Titus

Plot synopsis:
A boy eating lunch in a 1950s-style kitchen plays war with his surrounding toys. A bomb blast outside the window frightens him under the table from where he is rescued and taken to an Amphitheatre, where an invisible audience cheers. An army resembling the Terracotta Army enters; Romans under the command of Titus Andronicus, the general at the center of the play, return victorious from war. They bring back as spoils Tamora, Queen of the Goths, her sons, and Aaron the Moor. Titus sacrifices Tamora's eldest son, Alarbus, so the spirits of his 21 dead sons might be appeased. Tamora eloquently begs for the life of Alarbus, but Titus refuses her plea.
Caesar, the Emperor of Rome, dies. His sons Saturninus and Bassianus squabble over who will succeed him. The Tribune of the People, Marcus Andronicus, announces the people's choice for new emperor is his brother, Titus. He refuses the throne and hands it to the late emperor's eldest son Saturninus, much to the latter's delight. The new emperor states he will take Lavinia, Titus' daughter, as his bride to honor and elevate the family. She is already betrothed to Saturninus' brother, Bassianus, who steals her away. Titus's surviving sons aid in the couple's run for the Pantheon, where they are to marry. Titus, angry with his sons because in his eyes they're being disloyal to Rome, kills his son Mutius as he defends the escape. The new emperor, Saturninus, dishonors Titus and marries Tamora instead. Tamora persuades the Emperor to feign forgiveness to Bassianus, Titus and his family and postpone punishment to a later day, thereby revealing her intention to avenge herself on all the Andronici.
During a hunting party the next day, Tamora's lover, Aaron the Moor, meets Tamora's sons Chiron and Demetrius. The two argue over which should take sexual advantage of the newly-wed Lavinia. Aaron easily persuades them to ambush Bassianus and kill him in the presence of Tamora and Lavinia, in order to have their way with her. Lavinia begs Tamora to stop her sons, but Tamora refuses. Chiron and Demetrius throw Bassianus's body in a pit, as Aaron directed them, then take Lavinia away and rape her. To keep her from revealing what she saw and endured, they cut out her tongue as well as her hands, replacing them with tree branches. When Marcus discovers her, he begs her to reveal the identity of her assailants; Lavinia leans towards the camera and opens her bloodied mouth in a silent scream.
Aaron brings Titus' sons Martius and Quintus and frames them for the murder of Bassianus with a forged letter outlining their plan to kill him. Angry, the Emperor arrests them. Later on, Marcus takes Lavinia to her father, who's overcome with grief. He and his remaining son Lucius begged for the lives of Martius and Quintus, but the two are found guilty and are marched off to execution. Aaron enters, and tells Titus, Lucius, and Marcus the emperor will spare the prisoners if one of the three sacrifices a hand. Each demands the right to do so. Titus has Aaron cut off his (Titus's) left hand and take it to the emperor. Aaron's story is revealed to have been false, as a messenger brings Titus the heads of his sons and his own severed hand. In Renaissance semiotics, the hand is a representation of political and personal agency. With his hand chopped off, Titus has truly lost power. Desperate for revenge, Titus orders Lucius to flee Rome and raise an army among their former enemy, the Goths.
Titus's grandson (Lucius's son and the boy from the opening), who helped Titus read to Lavinia, complains she will not leave his books alone. In the book, she indicates to Titus and Marcus the story of Philomela, in which a similarly mute victim "wrote" the name of her wrongdoer. Marcus gives her a stick to hold with her mouth and stumps. She writes the names of her attackers on the ground. Titus vows revenge. Feigning madness, he ties written prayers for justice to arrows and commands his kinsmen to aim them at the sky so they may reach the gods. Understanding the method in Titus's "madness", Marcus directs the arrows to land inside the palace of Saturninus, who is enraged by this added to the fact Lucius is at the gates of Rome with an army of Goths.
Tamora delivers a mixed-race child, fathered by Aaron. To hide his affair from the Emperor, Aaron kills the nurse and flees with the baby. Lucius, marching on Rome with an army of Goths, captures Aaron and threatens to hang the infant. To save the baby, Aaron reveals the entire plot to Lucius, relishing every murder, rape and dismemberment.
Tamora, convinced of Titus's madness, approaches him along with her two sons, dressed as the spirits of Revenge, Murder, and Rape. She tells Titus she (as a supernatural spirit) will grant him revenge if he will convince Lucius to stop attacking Rome. Titus agrees, sending Marcus to invite Lucius to a feast. "Revenge" offers to invite the Emperor and Tamora and is about to leave, but Titus insists "Rape" and "Murder" stay with him. She agrees. When she leaves, Titus's servants bind Chiron and Demetrius. Titus cuts their throats, while Lavinia holds a basin in her stumps to catch their blood. He plans to cook them into a pie for their mother.
The next day, during the feast at his house, Lavinia enters the dining room. Titus asks Saturninus whether a father should kill his daughter if she is raped. When the Emperor agrees, Titus snaps Lavinia's neck, to the horror of the dinner guests, and tells Saturninus what Tamora's sons did. When Saturninus demands Chiron and Demetrius be brought before him, Titus reveals they were in the pie Tamora enjoyed, and kills Tamora. Saturninus kills Titus after which Lucius kills Saturninus to avenge his father's death.
Back in the Roman Arena, Lucius tells his family's story to the people and is proclaimed Emperor. He orders his father Titus and sister Lavinia to be buried in the family monuments, Saturninus be given a proper burial, Tamora's body to be thrown to the wild beasts, and Aaron be buried chest-deep and left to die of thirst and starvation. Aaron is unrepentant to the end. Young Lucius picks up Aaron's child and carries him away into the sunrise.

Tags: flashback

Review:
A Ground-breaking high wire act between tragedy and comedy - the best and most unique sitcom since "Seinfeld".
Network: FOX; Genre: Sitcom, Dysfunctional Family Sitcom; Content Rating: TV-14 (for language, violence, nudity, strong sexual content, crude humor & dark, adult content); Available: DVD; Classification: Modern Classic (Star range: 1 - 5);Season Reviewed: Complete Series (3 seasons)If the sitcom is dying, nobody told Christopher Titus.
"Titus" is the spiky-haired comedian's 1-man show, "Norman Rockwell is Bleeding", translated into a 1-set, multi-camera, studio audience sitcom.
Like "Everybody Loves Raymond", "Titus" is a post-modern dysfunctional family sitcom in which what may have been the children of television dysfunctional families 2 decades ago ("The Simpsons", "Rosanne", "Married with Children") have now grown up and are trying to make their own way - unable to shake their parents and upbringing.
"Titus" is the autobiographical life story of it's namesake lead who grew up with a drunken, abusive father (Stacy Keach) and a deranged schizophrenic mother (played by a different actress in each season).
To help and hinder him along the way are his borderline retarded half-brother Dave (Zack Ward), his effeminate best friend and the show's "normal" character Tommy (David Shatraw) and the grounding support of his fiancé Erin (Cynthia Watros).
This "neutral space" serves as a metaphorical playground of the mind, representing sitcom Titus' thoughts and self-perceptions.
In the tour de force episode "The Breakup" (that will no doubt separate the drive-by sitcom viewer from the show's hardcore target audience) Titus gets into a fight with Erin to sabotage his own happiness and "neutral space" Titus becomes a boxer.
There aren't many places where you will see people thrown through plate glass windows or getting hit in the face with a rake handle (twice!) for a laugh, but "Titus" is goofy enough to go there.
Christopher Titus is new to the game and at times it shows, but he bounds around with endless energy, delivers a fresh voice to the TV landscape and displays a rarely seen naked honesty that fills the lead role of this televised therapy session just fine.
In finding humor in what is essentially a tragic story, it seems that creators Christopher Titus, Brian Hargrove and Jack Kenny have crafted an entire series out the "Very Special Episodes" that would grind any other sitcom to a melodramatic halt.
They do a brilliant thing by wrapping this edgy too-hot-for-Fox material in a stupid-funny sitcom wrapper, giving the audience a tangible chaser to help swallow it all down.
Many times a "Titus" episode would end on a note that glued me to the couch in silence for a few minutes, both out of shock at what I'd seen and out of pride and admiration for how well they where able to pull off this high-wire act.
In one of the episodes of Titus, Christopher Titus tells us that the LA Times has announced that 70% of American families are dysfunctional.
Coming from a family of alcoholism and mental illness myself, I must say that Titus is probably the most accurate and intelligent portrayal of the American family in quite some time.
Titus gets through all that, he tells jokes and presents situations in the way that most people from my economic background do.
Titus was one of the best shows Fox has ever produced.
Where other shows seemed to center around problems such as "Oh no, the landlord of my giant, rent-controlled 2-bedroom apartment has died and the new landlord isn't nice at all because he raised my rent by 5 dollars and now I can't afford that 5th I-pod I've always wanted", this show tackled real problems with some great humor.
I can't say that my family was as messed-up as Titus' was (in real life or in the show) but through what I've seen happen to some of my childhood friends who did have to live with that I can honestly say that if you're not able to shake it off and laugh about it you're going to be sucked down.
Yes, there were the occasional duds and stupid or obvious jokes, but when show employed such a high tempo you can't expect every joke to be a classic.I regret that this show has been canceled but I do understand why Titus didn't want Fox to get involved.
If you ever get a chance to see a rerun watch it, I can't guarantee that you will like because the humor is too dark for some people but most people won't be disappointed.11/10 (yes 11 out of ten, it's that good)..
After years of okay shows and assorted crap, Titus is certainly a breath of fresh air.The premise of the show is certainly unique.
Comedian Christopher Titus narrates various stories loosely based on real life events, while supporting them with a string of humorous flashbacks.
Titus' family, to put it kindly, is pretty damn dysfunctional, and those of us who haven't had to deal with such problems find it amusing, (though a little sad at times too).
Chris Titus put it best in a recent episode when he stated, "Studies show that nearly 60% of American families are dysfunctional.
When armageddon happens, all the so-called 'normal' families will be panicking, while the dysfunctional families will be thinking, 'No one's watching the Cadillac dealerships!'"Don't be afraid of Titus because its another sitcom based on the act of a comedian.
Chris Titus' comedy act is unique, and so is the show that is his namesake.
I just got hit by this show on Fox Portugal and have yet to research on Christopher Titus the person behind most of what's so witty, urbane, universal, hallucinatory and yet basically a healthy self-look at america as it enters/entered the 21st century - but I can already say this has got to be one of my favorite comedies ever.
Although I may not be as experienced in the television field because of my young age, I have seen many, many comedies and Titus has got to be the best I've seen in years.
In fact, if you tone out for more than 30 seconds you'll miss a hilarious squeal from Tommy(David Shatraw) or a silver-tongued comment from the charming Christopher.(Chris Titus) I love the way the show has "real life stuff" in it, completely different from the hit shows "Growing Pains" although that was supposed to be realistic and take a gripping hold on teenage life.
Anyway, I think that Titus in undoubtedly one of the funniest comedies in the current line.
The commentaries on Titus' past are hilarious, like the father giving swimming lessons.
With Children" and "The Simpsons." This is the same network that did its best to get rid of "Titus" for being too edgy?!
That's why instead of seeing quality comedies like "Titus" you'll be subjected to "American Idol 2," "Temptation Island 4," or "Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire Who Really Isn't But Has Some Checkered Past That We Can Exploit 7." (Stay tuned for Celebrity Boxing XII!)"Titus" never had bad ratings.
Frankly, it deserved better; Christopher Titus deserved better - but someone high up at Fox obviously didn't agree with that, and buried the show.
His mom's a looney, his girlfriend is all loving and trusting( not a good thing), a depressed drug-selling teenage girl was just forced to move in with him and his best friend can't even tell himself if he's straight, or something else.Welcome to his world.
Titus's life is so full of trauma, it would make a regular man criple in a womanly nervous breakdown, but not for Screwd-Up Man. His lousy childhood( hilarious, I might add) makes him automatically say what we all think, and do what he wants to.
The fact that Titus decided to end it because he didn't want OR need Fox's intervention wasenough for me to want it back (or at least to have it on DVD).
the worst thing FOX ever did was cancel Titus, hopefully the whole series will be put out on DVD or something, its the least FOX could do..
My friends think I am crazy, but I love "Titus."  What began as a seemingly half-hour therapy session for its star, Christopher Titus, has developed into a solid 30 minute blend of near-slapstick humor, intelligent writing and light introspection.The cast of "Titus," once somewhat disjointed and contrived (as is the case with many freshman shows), has coalesced into a tight comedic ensemble who riff off each other easily, and help the storylines move along at a refreshing clip.A major strength of the show, (the only one, my friends contend), is Stacy Keach's role as Ken Titus, Christopher's father.
Think of it as Freud on Ephedra, and you'll do just fine.Cynthia Watros's 'Erin' gets my vote for best character development.
Her loving, accepting yet equally madcap persona has flourished into a fully realized partner-in-crime for Christopher, when she could have  remained a one-dimensional support figure.Zack Ward as Titus' slow-witted adopted brother Dave is the 'Chrissy Snow' of the show, as he often, unwittingly foils Chris's attempts at revenge or reconciliation with their father.My only complaint is Shatraw's character, who is supposed to be Titus's best friend, hardly gets any exploration or airtime.
Hopefully, the show will be on for a while, so the effeminate and riotous Tommy can be more developed.If you're looking for a half hour of audacious comedy, the likes of which you have never seen on network TV, check out "Titus."  Considering most good shows get shelved within a year if they don't get the ratings, you might only have a little time left!.
I hope fox doesn't cancel it like many others, because is one of the best of this season..
I never watched a Seinfeld episode in my life and most sitcoms have bored me with their attempts at humor.
It is very rare that there is an episode of Titus that does not make me laugh myself to tears..
Let's face it, not everyone loves Ray, but Titus is fast, funny and hilarious in the the same irreverent ways that Seinfeld was for the Nineties.
The girlfriend's redneck family with multiple criminal records and appearances on "Cops" (and proud of it too) and Titus's spaced out psycho of a mother round out the show's cast of characters, but another thing I like is how the show shifts from Titus's narration of the events as he lives through them like some sort of Dave Allen At Large.
Another thing that makes the show so great is how the show's event impact Titus the narrator.
This television show is definitely a standout when compared to the volume of reality-based programming and other half-hour length sitcoms.There is a definite comedic chemistry between the lead, Christopher Titus and his father, played by Stacy Keach.
Titus is by trade, a stand-up comedian and we are familiar with Keach assuming more dramatic roles, e.g. Long Riders, The (movie) and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer (tv).The content on the smallscreen is a combination of a standup comedy routine and the traditional sitcom.
According to the background given in the media guides for this program it is based on the real life its comedic lead, Christopher Titus.
If you like funny, smart and original by all means buy the DVD, or find a way to watch it cause you won't be disappointed at all.
It would be great if they would bring it back like they did family guy..
"Titus" has got to be one of the funniest shows on T.V.
I love Chris Titus' nervous approach to his own clever comedy.
He is truly one of the most gifted young comedians out there.The show is loosely based on Chris Titus' real life.
The father is a multiple divorcee and the best parts of the show are by far the flashbacks to Titus' past.
The flashbacks show Titus as a teen and a kid, and almost all involve his mean father.Totally funny, totally underrated T.V. show, 7.5/10..
The show based on Titus's life always had me laughing, I never laughed so hard in a sitcome.
Cancelling Titus is one of the worst mistakes that the FOX Network ever made..
This personally is one of the funniest shows i have ever seen, hands down, perhaps the funniest.Christopher Titus is a genius.
His insight is deep and sharp.Also this show is reminiscent of the sharp comedy of the past, not the syrupy formulaic laugh track comedy of modern times which is really not that funny.Titus deals with real harsh issues in a very humorous way.
This is simply a heckuva good show, Titus' self-therapy is touching and wonderful and hysterical, Keach is dead-on as the father, and the rest of the cast is perfect in their supporting roles.
not only is Cynthia fabulous but so is Stacy Keach and Christopher Titus.
Stacy Keach was robbed of an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy.
This guy's got it bad: a totally neurotic family, a freaky friend who either needs to come out of the closet or get in touch with his manhood, a good looking girlfriend, and a business that is struggling to get off the ground.
The first season and the beginning of the new one had me coming back for more, time after time, and little did I realize that the series is based on Chris Titus' real life story.
Although, to be fair, I didn't know many people who watched it regularly.Even though the characters might have been poorly developed, and the writing was not of a higher level of quality or subject matter, it was hardly devoid of humor, although it was crude and juvenile at times.
She deserved that Emmy she won for Guiding Light and it looks like she's great at comedy too!
Christopher Titus is funny...
As of this writing, Titus has shown a couple of episodes of it's second season and it's still the funniest thing on TV.
Now when I saw the commercials for this show I thought, "Gee, another dumb sitcom spit out by the fox network in hopes of getting more ratings." However, I don't regret leaving the TV.
Commentary by Chris Titus throughout the show adds to the humor and the flashbacks are silly and entertaining.
Overall I thought "Titus" was a smart move by the Fox Network and I hope they don't cancel it like they have so many other potentially great shows..
Then Fox has the most honest Real family around.
My family never missed an episode,we all recognized the characters.Plus we laughed our behinds off.
Instead of becoming a weepy depressing soap opera-Titus showed us we have to see the humor in REAL life.
Ken Titus-was a real flesh and blood human being,played to perfection by the brilliant actor Stacy Keach Jr. Shame on Fox for canceling this show-shame on television for not running the reruns!!!.
Fox had the best lineup with that 70s show followed by titus.
Only fox could ruin a show as funny as titus..
Titus (the comic himself) IS talented and funny, but once they run out of all his stored-up material, then what???
The show is very inconsistent - weak writing, vibrant cast, Stacy Keach having the time of his life, but I wonder if it'll run out of gas soon.
I too thought it was funny and liked Chris Titus very much.
Titus is one of the funniest shows to come out of Fox.
Christopher Titus' commentary on his "past" is hilarius ("ok Kenny, its time to teach you to learn how to swim"...lol).This show is a funny sitcom.
The FOX Network came out with another "quality" sitcom for the 2000-2001 season.
I remember watching the first episode where Titus says "I think my girlfriend is boning another guy".
This show is stupid the comedy doesn't make sense and titus' jokes are always the same they always seem to be about his mom in a mental hospital or his dad and his five wife's well who cares about that and the dad thinks he's a regular Al Bundy but he's not in my opinion it's one thing to be funny but the comedy has to make sense I won't waste my time watching titus again  but judge for yourself.
It was interesting how the show went, with Christopher Titus giving his perspective on the series(in those black and white segments) as well as the actual episode story going on.
This series was my first exposure to Christopher Titus.
Titus and his brother are very funny and seem to actually have a really good on set rapport between them.
While I know there are families that are like the one portrayed here it is sad to learn that some one had to grow up this way.
The show is bested on Christopher Titus' comic routine "Norman Rockwell is Bleeding", and what a routine to base a sitcom on.
"Titus" follows the everyday life of Christopher Titus and his amazingly dysfunctional family: his insanely cruel and politically incorrect but loving father Ken, his moronic little brother Dave, his equally screwed up girlfriend Erin and his effeminate best friend Tommy.
The thing about this show most of the stuff that happens in the show had already happen to Titus in his real life(yes his mom really did kill her husband).I really don't think there was a more underrated show on TV ever.
"Titus" was something very rare in TV Land a Dark Sitcom.
There where very few if any Dark Sitcoms out there and the ones that where/are out there I don't think are nearly as dark as "Titus".
"Titus'" only crime is that it was on the FOX network who is infamous for killing shows and killed the show in it's 3 season w/o a serious finale.
If you grew up with a dysfunctional family,(Like 63% of American Families) know anyone who did or just like dark comedy this a sitcom for you.