I’ve been inundated with emails from British fans of “The Tudors” asking me if I know why “The Tudors” was not on tomorrow and when it would be coming back on. Fear not, my friends, Anne Boleyn Files visitor Lyn Bloom found out the following information which is now on the BBC FAQ page:-
“The next episode of The Tudors will be broadcast on BBC Two on Saturday 12 March 2011 at 22.45.
The reason for this break in the series is that Saturday 5 March 2011 is World Book Night, the biggest ever book giveaway. In partnership with World Book Night BBC Two will dedicate an evening of programmes to books.
It would have been too late to air the Tudors afterwards and it was decided that the best option was to take a break for a week. We try not to break runs where possible but with a long series like The Tudors, unfortunately there will sometimes be date sensitive commitments that force a break in the run, such as World Book Night.”
So, it’s all to do with World Book Night, and being a complete bookworm I think I can forgive the BBC just this once. Roll on next Saturday night and also the release of “The Tudors” Season 4 on DVD – click here for details.
Great news! I’ve also noticed that British fans can also pre-order “The Tudors” Season 1-4 Complete box set at Amazon – click here – it comes out on the 21st March so not long to wait now.
By the way, have any of you Brits seen Natalie Dormer in “Silk”? If so, what did you think?
Also, another question. Do you think that “The Tudors” can be forgiven for its historical inaccuracies because of the fact that it has encouraged people to take an interest in Henry VIII and his wives?
Let me know your thoughts!
I watched the first episode of Silk and Natalie was only in it briefly but the series itself is very interesting. Not quite sure why but I just cant seem to seperate her from her role as Anne x
She had a much bigger part in episode 2 but I know what you mean about Natalie always being Anne!
Would you mind expanding on what World Book Night is for this American?
See http://www.worldbooknight.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=82. One million books are being given out in the UK and Ireland to celebrate World Book Day. 20, 000 ‘givers’ are giving out copies of 25 titles which include C J Sansom’s Dissolution (see http://www.worldbooknight.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=35&Itemid=130 for the full list) and also World Book Night are giving books to institutions such as prisons and hospitals. It is a celebration of literature and a way to encourage reading and a love of books.
I can certainly forgive The Tudors for its historical inaccuracies. I live in the States and I didn’t know much about the Tudors beyond the song Patrick Swayze sings to Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost. Henry the Eighth I Am..second verse same as the first! And while I’m in a forgiving mood I must forgive the series for the added sexiness. I was channel flipping during the fourth season and hit Showtime during a scene between Henry and Katherine Howard and thought “hmmm…what’s this?” I’ve been hooked ever since and have done a lot of reading to educate myself with historically accurate info.
Thank you Claire for the info on World Book Night. What an awesome program.
I’m not sure whether they still do it but when my kids were at school in the UK they used to give out coupons for the kids to use on a book and then the school would have a book fair where the kids could use their coupons. It’s a great idea.
Indeed! 🙂
I’m sorry, but I hate The Tudors. Its inaccuracies irritate the heck out of me and they mislead viewers. Previous series, admittedly made decades ago, were far better and I was hoping for something meatier, well-researched and less trashy. Don’t like any of the actors who don’t fit at all with the wives I have read about. I don’t know what the producers were trying to achieve.
Having said all that I still watch it, if only to rage and mutter! The best thing about it is the theme music….
I still hope for someone to make a definitive Life of Anne Boleyn , researching as many primary sources as possible, but it’s probably not going to happen:(
I have never heard of the show Silk before. Mhmm. I have never seen that actress in anything other that The Tudors well at least not until after The Tudors was filmed, done and aired that is. 🙂
Is she actually related to Jane Dormer, Elizabeth I’s Lady-In-Waiting hence the same surname?! I wonder. 🙂
Yes. Funny fact. Natalie Dormer is indeed related to Jane Dormer.
I have to agree with Shanna. Silk is very interesting. And though Natalie Dormer only has a supporting role, I think she is great!!
I am really disappointed that The Tudors is not on tonight., I love the programme and look forward to it coming on. I am also annoyed by the fact that it is on so late each Saturday – the time seems to get later and later. I will stay up to watch how ever late it is on though. Thanks for finding out it is back next week Claire.
“Do you think that “The Tudors” can be forgiven for its historical inaccuracies because of the fact that it has encouraged people to take an interest in Henry VIII and his wives?”
No, but I think it can be forgiven because it pulls out great performances, slick writing, and a whole host of characters who grow and develop and we can identify with and even come to understand or like even when they’re not very nice characters (Cromwell, when we see in Season 3 that he’s actually a family man. Surrey in Season 4 when he recites his poem “The Quiet Mind”). So I forgive the Tudors for another reason. If The Tudors had been riddled with inaccuracies AND it had been a mess in terms of acting, plot and the rest than it would have just been a shambles. Despite the history being played fast and loose, everything else is pretty tight and it’s well made and in places thoroughly enjoyable. I can forgive historical fiction books that get the history wrong IF they’re very well written, but if they’re badly written and they get the history wrong then it’s just a big mess. Same principle here; I can forgive The Tudors the inaccuracies because it does everything else so well.
i willingly forgive the inaccuracies, cause they made me go online and search for the serious info, i found many great websites about english and european history, it led me to new books i`ve read during last years. on the other hand….there are people, who just watch the shows or movies and are not interested in some deeper knowledge about what has really happened and such people are able to argue with me, that it is sure that Mary Boleyn`s kids were fathered by Henry – they insisted on it because they`ve seen The other Boleyn girl….but that`s ok, those people are not interested in history and so they have nothing to offer to me.
I think the Tudors can, in some way be forgiven for certain innaccuracies, I can sort of understand killing off Henry Fitzroy, as he would have been and extra character to keep around, it sort of tied things up a bit. However there are others that did not need to happen, such as that Henry had two sisters, not one, they did not need to show Margret as she was in Scotland at the time, however they did not need to meld the two sisters and rename Mary.
Other than those few and perhaps a slight miscasting of Johnathan Rhys Meyers as Henry, he is by no means imposing enough for the role, the show is good. Although having called it the Tudors, I feel they should have included the whole 118 years of history, perhaps starting with the battle of Bosworth and taking it right through to the end of Elizabeth.
I have to go down as one of the not-forgivers. No production purporting to be even half way historical can be forgiven for such distortions. The casting , the conflation of characters,the gross anachronismms of dress and behaviours….words fail me.
Partly also, I can’t forgive them because the actual historical times and actions and outcomes were at least, if not more, amazing than those depicted, so why on earth make up new ones .
Proabably worst of all to an English person, there are those who may believe this is actual real factual English history.
In my opinion “The Tudors” can be forgiven for its historical inaccuracies.
First of all, the first aim of the rates were high viewing figures and public entertainment. It is not a historical documentary that wants to present the historical facts as they were and inform the public about the truth of the story, but an entertaining series that uses the history and the interest around Henry’s VIII life, adding to it a lot of essential information, to attract more followers…
Futhermore, it is difficult to present the entire real story because they would have to do research on the topic, and that needs time, toil and knowledge… and consequently money.
We do not must consider “The Tudors” as a historical documentary, so we can not blame them for historical inaccuracies. It all has to do with entertainment and not history mainly due.