Steamy "Tudors" Bring The Sexy Back

APRIL 1, 2007: Enormously talented Jonathan Rhys Meyers stars as bare-chested and oversexed Henry VIII in the $38 million historical soap opera "The Tudors" premiering tonight on Showtime as the priciest show in the pay network's 30-year history.



When the production studio decided to turn an English dynasty into a TV soap opera, the plan was to take "The Tudors" to CBS.


When the Eye network passed on the project saying the would never do a historical drama and they were not planning on starting now, Showtime emerged as a much more appropriate platform.



But will the period drama set in the polite precincts of the British empire and replete with naked frolicking and dramatic violence eclipse "Rome"?



"The Tudors," debuts tonight at 10 p.m., and features Meyers as a hunky Henry VIII facing revolts, falling in love and fighting wars.



In the show, the king mourns the death of his uncle, declares war on France and jumps into bed with two squealing ladies - all in the opening 15 minutes.



And as the images suggest, there's plenty of sizzle in this lavish 10-part drama, a feast for one's eyes.

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Jonathan Rhys Meyers Battles Alcohol Addiction

Another day, another Hollywood star goes to rehab. Jonathan Rhys Meyers who plays a hunky Henry VIII in Showtime's racy period drama "The Tudors" has entered a rehab facility to cope with his alcohol addiction problem.

The Irish actor has put the blame on his work saying via publicist that "after a non-stop succession of filming, he needed a break to maintain his recovery."

The 29-year old actor had previously been arrested with then 18-year old girlfriend Reena Hammer in January 2005 under suspicion of assaulting each other and possession of cannabis.

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