AVERAGE

After writing two movies about Elizabeth I, Michael Hirst turned his attention to another Tudor, the Queen’s father, the guy who was married six times and had two of his wives beheaded.

Over four seasons, we followed the tribulations of King Henry VIII as he struggled to find a woman who could give him a male heir; separated the Church of England from Rome for selfish reasons; and battled insurrections. The storylines remained fairly true to history, even when Jonathan Rhys Meyers stayed slim and handsome at a time when the real-life Henry had become morbidly obese.

Good performances and compelling intrigues, but the show offered few surprises once you penetrated its attractive surface.

2007-2010:U.K.-U.S.-Canada-Ireland. 38 episodes. Color. Created by Michael Hirst. Theme: Trevor Morris. Cast: Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Henry VIII), Henry Cavill (Charles Brandon), James Frain (Thomas Cromwell, 07-09), Jeremy Northam (07-08), Natalie Dormer (07-08), Maria Doyle Kennedy (07-08), Joss Stone (09-10), Tamzin Merchant (09-10), Sarah Bolger (08-10), Annabelle Wallis (09), Joely Richardson (10), Nick Dunning (07-08), Jamie Thomas King (07-08), Max Brown (08-10), Simon Ward (09-10), Henry Czerny (07), Callum Blue (07), Hans Matheson (08), Sam Neill (07), Peter O’Toole (08), Max von Sydow (09).