This British mini-series, shown her in the States on "Masterpiece Theatre" is among the finest programs made for television--up there with mini-series greats such as "Roots" and "The Winds of War". This is all due to terrific acting, a very engaging script and the time to properly tell the story of the first four Roman emperors.
When the series begins, Augustus (Brian Blessed) has been emperor for many years. His reign is successful but soon lots of cracks begin to appear in the fabric of his family...and the worst of them is one he's not aware of, his wife Livia (Sean Phillips). And, through the reigns of his successors (Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius), Livia is there to pull strings...orchestrating murders and somehow surviving when most of the rest of the family long ago assumed room temperatures.
The show is great...no question about it. So great that it's worth buying on DVD...and I am a bit of a cheapskate and usually would just recommend looking for stuff on Netflix or YouTube!
When the series begins, Augustus (Brian Blessed) has been emperor for many years. His reign is successful but soon lots of cracks begin to appear in the fabric of his family...and the worst of them is one he's not aware of, his wife Livia (Sean Phillips). And, through the reigns of his successors (Tiberius, Caligula and Claudius), Livia is there to pull strings...orchestrating murders and somehow surviving when most of the rest of the family long ago assumed room temperatures.
The show is great...no question about it. So great that it's worth buying on DVD...and I am a bit of a cheapskate and usually would just recommend looking for stuff on Netflix or YouTube!