I, Claudius

TV Mini Series
1976
15
50m

IMDb RATING

8.8/10

21K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:30

Epic Period Drama Political Drama Sword & Sandal Biography Drama History

The personal and governmental affairs of the Julio-Claudian dynasty at the beginning of the Roman Empire, as recalled by one of its rulers.The personal and governmental affairs of the Julio-Claudian dynasty at the beginning of the Roman Empire, as recalled by one of its rulers.The personal and governmental affairs of the Julio-Claudian dynasty at the beginning of the Roman Empire, as recalled by one of its rulers.

Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

8.8/10

21K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

1,729

233

Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Top rated TV #79

Won 1 Primetime Emmy
- 7 wins & 5 nominations total

Episodes13

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Storyline

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Trivia
John Hurt revealed 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 was the only cast member to appear in every episode and the subsequent commitments of the other cast members, Herbert Wise decided to throw a special pre-production party so the entire cast and crew could meet. Wise invited Hurt to the party hoping he would reconsider. When Hurt met the cast and crew, he was so impressed that he immediately took the part.

Goofs
In the Senate chamber, the famous statue of Romulus and Remus being suckled by a she-wolf is above the door. But the two children were added to the statue in the 15th century.

Quotes
[about Augustus]
Tiberius: Are you drinking because he nearly died or because he didn't?
Livia: Sarcastic aren't we this morning?

Alternate versions
The show aired in 13 episodes on PBS in 1977, but was originally shown in 12 episodes in England, the first and second episodes having been combined. This is the version now available in the remastered edition on DVD.

Connections
Featured in The 30th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1978)

User reviews148

Featured review

No-one will read it... not for nineteen hundred years or more.

I Claudius is quite possible the supreme example of television drama. It is limited in budget and studio-bound, yet freed from the shackles of a 90-minute theatre slot it can encompass an entire dynasty of rulers and seventy years.

It is sustained by a succession of brilliant performances. Brian Blessed as Augustus combines pathos with violent outbursts that dominate the stage, Sian Phillips as Livia shows us just how charismatic a murderer can be, and over the whole series hangs the shadow of Derek Jacobi as Claudius, fighting against senility and plotting to the last, under the cover of being "Clau-Clau-Claudius the Idiot".

The series mingles comedy with horror and tragedy, and ends with a profoundly pessimistic note about humanity- understandable, given that the reign of Nero, Claudius' successor arguably proved even more bestial and savage than any of his predecessors. Write no more, Claudius, write no more. We have learned no lessons.