I, Claudius (1976)

Director: Herbert Wise
Starring: Derek Jacobi, Siân Phillips, BRIAN BLESSED
Episodes: 13

Synopsis:
As he nears his death, the Emperor Claudius pens a secret history of the intrigues of the imperial family.

Impressions:
I was watching some documentaries about the Roman Empire and my attention was drawn to this series. I'd seen clips of it before, but I committed to seeing the whole thing through and what an experience it was. If you have an interest in the Roman Empire, it goes without saying, but also if you're a fan of political intrigue, family drama and top-tier acting, you're in for a treat. This series was a big influence on George RR Martin and it shows, so if you want Game of Thrones without the downward spiral at the end, give this a shot. You have some of the UK's best actors giving stellar performances. I could pretty much rattle off the whole cast, but I'll give particular nods to Derek Jacobi as the eponymous Claudius, Siân Phillips as Livia, BRIAN BLESSED as Augustus and John Hurt as Caligula. Viewers focused more on style over substance might object to the relatively low budget and the more stageplay style of presentation, but these shouldn't be an issue for any serious viewer. Now, for the history buffs watching, this is obviously inspired primarily by Suetonius' account of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, which has been largely deprecated in the eyes of most current scholars, but there is a solid effort to convey the time and the culture with some concessions for accessibility. This appeals to me on a number of levels and I happily recommend it for a place in your collection.

Rating:
Own It