Entertaining drama

Andrew Klavan reconsidered The Tudors and decided that it was a very good series after all:

.... I found myself discussing the events of the age as if they were happening now, rooting for one set of torturing and burning religious “reformers” over another and even sympathizing at times with the tyrannical Henry and his borderline insane demands that reality be what he wanted it to be. Plus I found myself looking a lot of stuff up, which is always a good thing.

This actually turned out to be a top-notch show in an age of great TV shows. Not quite up to the all-time classic I, Claudius. But certainly well worth watching. And better than any movie I’ve seen in forever. ....

I, too, enjoyed The Tudors but have no particular desire to watch it again. But Klavan reminded me of I, Claudius, which I own (the DVDs), and inspired me to get it out and start watching. It is exceptional and looks very good (not great) upgraded on a Blu-ray player. I, Claudius is one of those BBC productions made in the 1970s that,  when shown in the US on Masterpiece Theater, contributed greatly to that program's popularity. It is about the history of the Roman imperial family from Augustus Caesar to Nero through the eyes and by narration of the Emperor Claudius (Derek Jacobi). The story is driven by character and dialogue (and intrigue and murder) rather than action but that is quite enough — and it, too, is better than any movie I've seen in a long time.

Andrew Klavan: Tudors Revisited