Friday, September 14, 2012

Review: Henry 8.0

One thing history buffs like to do is imagine how certain figures from the past would behave in the modern day (once they get over the whole “amazed by technology”/“what devilry is this?!” phase, of course). Would Julius Caesar be addicted to MMORPGs? Would Benjamin Franklin be clamoring with the masses for the next iPhone? And just how many dating websites would Henry VIII be a member of? The BBC undertook to answer this last question in a series of short comedy sketches late in 2009 called Henry 8.0.


Brian Blessed is a British actor known for his booming voice and his distinctive red beard, who just has the look and bearing of a king about him. He has played numerous Shakespearean roles, and the kings he has portrayed include (but are not limited to) Augustus (I, Claudius), Richard VI (Blackadder), and King Lear. With these roles and more under his belt, he’s obvioulsy perfect for Henry.


Most of the sketches feature Blessed in full Tudor regalia in the foreground at his computer. This way we are able to catch all of his facial expressions and the occasional glimpse of the background, and his hardworking sixth wife Catherine busy in the kitchen. Henry has adventures online, occasional tiffs with his political rivals (the Pope blocks him on Twitter and the King of France taunts him on facebook), trouble with his computer, and shouting matches with poor I.T. professionals over the phone.


While all of this is very amusing and Henry’s behavior is spot on in every situation, the best parts are of course the historical bits, which come out when the king tries to persuade his wife to get him something good to eat. He tries several different things when she refuses: “You know, you really reminded me of Anne Boleyn just then. Spooky! Whatever happened to her? Oh yeah...” Another time he approaches from a different angle. “...technically, that’s treason,” he sings, to which she replies, “Not this again, Henry... Why do you always have to bring up treason?” The most hilarious exchange is one in which Catherine offers to make Henry his favorite lunch, and his excitement spouts this effusion of fondness: “I love you, Catherine. Of all my wives, you are, without a doubt, one of my favorites. Definitely top three... Jane Seymour, a very hard act to follow, admittedly, but you’re a serious contender for the number two slot.”


The only thing it could have used were a few more scenes like that. Perhaps one about him debating over whether to accept a friend request or an online invitation to a party thrown by his ex-wife Anne of Cleves, and Catherine commenting, “What’s the problem? Isn’t she just your dear sister?” Or maybe a remark to Catherine like, “Are you following Lizzie on twitter? It seems that your old friend the Lord Admiral is paying her some unwanted attention.”


Even without some extra historical scenes, Henry 8.0 is enjoyable and funny (as long as you don’t mind a bit of crass British swearing). The worst thing about it is that I didn’t discover it until now, when there will be no new episodes, and even the twitter account associated with the show has not been used since July. If you like history and silly British humor, you will love Henry 8.0.


And if I haven’t convinced you, maybe this will.


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