Showtime's THE TUDORS: Complete 3rd Season on DVD (Dec 15)

Prepare For Reign...
King takes Queen, King takes ALL.
Obsession can change the world.

The complete third season of the hit cable TV show THE TUDORS will arrive in a 3-disc DVD set — Pick it up on December 15 from Showtime, CBS and Paramount Home Entertainment...

~ Showtime Presents ~
THE TUDORS: Complete 3rd Season on DVD »
(SRP $42.99).

Thy Kingdom Come
"You'll be ogling at the screen to marvel at every intricate period set and every stitch in those lavish costumes. If you liked ROME, you'll love this."
—David Richardson (Ultimate DVD)

THE TUDORS took SHOWTIME subscribers and the media by storm when it premiered in April 2006, generating record viewership and critical acclaim. In 2007, both the series and Rhys Meyers earned Golden Globe® nominations. And, season one of THE TUDORS is currently one of CBS Home Entertainment's top-selling titles.

"The Tudors is now a fixture for us at SHOWTIME and we're on our way to completing the entire saga of all six wives of Henry VIII," says SHOWTIME President of Entertainment Robert Greenblatt. "We are enormously proud of this show, the extraordinary cast, and the production team that recreates the grandeur of the Renaissance year in and year out. There is nothing like this anywhere on American television."

Viewers and critics alike have been enthralled watching the storied exploits of the sexy, hard-bodied King Henry VIII (Rhys Meyers) as he weds Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer) while working to declare his marriage invalid to Queen Katherine (Maria Doyle Kennedy). This prompts Pope Paul III (Peter O'Toole) to have him excommunicated — a fall-out that changed the course of history. Anne's failure to deliver a male heir sets the wheels in motion for her beheading, and sends Henry straight into the arms of yet another prospect — Jane Seymour (Anita Briem), who dies from an infection after finally giving him his coveted male heir.

THE TUDORS is an Ireland-Canada co-production, executive produced by Morgan O'Sullivan for Octagon Films; Benjamin Silverman and Teri Weinberg for Reveille Productions; Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan for Working Title Films, and Sheila Hockin; and is created, written and executive produced by Michael Hirst. SHOWTIME presents the series in association with Peace Arch Entertainment, and announced on April 13, 2009 that it had renewed the show for a fourth and final season. The network ordered 10 episodes that are currently scheduled to air beginning in Spring 2010.

Season Three focuses on Henry's marriages to Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves, 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.

Season Four (Spring 2010) is thought to cover Henry's short-lived marriage to Katherine Howard, her subsequent affairs, his domestic life with Catherine Parr, and to touch on the relationship of Mary, Elizabeth and Edward with each other, in order to pave the way for any potential follow-on series.

"A steamy period drama... which critics could take or leave but many viewers are eating up."
—(The New York Times)

THE TUDORS — Explore the series further:
—> Who the TUDOR are you? »
Monarch or Merchant? ...Priest or Prostitute?...
Discover what your life would have been like had you lived during TUDOR times!
(fun & brief visual quiz)

—> Official Website (extensive) »
(Gallery, Video clips, Blog, Special Features and much more, from Showtime Entertainment)

Series Synopsis:
Prepare For Reign...
King takes Queen, King takes ALL.
Obsession can change the world.
King Henry 8: Young, sexy and the most powerful man in the world. The throne and the entire world became his at 19. This delicious and daring drama reveals the early years of the man who forever changed the course of history. Passionate, vibrant and scandalous — this is definitely not the Henry 8 you've read about in your history books.

The Tudors presents the rarely dramatized, tumultuous early years of King Henry VIII's nearly 40 year, omnipotent reign (1509-1547). In addition to his famous female consorts and 20+ year marriage to Catherine of Aragon to the infamous dalliance with Anne Boleyn, the series delves in to Henry's most notable political relationship and the deconstruction of the Roman Catholic Church in England.

Mining one of history's most infamous figures to create a rich episodic drama, Showtime's THE TUDORS takes on the early life of King Henry VIII, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point). With enough rivalries, scandals, and debauchery to make Melrose Place blush, the engrossing series follows the 16th-century monarch's rise to power, political conflicts, and personal ruthlessness.

Filled with lavish sets that flawlessly evoke the era, this first season charts the headstrong leader's shifting allegiances at home and abroad, his notorious affair with Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer), and his eventual rupture with the Catholic Church. No stuffy costume drama, THE TUDORS features a talented acting ensemble that includes Sam Neill (Jurassic Park) as Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Jeremy Northam (Gosford Park) as Sir Thomas More, and Gabrielle Anwar (Scent of a Woman) as Henry's sister.

The Tudors was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Drama Series in 2007. Jonathan Rhys Meyers was also nominated for the Best Actor in a Television Drama Golden Globe for his role. The series was nominated for eight Irish Film and Television Awards in 2008 and won seven, including Best Drama Series, acting awards for Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Lead Actor), Nick Dunning (Supporting Actor) and Maria Doyle Kennedy (Supporting Actress), and craft awards for Costume Design, Production Design and Hair/Makeup. Brian Kirk was also nominated for Directing, but lost to Lenny Abrahamson of "Prosperity". The series won the 2008 Emmy Award for Best Costume Design, and later six awards at the Irish Film and Television Awards in 2009.