Hot on the heels of two Golden Globe nominations, the first season of Showtime's highly sexual period drama "The Tudors" hits DVD featuring all ten first season episodes and a limited number of special features as the release seems highly rushed to capitalize on the nominations.

The show centers on Henry VIII played capably by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, whom has seen a moderate amount of screen time prior to the role, most notably in a supporting role in Mission: Impossible III, but he is now earning notoriety for his portrayal of the snotty King of England. Henry for the majority of the first season appears as a brash young man with very little in the way of maturity as his only goal is power, power, more power, pussy and more pussy. Seriously, this is the least sex starved television show I have ever seen, so much so that it borders on ridiculous and unnecessary.

The tenth episode even goes so far as to being with Henry jerking off with a lowly cum-cleaner waiting to sop up the mess. Oddly enough it plays into the storyline and you let it go, but you can't help but wonder if it is truly necessary and couldn't have been handled in a less disturbing fashion. What's more, Henry has some of the most elaborate orgasms every experienced on film or television. Seriously, you would think they were pumping happy juice into his cock just before it exploded. I have had my share of fun, but perhaps I need to explore elsewhere, because even this guy's jack off sessions are more exciting than my best piece of ass.

The focal point of the first season is the relationship between Henry and Cardinal Wolsey and the plot to control Henry through the power of Anne Boleyn's vagina. One thing is for certain, after watching this show it will be highly interesting to draw comparisons to the upcoming Columbia release The Other Boleyn Girl in which Natalie Portman will play Anne and Eric Bana will play Henry. Of course that film's PG-13 rating already makes it less interesting and the plot synopsis of that film already ruins the final outcome of Anne's fate in coming episodes of "The Tudors". However, it isn't as if this show is entirely fictional as history has already been told. Then again, I am sure several scholars and historians will be quick to point out the show's inaccuracies due to dramatic license, but these things are necessary to keep audiences entertained.

On the acting front, the most worthy of note however is not Rhys Meyers, in fact the best turn comes from Sam Neill, whom I have never been overly impressed with, as Cardinal Wolsey. Neill plays the role extremely well as he explores Wolsey's exaggerated ego as well as the fragile nature of any one that has the King's ear.

Recommending "The Tudors" is a tricky thing as it takes an open mind to remain satisfied watching the snot-nosed brat of a King make his way around. It also takes special consideration to put up with the overly used sex scenes, but then again outside of sex and vying for power what else was there to do back then?

The biggest problem with recommending the buy, however, is not content, but price. Amazon has these ten episodes priced at $27.99 which is a complete rip-off considering it is only TEN EPISODES. The show is good, but the price is not represented in the content, especially considering the special features are crap and there isn't a single commentary. Save your money and wait for a box set, perhaps that will be a more logical buy.