Rating:  -
Some of the reviews given complain about the time that this was made and the production of the DVD copy. This was done in 70's and had you watched it at that time you would think it was far out. Because the transfer from tape to DVD is not the best quality some of the reviews expect it to be in 1080i or something. This however is one of the best series ever put out, showing some of the superiority that britain has on television than the lame production we have here in the states. Judge on content not on the eye candy.
Rating:  -
Having first seen the telecast of this on PBS in the 70s, I can't explain why I waited so long to get the DVD version. Seeing this again after so many years I must say the acting and the screenplay has absolutely lost none of it's original punch and I enjoyed it as much as the first time. Derek Jacobi was remarkable in thie role of Claudius and the other actors are all superb. The story of the treachery and debauchery during this period of Roman history makes for some great theater. Masterpiece Theater has never topped this in my opinion although some of their other productions were outstanding. as well.
I agree with some of the other reviewers that the transfer isn't the best and the sound quality is poor. But turning up the volume is easy enough and the rewards of watching this far outweigh the technical shortcomings of the DVD version.
Quite simply this is one of the greatest television mini-series ever aired.
Rating: -
I heard about "I, Claudius" from the administrator I worked with when I was an undergrad. She watched an episode every couple of days and raved about it. Of course, back then I was too distracted by women to really comprehend what she was trying to tell me: that I, Claudius is one of the best-acted pieces of cinema history.
I, Claudius is much like HBO's Rome, only with a much lower budget. But what it lacks in scenery and wardrobe, I Claudius makes up for with its acting. The series is long, taking its time to tell history from the very beginning of Claudius' life through his reign as emperor and his death. But it's in the telling that the series excels just about anything Hollywood can put out.
I, Claudius' rich history is drawn from the memories of Claudius, the club-footed, stuttering Roman Emperor. How he came into power is a story unto itself. But it's not Claudius that's the real show. It's everyone else: the insanity of Caligula, the decadence of the Roman nobility, the orgies, the backstabbing, the poisoning-there's enough poison going around to fill an ocean. Through it all, Caligula observes...and survives.
What makes I, Claudius such a fantastic miniseries is the quality of its actors. Sure, you can watch it to see young Patrick Stewart and John Rhys-Davies in their prime, but that's missing the point. It's the actors who make this miniseries so watchable, from the husband/wife bickering of Augustus (Brian Blessed) and Livia (Sian Phillips), the weary bitterness of Tiberius (George Baker), the utter madness of Caligula (John Hurt), or Claudius himself, played with weary patience by Derek Jacobi. This isn't just filmmaking, it's a snapshot in time of when actors actually acted. Sometimes, the camera stays on an actor for up to 20 minutes straight, without a cutaway scene.
If there's a flaw, it's in the DVD itself. The video footage is grainy, the audio is choppy, and more often than not you get the sense that you're watching a play rather than a miniseries. Perhaps that's the highest compliment that can be paid to this miniseries.
Rating: -
Still delivers after all these years! We got these DVDs after watching HBO's Rome series, and although the production value is pretty dismal (hey, it was PBS and the 70s - a bad combination), I Claudius still really packs a punch.
Everybody is either plotting against, sleeping with, or poisoning everybody else - glad to see some things never change!
Rating:  -
Thanks to all the reviewers who've said that this DVD is censored and of poor image and sound quality. I was going to buy it and now will not. I found that there is a BBC DVD version available thorough amazon.co.uk that reviewers say is very high image and sound quality (they have been restored from a master tape), and all episodes are included. There is also a documentary on the never completed epic film about Caligula starring Charles Laughton. I have ordered this one. Of course, you need an all region DVD player to play it.
After watching the UK DVD, I can report that it is excellent. What a spectacular transfer. The series is a delight to watch again.
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