Ave Maria
Majesty, your crown awaits.
Actually, Queen Katherine of "The Tudors" has been unceremoniously knocked off her royal perch on the soapy, lusty Showtime series, which launched its second season last night. But we're going to start the campaigning now (though the network's already there for this elaborate period drama) to put Irish actress Maria Doyle Kennedy in the race for an Emmy.
She manages to be both stolid and sympathetic, not an easy combo, in the face of philandering King Henry VIII and his Miss Thang on the side, Anne Boleyn. Doyle Kennedy, a TV veteran who debuted on the big screen in "The Commitments," brings some real gravitas to a show that has shades of a 16th Century "Entourage," though we don't necessarily mean that like it's a bad thing.
"The Tudors", already an Emmy winner for its rich costumes and a nominee for art direction from season one, could suffer from its small viewership and from critical drubbing from the likes of Entertainment Weekly, whose reviewer calls it too "talky" but says Doyle Kennedy, as the devout Catholic queen, "makes everyone else seem like lightweights." Still, that C-minus smarts.
The show did pick up Golden Globe nods for best dramatic series and best actor for Jonathan Rhys Meyers, but the usual impact of those honors (which is to say, little to no impact) was greatly reduced this year.
Since Katherine just got booted from the castle and had to give back her fabulous jewels (damn you, Henry!) we'd love to see Doyle Kennedy get some bling of her own come Emmy time.
No! No bling for Doyle...I shall march in protest with a giant sign to prevent such an act!
Posted by: Danniel | March 13, 2010 at 06:47 PM
I love Maria Doyle Kennedy. She is the best actress in "The Tudurs". She did an amazing job, she deserves more than an Emmy. I just noticed her when I got showtime and started watching The Tudors. I'm going to look her up and watch everything esle she has acted in.
Posted by: Rena W. | May 05, 2010 at 03:11 PM