Rome | Egypt - - - - two great civilisations | two great tv series?

So, where does everyone stand on the BBC historical drama drive at the mo?
I have to say I really enjoyed "Egypt" last week, am just waiting for part 2 in about 20 mins.

As for Rome, well the jury is still out in my case. The opening title was odd and I can safetly it didn't make me want to watch the programme lol, I had a bad feeling from the start.
I liked the idea of following the two soldiers, I like their "relationship" - I bet by the end they are saving each others backs over friendship and not duty. Or scenario B they still hate each other. The political side could be perceived as being a tad bit confusing. I was ok, but it was confusing who was who at times. And for the most controversial side of it - the multiple sex scenes. I am no prude, but I just don't see the point of them. And the actress doing the most of them thinks her children will never see this series - well, hello? Their friends will show them in a few years time on DVD lady! Look what you Mum got up to lol! So I am for/against this series - the drama is good, just I don't particularly like a drama to be made/broken on the fact it has sex scenes in, and this series sold itself on them rather than the good storyline of the soldiers. I understand the need to show the women characters as using their gender to keep power, but does it need to be so graphic - my Dad loves the Roman civilisation, and they have lost a possible fan of this series, it's not something you can sit and watch with the family lol. Oh well. Let's see what happens on Wednesday, and there is always LOST afterwards to enjoy.

 

Guess people stand ... well ... nowhere then

I have a newfound hero - Howard Carter

 

I thoroughly enjoyed the Egypt program this evening. I've only had a sketchy knowledge of the events surrounding the discovery of Tutankhamen's tomb, but this program filled in a lot of gaps. I was pleased to see the program not only document the events in the tomb itself, but also addressed the surrounding issues - the attitude of some Britons thinking that they could just come in and do what they liked on foreign soil - the Egyptian authorities wish to retain a modicum of control - the ethics involved in tampering with a Pharoah's tomb - and the general bureaucracy surrounding it all. And on top of all that, Howard Carter himself was wonderfully protrayed.

If I had a criticism, it would be that the flashback sequences to ancient Egypt were perhaps a little shallow.

 

I'm not a very big fan of historical dramas
I prefer documentaries to give me facts presented by someone who actually knows what they're talking about.


I liked Rome, though I was surprised at the BBC going for almost full nudity barely 10 minutes after the watershed.

I haven't watched the Egypt series docudrama, but I have watched the Egyptian Journeys one with Dan Cruickshank, I find that to be far more interesting

 

A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one

 

I thought Rome was rather good, I have no interest in Egypt which is bizarre seeing as I eat up any information about the pre-classical and classical era, so I didn?t watch it. A mistake?

The sex scenes were very unnecessary and a bit pointless to be honest but the rest really brought Rome to life for me, especially the relationship between the Plebeian and Patrician class. The Patrician class thought it was their right to rule in Rome and the since the fall of the last King there had been a social battle between the two classes over rights and position.

The politics were good as well showing the links between families, using women to form political alliances or to break them. The focus on the two soldiers was good as well because these are professional soldiers who relied on their general to provide for them after their service is over and the use of this to lead Pompey into a trap was great.

I can?t wait for the next episode but the whole thing could easily go down hill, having made the media overplay the whole sex thing was quite a coo for the BBC and I should imagine viewing figures will go down because the sex scenes are not as explicit as expected.

P.S. Is Caesar doctor octopus? Or am I going a bit crazy?

 

these things always cause much mirth amoungst the archaeological / historian groups in the Pubs.

 

Whoever wrote the Egypt doc-drama knows their stuff I think. It is done as a dramatised documenary, and done very professionally. BBC have done a good job, I'd give it a try Richie, though I agree with you, Dan Cruickshank's 30 mins was very very good too. I think both series were made to accompany one another btw.

Everton - I am not too fussed about the flashbacks, they just give an indication of the artefacts/costumes/etc is their original setting, though of course we'll never know 100% how things were since we don't live in those times.

Egyptians didn't mind keeping it in the family it seems - scary scary scary

I would say "yes", but it all depends on what you like. Egypt is more about the people who discover the civilisation in the 18th, 19th and 20th century. I have enjoyed it so far. Next weeks looks fun, I don't anything about the guy but it seems a circus strongman was instrumental in finding lots of important Egyptian sites, and he seems to have "Indiana Jones" style escapades - one scene showed him dangling from a cut hole in the ground above a tomb. Looks very interesting.

Totally agree. The first episode would still be enjoyable without them, so hence what is the need aside to draw some sneakers watching the footie on the other side to take a peek every so often.

I hope I have the quote right in my sig, I took it from the first episode, it just made me laugh when I heard it.

Crazy I am afraid
Doctor Octopus is Alfred Molina

[image=http://entimg.msn.com/i/150/ce/apr2/amolina_150x207.jpg]

Julius Caesar is Ciaran Hinds

http://www.hbo.com/rome/cast/character/julius_caesar.html


Btw, HBO website for the series is here - http://www.hbo.com/rome/
BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/rome/

BBC Egypt - http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/index.shtml

 

ROME
sorry i havent made my mind up on that one im still whatching it but i get the fact that over payed actors and a silly scrip writer went to town on it but - hardly any of it rings true -

ask me again when its finished

 

I know what you mean Dave, but I think episode 2 was 100% better - I don't "sex in the city" with "Gladiator" in my face every 10 minutes, and I think the writer knew that this time round. What a little scam they used to draw people in - now the dirty mac brigade who have no interest in historical dramas will be gutted. That's definitely quite funny

This series on an upper, bet next week we get slammed down again.
But then there is always two hours of the excellent Lost to regain some composure
Views on episode 2 everyone?

 

Another episode of Egypt tonite, BBC1 9pm
Then 10pm BBC2 for the accompanying documentary

 

rome in 10 minutes. it will be interesting to see what that soldier (his name escapes me) does with all that gold!