THE TUDORS attracts 2.3 million audience for first episode of new series
2.3 million people tuned in to the first episode of the third series of THE TUDORS on BBC2 last Friday night at 9pm which was an increase of almost 1 million more than the programme's usual audience average.The Emmy and IFTA award winning US series stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers as King Henry VIII and is currently in production of its fourth series with an Irish budget of €20 million. The entire series has been shot on location in Ireland for the last three years in Ardmore Studios and at film locations around Dublin and Wicklow. Over 200 Irish cast and crew, as well as 4500 film extras, are hired each year to produce the series for the Showtime Network, boosting the Irish film and television sector. The Irish cast and crew are highly regarded with Joan Bergin receiving two Emmy's for her costume designs, while Jonathan Rhys Meyers was nominated for a Golden Globe earlier this year for his performance.
It will be the third year running that Irish crew have received Emmy nominations for their work on THE TUDORS. Those nominated for awards next month include Production Designer Tom Conroy, Costume Designer Joan Bergin and Wardrobe Supervisor Susan O'Connor Cave, Casting Directors Frank and Nuala Moiselle and Head Hairstylist Dee Corcoran.
THE TUDORS is produced by the Showtime Network in the US, and is co-produced by Morgan O'Sullivan and James Flynn of World 2000 Entertainment. A number of Irish directors have worked on the show including Dearbhla Walsh (Little Dorrit), IFTA winner Ciaran Donnelly (George Gently) and Jeremy Podewsa (Fugitive Pieces). It is an official Irish/Canadian co-production.