Rating:  -
I didn't follow this TV series on its first go-around in 1976, because I thought it would be little more than an historical soap opera. I have not changed my mind about that, but the quality of writing and acting is, of course, far superior and the stories are much more compelling. I found myself watching all thirteen episodes straight through over a single weekend.
History it isn't, and there is a tendency for people to forget that a movie or TV program doesn't portray reality. But though the accounts of Tacitus and Suetonius may differ from those of Robert Graves in terms of what actually happened (if any truth can be found at all within contemporary documents), they all certainly must agree on the tone of the times and the character of the personalities involved in this era of the first four Roman emperors.
Historians say that it is unlikely that Livia was the poisoner she was cracked up to be, and Claudius probably wasn't the poor tormented sweetie -- but, then, without all that, there would be much less of a story to tell. Oh, well, not only must the needs of drama be served, but also it is human tradition for history to be slanted by its writers. Is a modern historical novelist or TV/cinema scriptwriter really any different from an ancient archivist twisting events into sycophantic paeans dedicated to some victorious strongman?
Regarding the video itself, I concur with other reviewers' complaints about the poor sound quality and the dreadful make-up (latex attachments that are all too visible in close-up), although the color seems to have been restored very nicely.
The hidden jewel in this boxed set is the documentary on Disc Five called "The Epic That Never Was". This treasure is worth the price of the whole series, preserving beautiful, precious footage of the aborted 1937 Sternberg version. I was especially captivated by the deliciously oily portrayal of Caligula by Emlyn Williams, whose work both as an actor and as a playwright has been sadly eclipsed all these years.
Rating: -
Truly a must see. Outstanding acting and absorbing dialogue. I also liked the DVD extra content. However, I found the makeup extremely distracting. I can't imagine what they were thinking. On many characters it looks like it was clumsily applied with a trowel. So bad I find it downright distracting at times.
Rating:  -
About as faithful to the books as you could be, although it is helpful to read the books and then watch the series.
This series was tremendously ahead of its time when it was broadcast. For some reason being on BBC-PBS and all those togas made the fact that what most of the characters are doing is really evil palatable.
Excellent and enjoyable in every way, with stunning performances by the best classically trained actors.
Rating: -
This has to be one of the best BBC productions I've ever seen. You will absolutely be blown away by these actors and the quality of the screenplay. I read "I, Claudius" some years ago and admittedly, it didn't form much of an impression on me. This production caught me completely off guard. I can't believe I bought this from a used-seller for $40 and was given such a treat to watch all these master-class Shakespearean actors. Why have I not heard or seen Sian Phillips before this? She's absolutely wonderful. She's such a wicked woman but intensely amusing. You get to see decades of her misdeeds, all in the name of Rome of course, but even I pitied her during her death-bed scene. There's so many brilliant characters, several who are just so wonderfully hateful, especially John Hurt as Caligula. I read somewhere that most of what we know about Caligula is rumor, that his actual recorded history is unfortunately lost. There's some concurrance though, that he was either mentally ill or suffered from epilepsy. This production however, doesn't give him an ounce pity. He's depicted as as vile and grotesque, a "monster," even as a young boy. I couldn't stop watching him or feeling afraid for any other person he came in contact with. No one was safe or able to speak out against him. John Hurt was I think only 36 at the time of this production, but he made the wisest choices as an actor. At the center of this family firestorm of murder, intrigue, and debauchery is our little Claudius. It's amazing to watch him survive through one clamity after another with barely the perception of his idiocy keeping him alive. I was a bit conflicted as to how I felt about him, though. On one hand I felt pity for him and his afflictions, and how he was mistreated by practically all his family. He was charming, loyal, and intelligent but unfortunately, too trusting. On the other hand, he barely had a back-bone. It's in his nature not to make trouble and he tries not to get involved, but sometimes that choice makes him gutless esepcially when innocent people need help. Even with some production, visual and sound problems with this DVD, I would still give this series higher than 5 stars if I could. I count myself very fortunate to have seen this. It's given me enthusiasm to buy other films and books centered around Imperial Rome. This DVD series is an absolute treasure, you wont be disappointed.
Rating: -
I didn't watch it originally. Now, I think Derek Jacoby is brilliant. And the boxed set is terrific.
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