New HBO series.......ROME

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Ths really looks good. I cant wait. Heres a link to the site and the trailer.

Rome the series (http://www.hbo.com/rome/)

[Mount Suribachi]

A co-production between HBO and the BBC,

Now I like the sound of that, means we get to see it over here ~:) Just checked the BBC website, theres a press release about it from 2003, but no mention of when the series starts. IIRC we got Band Of Brothers a few weeks after it premiered in the states.

[Geoffrey S]

Neat. Thanks for the link.

[Craterus]

Looks good, I'll be watching it. :grin2:

[Flavius Clemens]

Had a double page article in The Independent a few weeks ago saying it will be out in the UK this autumn. Looking forward to it. Quoted a 'source' as saying most of the Romans are played by British actors as they are more convincingly Roman :laugh4: Makes a difference from always being cast as the baddies in Hollywood! ~:)
Also said that they had a big brief to make the whole thing realistic rather than glamorous so no assumptions everyone has Max Factor and Hollywood hairdressers to make them look great.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Now if they would only do a series on King Arthur. That would be really neat. I hope this ones a hit as it could spawn a whole series of historical series like this. Up until now my favorite is the Horatio Hornblower series on A&E.

[Hurin_Rules]

I saw an article on it in a Canadian newspaper, but they didn't say when/if it would be playing in Canada.

Anyone know if it will be playing in the Great White North?

[Muska Burnt]

sick i got hbo and since its made by the bbc it has to be good since nowadays all american companies suck and corrupt

[Steppe Merc]

I hope it's good. I'll watch it anyway, probably. I doubt it could be any worse than recent "historical" movies.

[Oaty]

Now if they would only do a series on King Arthur. That would be really neat. I hope this ones a hit as it could spawn a whole series of historical series like this. Up until now my favorite is the Horatio Hornblower series on A&E.


That was quite a good series.

[Steppe Merc]

You can close your eyes, or change the channel... ~;)

[AntiochusIII]

IIRC, the series revolves around the trials and tribulations of a gay couple in Rome's army, and that their, uh, relationship will be a centerpiece. Maybe I'm just too homophobic, but I draw my line at supporting gay marriage.Really? That's weird. All the ads are showing people like Caesar and Pompey and all and no (obvious) gays' drama in sight...

HBO's series are very good so I have high hopes on this one. Anyone remembers Band of Brothers?

[Albino Gorilla]

So when does it premier?

[Mount Suribachi]

Well, HBO (American ) makes me doubt whether it would be based around a gay couple. The kind of HBO subscribers who watched BoB aren't likely to take kindly to a big expensive series about gay Romans, y'know.

But the BBC thing makes me believe it. 2 recent BBC historical docu/dramas (Restoration and Casanova) were so focussed on sex, and determined to get a little bit of gay action in there as well that I stopped watching the first and didn't bother with the latter. ~:(

[GoreBag]

Well, HBO (American ) makes me doubt whether it would be based around a gay couple. The kind of HBO subscribers who watched BoB aren't likely to take kindly to a big expensive series about gay Romans, y'know.

Wasn't The L Word an HBO series? Gay characters are also pretty popular..Six Feet Under comes to mind.

[scooter_the_shooter]

Had a double page article in The Independent a few weeks ago saying it will be out in the UK this autumn. Looking forward to it. Quoted a 'source' as saying most of the Romans are played by British actors as they are more convincingly Roman .








IRC, the series revolves around the trials and tribulations of a gay couple in Rome's army, and that their, uh, relationship will be a centerpiece. Maybe I'm just too homophobic, but I draw my line at supporting gay marriage.




No wonder the actors are british ~D


I probably will not watch it. I dont want to see the gay sex scenes :help:

[Al Khalifah]

I doubt it's going to be any kind of serious sexual action. This is being produced by the BBC.

[lars573]

I saw an article on it in a Canadian newspaper, but they didn't say when/if it would be playing in Canada.

Anyone know if it will be playing in the Great White North?
It will be on the movie channel here. This sunday at 10:00 PM AST.

[Hurin_Rules]

Ack... looks like I'll have to try to find it some other way then. Thanks though Lars.

[Mount Suribachi]

I doubt it's going to be any kind of serious sexual action. This is being produced by the BBC.

Did you see Restoration? Every other scene was a sex scene! It was totally gratuitous. Like we need to see the King discussing politics inbetween performing oral sex on his mistress. It was "deliver line - go down on mistress - deliver line - go down on mistress etc". Or discussing politcs whilst sleeping with prostitutes. Or...you get the picture.

[Husar]

A whole series about a gay couple in the roman army sounds really interesting, I can´t think of anything I´d enjoy more...
Luckily there´s not much chance it will be broadcasted in Germany anyway(I hope)

[Steppe Merc]

I saw it. It was ok, except for the disapointing beggining battle.
And one huge error: the idiots on horse had stirrups. Come on! It's not hard to ride without stirrups!

[Mount Suribachi]

So no gay roman soldiers?

If the worst that can be said about it is that the horses had stirrups, then we're really into the nit-picking. I can live with that :charge:

[Steppe Merc]

No gay soldiers, no, at least not yet. I don't know if there will be any.

And stirrups is a big deal, at least for me. ~;)

[Zalmoxis]

I didn't know Brutus was that young at the time.

[Steppe Merc]

I think he was younger at this time. I mean, Caesar had a thing with his mom, I think...
I had always thought Pompey was younger than Caesar, guess I was wrong.

[Geoffrey S]

Does anyone know when the BBC will broadcast it?

[Kaiser of Arabia]

I think he was younger at this time. I mean, Caesar had a thing with his mom, I think...
I had always thought Pompey was younger than Caesar, guess I was wrong.
No that was an error, Caesar and Pompey were about the same age, however, they were about 5-10 years younger than portrayed at the time, I beleive. I never knew Caesar lived to be 65! Brutus was about that age at the time, about 12 years younger than Caesar.

[Steppe Merc]

I do know that Caesar at the end of his life was pretty wracked by disease... epilepsy, was it? He suffered from something...
And I wonder why they choose Pompey as older. Nothing to be gained by it...
Oh, and did anyone else think that the women are a bit odd looking? That one older woman was pretty, but I was wierded out be her daughter, though that was probably because of the red wig and pale white makeup. But the woman Pompei chose to marry was quite ugly...

[Mount Suribachi]

Even though he was at one point his Son-in-law, Pompey was 8 years older than Caesar IIRC.

[Flavius Clemens]

Even though he was at one point his Son-in-law, Pompey was 8 years older than Caesar IIRC.
I've got Tom Holland's book 'Rubicon' in front of me - the timeline gives 106BC birth of Pompey and Cicero, 100BC birth of Caesar.

[Graphic]

I thought it was excellent. The guy playing Ceasar is great.

No gay soldiers.

[Longshanks]

I've seen the first three episodes so far (Episode 3 is available for On Demand subscribers) and I've been enjoying it! It's great that the two main characters are just common soldiers, and not the usual patricians. Oh, and they aren't a gay couple...so some of you can relax.

I wish the battle scene in the First Episode would have been a little longer but I liked it. It was a great touch how they showed the Romans fighting in relays, with Lucius Vorenus (the Centurion) blowing a whistle every minute or so, and the next rank would replace the one in front of it. I also liked that there was a shot or two of Roman soldiers stabbing from below their shields at the exposed thighs of their enemies.

[nokhor]

Capo,

if caesar was only about 12 yrs older than brutus, then there would not have been all the rumours of caesar being the biological father of brutus, unless he was quite a man for a 12 yr old.

[Steppe Merc]

I thought the battle scene sucked. The Gauls were pathetic, they weren't even fighting. Admittedly, they were not the elites that were revolting, but the Romans didn't even look like they were fighting.

And I did like that in the second episode, Caesar at least didn't have any stirrups.

But one thing I found very odd was when Antony was raping the peasant girl. She wasn't even saying anything. Are they trying to say that Romans were so nice they didn't even hurt the girls they raped?

[AntiochusIII]

I thought the battle scene sucked. The Gauls were pathetic, they weren't even fighting. Admittedly, they were not the elites that were revolting, but the Romans didn't even look like they were fighting.That battle scene sucks, though it's more accurate than most out there. Besides, the series is advertised as Drama, strangely yet appropriately so.

But one thing I found very odd was when Antony was raping the peasant girl. She wasn't even saying anything. Are they trying to say that Romans were so nice they didn't even hurt the girls they raped?I think differently, probably he would hurt her if she screams or something. I'm thinking along the line of the story portraying a subjugated people unable to strike back(Vercingetorix' scene also seems like that). Is that, in fact, Antony? I didn't clearly watched the rapist' face.

[Longshanks]

That battle scene sucks, though it's more accurate than most out there. Besides, the series is advertised as Drama, strangely yet appropriately so.
I think differently, probably he would hurt her if she screams or something. I'm thinking along the line of the story portraying a subjugated people unable to strike back(Vercingetorix' scene also seems like that). Is that, in fact, Antony? I didn't clearly watched the rapist' face.

It was Antony, but did he rape her? The scene starts with Antony in mid-thrust so we don't see him force himself on her. She also wasn't screaming or crying, and she is a poor Gaulish peasant girl living in a country that has been devastated by war. Remember that prior to Alesia Vercingetorix had adopted a scorched earth policy in combating the Romans, and the Romans had also devastated the lands of many of the tribes that had risen against them. (particularly the lands of the Arverni) It is just as likely that there was an exchange of money.

The scene would be disturbing if it was a rape, since the banter going on between Vorenus & Pullo while Antony is with her is humorous.

[Redleg]

Missed the first one - but caught the next two. Not bad.

Some decent acting. A decent plot with lots of little twists in it. Some historical accuracies as far as I can tell - and then just enough historical inaccuracies to make you question the show's realism about Rome.

However the next one will be about the start of the civil war since Ceaser has just crossed into Italy with his Legion.

I do like the centering piece of the two legioneers (SP) - absolutely great of the show to do that. Makes it more enjoyable to watch - verus the focus on actual historical figures.

[Longshanks]

Actually both Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo are historical characters as well. Their story lines of course aren't, since the only thing we know about them is the little mentioned in Caesar's account of the Gallic War. There is a short passage about their bravery. IIRC they were the only two common soldiers mentioned by name.

[Steppe Merc]

Thanks Longshanks and AntiochusIII for explaining that scene, I still find it odd, though your explanations could both work. And I do think its Antony, because Vorenus (well, the higher ranking guy, I think that's him) says he's not under the banner. And Antony was going to become Tribune of the Plebs, thus not under the banner (I think).

[Spino]

Rome is pretty good but the alarmingly cavalier attitude towards nudity and sex just doesn't seem right (as in historically accurate 'right'). I'm not a prude mind you but the creators of the show seem to conveniently overlook the fact that Republican Rome was still quite grounded in stoic principles and philosophy in the time period the show takes place. Not that every single Roman was a living embodiment of stoic ideals but I think one could make a much stronger argument that the ruling class Greeks of that same time period were indeed quite casual about such things and more like the Romans the show depicts. However, the rapacious treatment of slaves and captives isn't so far off the mark but I'm still not too comfortable with the idea of having some of Rome's movers and shakers engaged in chit chat while one of them bangs away on some Celtic wench. I seriously doubt Antony or any high ranking citizen or general would have treated an audience of their peers or superiors with such contempt by fornicating in their presence.

The Roman ruling class may have been more amoral than their lower class counterparts but public nudity, especially female nudity, was still frowned up at that time. A 'proper' stoic wife wouldn't even remove her bra off when in bed with her husband! When Augustus' daughter Julia went on a bitter, attention whoring binge and screwed as many men as she could find it created an absolute uproar amongst Rome's citizenry. This news was too much to bear for Augustus and caused him much pain in addition to the public embarassment of having this behavior hit so close to home. He actually considered having Julia put to death but wound up banishing his daughter to the pagan equivalent of a convent. Now if Augustus was cut from the same jib as the characters in the series then this wouldn't have upset him nearly as much as it did. The show's producers would have us think the average Roman was an amoral sot who lived for those titillating moments between the constant machiavellan wheeling and dealing. What's worse is the creators seem to showcase the T&A simply for the sake of getting it onscreen, making it even more suspect. The direction and editing for those scenes reinforce my argument, the telltale signs are simply too obvious to dismiss.

The racier bits in Rome are certainly grounded in actual history but it the way the show depicts it smacks of the same sort of sensationalism and ratings driven tactics that laces the dialogue in Deadwood with incessant swearing and the horrendous usage of modern slang. HBO, being a pay cable TV channel, isn't under the same pressures as network and free cable networks to cave into market pressures. Why taint a fine production with that kind of crap?

[Steppe Merc]

I don't think that any officers would be particullary adverse to having sex in front of their inferiors, since rape was so common in warfare. Well, probably Caesar and Pompey, but possibely not Antony.

I do agree that it is unfortuanate that they exagerate the sex so much. If it was used logically in a historical context, that would be fine, but they just put it in just it being there.

[Zizka]

Just a note, Pompey was older than Caesar, by about 10 years or so. Pompey, Crassus and Cicero were of similar age.

Spino - Vorenus and Pullo are not peers of Antony, so he probably did whatever he desired around them. You are being a bit of a prude, but that is ok. Our cultural mores in terms of the human body are MUCH different than Romes. Stoicism was about not allowing emotion to dictate your need, there was nothing about dress. Cato the younger a major stoic at this time attended senate meetings with only a toga, wearing nothing underneath. Plus there was no real piece of clothing like the bra. Individual attitudes varied but they did not see nakedness as a sin nor anything to be completly ashamed of. No they did not run around nude everywhere but it was merely less of a concern than today.

[Kaiser of Arabia]

I've seen the first three episodes so far (Episode 3 is available for On Demand subscribers) and I've been enjoying it! It's great that the two main characters are just common soldiers, and not the usual patricians. Oh, and they aren't a gay couple...so some of you can relax.

I wish the battle scene in the First Episode would have been a little longer but I liked it. It was a great touch how they showed the Romans fighting in relays, with Lucius Vorenus (the Centurion) blowing a whistle every minute or so, and the next rank would replace the one in front of it. I also liked that there was a shot or two of Roman soldiers stabbing from below their shields at the exposed thighs of their enemies.
I get on demand too. Comcast is great but evil.

The third one was the best one yet, I think. Very brutal, very gritty.

[Mount Suribachi]

Well, all this talk of sex scenes for that sake of sex scenes disapoints me, but doesn''t surprise me. I refer everyone to my comments on page 1 about the recent BBC historical drama Restoration, such as the scenes where the King is discussing politics in between performing oral sex on his mistress, or discussing politics whilst having sex with prostitutes.

Its a BBC thing these days, sadly. Casanova was just as bad, although to be fair, at least the subject matter warrented being saturated with sex scenes - not that the BBC need an excuse.

[Longshanks]

I'm just wishing the series had started with the Siege of Alesia.

On the final day of the battle the two Gallic armies launched a massive assault on the weakest point of the Roman line of trenches and fortifications, with Vercingetorix sallying forth from Alesia and the Gallic relief army attacking from the outside. The two heavily outnumbered legions that were holding this particular section of the line were very hard pressed and close to being completely overrun by sheer weight of numbers. Diversionary attacks on other areas of the Roman lines prevented the Romans from reinforcing.

This is where I think they should have started the series, with Pullo & Vorenus in that particular section of the line, and having us see part of the battle of Alesia through their eyes as they face off against the onslaught. At the point that the situation for these troops becomes most deperate, with Pullo, Vorenus and their comrades about to be overran and killed and the Roman siege broken, Caesar committs his last reserves while leading the counterattack personally (as he did historically) at great risk to his own life. The Gauls are hit from behind, they break, and the battle is over. From there it would cut to the scene of Pullo being flogged for disobeying orders and the surrender of Vercingetorix.

Besides being much more exciting battle scene it would immediately give a hint at Caesar's greatness and as to why his troops were so loyal to him. It would also give Vercingetorix a little backstory, instead of just having the only glimpse of him being his surrender.

The only reason I can think of that they left out the definitive moment of the entire Gallic campaign was that they would have to build another set. The Romans were fighting from fortifications and trench lines rather than in the open field, so the scene would be much more expensive both because of that, and because the scale would be much greater than what we did actually see in the first episode.

[Kaiser of Arabia]

Capo,

if caesar was only about 12 yrs older than brutus, then there would not have been all the rumours of caesar being the biological father of brutus, unless he was quite a man for a 12 yr old.
One of the reasons the rumors are so silly ~:)

[Steppe Merc]

Longshanks, I agree. There hasn't been any good battles, the first one sucked, and they should have showed Alesia. I mean, who cares about Atia (I think that's her name)? She sleeps with a lot of men, that's her entire purpose so far.

[The_Mark]

I'm definately looking forward to see this when it hits Finland.. i.e. in a couple of years.

Having sex overly stuffed into it doesn't sound too good though.