I, Claudius (TV series)

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

I, Claudius (TV series)

I, Claudius is a 1976 BBC Television

BBC Television

BBC Television is a service of the BBC which began in 1932. The British Broadcasting Corporation has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927....
adaptation of Robert Graves

Robert Graves

Robert Ranke Graves was an England poet, translator and novelist. During his long life, he produced more than 140 works. He was the son of the Anglo-Irish writer Alfred Perceval Graves and Amalie von Ranke, a niece of the famous German historian Leopold von Ranke....
's I, Claudius and Claudius the God

I, Claudius

For other uses see I, Claudius .I, Claudius is a novel by England writer Robert Graves, first published in 1934 in literature, that deals sympathetically with the life of the Roman Emperor Claudius and cynically with the history of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and Roman Empire, from Julius Caesar's assassination in 44 BC to Caligula...
. Written by Jack Pulman

Jack Pulman

Jack Pulman was an award-winning United Kindgom television screenwriter, most famous for the critically-acclaimed 1976 BBC television series, I, Claudius , based on the I, Claudius by Robert Graves....
, it proved one of the corporation's most successful drama serials of all time. It also provided popular initial exposure for several actors who would eventually become well known like Derek Jacobi

Derek Jacobi

Sir Derek George Jacobi Order of the British Empire is an England actor and film director. Like Laurence Olivier, he bears the distinction of holding two knighthoods, Danish and British....
, Siân Phillips

Siân Phillips

Si?n Phillips, Order of the British Empire is a Welsh people actress....
, Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart

Patrick Hewes Stewart, Order of the British Empire is an English film, television and Stage actor. He is also Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield....
, John Rhys-Davies

John Rhys-Davies

John Rhys-Davies is an England-born Welsh people actor and voice actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the charismatic Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones franchise and the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, in which he also voiced the ent, Treebeard....
and John Hurt

John Hurt

'John Vincent Hurt', Order of the British Empire is an England actor. Hurt initially came to prominence for his role as Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich in the 1966 film A Man for All Seasons , and has since retained a career as a leading actor and supporting actor of many popular motion pictures, including: Watership Down , Midnight Exp...
.

, Claudius follows the history of Rome, narrated by the elderly Claudius, from the death of Marcellus in the first episode to Claudius's own death in the last.

Discussion

Ask a question about 'I, Claudius (TV series)'

Start a new discussion about 'I, Claudius (TV series)'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

I, Claudius is a 1976 BBC Television

BBC Television

Robert Graves

I, Claudius

Jack Pulman

Derek Jacobi

Siân Phillips

Si?n Phillips, Order of the British Empire is a Welsh people actress....
, Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart

Patrick Hewes Stewart, Order of the British Empire is an English film, television and Stage actor. He is also Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield....
, John Rhys-Davies

John Rhys-Davies

John Hurt

Plot

I, Claudius follows the history of Rome, narrated by the elderly Claudius, from the death of Marcellus in the first episode to Claudius's own death in the last. The series opens with Augustus, the emperor of Rome, attempting to find an heir, and his wife Livia's plots to have her own son become emperor. This plotting and double-crossing continue for many years, through the conspiracy of Sejanus, the rule of the emperor Caligula, and eventually, Claudius's own rule.

Production

The series was produced by Joan Sullivan and Martin Lisemore, and directed by Herbert Wise

Herbert Wise

Herbert Wise is an Austria film and television producer and director.He was born as Herbert Weisz in Vienna, Austria and he entered television in 1950....
in the studios at BBC Television Centre

BBC Television Centre

BBC Television Centre in West London, sometimes abbreviated to TVC, TC or TV Centre, is the headquarters of BBC Television. The greater part of the BBC's television output comes from here, as well as, in more recent years, that of BBC Radio 5 Live and, since 1998, that of most of the corporation's national BBC News service....
. Production was delayed because of complex negotiations between the BBC and the copyright holders of the aborted film version. This did however give the scriptwriter Jack Pulman more time to fine-tune his script.

Music

Wilfred Josephs

Wilfred Josephs was an England composer....
provided the title music. The incidental music for each episode was performed by David Wulstan and the Clerkes of Oxenford ensemble.

Awards and reception

Among other awards, the series won three BAFTA

British Academy of Film and Television Arts

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a British charity that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation....
s in 1977 (Derek Jacobi, Best Actor (TV); Siân Phillips, Best Actress (TV); Tim Harvey, Best Design (TV)).

The series was subsequently broadcast in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
as part of PBS's Masterpiece Theatre
Masterpiece Theatre

Masterpiece is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH-TV. It premiered on Public Broadcasting Service on January 10, 1971, making it America's longest-running weekly primetime drama series....
series, where it received critical acclaim. Tim Harvey won a 1978 Emmy for Outstanding Art Direction. The producers and director were nominated but did not win. In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes

100 Greatest British Television Programmes

100 Greatest British Television Programmes was a list compiled in 2000 by the British Film Institute , chosen by a poll of industry professionals, to determine what were the greatest United Kingdom television programmes of any genre ever to have been screened....
drawn up by the British Film Institute

British Film Institute

The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:...
in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, I, Claudius was placed 12th.

Cast

The major cast included

Actor	Character
Derek Jacobi Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi Order of the British Empire is an England actor and film director. Like Laurence Olivier, he bears the distinction of holding two knighthoods, Danish and British....	Claudius Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus or Claudius I was the fourth Roman Emperor, a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, ruling from January 24, AD 41 to his death in AD 54....
Siân Phillips Siân Phillips Si?n Phillips, Order of the British Empire is a Welsh people actress....	Livia Livia Livia Drusilla, after 14 AD called Julia Augusta was the wife of Augustus and one of the most powerful women in the Roman Empire, being Augustus' faithful advisor....
George Baker George Baker (actor) George Baker is an England actor....	Tiberius Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus, born Tiberius Claudius Nero , was the second Roman Emperor, from the death of Augustus in AD 14 until his own death in 37....
John Hurt John Hurt 'John Vincent Hurt', Order of the British Empire is an England actor. Hurt initially came to prominence for his role as Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich in the 1966 film A Man for All Seasons , and has since retained a career as a leading actor and supporting actor of many popular motion pictures, including: Watership Down , Midnight Exp...	Caligula Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus , more commonly known by his nickname Caligula , was the third Roman Emperor, reigning from 16 March 37 until his assassination on 24 January 41....
Brian Blessed Brian Blessed Brian Blessed is an England actor, author and adventurer....	Augustus
Patrick Stewart Patrick Stewart Patrick Hewes Stewart, Order of the British Empire is an English film, television and Stage actor. He is also Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield....	Sejanus Sejanus Lucius Aelius Seianus , commonly known as Sejanus, was an ambitious soldier, friend and confidant of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. An Equestrian by birth, Sejanus rose to power as Praetorian Prefect of the Roman imperial bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, of which he was commander from 14 AD until his death in 31....
Margaret Tyzack Margaret Tyzack Margaret Maud Tyzack Order of the British Empire , is an award-winning United Kingdom actress....	Antonia Antonia Minor Antonia Minor , also known as Antonia the Younger or simply Antonia was a daughter of Ancient Rome politician Mark Antony and Octavia Minor, sister of roman emperor Augustus, and mother of future emperor Claudius....
Patricia Quinn Patricia Quinn Patricia Quinn, Lady Stephens is an actress best known for her role as Magenta in the perennial cult-hit film The Rocky Horror Picture Show ....	Livilla Livilla Livia Julia , most commonly known by her family nickname of Livilla was the only daughter of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia Minor. Her chief role in the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty was as a bride ? and alleged murderer ? of the heir apparent to the Principate during the reigns of Augustus and her uncle Tiberius....
John Paul John Paul (actor) John Paul was a United Kingdom actor.He is best known for his television roles, particularly as Dr Spencer Quist in Doomwatch and Marcus Agrippa in I, Claudius , both for BBC Television....	Marcus Agrippa Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa was a Roman statesman and general. He was a close friend, son-in-law, lieutenant and minister to Octavian, the future emperor Caesar Augustus....
Sheila White Sheila White (actress) Sheila White is an England actress and West End musical star....	Messalina Messalina Valeria Messalina, sometimes spelled Messallina, was a Ancient Rome Empress as the third wife of Roman Emperor Claudius. A powerful and influential woman with a reputation for promiscuity, she conspired against her husband and was executed when the plot was discovered....
Christopher Biggins Christopher Biggins Christopher Biggins is an England actor and media personality....	Nero Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus , born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Caesar Drusus Germanicus, was the fifth and final Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty....
Ian Ogilvy Ian Ogilvy Ian Raymond Ogilvy is an England film and television actor....	Drusus Nero Claudius Drusus Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus , born Decimus Claudius Drusus also called Drusus, Drusus I, Nero Drusus, or Drusus the Elder was a Roman Empire politician and military commander....
David Robb David Robb David Robb is a United Kingdom actor.Robb has starred in various British movies and television shows, including films such as Swing Kids and Hellbound....	Germanicus Germanicus Germanicus Julius Caesar Claudianus . Born in Lugdunum, Gaul , was a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty of the early Roman Empire. At birth he was named either Nero Claudius Drusus after his father or Tiberius Claudius Nero after his uncle and received the agnomen Germanicus, by which he is principally known, in 9 BC, when...
John Castle John Castle John Castle is an England actor....	Postumus Agrippa Postumus Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa Postumus , also known as Agrippa Postumus or Postumus Agrippa, was a son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder....
Fiona Walker Fiona Walker Fiona Walker is an actress, best known for her role as Agrippina the Younger in the 1976 BBC adaptation of I, Claudius , directed by her husband Herbert Wise....	Agrippina Agrippina the elder Vipsania Agrippina or most commonly known as Agrippina Major was a distinguished and prominent Roman Princess that lived between the 1st century BC and 1st century....
Frances White Frances White 'Frances White' is a United Kingdom actress, perhaps best known for her role as Miss Flood in the BBC sitcom May to December. She has also appeared in "The Pumpkin Eaters", Trevor's World of Sport; Crossroads ; Dangerfield ; A Very Peculiar Practice; as Cassandra, prophetess of Troy, in the Doctor Who story The Myth M...	Julia Julia the Elder Julia the Elder , known to her contemporaries as Julia Caesaris filia or Julia Augusti filia was the daughter and only natural child of Augustus....
James Faulkner James Faulkner James Faulkner is a British people actor. Known for his many various appearance on television and in movies.Faulkner made his big screen debut as Josef Strauss in The Great Waltz in 1972....	Herod Agrippa I Agrippa I also called the Great , King of the Jews, was the grandson of Herod the Great, and son of Aristobulus IV and Berenice . His original name was Marcus Julius Agrippa, and he is the king named Herod in the Acts of the Apostles, in the Bible, "Herod " ....
Kevin McNally Kevin McNally Kevin McNally is an English actor who has worked extensively in both film and television. He is best known for his portrayal of first mate Joshamee Gibbs in the Pirates of the Caribbean films....	Castor Julius Caesar Drusus Nero Claudius Drusus, later Drusus Julius Caesar , was the only child of Roman Emperor Tiberius and his first wife, Vipsania Agrippina. He was born with the name Nero Claudius Drusus, and is also known to historians as Drusus II and Drusus Minor....
John Rhys-Davies John Rhys-Davies John Rhys-Davies is an England-born Welsh people actor and voice actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the charismatic Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones franchise and the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, in which he also voiced the ent, Treebeard....	Macro Naevius Sutorius Macro Quintus Naevius Cordus Sutorius Macro , often abbreviated Naevius Sutorius Macro, or simply Macro, was a Praetorian prefect of the Roman Empire imperial bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, from 31 until his death in 38....
Christopher Guard Christopher Guard Christopher Guard is an England actor.* Born: 1953 in England* Occupation: Actor* Active: 1970s-2001* brother to Dominic Guard* Cousin of actress Pippa Guard...	Marcellus Marcus Claudius Marcellus (Julio-Claudian dynasty) Marcus Claudius Marcellus was the eldest son of Octavia Minor, sister of Augustus, and Gaius Claudius Marcellus Minor, a former consul. He was descended through his father from Marcus Claudius Marcellus, a famous general in the Second Punic War....
Stratford Johns Stratford Johns Stratford Johns, born Alan Edgar Stratford-Johns, was a popular United Kingdom stage, film and television actor who is best remembered for his starring role as Detective Inspector Charlie Barlow in the innovative and long-running BBC police series Z-Cars, created by Troy Kennedy-Martin....	Piso Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso , Roman statesman, was consul in 7 BC; subsequently, he was governor of Hispania and proconsul of North Africa during the Classical Period....
Bernard Hepton Bernard Hepton Bernard Hepton is a United Kingdom actor of stage, film and television.Hepton is known as a particularly versatile character actor. He trained at Bradford Civic Theatre school under Esme Church, and alongside actors such as Robert Stephens....	Pallas Pallas (freedman) Marcus Antonius Pallas was a prominent Greek freedman and secretary during the reigns of the Roman Emperors Claudius and Nero. His younger brother was Marcus Antonius Felix, a procurator of Iudaea Province....
John Cater John Cater 'John Cater' is an England actor.His television credits include: Danger Man, Z Cars, The Avengers , The Baron, Doctor Who , Follyfoot, Softly, Softly , Department S, Up Pompeii!, Dad's Army, The Naked Civil Servant, I, Claudius , Alcock and Gander, The Duchess of Duke Street, The Swee...	Narcissus Tiberius Claudius Narcissus Tiberius Claudius Narcissus was one of the freedman who formed the core of the imperial court under the Roman emperor Claudius. He is described as praepositus ab epistulis ....
Barbara Young Barbara Young (actor) Barbara Young is an England actress. She is probably best known for her role as the future Emperor Nero's mother, Agrippina the Younger, in the landmark 1976 BBC serial I, Claudius ....	Agrippinilla Agrippina the Younger Julia Agrippina; known as Agrippina Minor , was a great granddaughter of Emperor Augustus, great niece and adoptive granddaughter of Emperor Tiberius, sister to Emperor Caligula, wife of Emperor Claudius and mother of Emperor Nero....
Beth Morris Beth Morris Bethany Morris is an actress noted for her roles in television.She is probably best known for her performance as Drusilla in the 1976 BBC adaptation of I, Claudius ....	Drusilla

Actor	Character
Simon MacCorkindale Simon MacCorkindale Simon Charles Pendered MacCorkindale is a well-known British actor, Theatre director, and Theatrical producer who trained at Theatre of Arts in London....	Lucius Lucius Caesar Lucius Julius Caesar , most commonly known as Lucius Caesar, was the second son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder. He was born with the name Lucius Vipsanius Agrippa, but when he was adopted by his maternal grandfather Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus, his name was changed to Lucius Julius Caesar....
Sheila Ruskin Sheila Ruskin Sheila Ruskin is an England actor.She is possibly best known for playing Vipsania in the 1976 BBC adaptation of I, Claudius but is also remembered by fans of Doctor Who for her performance as Kassia in the 1981 serial The Keeper of Traken, and by Blake's 7 fans as Alta 1 in the 1979 episode "Redemption"....	Vipsania
Angela Morant Angela Morant Angela Morant is a United Kingdom actress.She is remembered for playing Octavia in the 1976 BBC television adaptation of I, Claudius and Barbara Harrison in the soap opera Brookside....	Octavia Octavia Minor Octavia Minor , also known as Octavia the Younger or simply Octavia, was the sister of the first Roman Emperor, Augustus , half sister of Octavia Major, and fourth wife of Mark Antony....
Graham Seed Graham Seed Graham Seed is an England actor.He trained at RADA and is best known for playing Nigel Pargetter in the BBC radio series The Archers. Seed is probably unique among UK soap opera actors, having appeared in The Archers, Brookside, Coronation Street and Crossroads ....	Britannicus Britannicus Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus was the son of the Roman Empire Claudius and his third wife Valeria Messalina. He became the heir-designate of the empire at his birth, less than a month into his father's reign....
Jo Rowbottom Jo Rowbottom Jo Rowbottom is a United Kingdom character actress, best known for guest roles in numerous British TV series, and as James Beck's wife in Romany Jones....	Calpurnia
Sam Dastor Sam Dastor Sam Dastor is an actor best known for his appearances in United Kingdom television series.He is perhaps best remembered for playing Cassius Chaerea in the 1976 BBC adaptation of I, Claudius ....	Cassius Cassius Chaerea Cassia Chaerea was a centurion in the army of Germanicus and served in the Praetorian Guard under the emperor Caligula, whom he eventually assassinated....
Kevin Stoney Kevin Stoney 'Kevin Stoney' was an England actor, best known for his television roles.During World War II, Stoney served with the Royal Air Force.He is well remembered by fans of the science fiction series Doctor Who for his roles in three serials ? Mavic Chen in The Daleks' Master Plan , List_of_Doctor_Who_villains#Tobias_Vaughn in The Invas...	Thrasyllus Thrasyllus of Mendes Thrasyllus of Mendes whose full name was Tiberius Claudius Thrasyllus . Thrasyllus was an Egyptian Greeks who originally came from a Greek family in Mendes, Egypt....
Freda Dowie Freda Dowie Freda Dowie is an England actor.Her television credits include: Dixon of Dock Green, Doomwatch, Edna, the Inebriate Woman, Upstairs, Downstairs, The Carnforth Practice, I, Claudius , Lillie, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, Our Friends in the North and Heartbeat ....	Caesonia Caesonia Milonia Caesonia was a Roman Empress. She rose from modest origins to become the fourth and last wife of the Roman Emperor Caligula. She was a daughter of a Roman woman called Vistilia, who came from a family who held the praetorship and her father is unknown.... & Sibyl Cumaean Sibyl The ageless Cumaean Sibyl was the priestess presiding over the Apollonian oracle at Cumae, a Greek colony located near Naples, Italy.The word Sibyl comes from the ancient Greek word sibylla, meaning prophetess....
Irene Hamilton	Plancina
Darien Angadi Darien Angadi Darien Angadi was an England actor.Darien was born in Stoke Newington, and attended Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School where he was a prolific performer in school plays....	Plautius Aulus Plautius Aulus Plautius was a Roman empire politician and general of the mid-1st century. He led the Roman conquest of Britain in 43, and became the first List of Roman governors of Britain of the new province, serving from 43 to 47....
Peter Bowles Peter Bowles Peter Bowles is an England actor.Bowles was born in London, England, the son of SarahJane and Herbert Reginald Bowles. He became famous in the late 1970s and 1980s for portraying upper class characters typically caught in hilarious situations....	Caractacus
Norman Eshley Norman Eshley Norman Eshley is an England actor best known for his roles on television.He is possibly best known for his role in the sitcom George and Mildred as the snobbish real estate agent Jeffrey Fourmile, the foil to George....	Marcus
John Bennett John Bennett (actor) John Bennett was a United Kingdom actor. Born in Beckenham, Kent, he was educated at Bradfield College in Berkshire, then trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama, followed by a wide Rep experience including Bromley, Bristol Old Vic, Dundee, Edinburgh Festival and Watford before going to London's West End....	Xenophon
Patsy Byrne Patsy Byrne Patsy Byrne is an England Actor.She was educated at Ashford School for Girls, and attended the school around the same time as Lorna Fendall, and Joanna Brough, daughter of Arthur Brough....	Martina
Douglas Melbourne	Gemellus Tiberius Gemellus Tiberius Julius Caesar Nero Gemellus, known as Tiberius Gemellus, was the son of Drusus Julius Caesar and Livilla, the grandson of Tiberius, and the cousin of Gaius Caligula....
Karin Foley	Helen Julia (daughter of Drusus the Younger) Julia Drusi Caesaris Filia was the daughter of Julius Caesar Drusus and Livilla and granddaughter to the Roman Emperor Tiberius....
Earl Rhodes	Gaius Gaius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar , most commonly known as Gaius Caesar or Caius Caesar, was the oldest son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder.....
Richard Hunter	Drusus Caesar Drusus Caesar Drusus Julius Caesar, also referred to as Drusus III , was a member of a noble family of Ancient Rome. He was a son of Germanicus and Agrippina the Elder....
Russell Lewis Russell Lewis Russell Lewis is a British television writer and former actor....	Young Lucius
Robert Morgan Robert Craig-Morgan Robert Craig-Morgan is an actor who first appeared on television in the 1976 BBC production of I, Claudius playing the Young Caligula, although he was best known for his character "Justin Bennett" in the BAFTA award winning "Grange Hill" which he played for 5yrs from the start of the series....	Young Caligula Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus , more commonly known by his nickname Caligula , was the third Roman Emperor, reigning from 16 March 37 until his assassination on 24 January 41....
Cheryl Johnson	Claudia Octavia Claudia Octavia Claudia Octavia was a Roman Empress, stepsister and first wife to Roman Emperor Nero....
Isabel Dean	Lollia Paulina Lollia Paulina Lollia Paulina was a noble Roman woman who lived in the 1st century....
Liane Aukin	Aelia Aelia Paetina Aelia Paetina or Paetina was a Roman woman who lived in the 1st century. Her biological father was consul of 4, Sextus Aelius Catus while her mother is unknown....
Moira Redmond Moira Redmond Moira Redmond was a United Kingdom actress.She was born in Bognor Regis, England, the daughter of the actress Molly Redmond and her husband who was a stage manager....	Domitia Domitia Lepida Domitia Lepida , Domitia Lepida Minor or simply known as Lepida , was the younger daughter of Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus and Antonia Major....
Bernard Hill Bernard Hill Bernard Hill is a United Kingdom actor of film, stage and television. Widely recognised in his home country through a career of more than thirty years, he has been seen worldwide in two roles: as the captain of the RMS Titanic in Titanic , and as King Th?oden in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy....	Gratus Gratus Gratus, a soldier of Caligula's praetorian guard, who, after the assassination of that emperor, dis?covered and drew Claudius from his hiding-place in the palace, and presented him to the soldiers as a Germanicus, the proper heir to the empire....

Legacy

In the following decade

1980s

The 1980s or the Eighties or the 80s or the years between the 70s and the 90s, was the decade that ran from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 1989....
, the large-scale historical dramas The Borgias
The Borgias

The Borgias is a British television drama serial produced by the BBC in 1981.A historical series, The Borgias was set in Italy during the 15th century and told the tale of Rodrigo Borgia - the future Pope Alexander VI - and his family, including his son Cesare Borgia and daughter Lucrezia Borgia ....
and The Cleopatras
The Cleopatras

The Cleopatras is a British television series produced by the BBC in 1983.The eight-part serial was a historical drama set in ancient Egypt and charted the ruling dynasty of the Cleopatras....
were produced by the BBC in an attempt to imitate I, Claudiuss success, but both these proved to be flops. The idea of large-scale historical drama thus came to be satirised in comedy of the time, most notably Blackadder

Blackadder

Blackadder is the generic name that encompasses four series of an acclaimed BBC One historical British sitcom, along with several List of Blackadder episodes#See also....
(for example, the writhing snake from the I, Claudius title sequence is parodied in the title sequence of Blackadder II

Blackadder II

Blackadder II is the second series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton, which aired from 9 January 1986 to 20 February 1986....
). Such dramas did not become a BBC staple again until the series Rome

Rome (TV series)

Rome is a British Academy Television Awards, Golden Globe-nominated and Primetime Emmy Award-winning historical drama film television series co-created by John Milius, William J....
, which (due to its similarly Roman subject matter and ambitious scale) was openly touted in the press as a successor to I, Claudius.

VHS/DVD

Most VHS and DVD versions of the TV series include the 1965 BBC documentary The Epic That Never Was, about the attempted Alexander Korda
Alexander Korda

Sir Alexander Korda was a Hungarian-born film director and film producer. He was a leading figure in the British film industry, the founder of London Films and the owner of British Lion, a film distributing company....
film adaptation
I, Claudius (film)

I, Claudius was the proposed 1937 in film film of the book Claudius . It was to have been produced by Alexander Korda, directed by Josef von Sternberg and starring Charles Laughton , Emlyn Williams , Flora Robson , and Merle Oberon , but it was dogged by ill-luck, culminating in a car accident involving Oberon, which caused filming to...
of the first book, featuring interviews with key production staff and actors as well as most of the surviving footage. The 2002 UK DVD edition also contains a documentary on the series, I, Claudius – a Television Epic, as well as some alternate and deleted scenes.

See also
The 1968 ITV
ITV

ITV is a public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom television network of British television broadcasters, set up under the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC....
historical drama The Caesars

The Caesars (TV series)

The Caesars is a United Kingdom television series produced by Granada Television for the ITV network in 1968. Made in black-and-white and written and produced by Philip Mackie, it covered similar dramatic territory to the later BBC adaptation of I, Claudius , dealing with the lives of the emperors of Ancient Rome....
covers very similar ground to I Claudius.

I, Claudius (TV series)

Plot

Production

Music

Awards and reception

Cast

Legacy

VHS/DVD

See also

External links