I,CLAVDIVS

Redskin

Spent the entire Bank Holiday watching the box-set of I ,Claudius. If there's ever been a better series on tele,I'll eat my toga.

There was a line by Claudius that made me think of the machinations in our own empire at Charlton ;

"Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud,
hatch out . . ."

Algarveaddick

Watched it a few months ago. Compelling stuff!

Richard J

One of my favourite programmes growing up.Being repeated on BBC 3 on Tuesdays at the moment,I'm taping them all and plan to re-watch it in one sitting.

Some superb actors/actresses in it Derek Jacobi,Sian Philips,Brian Blessed,Patrick Stewart,George Baker,Bernard Hill and Christopher Biggins amongst others.

It is funny how actors get type cast,I remember the Coronation Street actor Geoffrey Hinsliff who played Don Brennan played a Centurion in one of the episodes,it is strange how on a previous repeated viewing of I Claudius it seemed so wrong to see the Corry Taxi driver chairing the Emperor.

Halix

The term domestic trouble was a bit different then, upset the Emperor and you don't just miss out on a christmas lunch invite, the whole family gets chopped, as when Tiberius did in Serganus''s whole family- " we cant kill the daughter sir its bad luck to kill a virgin", " then make sure shes not a virgin then"- Not to mention the problems that Clavdivs had with his little nephew Caligula.

LawrieAbrahams

Brilliant series. Saw it when it was first on and re-watched it a few years ago on some Cable channel.

Shame about Jacobi's latest vicious offering though.

grumpyaddick

Totally agree. Amazing that it has not dated or lost its edge since 1976. Superb acting and never been matched as a historical drama.

Fanny Fanackapan

Redskin said:

Spent the entire Bank Holiday watching the box-set of I ,Claudius. If there's ever been a better series on tele,I'll eat my toga.

There was a line by Claudius that made me think of the machinations in our own empire at Charlton ;

"Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud,
hatch out . . ."

Always thought that quote referred to Millwall.....

grumpyaddick

"But you know how much I love my sisters, Uncle"

I think that's the quote that refers to Millwall. Caligula to replace Jackett ? (sorry wrong thread)

Blucher

Agree with all the above - a magnificent series ( including a young and beardless Brian Blessed ).

A very reasonably priced box set as well, as are two others I also really enjoyed - "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" with Alec Guiness and "The Barchester Chronicles."

Lincsaddick

I agree with all of the above, an absolutely superb series, British acting, staging and production at its best.
On a different (slightly) topic, I have just finished reading one of C J Sansom's excellent novels set in the reign of Henry VIII. It occurred to me that education would be well served if history lessons at school were first to concentrate on exciting fiction of the era under study and then to explore the true historical background to the stories. (See also Philip Kerr's brilliant WW2 books and there are surely many other examples) This surely is how Greek history and culture was taught. First an exploration of the myths and legends and later looking into how the exaggerated stories fitted into actual events.
I know that the Biggles stories set me off on a life long enjoyment of both fiction and 'real' history

grumpyaddick

Lincsaddick said:

I agree with all of the above, an absolutely superb series, British acting, staging and production at its best.
On a different (slightly) topic, I have just finished reading one of C J Sansom's excellent novels set in the reign of Henry VIII. It occurred to me that education would be well served if history lessons at school were first to concentrate on exciting fiction of the era under study and then to explore the true historical background to the stories. (See also Philip Kerr's brilliant WW2 books and there are surely many other examples) This surely is how Greek history and culture was taught. First an exploration of the myths and legends and later looking into how the exaggerated stories fitted into actual events.
I know that the Biggles stories set me off on a life long enjoyment of both fiction and 'real' history

Biggles is fiction?

Davo55

LawrieAbrahams said:

Shame about Jacobi's latest vicious offering though.

Totally agree with all re I Claudius. Saw last night's Vicious - what a complete and utter pile of crap. Three fine actors in Jacobi, McKellen and de la Tour wasted in the most toe-curlingly awful writing.

Lincsaddick

grumpyaddick said:

Lincsaddick said:

I agree with all of the above, an absolutely superb series, British acting, staging and production at its best.
On a different (slightly) topic, I have just finished reading one of C J Sansom's excellent novels set in the reign of Henry VIII. It occurred to me that education would be well served if history lessons at school were first to concentrate on exciting fiction of the era under study and then to explore the true historical background to the stories. (See also Philip Kerr's brilliant WW2 books and there are surely many other examples) This surely is how Greek history and culture was taught. First an exploration of the myths and legends and later looking into how the exaggerated stories fitted into actual events.
I know that the Biggles stories set me off on a life long enjoyment of both fiction and 'real' history

Biggles is fiction?

ssssh .. not many people know that !!!!!

Redskin

I read an interview with Derek Jacobi -not sure when it was - where he said there was talk of a film being made where Claudius would be played by . . . Leonardo de Caprio.
The mind boggles.