How many times have you watched Rome?

Recently I've decided to re-watch the two series of HBO's Rome, and I'm currently on Season one, Episode four - "Stealing from Saturn". I realised that I had left series 2 half unwatched after I recieved it over a year ago. I also realised that I had actually forgotten a lot of what took place in both series.

Like most books you tend to get a greater appreciation of them the more times you read them, and this is probably true of television series as well. I've seen I, Claudius several times (on digital television when I had that, and on DVD) and It improves with every viewing.

Hopefully Rome will have the same effect.

Has anyone else watched the series multiple times, or have you let the DVDs gather dust on your shelf?

I watched both seasons twice.

With the second season it was kind of an effort to get through the 2nd time.

I watched both seasons twice.

 

With the second season it was kind of an effort to get through the 2nd time.

I've only watched once each. I would probably be much more enjoyable to go back and just watch a second time without trying to analyze everything.

My wife and I watched it twice, once together and once each in separate showings. I was repeatedly banished from the room mid-way through series one because I kept pointing out inconsistencies with the historical record. During series two I became slightly hysterical and again had to watch the rest on my own. Despite some odd and frankly bizarre bits (Cleopatra anyone?) I actually enjoyed it more the second time around, and rather like the grim and grubby way they have portrayed the city itself.

I think my views are well known - LOL. I did watch the first season twice through, but I have so far not even attempted a second viewing of Series 2. However, my daughter does want the entire thing for Christmas, so I may take the plunge then. I sent my DVDs of the first series to a good home, and did not part with hard-earned cash for the second, but it seems that I will have to now, to keep the offspring quiet.

To sum up, I really felt that the whole thing fell between two fires and failed because of it. Had they kept to the fictional nucleus of Vorenus and Pullo it would have worked. Had they kept to the history of the turmoil of the 40s BC it would have worked. Bringing the two together, seemed to be a bit beyond the capabilities of the writers and directors. As a drama, for me, it failed. But there were some glittering moments, nonetheless, and I will never, ever, forget Purefoy's Antony and Bamber's Cicero.

I've watched the first season a few times (as a result of inflicting it on friends), but the second season only twice. One of these days I should work on an episode guide to the series. It's a great way to introduce the late republic and to savor the feeling of the Roman world.

I, Claudius several times (on digital television when I had that, and on DVD) and It improves with every viewing.

As an aside to you, Decimus, I can state here and now that there are two BBC series that I can watch, re-watch and re-watch, without ever getting fed-up. One is the incomparable 'Claudius'; the other is 'Tenko'. The latter is a girls' thing, so you may not have had the pleasure (but I'll bet your mum watched it!), but it is cast in a similar mould: characters you would die for, or love to hate/love - whatever. That, for me, is the top and bottom of it. I don't need big budget sets - I just want something that lives in the mind. It's in the writing and acting. If these are good enough, a studio set can become ancient Rome or a Japanese camp. Theatre (even on TV) is a two-way process; the audience is an essential part of it. Engage the audience and you have a classic.

I watched the entire series when it first aired on HBO. I then bought the DVDs and watched the entire series with the subtitles. (I had missed some of the dialogue when the program first aired.) Finally, I later watched the onscreen guide prepared by the series

the other is 'Tenko'. The latter is a girls' thing, so you may not have had the pleasure (but I'll bet your mum watched it!), but it is cast in a similar mould: characters you would die for, or love to hate/love - whatever. That, for me, is the top and bottom of it. I don't need big budget sets - I just want something that lives in the mind. It's in the writing and acting. If these are good enough, a studio set can become ancient Rome or a Japanese camp. Theatre (even on TV) is a two-way process; the audience is an essential part of it. Engage the audience and you have a classic.

Haha Augusta, I remember Tenko when I was young, my mum never used to shut up about it!

I watched the first two series when they were on TV and immediately bought the Box sets when they came out, but have yet to watch them!!! It's a time thing!! I'll get round to it eventually.

I know it is fashionable to criticize the series by

For me it just wasn't the increasing historical inaccuracies in Season 2. The Vorennus and Pullo dynamic was growing increasingly thin. I never bought V and P as semi-benevolent gangsters, V's new found concern for his children, or P's relation to his two female slave lovers. Then there was the needless subplot with Timon and his reborn Zionism, the utter ridiculousness of Cleopatra and the Ptolemaic court, etc.

If rendering the lives of Roman personalities into a 'Soap' format (why not?) and bending a few points of accuracy gets a few hundred thousand people onto our wavelength, then no bad thing.

I'm not quite sure about this, NN. For every viewer like your work colleague who has been prompted to pursue a more in-depth study of the period, you will have twenty like my daughter - who watches series like this to ogle Simon Woods or that chap in the Tudors. Soap is soap, complete with its audience. I think it is somewhat hopeful to number converts to Roman history in terms of a hundred thousand! But I take your point, nonetheless.

I have even turned HBO's Rome into a drinking game: my friends and I drink every time we see, or hear reference to, gratuitous nudity or violence. Fun times...

I, Claudius several times (on digital television when I had that, and on DVD) and It improves with every viewing.

 

As an aside to you, Decimus, I can state here and now that there are two BBC series that I can watch, re-watch and re-watch, without ever getting fed-up. One is the incomparable 'Claudius'; the other is 'Tenko'.

I can't say I've ever watched Tenko, but speaking about Prisoner of War dramas, I did find the Kiefer Sutherland/ Robert Carlyle feature 'To End All Wars' a powerful film , even if it did show its 'melodramatic tv-movie' colours a few times. I'd recommend others to rent it or seek it out.

As for I, Claudius I enjoyed that the first time I saw it, and I continue to enjoy it with every viewing. It's probably my most watched Television miniseries.

As for Rome, I am enjoying a lot more this time round. I've already seen it once on TV and this is my second viewing of series one on DVD. I originally planned to watch only one episode a night, but sometimes I find myself so engrossed with it that I want to watch another episode. I watched episode eight, 'Caesarion'. Tonight I'll watch Utica.

I have even turned HBO's Rome into a drinking game: my friends and I drink every time we see, or hear reference to, gratuitous nudity or violence. Fun times...

How about a double shot every time someone says: "Juno's Cunt!"