So, I went up to Mum's last night, to surprise her for Mother's Day and cook her a roast. Afterwards we cracked open a bottle of red wine and indulged in several hours of watching The Tudors, which she recorded on her PVR months ago.

And my, it's fun.

OK, they've taken some fairly serious liberties with history. Time periods are compressed, and characters are conflated. People's ages are mixed around and, frankly, they're all a lot prettier than they were in real life.

And yet, the heart of the conflicts are spot on. The heady mix of politics and genuine faith that charged the discussions of the era are explored in a surprising amount of detail. And with gratuitous semi-nudity. What more can you ask for?

The Tudors Opening Credits