October is here, it’s getting darker earlier, and we’re in desperate need of something to cure the seasonal blues. And what better way to feel better than to escape to an entirely different era? If you’ve already revisited Downton Abbey more times than you care to remember, we’ve found the ultimate replacement in The Tudors - a superbly cast period drama. The best part is you can start to binge all four series tonight.
The show, which debuted in 2007 and was shown on BBC2 in the UK, transports us to 16th-century England and places at the heart of the turbulent reign of King Henry VIII (played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers). The six-time Emmy award-winning drama became a huge hit when it premiered, and it’s easy to see why: it’s stylish, scandalous and breathes new life into one of history's most famous monarchs.
With the series available to stream tonight, here’s everything you need to know about The Tudors, including the cast, plot and how to watch it.
What is The Tudors about?
The show flips the familiar image of Henry VIII as an ageing and overweight ruler on its head, reimagining him as a young, handsome and charismatic leader. Across four series, it follows the notorious ruler (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) as he navigates shifting alliances across Europe, court conspiracies and his famously dramatic love life.
The first series centres on his marriage to Katherine of Aragon (Maria Doyle Kennedy), but as we know from the history books, Henry’s romances rarely end happily ever after. The King grows frustrated Katherine hasn’t given him a male heir and becomes infatuated with Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer). Alongside his advisor, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey (Sam Neill), he starts trying to secure an annulment so he can marry Anne, but when this fails, he starts to take more drastic measures.
The remaining series chart the rise and fall of Henry’s reign, and his marriages to Jane Seymour (Annabelle Wallis), Anne of Cleves (Joss Stone), Catherine Howard (Tamzin Merchant) and Catherine Parr (Joely Richardson). As Henry breaks from the Catholic Church, he faces rebellions at home, growing tensions across Europe and the consequences of his increasingly ruthless rule. But a reckoning is coming for King Henry and he must face his own mortality and brutal decisions.
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Jonathan Rhys Meyers previously opened up about bringing an element of superstardom to the role. "We put rock stars and movie stars up there and treat them like gods, and that's the way Henry was treated,” he told the BBC. “Wherever they are, that's where the party is."
"You don't cross the King, because even if he doesn't want to punish you, he has to because you made him look a fool and a king cannot look a fool," he added.
Who’s in the cast of The Tudors?
The cast of The Tudors includes:
- Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point, as pictured above in Dracula) as King Henry VIII
- Henry Cavill (The Witcher) as Charles Brandon
- James Frain (The Architect) as Thomas Cromwell
- Anthony Brophy (The Shore) as Ambassador Eustace Chapuys
- Sarah Bolger (The Westies) as Princess Mary Tudor
- Guy Carleton (Becoming Jane) as Chamberlain
- Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones) as Anne Boleyn
- Max Brown (Sister Boniface Mysteries) as Edward Seymour
- Nick Dunning (Quirke) as Thomas Boleyn
- Rod Hallett (The Silence) as Sir Richard Rich
- Maria Doyle Kennedy (Recipes for Love and Murder) as Catherine of Aragon
- Simon Ward (A Taste for Death) as Bishop Stephen Gardiner
- Jeremy Northam (Emma) as Sir Thomas More
- Pádraic Delaney (I Witness) as George Boleyn
- Jane Brennan (A Good Woman Is Hard to Find) as Lady Margaret Bryan
Is there a trailer for The Tudors?
Yes, you can watch the trailer for The Tudors below.
Is The Tudors any good?
Yes – if you love an addictive period drama, look no further than The Tudors. While we were all taught about Henry VIII's tempestuous reign at school, this stylish series breathes new life into the history books. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is magnetic as Henry VIII, somehow transforming one of history's most notorious monarchs into an unlikely heartthrob. Meanwhile, Natalie Dormer is fiery and alluring as Anne Boleyn, giving the much-maligned queen far more depth than the tired stereotype of a seductive temptress. If you love the lavish costumes and grand settings of Downton Abbey, but fancy some racier royal scandal (think Bridgerton), it's the perfect next binge.
How can I watch The Tudors?
The Tudors is available to stream now on Channel 4.
What other period dramas can I watch now?
For another spot of escapism, we’d suggest Anna Maxwell Martin’s South Riding. The drama centres around headmistress Sarah Burton (played by Anna) who returns to her Yorkshire hometown to run a local girls’ school in the 1930s. Expect political tensions, class divides and romance. You can watch South Riding now on Channel 4. For a period drama mixed with a murder mystery, try Death Comes To Pemberley. The series revisits Jane Austen’s classic Pride And Prejudice and adds in an Agatha Christie-esque mystery. Anna plays Elizabeth Bennet whose annual ball with husband Mr. Darcy (Matthew Rhys) turns into a whodunnit… You can watch Death Comes To Pemberley now on U.
