I, Queequeg, rewatch I, Claudius

[Queequeg]

I haven't seen this since I was 10.  It is really great; the early seasons where burdened by a weird performance by Brian Blessed and the usage of the truly absurd THE BENE GESSERIT WITCH DID IT  LIVIA DID IT theory of Early Imperial history, which seems to veer into Misogynist hysteria at times, and given what I know about Claudius' later life it is possible that we will soon see even more poison-loving women. 

That said, Gurney Halleck Sajanus, Caligula (is there anything John Hurt can't do?) and Tiberius are wonderful, and I'm liking Derek Jacoby more as he spends less time screaming DEVIL WOMAN than he did previously.

That said, it feels false somehow.  I don't think it is just the sets, but I prefered Rome; I loved the realistic depiction of non-Imperial Family life, and I can't help but shake the feeling that it is somehow too self-conscious; we have Herod speaking for our delicate Abrahamic sensibilities, various sexual morays strike me as too modern or British (I can't see anyone plopping down an iron phallus and saying "This belonged to the Suebi, a virile people", as in Rome), and there's a general feeling that I'm looking at Hollyrome or Romus Londinius rather than the chaotic city it was, though I suppose Augustus did a lot to make Rome a less chaotic, ugly place.  Perhaps it is the period, though; it is really, really hard to come up with more interesting characters than the Triumvirates provide. 

What do you guys think of the series?

[CountDeMoney]

Less Brian Blessed, more Peter Postlethwaite, dammit.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

I Claudius is Da Bomb despite it's shoddy production values. Some of the best writing and acting ever done for TV right there.

You have to view it as an artifact of it's time.

Were it to be redone, it would need to be even more expensive than Rome was to make up for our modern lack of all those great actors. Or am I being cynical?

[Queequeg]

Rome had some truly fine acting.  Top-notch.  I don't think it was their fault they didn't have John Hurt playing Caligula in one of the best performances I've ever seen on television.

That said, I certainly prefer Ciarian Hind's Caesar to Blessed's Augustus. 

[Threviel]

I tried to watch it, but Augustus annoyed me, he was portrayed as a village buffoon or somesuch. So I stopped trying.

[Martinus]

This is one of the best British TV series. You have to realize that there is a huge gap in terms of budgets and TV drama expectations between the era of "I, Claudius" and "Rome" - at that time, the height of American TV drama was "I Love Lucy".

Plus, you have to remember that, unlike Rome, "I, Claudius" is a book adaptation, not an original script. If you want to compare it with something, I'd say a movie like "Lion in Winter" is close, both in terms of the on-screen standards and that it adapts a piece written for a different medium.

[Eddie Teach]

at that time, the height of American TV drama was "I Love Lucy".

Lucy was a comedy.

[Syt]

at that time, the height of American TV drama was "I Love Lucy".

I, Claudius, aired in 1976 on the BBC. Gierek and Jaroszewicz ruled in Poland (where 07 zgłoś się premiered the same year) and the following TV shows premiered in the U.S.:
Charlie's Angels, The Muppet Show, Quincy M.E., The Bionic Woman, The Gong Show, Family Feud, Jabberjaw and Scooby Doo. How's that for quality entertainment?

More importantly, I was also born in that year.

[Richard Hakluyt]

The programme has a theatrical quality, which seemed natural at the time but now seems too stagey.
Nevertheless, a very fine series.

[Martinus]

Yeah, well, except the Muppet Show, all are rather shitty shows.

[Syt]

Yeah, well, except the Muppet Show, all are rather shitty shows.

Why do you hate Quincy?

[Lucidor]

I have it, and watched a few episodes some years ago. I sort of got into it, but it felt quite stagey. I'll give it another go. I like that Livia chick!

[Ed Anger]

at that time, the height of American TV drama was "I Love Lucy".

I, Claudius, aired in 1976 on the BBC. Gierek and Jaroszewicz ruled in Poland (where 07 zgłoś się premiered the same year) and the following TV shows premiered in the U.S.:
Charlie's Angels, The Muppet Show, Quincy M.E., The Bionic Woman, The Gong Show, Family Feud, Jabberjaw and Scooby Doo. How's that for quality entertainment?

More importantly, I was also born in that year.

The Gong Show. Now there was a show. Gene, the dancing machine!

[Ed Anger]

at that time, the height of American TV drama was "I Love Lucy".

Lucy was a comedy.

He is almost as clueless as Josq.

[CountDeMoney]

at that time, the height of American TV drama was "I Love Lucy".

Lucy was a comedy.

Sarcasm.  It's what's for dinner.