''I, Claudius'' (stylised as ''I·CLAVDIVS'') is a 1976

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...

adaptation of

Robert Graves Captain Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was an English poet, soldier, historical novelist and critic. His father was Alfred Perceval Graves, a celebrated Irish poet and figure in the Gaelic revival; they were b ...

' 1934 novel '' I, Claudius'' and its 1935 sequel '' Claudius the God''. Written by Jack Pulman, it stars Derek Jacobi as

Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; ; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54), or Claudius, was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Nero Claudius Drusus, Drusus and Ant ...

, with Siân Phillips, Brian Blessed, George Baker, Margaret Tyzack,

John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 28 January 2017) was an English actor. Regarded as one of the finest actors of his time and known for the "most distinctive voice in Cinema of the United Kingdom, Britain", he was described by David Ly ...

Patricia Quinn Patricia Quinn, Lady Stephens (born 28 May 1944) is a Northern Irish actress and singer. She is best known for her role as Magenta in the 1975 musical comedy horror film '' The Rocky Horror Picture Show,'' and the original stage play from wh ...

, Ian Ogilvy, Kevin McNally,

Patrick Stewart Sir Patrick Stewart (born 13 July 1940) is an English actor. With a career spanning over seven decades of Patrick Stewart on stage and screen, stage and screen, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Patrick Stewart, variou ...

and

John Rhys-Davies John Rhys-Davies (born 5 May 1944) is a Welsh actor known for portraying Gimli (Middle-earth), Gimli in The Lord of the Rings (film series), ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy and Sallah in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise. He has received three ...

. The series covers the history of the early

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

, told from the perspective of the elderly Emperor

, who narrates the series. Among many other productions and adaptations, Graves' Claudius novels have also been adapted for a

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

broadcast (2010) and for the stage (1972).

Plot summary and episodes

''I, Claudius'' follows the history of the early Roman Empire, narrated by the elderly Roman Emperor Claudius, from the year 24 BC to his death in AD 54. The series opens with

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

, the first

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

of Rome, attempting to find an heir, and his wife,

Livia Livia Drusilla (30 January 59 BC AD 29) was List of Roman and Byzantine empresses, Roman empress from 27 BC to AD 14 as the wife of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. She was known as Julia Augusta after her formal Adoption ...

, plotting to elevate her son

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus ( ; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was Roman emperor from AD 14 until 37. He succeeded his stepfather Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC to Roman politician Tiberius Cl ...

to this position. An expert poisoner, Livia uses the covert assassination and betrayal of her rivals to achieve her aims, beginning with the death in 22 BC of Marcellus. The plotting, double-crossing and murder continue for many decades, through the reign of Tiberius, the political

conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, or corruption, especially with a political motivat ...

of his

Praetorian Prefect The praetorian prefect (; ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief ai ...

Sejanus Lucius Aelius Sejanus ( – 18 October AD 31), commonly known as Sejanus (), was a Roman soldier and confidant of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Of the Equites class by birth, Sejanus rose to power as prefect of the Praetorian Guard, the imperia ...

and the depraved rule of the lunatic emperor

Caligula Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), also called Gaius and Caligula (), was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Ag ...

, culminating in the accidental rise to power of his uncle Claudius. Claudius' enlightened reign is marred by the betrayals of his adulterous wife Messalina and his boyhood friend

Herod Agrippa Herod Agrippa I ( Roman name: Marcus Julius Agrippa; ), also simply known as Herod Agrippa, Agrippa I, () or Agrippa the Great, was the last king of Judea. He was a grandson of Herod the Great and the father of Herod Agrippa II, the last known k ...

. Eventually, Claudius comes to accept the inevitability of his assassination and consents to marrying his scheming niece,

Agrippina the Younger Julia Agrippina (6 November AD 15 – 23 March AD 59), also referred to as Agrippina the Younger, was Roman empress from AD 49 to 54, the fourth wife and niece of emperor Claudius, and the mother of Nero. Agrippina was one of the most prominent ...

, clearing the way for the ascent of his mad stepson,

Nero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

, whose disastrous reign Claudius vainly hopes will bring about the restoration of the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...

Cast

;Major characters * Derek Jacobi as

** Ashley Knight as Young Claudius ( 3) * Siân Phillips as

( 1–7, 13) * Brian Blessed as

( 1–5, 13) * George Baker as

( 1–9, 13) * Margaret Tyzack as Antonia ( 2–4, 6–9, 13) ** Amanda Kirby as Young Antonia ( 1) * James Faulkner as

( 4, 6–7, 9, 11–12) ** Michael Clements as Young Herod ( 3) *

( 7–10, 13) ** Robert Morgan as Young Caligula ( 6) *

Beth Morris Bethan "Beth" Morris (19 July 1943 – 1 March 2018) was a Welsh actress. Born in Gorseinon and a lifetime native of Swansea, she was probably best known for her performance as Julia Drusilla in the 1976 BBC adaptation of '' I, Claudius''. ...

as Drusilla ( 9) * Sheila White as Messalina ( 10–12) * Bernard Hepton as Marcus Antonius Pallas ( 11–13) * John Cater as Tiberius Claudius Narcissus ( 11–13) * Barbara Young as Agrippinilla ( 13) ;Secondary cast * Frances White as Julia ( 1–3) * John Paul as Marcus Agrippa ( 1) * Christopher Guard as

Marcus Claudius Marcellus Marcus Claudius Marcellus (; 270 – 208 BC) was a Roman general and politician during the 3rd century BC. Five times elected as Roman consul, consul of the Roman Republic (222, 215, 214, 210, and 208 BC). Marcellus gained the most prestigious a ...

( 1) * Carleton Hobbs as Aristarchus ( 1) * Angela Morant as

Octavia the Younger Octavia the Younger (; 69 BC – 11 BC) was the elder sister of the first Roman emperor, Augustus (known also as Octavian), the half-sister of Octavia the Elder, and the fourth wife of Mark Antony. She was also the great-grandmother of the Emp ...

( 1) * Sheila Ruskin as

Vipsania Agrippina Vipsania Agrippina (; unknown – 20 AD) was the first wife of the Roman emperor, Emperor Tiberius. She was the daughter of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Attica (wife of Agrippa), Attica, thus being a granddaughter of Titus Pomponius Atticus, t ...

( 1–2) * Renu Setna as Antonius Musa ( 1–2) * Freda Dowie as the Sibyl ( 1, 13) & Milonia Caesonia ( 10) * Guy Siner as Pylades ( 1) * David Davenport as Thallus ( 1) * Sheridan Earl Russell as Slave ( 1) * Ian Ogilvy as

Nero Claudius Drusus Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus (38–9 BC), commonly known in English as Drusus the Elder, was a Roman general and politician. He was a patrician Claudian but his mother was from a plebeian family. He was the son of Livia Drusilla and the s ...

( 2) * Roger Bisley as Senator ( 3) & Aulus Plautius ( 13) * Tony Haygarth as Claudius' Slave * Earl Rhodes as

Gaius Caesar Gaius Caesar (20 BC – 21 February 4 AD) was a grandson and heir to the throne of Roman emperor Augustus, alongside his younger brother Lucius Caesar. Although he was born to Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder, Julia, Augustus' only ...

( 2) * Simon MacCorkindale as

Lucius Caesar Lucius Caesar (17 BC – 20 August 2 AD) was a grandson of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. The son of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Julia the Elder, Augustus' only daughter, Lucius was adopted by his grandfather along with his older brother, G ...

( 3) ** Russell Lewis as Young Lucius ( 2) * Darien Angadi as Gaius Plautius Silanus ( 3) * Kevin McNally as Castor ( 3–4, 6–7) * Esmond Knight as Domitus ( 3) * Kevin Stoney as Thrasyllus of Mendes ( 3, 7–8) * Nick Willatt as Courier ( 3) * James Fagan as Julia's Lover ( 3) & Asprenas ( 10–11) *

Livilla Claudia Livia (Classical Latin: CLAVDIA•LIVIA; – AD 31) was the only daughter of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia Minor and sister to Roman Emperor Claudius and general Germanicus, and thus paternal aunt of emperor Caligula and mate ...

( 4–8) ** Katharine Levy as Young Livilla ( 3) * David Robb as

Germanicus Germanicus Julius Caesar (24 May 15 BC – 10 October AD 19) was a Roman people, Roman general and politician most famously known for his campaigns against Arminius in Germania. The son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia the Younger, Germanicu ...

( 4–6) ** Gary Lock as Young Germanicus ( 3) * Fiona Walker as Agrippina ( 4–8) ** Diana Hutchinson as Young Agrippina ( 3) * John Castle as Postumus ( 4–5) ** Alister Kerr as Young Postumus ( 3) * Norman Shelley as

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC), Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). Th ...

( 4) * Donald Eccles as Gaius Asinius Pollio ( 4) * Denis Carey as

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding i ...

( 4) *

John Truscott John Edward Truscott (23 February 1936 – 5 September 1993) was an Australian actor, production designer, costume designer and artistic director. He won two Academy Awards for his work on the 1967 film '' Camelot''. Career Truscott began hi ...

as Librarian ( 4) * Jennifer Croxton as Claudius' Bride ( 4) *

( 5–8) * Jonathan Burn as Paullus Fabius Maximus ( 5) * Stratford Johns as Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso ( 6) * Irene Hamilton as Munatia Plancina ( 6) * Roy Purcell as Publius Vitellius the Younger ( 6) * Patsy Byrne as Martina ( 6) * George Pravda as Gershom ( 6) * Isabel Dean as Lollia ( 7) * Edward Jewesbury as Titus ( 7) * Aubrey Richards as Lucius Visellius Varo ( 7) * Peter Williams as Gaius Silius Caecina ( 7) * Karin Foley as Helen ( 7–8) *

Neil Dickson Neil Dickson (born 26 November 1950) is an English actor, who has worked extensively in both American and British film and television. Biography At the age of five, Dickson contracted polio, but made a complete recovery a year later. He attend ...

& Michael Stock as Guards ( 7) * Liane Aukin as Aelia Paetina ( 8) * Charles Kay as Gaius Asinius Gallus ( 8) *

as Naevius Sutorius Macro ( 8–9) * Kate Lansbury as Apicata ( 8) * Richard Lindfield & Pat Gorman as Captains of the Guard ( 8) * Richard Hunter as Drusus Caesar ( 8) * Anne Dyson as Briseis ( 9–10) * Jon Laurimore as Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Gaetulicus ( 9) * Lockwood West as Senator ( 9–10) * Douglas Melbourne as

Tiberius Gemellus Tiberius Julius Caesar Nero, known as Tiberius Gemellus (10 October AD 19 – 37/38), was the son of Drusus and Livilla, the grandson of the Emperor Tiberius, and the cousin of the Emperor Caligula. ''Gemellus'' is a nickname meaning "the twin ...

( 9) *

Jo Rowbottom Josephine Rowbottom (born 1942) is a British character actress, best known for guest roles in numerous British TV series and as James Beck's wife in '' Romany Jones''. Film credits *'' Night of the Prowler'' (1962) - Elsie *'' The Bargee'' ( ...

as Calpurnia ( 10, 12) * Sam Dastor as Cassius Chaerea ( 10–11) * Norman Eshley as Marcus Vinicius ( 10–11) * Bruce Purchase as Gaius Sabinus ( 10) * Norman Rossington as Sergeant of the Guard ( 10) * Bernard Hill as Gratus ( 10) *

Sally Bazely Sally Bazely (born 1933) is a British television actress. Her main roles were in '' Father, Dear Father'' (1968–1970) and ''Harriet's Back in Town'' (1972). She also played the '2nd Peasant Blouse', in '' You Can't Escape'' (1957); Jenny in a 1 ...

as Poppea ( 10) * Jan Carey as Diana ( 10) * Moira Redmond as Domitia Lepida the Younger ( 11–12) * Lyndon Brook as Appius Junius Silanus ( 11) * John Bennett as Gaius Stertinius Xenophon ( 11) * Geoffrey Hinsliff as Rufrius Pollio ( 11) * George Little as Tortius ( 11) * Neal Arden as Cestius ( 11) * Stuart Wilson as Gaius Silius ( 12) * Nicholas Amer as Mnester ( 12) * Manning Wilson as Gaius Vibius Marsus ( 12) *

George Innes George Innes (born 8 March 1938) is a British actor. Stage career George Innes was born in Wapping, Stepney, East London on 8 March 1938, and he began his career on the stage with the Royal National Theatre, National Theatre of Great Britain ...

as Quintus Justus ( 12) * Charlotte Howard as Scylla ( 12) * Linal Haft as Lucius Lusius Geta ( 12) * Christopher Biggins as

( 13) * Graham Seed as

Britannicus Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus (12 February AD 41 – 11 February AD 55), usually called Britannicus, was the son of Roman Emperor Claudius and his third wife, Valeria Messalina. For a time, he was considered his father's heir, but t ...

( 13) * Peter Bowles as

Caratacus Caratacus was a 1st-century AD British chieftain of the Catuvellauni tribe, who resisted the Roman conquest of Britain. Before the Roman invasion, Caratacus is associated with the expansion of his tribe's territory. His apparent success led ...

( 13) * George Howe as Senator ( 13) * Cheryl Johnson as

Claudia Octavia Claudia Octavia (late 39 or early 40 – June 9, AD 62) was a Roman empress. She was the daughter of the Emperor Claudius and Valeria Messalina. After her mother's death and father's remarriage to her cousin Agrippina the Younger, she became ...

( 13)

Production

The series was produced by Joan Sullivan and Martin Lisemore, and directed by Herbert Wise. Production was delayed because of complex negotiations between the BBC and the copyright holders of

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

's aborted 1937 film version. This did, however, give the scriptwriter Jack Pulman more time to fine-tune his script. The series was shot on videotape in the studios at

BBC Television Centre Television Centre (TVC), formerly known as BBC Television Centre, is a building complex in White City, London, White City, West London, which was the headquarters of BBC Television from 1960 to 2013, when BBC Television moved to Broadcasting H ...

, for artistic rather than budgetary reasons. ''I, Claudius'' was made at a relatively low cost of £60,000 for an hour of broadcast material (£ in ), in a series that had a total running time of 650 minutes. As alluded to in the 2002 documentary ''I, Claudius: A Television Epic'', the original version of episode 8, "Zeus, by Jove!", included a closing shot after Caligula has cut the fetus from Drusilla's womb, which was considered very shocking. It was therefore re-edited several times, even on the day of its premiere, by order of Bill Slater, then head of Serials Department. After initial broadcast and a rerun two days later, the scene was edited again, so that the episode is now "somewhat attenuated". The "slightly nastier version" of the episode's closing (a scene that used "makeup on her belly") was allegedly shown twice in 1976, but is now lost since the BBC no longer has a copy of it. Pulman noted that the original script for the episode ended with "a long shot showing the butchered woman hanging on a chariot". The 2002 documentary, which features extensive interviews with all the principal cast members, revealed many previously unknown facts about the casting and development of the series, among them being: * Derek Jacobi was well down the list of those considered to play Claudius. Among those considered for or offered the part before him were American film star

Charlton Heston Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923 – April 5, 2008) was an American actor. He gained stardom for his leading man roles in numerous Cinema of the United States, Hollywood films including biblical epics, science-fiction f ...

and British actor-comedian

Ronnie Barker Ronald William George Barker (25 September 1929 – 3 October 2005) was an English actor, comedian and writer. He was known for roles in British comedy television series such as ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'', ''The Two Ronnies'', ...

. Jacobi explained that he secured the role only after another prominent (unnamed) British actor who had taken the part proved to be unsuitable, and had to be replaced at short notice. * Brian Blessed originally auditioned for the role of Tiberius, but was eventually persuaded to play Augustus instead. He recounted some of director Herbert Wise's key pieces of advice on how to play Augustus: Wise told Blessed that he should "be as you are – full of flannel", and that he should always play Augustus as an ordinary person, because the reactions of those around him would make him the Emperor. * John Hurt said that he declined the role of Caligula when it was first offered to him. Because of the time-span of the production, the fact that Derek Jacobi would be the only actor to appear in every episode, and the subsequent commitments of the other actors, it was decided that rather than the customary "wrap party" at the end of the series, there would be a special pre-production party instead, to give the entire cast and crew the chance to meet. Hurt explained that series director Herbert Wise deliberately invited him to attend the party, hoping he would reconsider, and that he was so impressed on meeting the cast and crew that he immediately reversed his decision and took the part. * Siân Phillips has spoken about her initial struggle to perform the character of Livia, because she focused more on making the character sympathetic and justifying her motives than playing her as straightforwardly evil. "I wasn't achieving anything much... I knew it, and they knew it. They would stand there and look faintly worried." Eventually Herbert Wise told her not to be afraid of playing her camp, saying to "Just be evil. The more evil you are, the funnier it is, and the more terrifying it is."

Music

Wilfred Josephs wrote the title music. David Wulstan and the Clerkes of Oxenford ensemble provided the (

diegetic Diegesis (; , ) is a style of fiction storytelling in which a participating narrator offers an on-site, often interior, view of the scene to the reader, viewer, or listener by subjectively describing the actions and, in some cases, thoughts, o ...

) music for most episodes.

Home media

Most VHS and

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

versions of the TV series include the BBC documentary ''The Epic That Never Was'' (1965), about the unfinished 1937 Korda film version of the first book, featuring interviews with key production staff and actors, as well as most of the surviving recorded material. The 2002 UK DVD edition also contains a documentary on the series, ''I, Claudius – a Television Epic'', as well as some alternative and deleted scenes. The US DVD release was updated on 2 December 2008 with superior audio and video to the 2000 US DVD version, but it was met with hostile reviews from some customers, citing that some parts were either cut or censored from the original version, and no subtitles or closed captioning were included. On 27 March 2012, a 35th anniversary edition was released. It includes all 13 episodes (uncut except for the lost footage in "Zeus, by Jove!") on four discs, with SDH subtitles and one disc of bonus features.

Awards and reception

United Kingdom

The initial reception of the show in the UK was negative. However, the series went on to become a huge success with audiences. During its original airing in 1976, the BBC estimated that ''I, Claudius'' had an average audience of 2.5 million viewers per episode, based on rating surveys. Among other awards, the series won three BAFTAs in 1977: Derek Jacobi, Best Actor (TV); Siân Phillips, Best Actress (TV); Tim Harvey, Best Design (TV). Director Herbert Wise won Outstanding Contribution Award at BAFTAs in 1978. In a list of the

100 Greatest British Television Programmes The BFI TV 100 is a list of 100 television programmes or series that was compiled in 2000 by the British Film Institute (BFI), as chosen by a poll of industry professionals, with the aim to determine the best British television programmes of any ...

drawn up by the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, ''I, Claudius'' placed 12th.

United States

The series was subsequently broadcast in the United States as part of PBS's ''

Masterpiece Theatre ''Masterpiece'' (formerly known as ''Masterpiece Theatre'') is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH Boston. It premiered on PBS on January 10, 1971. The series has presented numerous acclaimed British productions. Many of these ...

'' series, where it received critical acclaim. Tim Harvey won a 1978

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

for Outstanding Art Direction. The producers and director received Emmy nominations. On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, the series has a rating of 100% based on 24 critic reviews. The website's consensus reads: "Marrying a trove of terrific actors at their peak with a masterful script that draws from irresistibly juicy source material, ''I, Claudius'' transcends its paltry production values to become a gold standard for historical dramas."

Legacy

''I, Claudius'' is frequently cited as one of the best British television shows and one of the best shows in history. In 2007, it was listed as one of ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME''", and placed at #9 on

BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is owned by AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary series). Unlike the BBC's ...

's poll of the 10 best British dramas of all time. In 2016, it was ranked #8 out of 11 on ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

''s list of groundbreaking British TV moments. Modern critics are unanimous in their praise for the quality of the screenplay and the actors' performances, particularly those of Siân Phillips and Derek Jacobi. ''

'' opined that the "...lust for power, devious plotting and mesmerising machinations" displayed in the show foreshadowed later series like ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American Crime film#Crime drama, crime drama television series created by David Chase. The series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey American Mafia, Mafia boss who suffers from panic attacks. He reluct ...

'', ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...

'', and '' House of Cards''. The creators of the hit 1980s

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

, ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchy, monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A dynasty may also be referred to as a "house", "family" or "clan", among others. H ...

'', acknowledged that they were seeking to make a modern-day version of ''I, Claudius''. Jace Lacob of ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. Founded in 2008, the website is owned by IAC Inc. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief ...

'' compared the character of Livia Soprano to the character of the same name in ''I, Claudius'', saying that "... there is a whiff of familiarity about his Livia, as though the ghost of Phillips' ancient Roman empress had echoed through millennia to rain chaos upon yet another dynastic clan." In 2012, Mary McNamara of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' credited ''I, Claudius'' with transforming the quality of television drama:

With its complex characters and multi-toned narrative, not to mention the high quality of writing, performance and direction, ''I, Claudius'' established a timeline that would eventually include the rise of
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
and all its cable competitors. This in turn expanded the palette and quality of network drama and, most recently, persuaded
AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...
executives to begin original programming.

However, criticism is sometimes levelled at the series over its relatively primitive production quality compared to modern TV drama, with Charlotte Higgins of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' writing that "it's hard to suppress a giggle in the opening scene at Derek Jacobi's make-up and stringy wig."

References

External links