''I, Claudius'' (stylized as ''I·CLAVDIVS'') is a 1976 BBC Television adaptation of

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

' 1934 novel '' I, Claudius'' and its 1935 sequel '' Claudius the God''. Written by

Jack Pulman Jack Pulman (11 July 1925 – 20 May 1979) was an award-winning British television screenwriter, most famous for the critically acclaimed 1976 BBC television series, ''I, Claudius'', based on the novels ''I, Claudius'' and ''Claudius the God'' ...

, it stars

Derek Jacobi Sir Derek George Jacobi (; born 22 October 1938) is an English actor. He has appeared in various stage productions of William Shakespeare such as '' Hamlet'', '' Much Ado About Nothing'', '' Macbeth'', '' Twelfth Night'', '' The Tempest'', ' ...

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

, with Siân Phillips, Brian Blessed, George Baker, Margaret Tyzack, John Hurt, Patricia Quinn, Ian Ogilvy, Kevin McNally, Patrick Stewart, and John Rhys-Davies. The series covers the history of the early

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...

, 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

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's ...

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 Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

, the first

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...

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

Livia Livia Drusilla (30 January 59 BC – 28 September AD 29) was a Roman empress from 27 BC to AD 14 as the wife of Emperor Augustus Caesar. She was known as Julia Augusta after her formal adoption into the Julian family in AD 14. Livia was the ...

, plotting to elevate her own son

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

to this position. An expert poisoner, Livia uses the covert assassination and betrayal of all 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, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agr ...

of his

Praetorian Prefect The praetorian prefect ( la, praefectus praetorio, el, ) 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 be ...

Sejanus Lucius Aelius Sejanus (c. 20 BC – 18 October AD 31), commonly known as Sejanus (), was a Roman soldier, friend and confidant of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. Of the Equites class by birth, Sejanus rose to power as prefect of the Praetorian ...

, and the depraved rule of the lunatic emperor

Caligula Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (31 August 12 – 24 January 41), better known by his nickname Caligula (), was the third Roman emperor, ruling from 37 until his assassination in 41. He was the son of the popular Roman general Germani ...

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

Messalina Valeria Messalina (; ) was the third wife of Roman emperor Claudius. She was a paternal cousin of Emperor Nero, a second cousin of Emperor Caligula, and a great-grandniece of Emperor Augustus. A powerful and influential woman with a reputation ...

and his boyhood friend Herod Agrippa. Eventually, Claudius comes to accept the inevitability of his own 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 49 to 54 AD, the fourth wife and niece of Emperor Claudius. Agrippina was one of the most prominent women in the Julio-Clau ...

, 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 the fifth Roman emperor and final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 un ...

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

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Ki ...

Cast

Ashley Knight Ashley Knight (born 19 August 1959 in Sutton, Surrey, England) is a British actor notable for child roles including Young Claudius in '' I Claudius''; Jim Hawkins in ''Treasure Island'', and Ken in ''Metal Mickey''. His film appearances include ...

as Young Claudius * Siân Phillips as

* George Baker as

* John Hurt as

** Robert Morgan as Young Caligula * Brian Blessed as

* Patrick Stewart as

* Margaret Tyzack as

Antonia Antonia may refer to: People * Antonia (name), including a list of people with the name * Antonia gens, a Roman family, any woman of the gens was named ''Antonia'' * Antônia (footballer) * Antônia Melo Entertainment * ''Antonia's Line'', ori ...

** Amanda Kirby as Young Antonia * Patricia Quinn as Livilla ** Katharine Levy as Young Livilla * John Paul as Agrippa * Sheila White as

Christopher Biggins Christopher Kenneth Biggins (born 16 December 1948) is an English actor and television presenter. Early life Biggins was born in Oldham, Lancashire, the son of William and Pamela Biggins. He was brought up in Salisbury, Wiltshire, attended St ...

* Ian Ogilvy as Nero Claudius Drusus * David Robb as

Germanicus Germanicus Julius Caesar (24 May 15 BC – 10 October AD 19) was an ancient Roman general, known for his campaigns in Germania. The son of Nero Claudius Drusus and Antonia the Younger, Germanicus was born into an influential branch of the pa ...

** Gary Lock as Young Germanicus * John Castle as Postumus ** Alister Kerr as Young Postumus * Fiona Walker as

Agrippina Agrippina is an ancient Roman cognomen and a feminine given name. People with either the cognomen or the given name include: Cognomen Relatives of the Roman general Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa: * Vipsania Agrippina (36 BC–20 AD), first wife of the ...

** Diana Hutchinson as Young Agrippina * Frances White as Julia * James Faulkner as Herod Agrippa ** Michael Clements as Young Herod * Kevin McNally as Castor * John Rhys-Davies as Naevius Sutorius Macro *

Christopher Guard Christopher Guard (born 5 December 1953) is an English actor, musician and artist. He is known for roles such as Jim Hawkins in '' Return to Treasure Island'' (1986), Bellboy in ''Doctor Who'' serial ''The Greatest Show in the Galaxy'' (1988), ...

as Marcus Claudius Marcellus * Stratford Johns as Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso * Bernard Hepton as

Marcus Antonius Pallas Marcus Antonius Pallas (died AD 62) 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. According to Tacitus, P ...

* John Cater as

Tiberius Claudius Narcissus Tiberius Claudius Narcissus (died ) was one of the freedmen who formed the core of the imperial court under the Roman emperor Claudius. He is described as ''praepositus ab epistulis'' (in charge of correspondence). Life He reportedly had gre ...

* Barbara Young as Agrippinilla * Beth Morris as Drusilla * Simon MacCorkindale as Lucius Caesar ** Russell Lewis as Young Lucius *

Sheila Ruskin Sheila Ruskin (born 28 March 1946) is an English actress. She played Vipsania in the BBC adaptation of '' I, Claudius'' (1976), Kassia in the ''Doctor Who'' serial ''The Keeper of Traken'' (1981) and Alta One in the ''Blake's 7'' episode "Redemp ...

as Vipsania Agrippina *

Angela Morant Angela Morant (born 15 January 1941 in Warwickshire, England) is an English actress best known for playing Octavia Minor in the 1976 BBC television adaptation of ''I, Claudius'', and Barbara Harrison in the soap opera '' Brookside''. Career Other ...

as Octavia the Younger *

Graham Seed Graham Seed (born 12 July 1950, in London) is an English actor. Education Seed was educated at Charterhouse School, an independent boarding school in the market town of Godalming in Surrey, followed by RADA in London. Career Seed is best known f ...

as Britannicus * Jo Rowbottom as Calpurnia * Lyndon Brook as

Appius Junius Silanus __NOTOC__ Appius Junius Silanus (died AD 43), whom Cassius Dio calls Gaius Appius Silanus, was consul in AD 28, with Publius Silius Nerva as his colleague. He was accused of ''majestas'', or treason, in AD 32 along with a number of senators, but h ...

* Sam Dastor as Cassius Chaerea * Kevin Stoney as Thrasyllus of Mendes *

Freda Dowie Freda Dowie (22 July 1928 – 10 August 2019) was an English actress. She was born in Carlisle, Cumberland. She was married to the art critic and film-maker David Thompson. Her television credits include: ''Dixon of Dock Green'', ''Doomwat ...

as Milonia Caesonia &

Sibyl The sibyls (, singular ) were prophetesses or oracles in Ancient Greece. The sibyls prophesied at holy sites. A sibyl at Delphi has been dated to as early as the eleventh century BC by PausaniasPausanias 10.12.1 when he described local trad ...

* Irene Hamilton as Munatia Plancina * Darien Angadi as Gaius Plautius Silanus * Peter Bowles as Caratacus *

Norman Eshley Norman Eshley (born 30 May 1945) is an English actor best known for his television roles. Biography Eshley attended Bristol Grammar School and worked in a bank, before training as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He played many ...

as Marcus Vinicius * John Bennett as Gaius Stertinius Xenophon * Patsy Byrne as Martina * Douglas Melbourne as Tiberius Gemellus * Karin Foley as

Helen Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * Helen, ...

* Earl Rhodes as Gaius Caesar * Richard Hunter as

Drusus Caesar Drusus Julius Caesar (c. AD 8 – 33) was the adopted grandson and heir of the Roman emperor Tiberius, alongside his brother Nero. Born into the prominent Julio-Claudian dynasty, Drusus was the son of Tiberius' general and heir, Germanicus. ...

* Cheryl Johnson as Claudia Octavia * Isabel Dean as Lollia * Liane Aukin as

Aelia Paetina Aelia Paetina or Paetina (fl. early 1st century AD) was the second wife of the Roman Emperor Claudius. Her biological father was a consul of 4 AD, Sextus Aelius Catus, while her mother is unknown. Family She was born into the family of the A ...

* Moira Redmond as Domitia Lepida the Younger *

Bernard Hill Bernard Hill (born 17 December 1944) is an English actor. He is well recognized for playing King Théoden in ''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy, Captain Edward Smith in '' Titanic'', and Luther Plunkitt, the Warden of San Quentin Prison in ...

as Gratus *

Norman Rossington Norman Rossington (24 December 1928 – 21 May 1999) was an English actor best remembered for his roles in ''The Army Game'', the ''Carry On'' films and the Beatles' film '' A Hard Day's Night''. Early life Born in Liverpool, Lancashi ...

as Sergeant of the Guard * Lockwood West as Senator * Nicholas Amer as Mnester * Renu Setna as Antonius Musa *

Jennifer Croxton Jennifer Croxton (born 1944 in Cambridge) is a British actress. Career Croxton guest-starred as Lady Diana Forbes-Blakeney opposite Patrick Macnee in the 1969 episode of '' The Avengers'', ''Killers'', a role which remains one of her most well- ...

as Plautia Urgulanilla *

Charles Kay Charles Kay (born Charles Piff, 31 August 1930) is an English actor. Early life Kay was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, the son of Frances (née Petty) and Charles Beckingham Piff. Originally educated at Warwick School, Kay went on to study m ...

as Gaius Asinius Gallus * Donald Eccles as

Gaius Asinius Pollio Gaius Asinius Pollio (75 BC – AD 4) was a Roman soldier, politician, orator, poet, playwright, literary critic, and historian, whose lost contemporary history provided much of the material used by the historians Appian and Plutarch. Poll ...

* 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 in ...

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 * Norman Shelley as

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 – 27 November 8 BC), known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). The rhetorician Quintilian regarded his ' ...

* Carleton Hobbs as Aristarchus * Guy Siner as Pylades *

Edward Jewesbury Reginald Edward Oliphant Jewesbury (6 August 1917 – 31 March 2001) was an English actor, notable for his film, stage and television work and as a member of the Renaissance Theatre Company. In 1982, he appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Compa ...

as Titus *

Aubrey Richards Aubrey Richards (6 June 1920 – 29 May 2000) was a Welsh actor who appeared in numerous film and television productions over a 40-year period, often portraying professors. He began his acting career in repertory theatre. His films included ''T ...

as Lucius Visellius Varo * Roy Purcell as Publius Vitellius the Younger * Jonathan Burn as Paullus Fabius Maximus * Esmond Knight as Domitus * Jon Laurimore as Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Gaetulicus * Bruce Purchase as Gaius Sabinus * James Fagan as Asprenas and Julia's lover *

Geoffrey Hinsliff Geoffrey Hinsliff (born 1937 in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire) is an English actor best known for his portrayal of Don Brennan in ''Coronation Street'' from 1987 to 1997. He had previously played other characters in the same programme, in 19 ...

as Rufrius * George Little as Tortius *

Neal Arden Neal Arden (born Arthur Neal Aiston; 27 December 1909 – 4 June 2014) was an English-born actor and writer who appeared in films, television shows, theatre productions and radio programs. He was born in Fulham, London. In 1928, Arden moved to ...

as Cestius *

Sally Bazely Sally Bazely (born 1933) is a British television actress. Her main roles were in ''Father, Dear Father'' (1968–70) and '' Harriet's Back in Town'' (1972). She also played Norman Wisdom's wife in the comedy film '' What's Good for the Goose'' ( ...

as Poppea * Jan Carey as Diana * Peter Williams as Gaius Silius Caecina * Anne Dyson as Briseis *

George Pravda George Pravda (19 June 19161 May 1985) was a Czechoslovak theatre, film and television actor. Early life He began his career in Czechoslovakia, where he was credited as Jiří Pravda, and then emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1956. Career H ...

as Gershom * Stuart Wilson as

Gaius Silius Gaius Silius (died AD 24) was a Roman senator who achieved successes as a general over German barbarians following the disaster of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. For this achievement he was appointed consul in AD 13 with Lucius Munatius Pla ...

* Charlotte Howard as Scylla * Manning Wilson as

Gaius Vibius Marsus Gaius Vibius Marsus, whom Tacitus calls "''vetustis honoribus studiisque illustris''", was a Roman senator active during the Principate. He was consul in 17 AD. Biography Marsus was Suffect consul for the second half of the year 17 with Lucius Vo ...

* George Innes as Quintus Justus *

Linal Haft Linal Haft (born 23 March 1945 in Leeds) is an English actor, best known for playing controlling or manipulative characters in both film and television, most notably his role as businessman Harry Gold in the popular BBC soap opera ''EastEnder ...

as Lucius Lusius Geta * Kate Lansbury as Apicata * Roger Bisley as Aulus Plautius and Senator *

Tony Haygarth George Anthony Haygarth (4 February 1945 – 10 March 2017) was an English television, film and theatre actor. Life and career After leaving Marlborough College, Liverpool, Haygarth worked unsuccessfully in 1963 as a lifeguard in Torquay, and a ...

as Claudius' Slave * George Howe as Senator * Pat Gorman as Captain of the Guard * Neil Dickson as Guard * Nick Willatt as Courier

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'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, 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, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist. As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten ...

and British actor-comedian Ronnie Barker. 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 rather 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 Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

, saying to "Just be evil. The more evil you are, the funnier it is, and the more terrifying it is."

Music

Wilfred Josephs Wilfred Josephs (24 July 1927 – 17 November 1997) was an English composer. Life Born in Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, the fourth and youngest son of Russian and South Shields Jewish parents, Wilfred Josephs had his first musical studies in Ne ...

wrote the title music. David Wulstan and the Clerkes of Oxenford ensemble provided the ( diegetic) music for most episodes.

Home media

Most VHS and DVD versions of the TV series include the BBC documentary ''The Epic That Never Was'' (1965), about the uncompleted Korda film version 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 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 was included. A 35th anniversary edition was released on 27 March 2012. 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, with ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' commenting sarcastically in its first review that "there should be a society for the prevention of cruelty to actors." 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 The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...

in 1977 : Derek Jacobi, Best Actor (TV); Siân Phillips, Best Actress (TV);

Tim Harvey Tim Harvey (born 20 November 1961) is a British racing driver, best known for being the 1992 British Touring Car Champion, and the 2008 and 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain champion. A household name in the 1990s, Harvey won sixteen race ...

, Best Design (TV). Director Herbert Wise won Outstanding Contribution Award at

in 1978. In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making 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'' series, where it received critical acclaim. Tim Harvey won a 1978 Emmy for Outstanding

Art Direction Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film and television, the Internet, and video games. It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and unify the vis ...

. The producers and director received Emmy nominations.

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 continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...

'' magazine's "100 Best TV Shows of All-''TIME''", and placed at #9 on BBC America'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 national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

''s list of groundbreaking British TV moments. Contemporary 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 drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...

'', ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of '' A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the fir ...

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

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

, ''

Dynasty A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family,''Oxford English Dictionary'', "dynasty, ''n''." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 1897. usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics. A ...

'', acknowledged that they were seeking to make a modern-day version of ''I, Claudius''. Jace Lacob of '' The Daily Beast'' 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 Mary McNamara (born 1963) is an American journalist and television critic for the ''Los Angeles Times''. She won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Biography McNamara moved from Baltimore to Westminster in elementary school. She graduated fro ...

of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'' 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 and all its cable competitors. This in turn expanded the palette and quality of network drama and, most recently, persuaded AMC executives to begin original programming.

However, criticism is sometimes leveled at the series over its outdated appearance and relatively poor production quality compared to modern TV drama, with

Charlotte Higgins Charlotte Higgins, (born 6 September 1972) is a British writer and journalist. Early life and education Higgins was born in Stoke-on-Trent, the daughter of a doctor and a nurse, and received her secondary education at a local independent scho ...

of ''

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

Notes

References

External links