Ancient Rome: the Rise and Fall of an Empire

[Tarbicus]

Ancient Rome: the Rise and Fall of an Empire

Starts tonight, six episodes, and seems to have pretty good actors in it.

THURSDAY 21 SEPTEMBER
9:00pm - 10:00pm
BBC1

VIDEO Plus+: 3841

1/6 - Nero

One of the complaints about last year's scintillating BBC2 drama Rome was that it messed with the facts. Commentators grumbled that it literally lost the plot and that the real events of Roman history were more worthy of the BBC's budgets than a scriptwriter's whims. This new series might be seen as a response to those critics. It starts, for some reason, at the story of Nero, and promises the real deal: authentic history (as far as we know it) acted out by a quality cast, with a fact-based narration to usher events along. After early hiccups, this opening episode takes off brilliantly, thanks to yet another riveting performance from Michael Sheen. As Nero, he gives a memorable portrayal of a maniac with a rampant ego and a glint in his eye, convinced he's an artist and, oh by the way, a god. Scenes such as the one where he commands that a slave take the place of his dead wife ("Make him a woman!") chill the blood and give a real sense of power unhitched from reality. If the rest of the series can keep up this standard, we're in for a treat.