20 Years Later, Henry Cavill’s Steamy Historical Drama Series Gets Redemption on Digital

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Makuochi Echebiri is a News Writer for Collider. He has been interested in creative writing from as far back as high school, and he would consume pretty much anything that’s film or TV. However, his truest love lies in the presence of historical epics and thrillers.

Lured by the brilliance of Middle Earth from an early age both in print and on screen, his palate has since expanded to other realms including Westeros, Kattegat among others. He also possesses a great appetite for the stories that emanate from the vastness of space. Even though he is no Avenger.

Obsessed with storytelling and having works of his own that have yet to make it to print, he is content to use that ability to communicate to as many as are reachable. In his spare time, he looks out for avenues where he can aid people aside from his plans to reign over this earthly realm. Yes…you heard that first here.

Henry Cavill’s name is known globally for his association with the role of the Kryptonian hero, Superman. It is a role he has since lost to David Corenswet, who took on the reins in the latest iteration of the character. Nearly 20 years ago, Cavill was famous for a different type of role, starring in a historical drama series that has now returned to streaming charts. The actor starred alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Dracula) and Anthony Brophy (The Devil’s Own) in the period drama, The Tudors. The historical drama traces the life of a young king and his obsession with producing a male heir. The Tudors is well-received among critics, earning solid scores of 69% from critics and 84% from audiences on the review aggregator website, Rotten Tomatoes.

According to FlixPatrol, The Tudors is making a splash on streaming, nearly 20 years after its premiere, as it emerged on the Top 10 charts of TF1 in France. It's also surging up the AppleTV Store PVOD platform as one of the most sought-after titles. The third season of The Tudors is well-regarded as the strongest of its four-season run, earning a near flawless 90% on the Tomatometer. The series takes audiences back in time to the age of corsets, scandals, silks, and candlelight. Besides the dress sense in the series, The Tudors is also one of the most erotic series set in the Renaissance era on television, as it is rife with royal indulgence and sordid love affairs. A synopsis for The Tudors reads:

"The Tudors is a history-based drama series following the young, vibrant King Henry VIII, a competitive and lustful monarch who navigates the intrigues of the English court and the human heart with equal vigor and justifiable suspicion."

Who Was Involved in Making 'The Tudors'?

Michael Hirst is the sole writer and creator of The Tudors for the cable network Showtime, but he worked alongside other directors like Ciaran Donnelly, Jeremy Podeswa, and Dearbhla Walsh to helm several episodes of the series. The series is a co-production between American, British, and Canadian partners, with the series being filmed largely in Ireland and produced by Peace Arch Entertainment in association with Reveille Eire, Working Title Television, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). The series premiered on Showtime on April 1, 2007, becoming the network’s highest-rated drama in three years.

For many in the cast of The Tudors, the aftermath of the period drama would see them move on to bigger things. Donnelly would go on to work on The Wheel of Time, the popular fantasy series that was recently cancelled by Prime Video after three seasons. Series lead, Meyers, who played Henry VIII, would go on to feature in another elite period drama, Vikings, alongside Hirst and Donnelly. Since his time on The Tudors, Cavill has featured in other epic projects like Immortals, opposite Mickey Rourke, and more recently as the Butcher of Blaviken, Geralt of Rivia, in the Netflix series, The Witcher.