THE TUDORS

The Tudors is a Canadian/Irish produced historical fiction television series created by Michael Hirst produced for Showtime. The series, named after the Tudor dynasty, is loosely based upon the reign of King Henry VIII of England.^[1][2]
The series has been produced by Peace Arch Entertainment for Showtime in association with Reveille Productions, Working Title Television, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and was filmed in Ireland. The first two episodes debuted on DirecTV, Time Warner Cable OnDemand, Netflix, Verizon FiOS On Demand, Internet Movie Database and on the series' website before the official series premiere on Showtime. The Tudors' premiere on 1 April 2007 was the highest rated Showtime series in three years.^[3] In April 2007, the show was renewed for a second season,^[3] and in that month the BBC announced it had acquired exclusive United Kingdom broadcast rights for the series, which it started to broadcast on 5 October 2007. Canada's CBC had begun broadcasting the show on 2 October 2007.^[4]
Season Two debuted on Showtime on 30 March 2008, and on BBC 2 on 1 August 2008. Production on Season Three began on 16 June 2008 in Bray, County Wicklow Ireland,^[5][6] and that season premiered on Showtime on 5 April 2009 and debuted in Canada on CBC on 30 September 2009. The day after broadcast, downloadable episodes debuted in Canada on MoboVivo.^[7]
Showtime announced on 13 April 2009 that it had renewed the show for a fourth and final season. The network ordered 10 episodes that began airing on 11 April 2010.^[8][9] The series finale was broadcast on 20 June 2010. The final season was shown in Canada on CBC starting 22 September 2010 and ending on 23 November 2010.
International distribution rights are owned by Sony Pictures Television International.
The series has been produced by Peace Arch Entertainment for Showtime in association with Reveille Productions, Working Title Television, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and was filmed in Ireland. The first two episodes debuted on DirecTV, Time Warner Cable OnDemand, Netflix, Verizon FiOS On Demand, Internet Movie Database and on the series' website before the official series premiere on Showtime. The Tudors' premiere on 1 April 2007 was the highest rated Showtime series in three years.^[3] In April 2007, the show was renewed for a second season,^[3] and in that month the BBC announced it had acquired exclusive United Kingdom broadcast rights for the series, which it started to broadcast on 5 October 2007. Canada's CBC had begun broadcasting the show on 2 October 2007.^[4]
Season Two debuted on Showtime on 30 March 2008, and on BBC 2 on 1 August 2008. Production on Season Three began on 16 June 2008 in Bray, County Wicklow Ireland,^[5][6] and that season premiered on Showtime on 5 April 2009 and debuted in Canada on CBC on 30 September 2009. The day after broadcast, downloadable episodes debuted in Canada on MoboVivo.^[7]
Showtime announced on 13 April 2009 that it had renewed the show for a fourth and final season. The network ordered 10 episodes that began airing on 11 April 2010.^[8][9] The series finale was broadcast on 20 June 2010. The final season was shown in Canada on CBC starting 22 September 2010 and ending on 23 November 2010.
International distribution rights are owned by Sony Pictures Television International.
Season One of The Tudors chronicles the period of Henry VIII's reign in which his effectiveness as King is tested by international conflicts as well as political intrigue in his own court, while the pressure of fathering a male heir compels him to reject his wife Katherine of Aragon^[10] in favour of Anne Boleyn. He also has a string of affairs, and fathers an illegitimate son with his mistress Elizabeth "Bessie" Blount, Henry FitzRoy, who later dies.
Season Two finds Henry as the head of the Church of England, the result of his break with the Catholic Church over its refusal to grant him a divorce from Katherine.^[10] During his battle with Rome, he secretly marries a pregnant Anne. Anne's own failure to produce a son dooms her as Henry's attention shifts toward Jane Seymour.
Season Three focuses on Henry's marriages to Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves, the birth of his son Edward VI, his ruthless suppression of the Pilgrimage of Grace, the downfall of Thomas Cromwell, and the beginnings of Henry's relationship with the "dangerous" Katherine Howard.^[11][12]
Season Four focuses on Henry's ill-fated marriage to Katherine Howard, his uncommonly successful final marriage with Katherine Parr, an attempted invasion of France and the question of the kingdom's leadership after Henry's death.^[13]