Now that HBO's Rome has ended (Caesar long dead, Antony and Cleopatra have killed themselves in Alexandria) we are sorely lacking in the classical costume drama department. So we've decided to return to a beloved old favorite, I, Claudius. It's adapted from a great book by Robert Graves and conveniently takes up historically more or less where Rome left off, during the reign of Augustus (known as Octavian through most of Rome). Love them both.
1. Acting: Well, both have wonderful casts but I must say that I, Claudius beats Rome. Derek Jacobi, Sian Phillips, John Hurt as Caligula!
2. Script: I, Claudius is actually better writing. It's consistently compelling, while Rome tended to be uneven at times. Both have the best lines going to the villainesses: Atia in Rome and Livia in I, Claudius get to say just the most outrageous things. And who can forget the scene in which a campaigning Caligula is asked by his security chief to name a code phrase for the following day. John Hurt cocks his head in thought and replies, "give us a kiss."
3. Budget: Oops. No contest here. Watching Rome you could see every nickel spent on production, from the locations to the costumes. It was very rich. On the other hand, I, Claudius was one of the very early Masterpiece Theatre productions and they apparently had no budget. It was shot on video, with sets that look like painted cardboard. At times you can see Derek Jacobi's old-age latex peeling off the side of his face.
4. Nudity: Rome...lots!! I, Claudius...very little and that's just tits.
Therefore, the award goes to...Rome!
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