X
- 2005
- TV-MA
- HBO
- 2005
- TV-MA
- HBO
Summary "Rome" is the saga of two ordinary Roman soldiers and their families. An intimate drama of love and betrayal, masters and slaves, and husbands and wives, it chronicles epic times that saw the fall of a republic and the creation of an empire. The series begins in 52 BC, as Gaius Julius Caesar has completed his masterful conquest of Gaul a...
Created By: Bruno Heller, William J. MacDonald, John Milius
- 2005
- TV-MA
- HBO
- 2005
- TV-MA
- HBO
Rome
Season 1 Premiere: Aug 28, 2005
70
8.9
Where to Watch
Summary "Rome" is the saga of two ordinary Roman soldiers and their families. An intimate drama of love and betrayal, masters and slaves, and husbands and wives, it chronicles epic times that saw the fall of a republic and the creation of an empire. The series begins in 52 BC, as Gaius Julius Caesar has completed his masterful conquest of Gaul a...
Created By: Bruno Heller, William J. MacDonald, John Milius
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 43 Critic Reviews
70
72% Positive
31 Reviews
31 Reviews
23% Mixed
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
5% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 43 Critic Reviews
70
72% Positive
31 Reviews
31 Reviews
23% Mixed
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
5% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
As good as Rome is -- and it's an epic, multilayered thing of beauty -- it's still not on the level of "The Sopranos" or "The Wire" or "Deadwood." That's almost an unfair comparison, but it's also true. On the other hand, "Rome" unfolds like a marvelously shot big-screen movie, each scene (filmed on location in Italy) dripping with money well spent and a meticulous grandeur that rewards you for paying extra for HBO.
I haven't seen ancient ordinary life so well represented since "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," and I am not being funny.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 391 User Ratings
8.9
94% Positive
367 Ratings
367 Ratings
3% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
3% Negative
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 391 User Ratings
8.9
94% Positive
367 Ratings
367 Ratings
3% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
3% Negative
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
very Good! Rome is a very detailed and historically accurate show that will keep you hooked throughout the series. It really is one of the most underrated tv shows ever created and a true masterpiece that is pretty much loved by anyone who has ever seen it. Just read through the reviews to see how loved this show really is! It's only two seasons long but those two seasons were damn near perfect! The acting, writing, directing, cinematography, production, etc. Are all fantastic. It doesn't get nearly the recognition it deserves because it wasn't advertised that much when it was on and pre social media so word of mouth was hard back then. I really can't say anything more that hasn't already been said about this terrific show except to just go watch it!
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Turns like this take the series further into Aaron Spelling territory than it ever was, an idea that may offend those who can't let go of the notion that HBO is supposed to be better than regular TV.
What the series gains this season by giving us more history and more compelling storylines, it loses by repeating some of its, er, epic mistakes. Again, no battle scenes - some of the most important in all of history - are shown.
After watching six episodes, I'm still not sold on the overall worth of this ambitious period drama.
It's like Deadwood in togas, a violent and bawdy tapestry of a vanished civilization.
Calling Rome a crushing disappointment would be accurate but too forgiving of its sordidly cockamamy fixations. Brutality and nudity rise in direct proportion to unpersuasive storytelling. Finding someone, anyone, to care about amid all this shock-value Sturm und Drang swiftly becomes an enervating chore. [26 Aug 2005, p.B33]
This Roman history lesson is all you will ever get from Hollywood that is anywhere close to the truth. However, it still took artistic license too far in my ****'s one thing to have fictitious characters in a story to see it from a misanthropic perspective, or to help move it along, and it's another thing to mix fictitious characters into real events to make it more convenient for the story tellers.Writers, directors, and producers have a responsibility to their audience when they are presenting productions based on history...especially Roman history, because of the length of time they ruled the world, and how all other governments on this planet took some of Rome's example.Three things bothered me about this series: First, our two fictitious friends whose family, and enemies are so beautifully written to keep us all wanting more, should not be mingled in with the actual history itself. It's pandering, and misleading.Second: The new Octavian can't hold a candle to the original actor. I'm beginning to think that the first actor who played Octavian was too likable, and in history Octavian was not a likeable character. Or, perhaps he was just too young to play an adult leader. In either case, they did a terrible job replacing him. The the new actor had none of the seriousness, or smarts the original actor had, and he smiled in all the wrong places. I don't think I can even remember a scene in the 1st season where Octavian cracks a smile. He was all business, and damn good at it. The change almost ruined the 2nd season for me.Third: I loved the first season. It was glorious, and well done though the gratuitous sex, and violence may have been overdone a bit ...even though it was a big part of Rome... it's a big part of 'everywhere' and 'every time'. My main beef with season 2 besides the new Octavian character, is that it felt like they changed whomever was in charge of everything. It was slower, more repetitive, and edited like a drawn out soap **** film makers definitely lost some of their creative talent in season two. Still...this is about as good as it gets on television.
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Season 1 is an easy 10/10. Fantastic characters, fantastic actors, great locations and sets and a story that never disappoints. Season 2 is a different matter, however. The sudden up-aging of Octavian felt very jarring, and the entire story seemed like a patchwork of ideas. It's not bad, but it falls short behind the first season.
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Production Company:
- HD Vision Studios
- British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
- Home Box Office (HBO)
Initial Release Date: Aug 28, 2005
Number of seasons: 2 Seasons
Rating: TV-MA
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 2 Nominations
Primetime Emmy Awards
• 7 Wins & 15 Nominations
Online Film & Television Association
• 5 Wins & 11 Nominations
