This series was made in 1968 and broadcast to tremendous critical acclaim, and was one of the last great drama productions made in black and white for ITV by Granada. The Caesars is an unrivalled period drama detailing the murder, sex and madness that will forever have a place in the annals of ancient history. This six-part series is available for the first time on DVD as a two-disc released by Network.
After a century of being wrecked by dissension and ruinous civil wars, the Romans were willing to pay any price for peace and internal security. This happened to be the absolute rule of an Emperor-dictator - Augustus played by Roland Culver. After ruthlessly disposing of all possible rivals and enemies, Augustus' later years were bedevilled by the question of his successor. He firmly believed that for the good of Rome, the dictatorship must continue, but he hadn't bargained on those who followed him...
The series features outstanding performances from famed character actor Andre Morell, Ralph Bates and an award-winning performance by Freddie Jones. Obvious comparisons can be made with the BBC series I Claudius, which has been more readily available in various formats, with both having more tradition with the theatre than television, but there is a cleanness in this production, and the lack of colour somehow adding to the period setting (which brings to mind the trailers for the series of documentaries using colour footage of WWII where they played on the idea that that period of history contained only black and white footage.)
I certainly hope that this release proves to be as popular as it deserves, and will encourage the release of more drama that doesn't get an airing due to it being in black and white (although the same argument never stops TV channels from broadcasting black and white films). Priced at just £19.99 this set runs to around 300 minutes.
| Episode Title | Synopsis |
|---|---|
| Augustus | After 40 years as ruler of the Roman Empire, Augstus is near to death. Who will succeed him to the throne? |
| Germanicus | The Roman Army of the Rhine wants Germanicus as Emperor. He has to decide: Shall he march on Rome and seize the throne? |
| Tiberius | Germanicus is Tiberius's heir, and a potentially dangerous rival for the throne. Tiberius is on his guard. |
| Sejanus | Drusus becomes the official heir to the throne. But there are others who are out to secure the succession for themselves. |
| Caligula | Tiberius is old and near death. Who will succeed to the throne - grandson Gemellus, nephew Claudius or great-nephew Caligula. |
| Claudius | Caligula's reign of terror continues. The monster must die - but who will dare to strike at the throne? |