Derek Jacobi returns to I, Claudius after 34 years, in new Radio 4 series | Television & radio | The Guardian The Observer Derek Jacobi returns to I, Claudius after 34 years, in new Radio 4 series Star of landmark 1976 BBC dramatisation will perform on radio, not TV – but this time he will take the role of the emperor Augustus Derek Jacobi in the ground-breaking 1976 BBC production of I, Claudius. Photograph: BBC/Allstar Picture Library Vanessa Thorpe , arts and media correspondent Saturday 11 September 2010 19.05 EDT First published on Saturday 11 September 2010 19.05 EDT Close This article is 6 years old Two great Roman emperors shook hands in London's Broadcasting House on Friday in a moment of theatrical history. Sir Derek Jacobi , the actor who made his name in television in the title role of the groundbreaking BBC series I, Claudius, has returned to Robert Graves's saga of ancient Rome for a new serialisation on BBC Radio 4 in November.

Thirty-four years on, Jacobi is to play the senior role of the emperor Augustus, while Tom Goodman-Hill will take the part for which Jacobi became famous in 1976. After meeting Jacobi in the radio studio, Goodman-Hill, who starred in the BBC1 series The Devil's Whore, had to play an early scene in which a stammering, limping Claudius is brushed aside by Augustus. "I was excited and nervous about this," he said afterwards. "I got here very early and I could have been a bundle of nerves if Derek had not been so friendly." The actor admitted that he heard the stuttering voice of Jacobi's Claudius inside his head as he performed: "How could it possibly not be there?" Jacobi, 71, said that he realised the new Claudius might be daunted, but added: "Think what it is like for me as Augustus. I have Brian Blessed on my shoulder! He played the role when I was Claudius, and I can hear his voice all the time." Although Jacobi was an acclaimed stage actor and founder member of Laurence Olivier's National Theatre, the television part of Claudius propelled him into film work and took him to Broadway.

"It is absolutely due to Claudius that I got a foothold in America and, of course, it made a big difference to my parents too,' he said. "When I was with the National Theatre I might as well have been with the National Coal Board as far as they were concerned, but once I was being beamed into every home it was clear what I was doing. "A lady came up to me in Los Angeles some years ago and said she had been a great fan of I, Claudius and that I had made her a lot of money. She said she produced a TV series called Dynasty and that it was all based on I, Claudius." I, Claudius (TV Mini-Series 1976) - IMDb I, Claudius The history of the Roman Empire as experienced by one of its rulers.

Stars: From $1.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 29 titles created 05 Mar 2014 a list of 48 titles created 15 Mar 2014 a list of 34 titles created 06 Jun 2014 a list of 22 titles created 23 Jul 2015 a list of 23 titles created 3 weeks ago Search for " I, Claudius " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Won 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards » Photos Edit Storyline The mini-series follows the history of the Roman Empire, from approximately the death of Marcellus (24/23 BC) to Claudius' own death in 54 AD. As Claudius narrates his life, we witness Augustus' attempts to find an heir, often foiled by his wife Livia who wants her son Tiberius to become emperor.

We also see the conspiracy of Sejanus, the infamous reign of Caligula, and Claudius' own troubled period of rule. Written by Erika Grams <erika@email.unc.edu> Let all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out. Genres: 6 November 1977 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Derek Jacobi would later play a different Claudius in Hamlet (1996). See more » Goofs In the Senate chamber, the famous statue of Romulus and Remus being suckled by a she-wolf appears above the door. But the two children were actually added to the statue in the 15th century. See more » Quotes [Regarding Augustus and his family] Tiberius : That family is starting to sound like a Greek tragedy. The standard by which all TV should be judged 22 May 2001 | by AlabamaWorley1971 (NJ, USA) – See all my reviews The best miniseries ever made! Smart and sexy, with characters that live and breathe.

Just some of the most marvelous characters include Brian Blessed as the benevolent Augustus, George Baker as the wounded Tiberius, and Siân Phillips as Livia. Includes one of John Hurt's finest performances, and I'd go into Derek Jacobi as Claudius, but they say I have to keep it below 1,000 words. The Canadian channel Bravo runs it occasionally, or try renting it from Blockbuster, but I recommend shelling out for the entire collection on video! 45 of 48 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes ‘I, Claudius’ Returns in a 35th-Anniversary DVD Set - The New York Times The New York Times Television |Imperial Rome Writ Large and Perverse Search Imperial Rome Writ Large and Perverse By THOMAS VINCIGUERRA Continue reading the main story Photo John Hurt, left, as Caligula and Derek Jacobi as the title character in “I, Claudius,” the 1976 BBC mini-series. Credit Acorn Films THE making of the 1976 BBC mini-series “ I, Claudius ” was fraught with headaches.

The specter of an ill-fated, unfinished 1937 movie version starring Charles Laughton loomed large. At one point the project died when negotiations between the BBC and London Films, which owned the rights to the Laughton effort, broke down. When taping did begin, the actors struggled with everything from their makeup to making sense of their roles as the early rulers of the Roman Empire. But Robert Graves , who wrote the original 1934 novel and its 1935 sequel, “Claudius the God,” was unperturbed. “I’ve communed with Claudius,” he said at the time, “and he reassured me that this would be a great success.” Indeed it was.

First shown in the United States 35 years ago this month, “I, Claudius” pushed the limits of small-screen sex and violence and foreshadowed seamy family dramas like “The Tudors,” “The Borgias” and even “The Sopranos.” “I, Claudius” also brought to widespread attention several of its stars, notably Derek Jacobi as the stammering, twitching, limping, ostensibly simple-minded title character, who survived decades of murder and intrigue to become the fourth emperor of Rome. “I owe ‘Claudius’ so much on both sides of the Atlantic,” Mr. Jacobi said in a telephone interview. “If he has haunted me, it’s been a beneficent ghost.” Advertisement Continue reading the main story The durability of “I, Claudius” began with Graves’s books. Cast as the secret memoirs of Claudius himself, they were grounded in exhaustive scholarship but imbued with a novelist’s imagination. They had plenty of skulduggery, perversion and other delectable malfeasance, set against the marble majesty of Roman antiquity. The TV version, however, came close to missing the mark.

“It was so badly received in its first two weeks,” recalled Sian Phillips, who played the empress Livia, “because it was so different.” That difference lay in the series’s down-to-earth treatment of epic material. Despite its imperial setting “I, Claudius” was a small studio effort devoid of huge sets and sprawling battle scenes. In whittling down Graves’s tomes (which total some 1,000 pages in paperback) to a little over 11 hours of television, the scriptwriter Jack Pulman, who died in 1979, effectively rendered them as a soap opera, emphasizing the dysfunctional relations inherent in any extended clan. At various points he called his teleplay a Jewish family comedy and a treatment of a Mafia dynasty. “We agreed right at the beginning that we weren’t going to make a period piece,” said the director, Herbert Wise, 88. “We wanted to make it contemporary. We wanted to make the point that human psychology hasn’t changed much in the last 2,000 years.

We don’t throw people to the tigers anymore, but we still fight.” Pulman made the story even more accessible by eschewing the pseudo-classical dialogue that was a feature of innumerable sword-and-sandal films. When the emperor Tiberius (George Baker) brings out Claudius’s sister-in-law, Agrippina (Fiona Walker, who would go on to marry Mr. Wise) in chains, he declares, “My dear, you look like a Greek tragedy.” Photo Patrick Stewart in the series. Credit Acorn Films “And you look like a Roman farce,” she replies. Pulman “was a brilliant adapter,” said John Hurt, who played the mad emperor Caligula, “and his literary passion does come off the page. It’s immensely playable. You learn it in five minutes.” To compensate for the production’s physical modesty Mr. Wise urged grand performances — “bold, poster-color acting,” as Ms. Phillips put it. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to.

Sign Up “There was certainly a theatricality about it,” said Patrick Stewart, who was the treacherous commander of the Praetorian Guard, Aelius Sejanus. “Many of the characters were really larger than life.” Advertisement But making outsize Romans seem believable was a challenge. Brian Blessed, a k a Augustus, said that at least initially, “we were all very stiff, and we thought, ‘This isn’t going to work at all.’ ” Mr. Jacobi recently complained, “The ghost of Charles Laughton was sitting on my shoulder.” The old-age makeup worn by many of the principals was also onerous; Mr. Jacobi found he could remove it painlessly only while submerged in a bathtub and breathing through a snorkel. Perhaps no actor worked harder than Ms. Phillips, whose scheming Livia got rid of anyone who stood between the throne and her son, Tiberius. During early rehearsals she vainly tried to find rational motives for her ruthlessness. “I wasn’t achieving anything much,” she said. “I knew it, and they knew it. They would stand there and look faintly worried.” Finally, as Mr.

Wise says in a documentary that accompanies the 35th-anniversary “I, Claudius” DVD set from Acorn Media , “I was able to say to her: ‘Just be evil. The more evil you are, the funnier it is, and the more terrifying it is.’ ” Mr. Jacobi said of the series as a whole, “I think one of the saving graces of it was that it was done with so much humor that it didn’t become offensive.” In the very first episode, as Livia covertly poisons Marcellus, Augustus’s nephew and heir apparent, his doctor exclaims, “He’s bringing up green slime!” “Perhaps it’s a good sign,” Ms. Phillips responds. Topping off the show was its unforgettable opening sequence — a snake slithering across a tile mosaic bearing a likeness of Mr. Jacobi and the title “I, CLAVDIVS” (the source of many a phonetic joke), accompanied by a score by Wilfred Josephs that practically hissed evil intrigue. Unlike imperial Rome “I, Claudius” may well be imperishable.

Last year it was announced that HBO and BBC2 had joined to remake the mini-series, probably for 2013, with the creative team that produced the HBO series “Rome” in charge. But looking back wryly weeks ago on the original production, Mr. Wise recalled that it did not seem destined for greatness. In Britain, The Guardian review of “I Claudius,” he said, began, “There should be a society for the prevention of cruelty to actors.” The all-important Radio Times refused to feature the show on its front page. “They said that people wouldn’t be able to pronounce the names,” Mr. Wise said, “let alone remember them.” Correction: December 9, 2012 An article on Nov. 25 about the 1976 BBC mini-series “I, Claudius,” which starred Derek Jacobi as Claudius and was released this year on DVD in a 35th-anniversary edition, misidentified the actor who played Claudius in the 2010 BBC Radio 4 adaptation of “I, Claudius.” It was Tom Goodman-Hill — not Mr. Jacobi, who played Augustus.

A version of this article appears in print on November 25, 2012, on Page AR22 of the New York edition with the headline: Imperial Rome Writ Large And Perverse. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe Derek Jacobi to Star in New I, Claudius BBC Radio Serial - TheaterMania.com Derek Jacobi to Star in New I, Claudius BBC Radio Serial Sep 13, 2010 Derek Jacobi Tony and Olivier Award winner Derek Jacobi will star in a new version of I, Claudius for BBC's Radio 4, according to The Guardian. Jacobi, who portrayed the title character in the original BBC television series, will be playing the emperor Augustus in this new version. The role of Claudius will be played by Tom Goodman-Hill. The new serial is adapted from the Robert Graves historical novels about ancient Rome, and will begin broadcasting in the U.K. starting in November. No U.S. air dates have yet been announced. Jacobi won a Tony for his performance in a 1985 production of Much Ado About Nothing and a 2009 Oliver for Twelfth Night.

Additional Broadway credits include Uncle Vanya, Breaking the Code, Cyrano de Bergerac, and The Suicide. He is slated to play the title role in Shakespeare's King Lear at the Donmar Warehouse later this year, and will also be appearing in Showtime's new historical drama The Borgias. X I, Claudius (Dramatised) Radio/TV Program | Robert Graves | Audible.com Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins Radio/TV Program First book free with 30-day trial $14.95/month thereafter for your choice of 1 new book each month Cancel easily anytime Exchange books you don't like All selected books are yours to keep, even if you cancel - or - UNABRIDGED (16 hrs and 48 mins) By Robert Graves View full details > Here is one of the best historical novels ever written. Lame, stammering Claudius, once a major embarrassment to the imperial family and now emperor of Rome, writes an eyewitness account of the reign of the first four Caesars: the noble Augustus and his cunning wife, Livia; the reptilian Tiberius; the monstrous Caligula; and finally old Claudius himself.

Filled with poisonings, betrayal, and shocking excesses, I Claudius is history that rivals the most exciting contemporary fiction. Chris says: UNABRIDGED (15 hrs and 56 mins) By Sinclair Lewis View full details > A greedy, philandering Baptist minister, Elmer Gantry turns to evangelism and becomes the leader of a large Methodist congregation. Often exposed as a fraud, he is never fully discredited. Elmer Gantry is considered a landmark American novel and one of the most penetrating studies of hypocrisy in modern literature. It portrays the evangelistic activity that was common in 1920s America as well as attitudes toward it. Erez says: Black Mask Audio Magazine, Volume 1: Classic Hard-Boiled Tales from the Original Black Mask UNABRIDGED (5 hrs and 3 mins) By Hugh B. Cave, Paul Cain, Frederick Nebel, and others Narrated By Hollywood Theater of the Ear Overall View full details > In the1930s and '40s, Black Mask was the single most important magazine for the modern mystery field.

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King Henry VIII has set out on a spectacular Royal Progress to York, aiming to strike fear and awe into his rebellious northern subjects. Shardlake and his assistant, Barak, arrive in the city a day ahead of the 3,000-strong procession. The Keepers of the House UNABRIDGED (9 hrs and 17 mins) By Shirley Ann Grau View full details > Abigail was the last keeper of the house, the last to know the Howland family's secrets. Now, in the name of all her brothers and sisters, she must take her bitter revenge on the small-minded Southern town that shamed them, persecuted them, but could never destroy them. Chimigi says: next page Publisher's Summary A full-cast dramatisation of Robert Graves' brilliant account of the madness and debauchery of ancient Rome, starring Tom Goodman Hill as Claudius and Derek Jacobi as Augustus. The wickedly entertaining inside story of the lives and deaths of the Imperial dynasty from Augustus to Caligula is told by their obscure relation, Claudius. In public, Claudius is a stammering, drooling weakling, whose reputation as an idiot keeps him safe from office and assassination.

But in private, he's as sharp as they come, and keeps a secret history of everything he discovers. Until one day, as one of the few of his family left alive, he's acclaimed Emperor against his will. Can he save Rome from the corruption he's grown to detest? Featuring Derek Jacobi (who won a BAFTA for his performance as Claudius in the acclaimed 1977 BBC television production) as Augustus, and with an all-star cast, this gripping dramatisation will enthral anyone who loves the decadence of Ancient Rome. ©2012 Robert Graves (P)2011 AudioGO Ltd More from the same I love words that can take me into other worlds. HELPFUL VOTES "Great Audio Theater" As a fan of both the book and the classic BBC TV miniseries starring Derek Jacobi, I couldn't resist trying out this audio drama version of I, Claudius--especially as it stars some of the great British theater actors, including Jacobi as Augustus, and it recently won an Audie Award for full cast recordings. What a great piece of audio theater it was!

I was so drawn into the story, the characters, and the life of the early Roman Empire that I literally couldn't stop listening. (Since I normally listen as I walk, this was also quite good for my figure!) You find you don't miss the visual element at all--each character is clearly separate and your imagination paints the scene. Great story, great acting--who could ask for more? 11 of 11 people found this review helpful "I, Claudius lover impressed with abridging" As a great fan of the books and the BBC adaptation for television, it was with some trepidation that I allocated last month's credit to an 'abridged' title. Lured by the presence of Derek Jacobi, a man marred only by his crackpot views on the authorship of Shakespeare's body of work, I was once again transported to Robert Graves' version of first century Rome. The voice-acting was superb, and I was only occasionally saddened that this or that part was missing. Mostly, I was having far too good a time to notice. Thanks very much for having this wonderful performance in your catalogue.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful Linda Petaluma, CA United States 09-20-12 Linda Petaluma, CA United States 09-20-12 Member Since 2009 HELPFUL VOTES "Audio Theater at its BEST" What did you love best about I, Claudius (Dramatised)? About to take my first trip to Rome, I chose this to get myself into the mood. It was a wonderful experience listening to these actors perform. I've never seen the PBS series, but I could picture it just listening to this performance of I, Claudius. Have you listened to any of Derek Jacobi and Tom Goodman Hill ’s other performances before? How does this one compare? I'm a big fan of Derek Jacobi and I wish he had a larger part in this. Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting? I listened to this book over several weeks. It's an easy book for car listening.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful Jaydeep Kolkata, India 09-03-12 Member Since 2015 HELPFUL VOTES "Masterpiece" What made the experience of listening to I, Claudius (Dramatised) the most enjoyable? Unbeatable recording. Every nuance of the language and affliction is audible and extremely well executed. A completely immersing ride. There are times, when I didn't want the traffic to clear. 3 of 3 people found this review helpful Alina 08-21-16 Member Since 2016 ratings "Exceeded my expectations!" What did you love best about I, Claudius (Dramatised)? The casting, the acting, the plot, the language, the music, the pace - everything was superb. I also loved that male and female characters were played by actors with corresponding voices, as well as the fact that many of the voice actors were part of the BBC production of I, Claudius, making them extremely familiar with the characters they were portraying. What was one of the most memorable moments of I, Claudius (Dramatised)?

Aside from Hill and Jacobi's masterful acting, the detail that stuck with me the most of Caligula's character. The way he was introduced, developed and portrayed, as well as the shocking revelation about the fate of his father Germanicus all left a lasting impression on me. Definitely worth listening just for this! What about Derek Jacobi and Tom Goodman Hill ’s performance did you like? As someone who has not watched the TV series, I can say that Derek Jacobi's performance was solid, but Tom Goodman Hill blew my mind with how authentic and pitiful his Claudius came across. Amazing acting that made me relate to the character despite his very ostentatious flaws. 0 of 0 people found this review helpful I Leaver Birmingham, England 06-03-15 I Leaver Birmingham, England 06-03-15 Member Since 2008 ITL "History comes alive" This is a great story that is superbly acted from start to finish. There is real depth to the characters and you get areal sense of the turbulent times and endless intrigue, cross and double cross nature o Roman political life. Highly recommended!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful amalie pisani 03-26-15 Member Since 2014 ratings 0 of 0 people found this review helpful Sort by: Story "classic at its classical best" Where does I, Claudius (Dramatised) rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far? top score - really enjoyed it What did you like best about this story? the style, clarity of speech, story line so excellent and the smooth transition between Jacobi and Tom Goodman Hill - remembering the TV drama series i wondered if i would appreciate the change of reader but it worked wonderfully What does Derek Jacobi and Tom Goodman Hill bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book? Their diction and emotional acting is excellent - they are classical actors who shine in their profession If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be? See who helped trip Rome up before its fall Any additional comments? Excellent - worth full price but see if you can get it on sale - then your pocket will be as happy as you spirit will be for listening to such an excellent tale.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful Lawrence "Excellent production" This BBC production of I,Claudius is epic and gripping from the start. One of the curiosities I found was trying to associate Jacobi's voice with Augustus, due to his great performance as Claudius in the 70s BBC television series. It is not difficult to distinguish the two and at first I thought I would be disappointed in the roles, but Tom Goodman Hill plays Claudius just as well, perhaps better than Jacobi could possibly repeat the performance, given his age (and the age of the character) Even the intro music before each chapter had me excited, and the story kept me awake many nights just to keep going. It's as thrilling as watching any tv series. As with HBO's Rome: this drama is full of people you love to hate, and can't wait to see the end of, and you hope it will be tragic for them. You won't be disappointed; but sadly, I Claudius, is a tale of tragedy for all characters, especially p-poor C..C..Claudius. I couldn't recommend it any more highly. 5 stars.

(Connosieurs note: I have not read the book, so cannot compare the two) 1 of 1 people found this review helpful Andrew J Nolan TV Club: I, Claudius | Television & radio | The Guardian Television & radio TV Club TV Club: I, Claudius It has dodgy sets (and wigs) but what makes I, Claudius great is the seminal acting and writing Derek Jacobi plays the young and old Claudius Photograph: Allstar/BBC/Sportsphoto Ltd./Allstar Wednesday 24 February 2010 07.01 EST First published on Wednesday 24 February 2010 07.01 EST Share on Messenger Close • Next week, TV Club will be watching Alan Bleasdale's GBH , guided by John Crace. Join us for discussion on Wednesday March 3 - only a week away, but that's because you can watch the series easily on 4oD or, if you have digital channels, on Yesterday, where it is being reshown from March 1 . See you next Wednesday!

Rewatching I, Claudius – some of which I remember, if not from its first airing on the BBC in 1976, then from repeats in the 1980s – one can't help but be struck by how much television drama has changed over the past 30 years. The drama has a claustrophobic, interior atmosphere not just because our subject is palace intrigue but, you suspect, because Mediterranean locations and fancy exterior shots were beyond the budget. (The programme was shot at Television Centre – compare that with the chunk of "ancient Rome" that was built in Italy for the lavish 2005 BBC/HBO series Rome). Both sets and acting are rather stagey, and it's hard to suppress a giggle in the opening scene at Derek Jacobi's make-up and stringy wig, an arrangement that constantly threatens to slide off his face - but then some of us don't mind that. But most of all the difference between television from 1976 and 2010 is felt in the pace: I, Claudius can make Brideshead Revisited look frantic.

And yet this is a great, a classic, an undying piece of television, which I feel should have been included in the Guardian's top 50 dramas (and I know I am not alone). Jack Pulman adapted Robert Graves's wonderful novels I, Claudius and Claudius the God – themselves free adaptations of the Lives of the Caesars, by the 1st-2nd century AD biographer Suetonius – and the writing is elegant, grown-up, cliche-free. And goodness, did I, Claudius cut through some taboos: the ancient setting proving very useful in allowing Pulman to get away with subjects and scenes that wouldn't have been tolerated in a show with a modern backdrop. Take episode one: Julia the elder (Frances White) and Antonia ( the heavenly Margaret Tyzack , who, well into her 70s, has been making some wonderful stage appearances, last summer with Helen Mirren in the National Theatre's Phèdre ) are having a massage, during which they talk about the preference of Julia's new husband, the future emperor Tiberius, for anal sex. Remember the fuss sparked by the mention of the subject in Sex and the City?

It seems HBO in the late 1990s had nothing on the BBC in the 1970s. Later on, of course, we get quite lurid. What about Messalina's competition with a prostitute to see how many men they can each lay in a night? And just take a look at the cast: the great Jacobi as Claudius young and old. Siân Phillips as Livia, who has that extraordinary gift of suggesting a churning interiority by actually doing very little with her face or gestures. She genuinely terrified me as a little girl – I think she still does now. She's magnificent; chilling. John Hurt's splendidly bonkers Caligula, still one of the defining roles for this great actor. Patrick Stewart as Sejanus. Brian "as quick as boiled asparagus" Blessed's wildly enjoyable Augustus. I could go on, but then we might have to mention Christopher Biggins as the young Nero.

I forgive the fact that I, Claudius, a version of an enjoyable but unreliable and scurrilous set of ancient biographies that were clearly out to smear the Julio-Claudian dynasty, has made so many viewers believe that the Roman imperial family was out only for orgies, power and poison. I forgive the wonky sets and the horrific wigs. Because I, Claudius is, quite simply, a masterpiece of writing and acting.

Question: Derek Jacobi played Claudius in which BBC TV series?
Answer: I, Claudius