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Rating:  - LOVE IT>.... MUST BUY
Oh my.. this is soooooo good.. especially if you liked HBO's Rome..... Intriguing... no compelling!
Rating: - I Cladius
British TV drama fans will enjoy I Claudius. Made in 1976, you will see execellent performanances by many of Britain's famous actors, Sian Phillips, a very young Patrick Stewart, John Hurt and of course Sir Derek Jacoby. Excellent acting all around.
Rating: - Probably The Best Drama to Appear On Masterpiece Theatre
Before "Masterpiece Theater" started trying to pass off imported garden-variety police melodrama like "Prime Suspect" as something very special, it used to offer British dramas that truly were masterpieces of adaptation - shows like The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Elizabeth R, and I Claudius. I, Claudius related the early history of the Roman Empire as it followed the story of the Imperial Family through the first four Emperors. Critics at the time tended to view it as an engrossing soap-opera, but in fact the drama, fashioned by Jack Pulman from two novels of Robert Graves, was excellent. Livia (Sian Phillips), driven by a lust for power, schemes to see that her son Tiberius (George Baker) succeeds her husband Augustus (Brian Blessed) as Emperor, no matter who stands in the way. Desire, greed, and madness provide the backdrop for the resulting clash of interests, with the destiny of Rome - and therefore the entire ancient world - at stake. Derek Jacoby (Brother Cadfael) stars as Livia's grandson Claudius; Patrick Stewart (Star Trek The Next Generation) appears as the villainous Sejanus.
Rating: - One of the best shows of any kind ever made.
This I originally saw on PBS of course when it was first shown there. It stuck in my mind ever since. It is one of the best shows of any kind I have EVER seen. The acting is phenominal, especially Sian Phillips and Derek Jacobi. WONDERFUL. You MUST see it.
Rating: - Rulers of Rome: the Good and the Evil
This series is a fascinating look at the tremendous heights of empirical glory and despotism that kicked off the Roman Empire. From the brilliant government of Augustus to the mad and criminal excesses of Caligula the early years of the Roman Empire are brought to life in brilliant detail and color through the eyes of the wretched Claudius. Ignored, ridiculed and despised for his limp and his stutter, he witnesses and records the vast web of power, murder, ambition, intrigue and madness that engulfs Rome's royal family. Although not as visually colorful or explicit as HBO's ROME, I Claudius does not disappoint. The acting is superb; Derek Jacobi and John Hurt in particular are brilliant as the best and worst of the Claudian dynasty. I, Claudius is definitive proof that stellar writing and acting can override any deficiencies in budget. This series is the perfect meeting of History Channel and tabloid.
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