Rome (TV series)
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| Rome | |
|---|---|
 Rome title design |
|
| Genre | Historical Drama |
| Creator(s) | John Milius William J. MacDonald and Bruno Heller |
| Starring | Kevin McKidd Ray Stevenson Polly Walker Kenneth Cranham Tobias Menzies Max Pirkis Indira Varma Kerry Condon Lindsay Duncan James Purefoy and Ciarán Hinds |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom United States |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | HBO / BBC / RAI |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| Original run | August 28, 2005 – March 25, 2007 |
| Links | |
| Official website | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
Rome was an Emmy Award-winning historical drama, produced in Italy for television by the BBC (UK), HBO (USA), and RAI (Italy). The show's first season originally aired on HBO between August 28 and November 20, 2005, subsequently broadcast on BBC One between November 2, 2005 and January 4, 2006, and on Rai Due between March 17 and April 28, 2006.
The show's second and final season opened on January 14, 2007 and ended on March 25, 2007 in the USA. It is expected to be shown in the UK in April 2007, although the BBC has yet to confirm this.
For the status of Rome on other networks see Broadcasting.
Contents |
[edit] Series overview
The series is a fictionalized historical drama depicting the period of history surrounding the violent transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire; a change driven by civil warfare between populists and conservatives, the decay of political institutions, and the actions of ambitious men and women. The HBO website provides the following introduction:
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.[1]
While chronicling the lives and deeds of the rich, powerful and "historically significant," the series also focuses on the lives, fortunes, families and acquaintances of two common men: Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, two Roman soldiers mentioned historically in Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico. The fictionalized Vorenus and Pullo manage to witness and often influence many of the historical events presented in the series.
Season 1 depicts Julius Caesar's civil war of 49 BC against the traditionalist conservative faction in the Roman Senate, his subsequent rise to absolute dictatorship over Rome and his eventual fall, spanning the time period from the end of his Gallic Wars (52 BC or 701 ab urbe condita) until his assassination on March 15, 44 BC (the infamous Ides of March). Against the backdrop of these cataclysmic events, we also see the early years of the young Octavian, who is destined to become the first Emperor of Rome, Augustus.
Season 2 chronicles the power struggle between Octavian and Mark Antony following Caesar's assassination, spanning the period from Caesar's death in 44 BC to Octavian's final conquest over Antony at Actium in 30 BC.
[edit] Series history
[edit] Production
See also Production credits.
In 2002, HBO and the BBC agreed to co-produce a new series based on the events of the "Roman Revolution": Rome. Towards that end, the two networks committed a US$100 million budget to the production of twelve 1-hour episodes, with HBO contributing US$85 million, and the BBC contributing US$15 million. [2]
Between March 2004 and May 2005, Rome was filmed, in co-production with RAI, in the Italian countryside, on six sound stages at Rome's legendary Cinecittà studios, and in a collection of massive sets in Cinecittà studios' back lots: five acres of outdoor sets which comprised an elaborate "period reconstruction" of sections of ancient Rome. It was a massive undertaking, with an international crew of 350, and more than 50 local Italian interns.
[edit] First season
The series was launched in the United States on August 24, 2005, at Wadsworth Theatre in Los Angeles, California. HBO broadcast the series pilot (The Stolen Eagle) four days later on August 28.
The first episode attracted more than 8.9 million viewers over eleven broadcasts, and achieved a 9.1 household rating for Sunday primetime (See: Nielsen Ratings). BBC Two premiered Rome in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2005, attracting 6.6 million viewers (27%), only to have the viewing figures decline in future episodes with the finale only attracting 3 million viewers (13%). The season has also gone into international syndication, being broadcast in many countries around the globe, in several languages (see Broadcasting).
The series' first season garnered critical acclaim, with Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Series and Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama for Polly Walker's portrayal of Atia of the Julii. Rome is also noted for its more historically accurate portrayal of Roman society, as opposed to traditional Hollywood depictions like those found in such movies as Ridley Scott's Gladiator, which the crew of Rome refers to as "Hollyrome", as noted in the HBO documentary The Making of Rome.
[edit] Second season
After the broadcast of only three first season episodes, HBO announced plans to produce a second season of Rome in 2006 for release in March 2007[3]. Subsequently in a news conference HBO Chairman Chris Albrecht confirmed that Rome season two would air on HBO in January 2007, but would not return for a third season[4]. Most speculation for the early denial of a third season appears to center on the series' staggering costs, although neither Albrecht, cast members, or any HBO representative will comment on this speculation. The second season premiered January 14, 2007 and the final episode was broadcast on March 25, 2007 in the US. It is expected to be shown in the UK in April 2007; the BBC is still to confirm this.
The first episode of season 2 attracted 1.5 million viewers.
[edit] Cast and characters
Rome features both fictional characters as well as those loosely based on historical figures. According to the official HBO Rome series website, the main characters are:
- Notes
- The character of Octavian was aged and recast starting with episode #16 (2-4)
- Caesarion appeared as a babe in arms in episode #08 (1-8), and was aged and recast in episode #20
[edit] Background performers
Audio commentary on the Season 1 DVD[5] indicates that many of the background performers used in the series were also their true professional counterparts. One example is that the actor shown in the series working as a butcher on the streets of Rome was in fact a real-life butcher.
[edit] Episodes
[edit] Specials
| Title | Episode | Director | Writer | Airdate(s) |
| Making Rome | Promotional Special | Unknown | Unknown | August 11, 2005 (HBO) |
[edit] Season 1 (2005)
† Note: Episodes #1 through 3 were re-edited into 2 episodes for their BBC broadcast. See The BBC editing controversy. †† Note: Episodes #11 and 12 were shown as one feature-length (1:30) episode from 21:00 to 22:30 p.m. on January 4, 2006 during their original BBC broadcast.
[edit] Season 2 (2007)
| Title | Episode | Screenshot | Director | Writer | Airdate(s) |
| Passover | #13, 2-1 |  |
Tim Van Patten | Bruno Heller | January 14, 2007 (HBO) |
| Son of Hades | #14, 2-2 |  |
Allen Coulter | Bruno Heller | January 21, 2007 (HBO) |
| These Being the Words of Marcus Tullius Cicero | #15, 2-3 |  |
Alan Poul | Scott Buck | January 28, 2007 (HBO) |
| Testudo et Lepus (The Tortoise and the Hare) | #16, 2-4 |  |
Adam Davidson | Todd Ellis Kessler | February 4, 2007 (HBO) |
| Heroes of the Republic | #17, 2-5 |  |
Alik Sakharov | Mere Smith | February 11, 2007 (HBO) |
| Philippi | #18, 2-6 |  |
Roger Young | Eoghan Mahony | February 18, 2007 (HBO) |
| Death Mask | #19, 2-7 |  |
John Maybury | Scott Buck | March 4, 2007 (HBO) |
| A Necessary Fiction | #20, 2-8 |  |
Carl Franklin | Todd Ellis Kessler | March 11, 2007 (HBO) |
| Deus Impeditio Esuritori Nullus (No God Can Stop A Hungry Man) | #21, 2-9 |  |
Steve Shill | Mere Smith | March 18, 2007 (HBO) |
| De Patre Vostro (About Your Father) | #22, 2-10 |  |
John Maybury | Bruno Heller | March 25, 2007 (HBO) |
[edit] Editing
[edit] The BBC editing controversy
Some scenes in episodes of Season 1 of the series have been edited for airing on the BBC in order to remove some of the stronger language which is deemed unacceptable for prime-time viewing on terrestrial British television (specifically the use of the word "cunt"). This has been criticised by many, who point to the fact that other HBO programs such as The Sopranos and Oz have been broadcast uncut on British network television. However, Rome is broadcast at an earlier time than the other two programmes and the BBC was aiming at a more general audience than Channel 4 was with The Sopranos and Oz.
In a separate move, the BBC also decided to re-edit the first three episodes (all directed by Michael Apted) into two episodes. The BBC claimed that this was because the British audience were more familiar with the history of Rome than their American counterparts and so much of the backstory was unnecessary. However, Apted claims that the purpose was to boost the ratings by increasing the prominence of the scenes of sex and violence. In an interview with The Times [6], Apted was quoted saying:
I'm really pissed off with the BBC for bringing down my first three episodes to two and, in doing so, taking out much of the vital politics. What also makes me very grumpy is that I was told that the cuts had been introduced by the BBC because they thought British viewers already knew the historical background. But all that's happened as far as the viewer is concerned is that it has made 'Rome' hard to follow.
Apted also said that he only found out about the cuts by accident claiming:
I only found out by chance a couple of weeks ago when one of the actors told me.
[edit] The RAI editing controversy
The Italian broadcasting of the series was also marred by controversy. Strong language was removed in the Italian dubbing process; as for the more explicit sex scenes and disturbing violence, they were replaced by "safe" alternative versions shot during production especially for the Italian broadcast.[7]
[edit] Historical deviations
- See Chronology of Rome (TV series) for a timeline of relevant historical events
While Rome is noted for its more historically accurate portrayal of Roman society than other dramatizations, there are numerous inaccuracies in the series' representation of various historical events and personages. Creator Bruno Heller has said that "We try to balance between what people expect from previous portrayals and a naturalistic approach ... This series is much more about how the psychology of the characters affects history than simply following the history as we know it." [8] The series' Historical Consultant Jonathan Stamp also notes that the show aims for "authenticity" rather than "accuracy." [9] [10]
Though Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo are historical figures mentioned briefly in Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico, their adventures and involvement in key events in the series are fictionalized. Rome also typically ignores the existence of certain extended family members of people featured as main characters, such as relatives of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony and Atia Balba Caesonia. The most significant dramatic license taken in the series, however, is the manipulation of the historical timeline for storytelling purposes.
Some important events are not mentioned in Rome, including Caesar's campaign against King Pharnaces of Cimmeria (the campaign which spawned the famous saying Veni, Vidi, Vici), the whole year spent before the Battle of Pharsalus in which Caesar drove Pompeius's supporters out of Spain, and the Battle of Dyrrhachium in which Pompeius defeated Caesar. Many significant members of the Optimates, the traditionalist faction of Brutus and Cato, are also missing from the series. They include Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus, Titus Labienus, Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Crus, and Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther, the latter having failed to empty Rome's treasury before the Optimates' departure, resulting in a severe lack of funds to support their war effort.
Battle scenes in Rome depict Roman infantry fighting techniques including the tightly-packed "Roman Wall" of shields, gladius thrusting techniques above and below the "shield wall", and the rotation of troops on the front lines every one to two minutes. These techniques are largely conjectural, as there are no such detailed descriptions surviving in the historical record. However, they are possible considering Roman ingenuity and the need to replenish the front ranks during times of intense combat. Similarly, Roman fighting techniques taught to cast members Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson by swordmaster Giorgio Antonini are also likely conjectural, as the earliest surviving European combat manual is the I.33 from around the year 1300.
Further discrepancies are noted in detail in the appropriate articles for related episodes and characters from Rome.
[edit] Broadcasting
† Broadcast edited or censored episodes.
[edit] DVD Releases
The entire first season of Rome was released as a six-disc Region 1 DVD box set in the USA on August 15, 2006. It was distributed by HBO Home Video. Featuring all 12 episodes, it also includes several extra DVD features like episode commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage and making-of features. The same set (bar the episodic previews and recaps) was released on July 24, 2006 in Region 2, also entitled Rome: The Complete First Season.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ HBO.com ~ About Rome
- ^ BBC News ~ "Small screen hits and misses"
- ^ HBO Rome News ~ "HBO renews the epic drama series Rome" September 12, 2005
- ^ Zap2it.com News ~ "Two and Out for Rome"
- ^ DVD: Rome: The Complete First Season (2005) (Released 2006).
- ^ TimesOnline UK ~ "They sexed up my Roman orgy, says director"
- ^ Repubblica.it article (Italian)
- ^ HBO.com ~ Rome News January 8, 2007
- ^ DVD: Rome: The Complete First Season, When In Rome featurette.
- ^ ThinkExist.com ~ Jonathan Stamp quotes
- "Hail Caesar" ~ Guardian review of Season 2
- Salon.com review of Season 2
- Beliefnet on religion in Rome
- New York Times review of Season 2
- Chicago Sun Times review of Season 2
- New York Times article
- The Star eCentral interview with Ray Stevenson
- Dark Horizons reporting on the 2nd season production of Rome
- Timeonline reporting on Michael Apted's opinion on the BBC re-editing.
- "New $100m TV epic set to rewrite history" - The Independent (UK), 25 July 2005
- "HBO enlists Firefox for series promotion" - CNet News.com, August 15, 2005
- Slant Magazine Review
- Lindsay Duncan (Servilia) interview - BBC Five Live, November 11, 2005
- "Rome's bloody climax wins 3m" - Report on the final episode viewing figures for Rome, Guardian Unlimited, 5 January 2006 (Subscription needed)
[edit] External links
- Rome at the Internet Movie Database
- Rome at TV.com
- Rome - Official HBO website
- "RomeFans.com" Official Fan Website
- Rome - Official BBC Drama website
- Roma - Official RAI website
- Interview with James Purefoy (February 2007)
- Rome: Season 2 Reviews at Metacritic
- Rome - Official Canal+ website
- Rome Episode Guide at the TV IV Wiki.
- Discussion Forum at TV.com.
- Historical writings about Vorenus and Pullo
- Roma - Cuatro
- HBO Community Bulletin Boards, Rome
