I, Claudius 

The history of the Roman Empire as experienced by one of its rulers.

Stars:

Derek Jacobi, John Hurt, Siân Phillips

Top Rated TV #52 | Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 6 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Derek Jacobi	...	Claudius 13 episodes, 1976
George Baker	...	Tiberius 10 episodes, 1976
Margaret Tyzack	...	Antonia 9 episodes, 1976
Siân Phillips	...	Livia 8 episodes, 1976
Brian Blessed	...	Augustus 6 episodes, 1976
James Faulkner	...	Herod Agrippa / ... 6 episodes, 1976

Storyline

The mini-series follows the history of the Roman Empire, from approximately the death of Marcellus (24/23 BC) to Claudius' own death in 54 AD. As Claudius narrates his life, we witness Augustus' attempts to find an heir, often foiled by his wife Livia who wants her son Tiberius to become emperor. We also see the conspiracy of Sejanus, the infamous reign of Caligula, and Claudius' own troubled period of rule.

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Plot Keywords:

lust | shot on video | caligula character | octavius caesar character | 1st century | 

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Taglines:

Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English German

Release Date:

6 November 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

I, Claudius

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC),London Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

650 min (13 parts) 669 min (DVD) (13 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sir 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.

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Goofs

Augustus thanks the poet Horace for his performance. Roman soldiers enter to inform Augustus of the troops slaughtered his at Teutoburg Forest. Horace died in 8 BCE, the Battle of Teutoburg Forest occurred in 9 CE.

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Quotes

[to the senate]
Augustus: I called you all here to talk about the level of opposition to my new law against bachelorism. Do you know what I say? I say: "STOP COMPLAINING AND GET MARRIED."

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Suspiria (2015)

User Reviews

Under rated actors doing Oscar caliber performances

Absolutely glorious series. All the actors in this series are in or have been in American films but they have always been underrated and are some of the best actors alive. There are more dames and knights than you can believe. Derek Jacobi is breathtaking in his performance. Sian Phillips is subtly evil. John Hurt as Caligula shines with madness. The sets are unbelievable considering the small budget they had. The most shocking thing is that everything in one sense or another is true. These people really did die these ways. It will take you completely out of your everyday life and deposit you in the world of the Romans.