Rated one of the “100 Best TV Shows of All Time” by Time magazine, “I Claudius” is certainly one of the best mini-series ever produced. It contains so much verifiable historical information plus a mixture of action, drama, sex, and tragedy. The acting is first rate. The sets are immaculate – Wonderful story, wonderful writing and wonderful actors. It doesn’t get better than this!
This epic BBC series spans the history of the Roman Empire from Augustus through Claudius, a stuttering scholar who learns early to play the fool and stay alive. Based on the novels by Robert Graves, it stars Derek Jacobi (The King’s Speech, Cadfael) in a career-defining role. Siân Phillips (The Age of Innocence) is “exquisitely wicked” (Los Angeles Times) as the lethal Livia, wife to Augustus (Brian Blessed, Hamlet), while John Hurt (The Elephant Man) is “decadence personified” (USA Today) as the depraved Caligula, whose reign of terror paves the way for Claudius’s ascension.
Contains graphic violence, nudity, and sexual content.