lots of JRM sex involving elaborate period piece costumes. Yeah, I have my shallow moments. I’m hoping that it holds my less prurient interest as well.
Oddly enough I recently noticed that this available on Netflix’ Watch Now service. Thanks for the tip that it may be worth while. I’d be interested in anyone else’s impressions.
Haven’t seen Rome but from what I hear The Tudors doesn’t have anything approaching that level of sex. I watched the first two episodes on demand over the last couple of days. No actual JRM goodies yet unfortunately (close but no, er, cigar, as it were), but otherwise full of yummy deliciousness.
My knowledge of the period comes almost entirely from historical dramas so I’m enjoying comparing the various portrayals. Anne Bolyn is quite the little minx so far, much moreso than Genvieve Bujold in Anne of the Thousand Days.
Does anyone have a link to the Act of Parliament that says that no British historical drama gets made without Sam Neill being in it?
I started to watch the first episode last night on DirecTV’s channel 101, where they show free previews. It started with a “disclaimer” that it had been edited, so I stopped watching after a few minutes. I liked the little bit I saw – especially Norfolk (or was it Buckingham?) disagreeing with Henry. The looks on their faces were great. “Oops! He’s the king.” “Hey! I’m the king!”
I’m a little disappointed that the free preview isn’t the entire episode. I don’t know why they’d edit it, or what they’d edit out.
From what I saw of the preview, it appeared that the editing involved covering up nipples and perhaps cutting out some of the sex. Which made it seem all the more dirty to me. “Buy Showtime, see more naked people!”
When I first heard they were doing the series I was pretty excited. Some of the previews have me wondering though. In the previews the director/producer keeps saying that Henry VIII was like a “rock star” and in an interview Jonathan Rhys Meyers said something about Henry VIII doing what he had to do. He almost seemed to be defending him. I wonder how accurate the series will be.