I have precisely three words to describe to why you must watch this Sunday's premiere of the new Showtime series The Tudors:
Jonathan.
Rhys.
Meyers.
And oh yeah, there are some other pretty good other reasons to watch, too, such as the expertly crafted script, highly addictive storylines, stunning supporting cast and the fact that the show truly looks and feels like a big-budget movie—perhaps because, with a $38 million price tag, it is one of the most expensive television series ever made.
And did I mention it's from the same production team that's behind Ugly Betty and The Office? Now you're salivating, right? In fact, Miss Betty herself, America Ferrera, and costar Eric Mabius even came to the Tudors' premiere the other night—which you can see for yourself in the video clip on this page. They're pretty adorable.
The Tudors centers around the infamous Henry VIII—you know, the bewitching and, um, beheading English king who had six wives—but this is not the fat, bearded Henry we've seen before. In Meyers' portrayal, he's young (28), clean-shaven, drop-dead sexy and, of course, doing the horizontal hokeypokey with just about any fair maiden who comes within 100 yards of his sight line.
Be advised: This show has sex. Lots and lots of sex. And trust me, when you see Meyers as Henry and the lovely current and future wives he's courting, you won't exactly be complaining.
"When we started talking about Henry VIII and who would play him," Showtime boss Robert Greenblatt tells me, "one name immediately sprung to mind: Jonathan Rhys Meyers. He's perfect in this role."
You can see Jonathan in action in real life in the video clip on this page. And of course, you can see Meyers in ac-shun this Sunday on Showtime. (The first two episodes are also available for download right now on Showtime's site.)
Trust me. You're gonna get completely sucked in. Just try to keep your head screwed on tight.