While watching the early episodes of The Tudors, I chuckled and thought about Mel Brooks' famous line: "It's good to be the king."

That dialogue was part of Brooks' 1981 film spoof, The History of the World, in which he portrayed King Louis XVI of France as a lascivious ruler who, among other traits, had a lusty sexual appetite.

I'm not sure if history makes kingly comparisons between Louis XVI and King Henry VIII of England. But no one will ever mistake the rotund, pudgy Brooks for the lean, often bare-chested Jonathan Rhys Meyers, who previously played Elvis in a TV miniseries.

Meyers' young King Henry VIII definitely has a good time in his sexual romps around the castle in Showtime's The Tudors.

The Tudors is, simply, elegantly produced pop history, complete with expensive production values and a cast full of young royal characters that buckle their swashes like rowdy frat brothers.

While Michael Hirst's script may be chronologically accurate, unknowing viewers seeking in-depth historical threads are advised to consult more scholarly works, like Winston Churchill's History of the English Speaking People.

At least Hirst - who's also the creator and executive producer of the ambitious, filmed-in-Ireland project - is not attempting to deceive viewers.

The emphasis in The Tudors is on bosoms and battles rather than treaties and treatises.

In Showtime's press book, Hirst says: "There's something compelling about telling a story few people have ever heard before.

"Everyone has an image of Henry as old, fat, ugly - a vicious monster. My Henry is new. He's never been portrayed this way."

Hirst contends the young Henry ("the handsomest prince in Christendom") was a progressive thinker and a humanist.

"He was determined to be a just, farsighted ruler, who during his reign, changed England from a medieval to a modern country and from a Catholic to a Protestant state."

Hirst contends that his script is "85 percent" historically accurate.

Try to keep Hirst's theory and comments in mind during opening scenes that graphically show Henry enjoying rowdy sex with one of the ladies of the court.

Sex permeates The Tudors, both in scenes and in dialogue.

In a meeting with Henry, the young king of France points to Mary Boleyn, and says: "I call Mary my English mare because I ride her often."

You won't find such dialogue in Churchill's volume.

Predictably, Mary (sister of Anne who later becomes Henry's wife and England's queen, following Katherine of Aragon) ends up pleasuring Henry.

History recounts that Henry's entire reign was replete with court intrigue featuring a host of plots and subplots, many aimed at destroying the king's empire.

Constantly stirring this pot was Cardinal Wolsey (Sam Neill), Henry's closest adviser and, supposedly, a man of great faith.

As history records, Wolsey's influence on Henry was enormous - and anything but altruistic.

Wolsey's alliances with European powers were part of his unsuccessful plan to become pope.

Showtime describes Wolsey as "a sinner in saint's clothing" and Neill's performance, by far the best in the huge cast, lives up to the description.

Through Wolsey, we get some sense of the political, emotional and sexual intrigue rampant during Henry's early reign.

The series begins in 1520 when Henry was 24 and ends with Wolsey's death in 1530.

Hirst's script gives Meyers many opportunities to chew scenery in rock-star fashion.

In one lengthy scene, Henry, overjoyed by the birth of a son, Henry Fitzroy, by his court mistress Elizabeth Blount, shouts and holds the child proudly in the air, while corresponding scenes show one of Henry's court adversaries being beheaded.

Did Hirst see The Godfather?

Dusty's pick for tonight

If you've never seen NBC's Emmy-winning The Office, here's ample opportunity. In a bit of curious programming, the network airs a five-episode repeat marathon, beginning at 7 p.m. on 9News. A highlight: the humorous episode in which boss Steve Carell puts together a disastrous diversity seminar.

Today's nostalgia

On March 29, 1986, HBO aired Comic Relief, a live, three-hour benefit for the homeless hosted by Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg.

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