I've started watching two shows - The Tudors and Rome. I'm not too far into either of them yet, though. The best best best thing about these two shows is that Tudor England and the fall of the Roman Republic are my favourite periods in history!!
I'm watching the Tudors and I can't help but think how fantastically cast this show is. I mean, it's not just because Jonathan Rhys Meyers is *HOT* but that Sam Neil is a convincingly conniving cardnial and Jeremy Northam is a sweet naive Sir Thomas More (I already know what episode is going to make me cry) and I ADORE the actresses they've got for Anne Bolyn and Catherine of Aragon. Just fantastic!
(*rrrow!*)A few historical inaccuracies aside (Henry VIII's sister Margaret, for example, did not marry the King of Portugal, but rather the King of Scotland, and through her both Mary Queen of Scots and James VI had claim to the English throne - but they may throw that in later), the series follows things pretty well (oh, and Henry VIII had a son by Anne Bolyn's sister Mary, I think).
Rome, my other most favouritest period in history, has got these two centurions, who totally make the show:
And I *love* the kid they got to play young Octavius. He's too cute! I haven't been paying too close attention to the historical inaccuracies in this one (I'm trying to knit a scarf by next Thursday) but I'm sure there are a few in there.
So yeah. Good TV. Who'da thunk it?
4 comments:
Yeah, Margaret is an amalgamation of Henry's two sisters... one DID marry the King of Portugal, etc. etc. And apparently historians do not think that Mary Boleyn actually bore a child by Henry these days.
And enjoy cute Octavian whilst you may... older Octavian is Creepy with a capital C.
Nope, no sister of Henry VIII married the King of Portugal.
His elder sister Margaret married James IV of Scotland, and later Archibald Douglas, Earl of Angus.
His younger sister Mary married Louis XII of France and later Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.
What's kind of funny is that Mary Queen of Scots married Henry Stuart (Lord Darnley), both of whom had Margaret as a common grandmother.
Sorry, I forgot that they changed it to Portugal in the show... it was the king of France... he kicked it a few months after they married reportedly due to his exertions in the sack (and not a pillow to the face) and then did marry against Henry's will, etc etc.
So, I wonder how the heck they will explain Mary Queen of Scots??
Rome is pretty kick-ass (though I'm only 2 episodes into the second season). The kid playing Octavian is my favourite. He was also in the film "Master and Commander" playing the young officer who loses his arm at the beginning.
I'm not an expert on this era of Roman history, but they seem to be fairly accurate--they play around with some of the events, not changing history but not cleaving too closely to Shakespeare or Plutarch either. The series was actually filmed in Italy and most of the extras and minor characters are Italian actors.
Pullo and Vorenus are apparently named for two soldiers briefly mentioned in Caesar's Gallic Wars. Also, traditionally Atia had a reputation for being a morally upright Roman matrona, the paragon of virtue, and clearly the Atia in the series is about as far from that as you can get. Her character is far more entertaining because of it.
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