Rome (TV series)

[Sam Slater]

Never watched any.

Any good?

[Sam Slater]

Bukkake was invented by the Japanese, right?

[Pervert]

HBO (meaning each episode had to have at least one "c*nt" in the dialogue) and Beeb. Acting excellent, and it made ancient Rome seem like what it probably was: a headquarters for bullying gangsters.

[Sam Slater]

Cool, I'm torrenting the 1st series now.

[Deuce Bigolo]

Half a century before the dawn of Christianity, Rome has become the wealthiest city in the world, a cosmopolitan metropolis of one million people ? epicenter of a sprawling empire. Founded on principles of shared power and fierce personal competition, the Republic was created to prevent any one man from seizing absolute control. It is a society where soldiers can rise up from provincial commoners to become national heroes, even leaders of the Republic.

But as the ruling class became extravagantly wealthy, the foundations have crumbled, eaten away by corruption and excess, and the old values of Spartan discipline and social unity have given way to a great chasm between the classes.

A richly layered look at history and the building of an empire, 'Rome' sets the stage for modern politics ? infighting, corruption, party lines and the struggle to define collective values. "Human nature never changes," says co-creator Bruno Heller. "We see the same problems today ? crime, unemployment, disease, and the struggle for social mobility and the pressure to preserve your place in a precarious society."

An intimate drama of love and betrayal, masters and slaves, and husbands and wives, 'Rome' chronicles the epic times that saw the fall of a Republic and the creation of an empire. The second season debuts Sunday, January 14th, 9pm ET/PT, exclusively on HBO.

A joint production between HBO and the BBC, 'Rome' was created by John Milius, William Macdonald and Bruno Heller. The series is shot throughout Italy and boasts the largest standing film set in the world, comprising five acres of backlot and six soundstages at the world-famous Cinecitt? Studios.

Writers for Season Two include Bruno Heller, Scott Buck, Todd Ellis Kessler, Mere Smith, and Eoghan Mahony. Directors include Tim Van Patten (HBO's "Sex and the City"), Allen Coulter (HBO's "The Sopranos"), Alan Poul (HBO's "Six Feet Under"), Adam Davidson, Alik Sakharov, Robert Young, John Maybury, Carl Franklin and Steve Shill (HBO's "The Wire").

Among the actors starring in Rome's second season are Kevin McKidd ("Kingdom of Heaven") as Lucius Vorenus, Ray Stevenson ("King Arthur") as Titus Pullo, Polly Walker ("Patriot Games") as Atia of the Julii, James Purefoy ("Vanity Fair") as Mark Antony, Tobias Menzies ("Foyle's War") as Marcus Junius Brutus, Lindsay Duncan ("Under the Tuscan Sun") as Servilia of the Junii, and Kerry Condon ("Angela's Ashes") as Octavia of the Julii.

[Steve R]

Fabulous series.

[one eyed jack]

Absolutely great television. Both series 1 & 2. Worth buying the dvd box sets Sam. I did this without even knowing much beyond the tv advert for it and felt I found a gem. For all its sexy and disturbingly deviant moments like incest I was really shocked the beeb was behind this.

Well written, acted and produced !thumbsup! Some great names involved behind the scenes

[Flat_Eric]

I watched the first episode of Series 1 when it was first shown on TV and - while I liked the look of the programme - it seemed a bit disjointed. The Mrs was of like mind, so we didn't continue with it.

I've since been told that the Beeb foolishly edited together the first two episodes into one for screening, and in so doing missed out some important scenes - hence the head-scratching.

Can anyone confirm this? And if that is indeed the case, does the UK DVD release correct the Beeb's buchery? If so then I might give it another go.

- Eric