FashionState.Com salutes...

Mini-Serius Maximus

I, CLAUDIUS

1976

The advent and domination of big-budget, night-time soap operas on American television in the 1980s such as "Dallas" or "Dynasty" and the like with their bigger-than-real-life villains, vixens, and victims in situations far beyond the rational understanding of your average viewer brought a splashy, trashy trend of familial voyeurism to its audiences.

But the British Broadcasting Corporation's "Masterpiece Theatre" had already set the bar on the presentation of the lives of the very powerful with its production of Robert Graves' "I, Claudius". Its combination of real-life figures, speculative historical liberties, the crackling wit of Jack Pulman's script, and the casting of the cream of British theatrical and television performers created a mini-series power-clan whose brutal shenanigans made the Ewings and the Carringtons look like witless pussycat pikers.

Headed up with deservedly award-winning performances by the brilliant Derek Jacobi as Claudius and the impeccable Siân Phillips as his scheming grandmother Livia, "I, Claudius" still enjoys the reputation of being one of "Masterpiece Theatre's" most ambitious, successful, entertaining, and enduring offerings. The hardcore feuds between the Julian and Claudian factions of the scrap-happy imperial family were often lightened by modern idioms and attitudes amongst the ancient mores, sprinkled with the dryest and most self-satirical of British humor. (And as an added bonus for pop culture fanatics, several recognizable faces appear amongst the togas and tribulations which at that time were new and different to audiences - special attention needs be paid by fans of such cult favorites as "Star Trek - The Next Generation", "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", and "Lord of the Rings", because you won't believe who all is involved in this television epic of Roman scandals!)

History, fansites, and even a drinking game are listed below for fans of epic television scene-chewing who are ready to throw a mammoth toga party of their own. Play "I, Clue-dius" and see who did what to whom where! Then study up on the biographies of very real rakishness and raunch inherent in the system and ask yourself...have the rich and powerful really changed all that much?

Viewer advisory: This series is for adults and in some instances definitely not for the squeamish, as it contains scenes of violence, nudity, adult themes, and general all-around nastiness.

And by the way...don't touch the figs.

FAMILY FEUD!

THE HISTORY OF AUGUSTUS
THE HISTORY OF TIBERIUS
THE HISTORY OF CALIGULA
THE HISTORY OF CLAUDIUS
CLAUDIUS AT HOME
MARITAL BLISS?
SCENES AND SCENE-CHEWING!
MORE SCENES AND SCENE-CHEWING!
LIVE FROM CAESAR'S PALACE - THE "DAWN DANCE"!

SITE LINKS

Note: It is considered proper on-line protocol
to ask the site owners for permission
to copy and / or distribute photos from their sites.
Be sure you set your browser to accept Javascript, etc.,
and block pop-ups, just in case!

Claudius @ Wikipedia
A very detailed biographical entry on the life and times of the protagonist of our story!

The Claudius Page
Wonderfully detailed and well-written article covering the entirety of Claudius' life.

The Epic That Never Was
A juicy review about the documented account of the original attempts to bring this classic to the screen back in the 1930s.

"I Claudius"
A large number of nice screencaps!

"I, Claudius" @ British Film Institute
Overview of the series at the distinguished institute's official site. Users in U.K. educational facilities can avail themselves of video clips.

"I, Claudius" @ Jump The Shark
Although but a 13-hour mini-series, the scope was large enough to lend itself to the observation and quips of the Jump The Shark gang!

"I, Claudius" @ The Museum of Broadcast Communications
Critique and review of the series by Hal Himmelstein.

"I, Claudius" @ IMDb
The official entry on the biggest movie database there is. Register and leave your opinions about it on their message board!

"I, Claudius" @ Nostalgia Central
General overview of the mini-series at one of the premiere retro-pop media sites on the web!

"I, Claudius" @ Wikipedia
The famous book by Robert Graves has its own Wiki entry!

"I, Claudius": Adventures in Julio-Claudian Rome @ Ancient Worlds
A small message board re-energizing itself to make for a more media-rich Ancient Worlds.

The "I, Claudius" Drinking Game, or "Not My Head!!!"
This site ranks high among Mad Molly's favorite sites ever - the Suffering Is Hip squad shows you how to throw your own "I, Claudius" style drinking lark. Togas are optional!

"I, Claudius": Greatest TV Series Ever?
Great article from Manchester Online with plenty of detail on the making of the series - and feedback from the performers!

"I, Claudius" Homepage @ History In Film
The series as an educational resource! Detailed episode guides, a cast list, an outline and timeline, plus homework exercises.

"I, Claudius" Project: Fact or Fiction?
A grand read - comparison and analysis of events depicted in the Robert Graves novels vs. the BBC series vs. actual events in history! See an informative cage match between historical accuracy and artistic license!

I-Claudius.Com and the World of Rome
A nice little tribute site to Ancient Rome, featuring classical document links and the author's photos and writings.

Julio-Claudian Dynasty @ Wikipedia
A category listing with links to entries on many of the member of the dynasty that is the key focus of the "I, Claudius" mini-series!

Julio-Claudian Family Tree @ Wikipedia
A resource that proves very, very helpful in keeping track of all the familial ties!

Jacobi - "I, Claudius"
This portion of a Derek Jacobi tribute page features many wonderful screen caps!

Return of the...um...Julio-Claudians!
Pixelbee is supplying some hilarious icons for free use by "I, Claudius" fans! Be sure to give the Bee credit if you use them!

Robert Graves @ About.Com
Learn details about the long-lived and prolific author who penned the Claudius novels.

The Roman Caesars - Preterist History
Strange to find a detailed overview of "I, Claudius" on a site that debates religious prophecy, but curiosity-seekers may find it interesting.

Roman Emperors: Claudius @ De Imperatoribus Romanis
Historical essay on the emperor by Garrett G. Fagan. Footnoted and informative, the site also includes links to other members of the Julio-Claudian family feud.

Theatre Askew
"I, Claudius Live" is no longer in production, but read up on the campy adaptation to stage of the blockbuster BBC series!

Which "I, Claudius" Character Are You?
Take the quiz!

Click here to visit Television @ FASHIONSTATE.COM!

Click here to visit the homepage of FASHIONSTATE.COM!

NOTE: This page utilizes the fonts Book Antiqua, Tempus Sans ITC, and Times New Roman. If you don't have them, download and install them if you want to see the original format of this page and have some nifty fonts in your collection as well! You can get them from WebpageFonts.com - CLICK HERE to get your fonts!

DISCLAIMER: No copyright ownership of these photos by me is implied whatsoever. This is a fansite with links to other fansites, and is NOT for profit. Various rights to "I, Claudius" are held by the BBC, Twentieth Century Fox, and Image Entertainment, all rights reserved...none of them by me! Educational and informative utilization is considered "Fair Use".