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Excellent and disturbing. Very well acted. Derek Jacobi should have won an Emmy but I don't know that he did. The history is so dang depressing but you can't turn away; each episode is mesmerizing. I'd have given it 5 stars if it had been close captioned. This is television at it's best. So much better than the stuff served up to us today. I watched the "extra" of Charles Laughton in the role of Claudius. Awful! And Laughton's portrayal was terrible, even for 1937. Derek Jacobi will always own that role.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I,Claudius is a fantastically entertaining mini drama about one of the most fascinating and possibly notorious periods in wester civilization. This 1976 BBC series was adapted to screen from a 1934 Robert Graves novel about the first Roman emperors. Robert Graves, a WW1 vet, was no stranger to ancient history as his novel and thusly this series is rich with direct events taken directly from the ancient authors Tacitus and Suetonius who wrote about the Julio-Claudian roman imperial dynasty. This incorporation of primary sources of ancient authors who lived in ancient Rome sets this series apart from series' such as ROME or movies like Gladiator because the material is real and mostly free of random fictional embellishment; these accounts have been around for nearly 2000 years. While you must take the word of ancient authors with a degree of skepticism, having such ancient accounts is far more revealing about ancient society than some modern "artist" raping history to make a dime by making up random stories without even bothering to read about the history. This series is fantastically entertaining, despite it's age. It is still fresh, relevant and intriguing. The characters keep you constantly, engaged, interest, and on the edge of your seat. This series does not have events of embellishment because it does not need them; the lives and actions of these individuals were so strange, ruthless, tragic, charming and entertaining to not need any embellishment to aid them in keeping the modern viewer/reader entertained. This series covers the Julio-Claudians, starting with the nephew of Julius Caesar, Augustus. Augustius, a Julian, marries into the Claudian family when he marries Livia. This merging of aristocratic families, along with daughter and offspring of Marc Antony creates a tangled web of incestuous treachery and deceit and finally ends with the demise of the last emperor of this dynasty, Nero. This series is also wonderful because you get to see Star Trek's own Jean-Luc Picard, Patric Stewart, as a curly haired, armor-clad, treacherous Roman Praetorian Prefect of Emperor Tiberius himself. Other notable cast members include Derek Jacobi (Gracchus from Gladiator), Siân Phillips(Cassiopeia from Clash of the Titans), John Rhys-Davies (Gimli from Lord of the Rings) and John Hurt (Mr. Ollivander from Harry Potter). These actors make these historical figures come to life to enchant, love, betray, and abhor in a beautiful tragedy that lets us know how much western society has changed, but more strikingly how much it hasn't changed at all. You will be utterly captivated and unable to stop watching!! Keep your eye on Livia and don't touch the figs!Read full review
I watched this series years ago on PBS and really enjoyed it. Wanted to watch it again as it is also a great history source. My only complaint is that my hearing is not all that good these days and the Brit accents make this a bit hard to understand. Close captioning would have given this a 5 star rating.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I was shocked when the realization hit me that the I Claudius Masterpiece Theatre series had been televised over 30 yrs ago. I was glued to the set for the entire program then AND now. Patrick Stewart w/hair, who knew! This is sublime. Livia and Caligula are to die for (pun intended). Every actor is at the top of their game here. Even though it is a drama, there are some very funny lines, "Oh, by the way, don't eat the figs". I purchased this well done remastered set as a gift for a friend who had missed the series. Just HAD to re watch it myself before mailing. It may seem a bit dated to some, but once you get into it, it rocks! Such convoluted monsters and true. Politics today pale in comparison. Plus, the added piece about the attempted filming of the book in the '30s is fascinating for fans of old film. I HIGHLY recommend this marvelous set.Read full review
well written, with an excellent cast - brings the history of early Rome and Caesar(s) to life. Watching ancient Rome which was the power of it's time and how it's decline came about - easily mirrors our current time! A must see!!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned