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Joss Stone joining the cast of The Tudors

Joss StoneR&B singer Joss Stone is giving television acting a try. Stone is taking on the role of Anne of Cleves in season three of Showtime's The Tudors. Anne of Cleves was Henry VIII's fourth wife; the marriage was annulled after less than a year. The role is Stone's first significant part on a TV series. She previously appeared in an episode of American Dreams and in the film Eragon.

Fans of the singer will have to wait a while for Stone to turn up on the drama series. The third season begins with the king's marriage to Jane Seymour (played by Anita Briem), with Anne of Cleves coming into the picture later on.

Continue reading Joss Stone joining the cast of The Tudors

The Tudors: Episode 2-10 (season finale)

Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn
(S02E10) I'm just going to come out and say it. I really enjoyed the season finale of The Tudors. The wife-number-two storyline is all wrapped up. And now next season we'll move on to wife-number-three, Jane Seymour. I think I'm even more excited for next season because I know next to nothing about Henry's wives post Boleyn drama. I know many of you history buffs will disagree, saying that you'd rather they keep to the facts because Tudor history alone is interesting enough. I feel, at this point, I'd rather just watch the story --which is basically a primetime melodrama with corsets and crowns and public executions. So, I'm not as worried about accuracy. And by the way, public executions on Melrose Place would have been awesome.

But, enough about what's to be, let's talk about what happened tonight. My review of the season finale is after the jump.

Continue reading The Tudors: Episode 2-10 (season finale)

The Tudors: Episode 2-8

Anne Boleyn
(S02E08) Much to Anne's chagrin and Henry's delight, Jane Seymour joined the queen as the new lady-in-waiting. Henry, not as athletic and spry as he once was, was injured in a jousting match. Everyone scrambled to figure out who will succeed him if he does die. Pope Paul III decided to execute the Bull of Excommunication against the king. Jane Parker started planting her seeds of revenge against her husband. And Thomas Cromwell continued to do what he's done since the end of season one, play puppet master. (Okay, puppet master is harsh.)

What an episode! My review is after the jump.

Continue reading The Tudors: Episode 2-8

The Tudors: Episode 2-07

Mark Smeaton and Anne Boleyn (S02E07) I need to point something out first. When they show Jonathan Rhys Meyers in the opening credits, he stares into the camera and widens his eyes just a little bit at the last second. It's perfectly sexy and haunting and dangerous at the same time. I know some readers have commented that his portrayal of Henry is insufferable at times (too much screaming "I'm the king of England" and the like). But I think Rhys Meyers' Henry VIII balances a good amount of wanting to do the right thing (or at least feel like he's doing the right thing) with wanting to do exactly what he wants, because after all, he's king.

A review of tonight's The Tudors (not just the opening credits!) is after the jump.

Continue reading The Tudors: Episode 2-07

The Tudors: Episode 2-6

Thomas Cromwell is played by James Frain. (S02E06) "It's called a printing press, my lord. And it will change the world." --Thomas Cromwell to George Boleyn

Thomas Cromwell continues to wage war on the Catholic Church. Henry is haunted by the death of Thomas More. A paranoid Anne loses her grip on her husband's affections. The turbulent royal couple try to fix up baby Elizabeth with King Francis's youngest son. George Boleyn marries, much to his dismay and even more to the dismay of his new wife Jane (not to mention the dismay of George's lover Mark Smeaton).

Just another day in the life of a Tudor. A review of tonight's show is after the jump...

Continue reading The Tudors: Episode 2-6

The Tudors: Episode 2-5

James Frain, Henry Cavill and Jonathan Rhys Meyers
(S02E05) This was by far the heaviest episode of The Tudors I've seen. I'll get to my review of the heavier parts later. First, however, I think I'll begin with some of the lighter parts of the episode, all of which were provided by the Pope. I know I've said it before but Peter O'Toole is an invaluable addition to this show. All of his scenes were impeccable tonight (not really anything different from any other night). I think by far his best scene was after Michelangelo threw a tantrum and used foul language when one of his apprentices didn't paint Moses right. Also great but a little haunting was the pope's mention of Cardinal Fisher's martyrdom. He had this eerie expression on his face while he "lamented" that he would not be able to die for Christ like Fisher.

Read on after the jump for my full review of The Tudors...

Continue reading The Tudors: Episode 2-5

A royal decree for season 3 of The Tudors

Anita Briem will play Jane Seymour, Henry's third wifeThe Tudors just got picked up for a third season slated to air in 2009. Production will begin June 16th in Dublin, Ireland and Jonathan Rhys Meyers will star once again as Henry VIII. Season three will follow Henry as he weds Jane Seymour and then Anne of Cleves.

This really doesn't come as a surprise to me. The show, when it premiered in April 2006, garnered both a large audience and critical acclaim. In fact, the series and Rhys Meyers earned Golden Globe nominations. "The Tudors is now a fixture for us at Showtime and we're on our way to completing the entire saga of all six wives of Henry VIII," says President of Entertainment Robert Greenblatt. He goes on, "We are enormously proud of this show, the extraordinary cast, and the production team that recreates the grandeur of the Renaissance year in and year out. There is nothing like this anywhere on American television."

I only have one question, Is season three the season they will make Rhys Meyers wear a fat suit? I love the JRM but come on, he doesn't look one bit like the real-life portly king that changed the political and spiritual landscape of England.

The Tudors: Episode 2-4

Henry VIII
(S02E04) The 16th century soap opera continues... George Boleyn is having an affair with Mark Smeaton. Anne's pregnant again. Henry's on mistress number two to keep him company while the bun is in the oven. Henry passed a bill making him supreme ruler of everything. Lady Mary lost her title to a little baby named Elizabeth.Trouble is brewing overseas with the French king not recognized Anne as queen and the Spanish emperor planning Anne's assassination. Now, all we need is for someone to come back from the dead or have a sex change.

I can barely keep up with The Tudors. How about you? Let's talk about it after the jump...

Continue reading The Tudors: Episode 2-4

The Tudors: Episode 2-3

Jonathan Rhys Meyers in all his hotness. (S02E03) And to the right, my dear readers, is the main reason I watch The Tudors. Let's face it, if they hired an actor who actually resembled King Henry VIII, I don't think this show would be quite as popular. But shameless appreciation of Jonathon Rhys Meyer's hotness aside, I kind of like the show too. *wink*

Tonight's episode had some big plot progressions but in between was a lot of the same old stuff they've been using since the very beginning of the series. There was more Team Katharine (led by the Duke of Suffolk and loyal Catholic Thomas More) versus Team Anne (led by her family...oh, and the king). For a discussion of what happened tonight, read on after the jump.

Continue reading The Tudors: Episode 2-3

The Tudors: Episode 2-2

Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Natalie Dormer as King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
(S02E02) This week we see just how much Anne has beguiled Henry (some might even say, bewitched?). The gifts, the trip to France, the title--all tokens of his love and all signs of how narrow-minded he is about her. I think the gifts, while very special and expensive, are nothing compared to the trip to Calais and Henry's elevating Anne to Marquess of Pembroke. Those two things show, more than anything else, that Henry is indeed serious about divorcing Queen Katharine and marrying Anne Boleyn.

Continue reading The Tudors: Episode 2-2

The Tudors: Episode 2-1 (season premiere)

Jonathan Rhys Meyers is Henry VIII(S02E01) The Tudors is back. And in true Tudor style, it's back with a vengeance. Last year in the season finale we left Henry on the brink of a climax. And I would say no pun intended, but if you saw the season finale, you know that pun was definitely intended.

A lot was set in motion with the premiere of The Tudors. The ambitious Boleyns will rise even higher in the king's esteem this season. However, if you know your history, you'll know that we will watch their bloody fall from grace too. Henry and Anne's fiery relationship will deteriorate. And influence of Protestantism will continue to surge, while Catholicism in Britain will collapse almost entirely.

Continue reading The Tudors: Episode 2-1 (season premiere)

The Tudors: The Complete First Season - DVD Review

Tudors Complete First Season DVDPeriod television is hard to keep on the air these days, regardless of quality or ratings. And it always seems to come down to one thing...cost. After losing Deadwood, Carnivale and Rome before their time, it was with trepidation that I took a look at The Tudors. Showtime has touted The Tudors as the most expensive production they've ever undertaken. Looking at the extras on The Complete First Season DVD set would seem to back this up, and it certainly shows in the beauty of the sets and costuming on display on the screen. It's been renewed for a second season, but how long will Showtime be willing to pay for it? They did seem to save some money on the editor for the packaging of the DVD set, since she/he didn't seem to know which episodes were on which disc.

Continue reading The Tudors: The Complete First Season - DVD Review

Golden Globe nominee highlights

Jonathan Rhys MeyersOver at AOL TV, they put together a gallery of all the Golden Globe nominees. I like the way they organized it too. Instead of going by award category, they listed by show, film or actor / actress and said what it / he / she was nominated for. And any gallery that contains a picture of Jonathan Rhys Meyers is a good gallery in my book. I have a not-so-secret crush on him.

They also have a gallery of television's surprises and snubs. The number-one snub by the Golden Globes? The Sopranos. Do award shows love to hate The Sopranos? (They didn't used to if I remember correctly.) Among the actors snubbed was James Spader of Boston Legal. But he has an Emmy (or several Emmys) already, so I'm not too defensive about that one. My favorite surprises? Pushing Daisies and its stars: Lee Pace and Anna Friel. They are my new favorite quirky television couple.

Who or what would you have liked to see nominated by the Globes?

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