Your Reviews
You sent in your comments about Episode 2, read a selection below.
"The BBC and HBO have produced a gripping drama."
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"What a magnificent production, I welcome a drama of this high standard. The costumes, sets and the professional acting capture a bloody, poor and rich Rome where it is every man for himself. The BBC and HBO have produced a gripping drama."
Linda Whyte, Glasgow, Scotland
"Rome is fantastic. I'm a classics graduate and I love the fact that it hasn't been hideously dumbed down - there is no oversimplification. It was such a lovely surprise as I was honestly prepared to be appalled."
Gemma Quinlan, Reading
"One of the best dramas I have seen for a long time. A good insight in what happened in Roman society and how power was gained and lost"
Mathew, Swansea, UK
"Very spectacular, but the pace is too fast and situations/characters not sufficiently developed. I'd prefer one and a half hour episodes. Currently at the end of each programme I'm left exhausted yet unsatisfied."
Jiles Halling, Manchester
"I found the quality of acting disappointing."
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"I'm very sorry to say that I had to turn off the TV after about 20 minutes of watching Rome. I was repulsed at the amount of gratuitous and graphic violence portrayed even during the short time that I watched. Neither the lavish sets nor the fascinating topic were enough to coax me to perservere in my watching this series. I found the quality of acting also disappointing. I'll stick to the excellent Bleak House on BBC ONE."
Mara Lapsa, Sevenoaks
"More of a giggle than serious drama, surely? The script is clunky and the acting wooden - it looks good for the most part, but in Episode 2 the crowd scenes and Rome itself (despite the series being shot there and the gargantuan budget) seemed woefully small-scale and fake-looking.
The Lucius soap opera backstory is dull as dishwater - and in fact the use of Lucius and Titus as a standard dramatic device to act as our everyman portals to this ancient, exotic world is old hat and overcooked.
"More of a giggle than serious drama."
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Polly Walker as Atia is a highlight, Ciaran Hinds is fine as Caesar and James Purefoy cuts an impressive figure as Mark Anthony.
Personally I would have liked more historical cut-and-thrust, a real insight into the politics of the day, which was far more exciting than Lucius's love life, and would have performed a more interesting function in provoking controversial, topical comment. This is a wasted opportunity, but it has its moments of enjoyment and will fare well no doubt due to some gratuitous nudity and the gory scenes of violence (to be honest the most compelling moments so far!)"
Cat, UK
"Can’t wait for the inevitable ...
'Gee Titus, just who was that feisty redhead ?'
'Search me Lucius ....some dame called Boadicia.'
Nice technical advisor, pity about the script."
Kevin Gray, Harrow
"Having seen most of the series on HBO, I must say I'm disgusted with the BBC's high-handed and arbitrary decision to edit the first three episodes down into two. Where you had careful and skilfully done build-up, you now have confusion and choppy pacing.
"Shame on the BBC for this travesty."
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Shame on the BBC for this travesty, I can only hope when it comes the time for repeats they'll make amends for this error, and restore it to its original state."
Damian Leach, UK
"Lurid, jumpy and somewhat incoherent. Michael Apted's complaints* about clumsy editing by the BBC are justified. By the way, the BBC's arrogant claim that Brits know more than Americans about this particular bit of Roman history is self-aggrandising rubbish, nothing more than a baseless superiority complex."
BT, Cox Green
"I am really enjoying this series. The acting is first rate and the costumes extremely authentic. It is one of the best dramas I've seen on the BBC in years."
Ray, Bury St Edmunds
"Excellent, compelling and most definitely
"One of the finest dramas the BBC has produced."
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one of the finest dramas the BBC has produced. I am not a fan of the usual period dramas (sorry Mr Darcy and crew) so I was looking forward to Rome with great expectations. I was not disappointed."
Vanessa Losty, Boston, Lincs
"As a young viewer I have to say I was eagerly awaiting this new BBC series. Safe to say, it did not disappoint. A fantastic, superbly acted, lavish production that kept me enthralled all the way to the end. I shall await the rest of the series with great anticipation, well done BBC."
Natalie, Doncaster
"What the Romans did for Soap ...
Ray Stevenson's (Titus Pullo) ability to rapidly recover from the most horrendous brain surgery without suffering from any permanent cerebral damage or even the slightest infection surely rivals the recovery rate of the great Sylvester Stallone*. Following the performance of major surgery on his own leg in Rambo III*, Sly covered his terrible wound with gunpowder and then for some extraordinary reason lit it. Like Stevenson and within a matter of hours he was able to skip, jump and fight as well as ever he could.
Truly amazing and, yes - blimey mum, the Romans did perform brain surgery. The mortality rate may however have left something to be desired.
Next Week - watch as Archimedes is slaughtered by a Roman legionnaire whilst on the verge of advancing the mathematics of the ancient world by 1000 years!"
Kevin Gray, Harrow
*Please note the BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
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Actor Biographies
Kevin McKidd
Lucius Vorenus
Ray Stevenson
Titus Pullo
Ciarán Hinds
Julius Caesar
James Purefoy
Mark Antony
Polly Walker
Atia of the Julii
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