So I've now watched all of the first season's episodes of "The Tudors" on DVD, and while I found many errors and inaccuracies in the whole thing, I was still entertained by it and felt compelled to keep watching. I don't know why, as I was so frustrated over many things. SPOILERS HERE
It didn't seem as though much time passed in the story, although historically YEARS went by during the King's Great Matter. The make-up people didn't have Henry VIII age much, nor Anne Boleyn, nor many of the other characters, except poor Katharine of Aragon. The whole deal with combining Henry's sisters Mary and Margaret into one character, Princess Margaret, having her marry the old King of Portugal, then murder him (by smothering him with a pillow!), marrying Brandon, and then having her die several episodes later with consumption (throwing up huge gouts of blood, no less) was insulting and preposterous. Wolsey's committing suicide by cutting his own throat was outrageous and awful. Some characters had no point to the story--Thomas Tallis anyone? The power-hungry Duke of Norfolk seems to be less powerful here than usually portrayed and Thomas Boleyn much more of a dynamic aggressor. Henry Fitzroy did not die as a mere child of plague; Bessie Blount was not married when she was Henry's mistress, nor was she LADY Blount--she got a husband as a gift from Henry after he was finished with her and she was a commoner when Henry's mistress; Charles Brandon's ward was Catherine Willoughby--not Brooke--so many unnecessary changes and inaccurate things and general silliness. And those who don't know any better will believe it all.

That being said, I found it kept my attention, it was compelling drama, well staged, pleasant sets and costumes (although some of the women's headdresses were questionable), and some of the performances were very watchable. Sam Neill is very good as Wolsey; Jeremy Northam an interesting Sir Thomas More; Maria Doyle Kennedy is excellent as Katharine; Henry Cavill a boisterous and thrilling Brandon; and Jonathan Rhys Meyers gives a fine portrayal of a young, athletic, sexually charged Henry VIII. This whole series is definitely meant to appeal to a younger, edgier sort of audience. But couldn't it all have been done more accurately and still been just as dramatic and exciting? These people led such interesting and drama filled lives as it was, why does TV need to create/change/disregard history?