There really was no pace to the thing, one moment a character is talking to someone, the next it's 3 days later and the same character is talking to someone else.
Edited for historical content? Really BBC, or did you want a fast paced episode so that none of the reviews in tomorrow's papers would call it 'slow'.
I enjoyed it (not as much as "I Clavdivs" but Ciaran Hinds hasn't had a chance to shine yet in the same way as Derek Jacobi did) and I agree that it did seem to 'jump about a bit'. The "Gaul-Rome interstate" was apparently pretty efficient!
I enjoyed it (not as much as "I Clavdivs" but Ciaran Hinds hasn't had a chance to shine yet in the same way as Derek Jacobi did) and I agree that it did seem to 'jump about a bit'. The "Gaul-Rome interstate" was apparently pretty efficient!
What was specifically missing?
K
Too many scenes to list in the first 20 minutes alone.
Well I've made a crude list so far, I'm pretty tired but from just scanning the HBO broadcast quickly I've noticed...
- The scene where Ceaser learns of his daughters death is different. In the HBO show he starts to read the letter and then it cuts to Pompei and the daughter, her stomach all bloodied up and they're both crying and saying goodbye before she dies. It's pretty emotional as you can imagine.
- The same scene where Ceaser reads the letter has some more scenes of slave selling. It's basically loads of people in cages all wailing and crying.
- There's a scene in the senate that shows Ceaser isn't trusted, and they ask why he's still off on an 'illegal war' and keeping his soldiers from their family and friends. It's made clear that they've been gone for 8 years and it's made Ceaser very rich. The later scene where Marc Antony quarrels with Pompei over Ceasers' crimes is made a lot clearer thanks to this. In this scene though, Pompei stands up for Ceaser and lets it be known that he will never betray him. This scene then leads into the scene of Pompei at the 'adult show'.
- There' some more nudity. Plus the scene where Pompei sleeps with the redhead is extended. She bends over for him basically.
- The end of episode one has the redhead crying because Pompei had his way with her and didn't marry her because 'Pompei and Ceaser are enemies now'. The slutty mother then assures the girl that Pompei will die.
I'm just about to watch episode 2 now. But from what I can see there's a lengthy scene with Octavia at dinner with the 2 romans who saved him (I'm crap with names). They're discussing Rome and what should be done with it. You learn that Octavia has very strong views on how to rule (Which comes into play later).
Also, when Vorenus returns home it's a lot longer. He makes a joke with his daughters about what a shock it is for them to see they have such an ugly father and then he talks with his Wife about taking care of them with the Money he's saved. It basically makes it clear that he doesn't know how to interact with his wife.
I'm still scanning episode 2 now, but it's pretty jarring so far...
I did enjoy the first episode but it did seem a bit jarred and an unatural flow at times, which is very unlike an HBO show. This is down to the cutting I guess. Completely bizarre why BBC2 has done this.
The BBC said it's because British audiences know more about Rome than the Americans, so we don't need those scenes. However, the first few episodes are pretty slow (It needs to be to set the various plot threads into motion) but still great drama. So I think that they cut it to make it appear more 'fast paced' and thus making sure people tune in next week. Plus it'll help the reviews in tomorrows papers.
Most HBO dramas move slowly, such as the Sopranos and Deadwood - doesn't stop them from being fantistically written, acted and directed. Poor showing BBC.
I was rather looking forward to watching this, but the amount of cuts made it quite unenjoyable. I was a little confused for most of it really. Plus, while I know it's supposed to be a depiction of what life was like then, was all of the sex/nudity really neccessary? Did it really move the story along? I don't think it did really, although there was one scene where it worked well.
I did not bother watching this fine show which the BBC has spoiled by cutting. It will be shown on some other Channel in the future and I will then watch it uncut. I think I will watch it on RTE.
I'm just about to watch episode 2 now. But from what I can see there's a lengthy scene with Octavia at dinner with the 2 romans who saved him (I'm crap with names). They're discussing Rome and what should be done with it. You learn that Octavia has very strong views on how to rule (Which comes into play later).
It's Octavian you refer to here. Octavia is his sister
Well I've made a crude list so far, I'm pretty tired but from just scanning the HBO broadcast quickly I've noticed...
- The scene where Ceaser learns of his daughters death is different. In the HBO show he starts to read the letter and then it cuts to Pompei and the daughter, her stomach all bloodied up and they're both crying and saying goodbye before she dies. It's pretty emotional as you can imagine.
- The same scene where Ceaser reads the letter has some more scenes of slave selling. It's basically loads of people in cages all wailing and crying.
- There's a scene in the senate that shows Ceaser isn't trusted, and they ask why he's still off on an 'illegal war' and keeping his soldiers from their family and friends. It's made clear that they've been gone for 8 years and it's made Ceaser very rich. The later scene where Marc Antony quarrels with Pompei over Ceasers' crimes is made a lot clearer thanks to this. In this scene though, Pompei stands up for Ceaser and lets it be known that he will never betray him. This scene then leads into the scene of Pompei at the 'adult show'.
- There' some more nudity. Plus the scene where Pompei sleeps with the redhead is extended. She bends over for him basically.
- The end of episode one has the redhead crying because Pompei had his way with her and didn't marry her because 'Pompei and Ceaser are enemies now'. The slutty mother then assures the girl that Pompei will die.
I'm just about to watch episode 2 now. But from what I can see there's a lengthy scene with Octavia at dinner with the 2 romans who saved him (I'm crap with names). They're discussing Rome and what should be done with it. You learn that Octavia has very strong views on how to rule (Which comes into play later).
Also, when Vorenus returns home it's a lot longer. He makes a joke with his daughters about what a shock it is for them to see they have such an ugly father and then he talks with his Wife about taking care of them with the Money he's saved. It basically makes it clear that he doesn't know how to interact with his wife.
I'm still scanning episode 2 now, but it's pretty jarring so far...
I think that's beyond the call of duty. Well done and thanks.
"I haven't seen all of Colorado yet"!). So, if all we are just going to miss are the bits that would bring them 'up to speed', then so well and good.
What's wrong with that? Colorado is a big state. Why do Brits always talk about Americans not knowing where things in Europe are, when very few of them could probably point on Colorado on a map? My English father-in-law has said the same thing to me, though. "I haven't finished seeing all of England yet"! And he travels from London to Yorkshire about once every week!
Anyway...I'm a pretty competent person, but I would have liked to have seen the whole episodes. I don't appreciate the BBC deciding what I need to see and hear. I found it confusing to figure out who was who, even after reading the Radio Times article about the series.
Looking at what DrVenkman posted (thank you, btw)...it seems we've missed some of the more interesting scenes. I would rather have seen Atia promise Pompey's death than her shagging yet another Roman.
What's wrong with that? Colorado is a big state. Why do Brits always talk about Americans not knowing where things in Europe are, when very few of them could probably point on Colorado on a map? My English father-in-law has said the same thing to me, though. "I haven't finished seeing all of England yet"! And he travels from London to Yorkshire about once every week!
Anyway...I'm a pretty competent person, but I would have liked to have seen the whole episodes. I don't appreciate the BBC deciding what I need to see and hear. I found it confusing to figure out who was who, even after reading the Radio Times article about the series.
Although on the lazlow show on K rock new york they played a skit from an Australian hidden camera show where they labelled the map of Australia North Korea and south Korea went down to texas and asked weather they should declare war on this country .... A Majority of Texans said yes
Not everyone has read Edward Gibbons' three part work on the history of Rome. I know I have not.
As my history is a little rusty,it might have been good to have kept that part in!
Forget Gibbons, for an equally majestic and superbly written version of events in this series (and those preceeding it) try Tom Holland's Rubicon. Just as good as any ficticious novel.
I did not bother watching this fine show which the BBC has spoiled by cutting. It will be shown on some other Channel in the future and I will then watch it uncut. I think I will watch it on RTE.
Will RTE be showing it?
I've downloaded all eps shown in US so far and am in the middle of watching Episode 8. I had no idea BBC were going to butcher it. Will that be the version that comes out on Region 2 DVD (I love this show, and know I already want to buy it on DVD).
To be honest I wish they had cut some of the gratuitous sex and violence and kept the background fillers.
Ok the Romans liked sex - but do we need to be shown full frontal nudity or someone bonking every six or seven minutes to prove it?
There is a great series trying to get out here - I just hope the Beeb don't butcher the rest of the series as they have done the first episode
From what I understood from the various newspaper reports, either the first 3 HBO episodes got compressed in to 2 (or 2 into 1). Either way, by the time ep3 starts here, we should be running with very few other cuts...
There is actually some cut funnily enough. After scanning through ep2 it seems that BBC only used about 15 minutes of it, leaving the other 30 on the cutting room floor - some of it explaining who is marching at the end and why.
Bear in mind, your watching the sex scenes of 2 episodes thrown into one as well.
Comments
I enjoyed it (not as much as "I Clavdivs" but Ciaran Hinds hasn't had a chance to shine yet in the same way as Derek Jacobi did) and I agree that it did seem to 'jump about a bit'. The "Gaul-Rome interstate" was apparently pretty efficient!
What was specifically missing?
K
Too many scenes to list in the first 20 minutes alone.
- The scene where Ceaser learns of his daughters death is different. In the HBO show he starts to read the letter and then it cuts to Pompei and the daughter, her stomach all bloodied up and they're both crying and saying goodbye before she dies. It's pretty emotional as you can imagine.
- The same scene where Ceaser reads the letter has some more scenes of slave selling. It's basically loads of people in cages all wailing and crying.
- There's a scene in the senate that shows Ceaser isn't trusted, and they ask why he's still off on an 'illegal war' and keeping his soldiers from their family and friends. It's made clear that they've been gone for 8 years and it's made Ceaser very rich. The later scene where Marc Antony quarrels with Pompei over Ceasers' crimes is made a lot clearer thanks to this. In this scene though, Pompei stands up for Ceaser and lets it be known that he will never betray him. This scene then leads into the scene of Pompei at the 'adult show'.
- There' some more nudity. Plus the scene where Pompei sleeps with the redhead is extended. She bends over for him basically.
- The end of episode one has the redhead crying because Pompei had his way with her and didn't marry her because 'Pompei and Ceaser are enemies now'. The slutty mother then assures the girl that Pompei will die.
I'm just about to watch episode 2 now. But from what I can see there's a lengthy scene with Octavia at dinner with the 2 romans who saved him (I'm crap with names). They're discussing Rome and what should be done with it. You learn that Octavia has very strong views on how to rule (Which comes into play later).
Also, when Vorenus returns home it's a lot longer. He makes a joke with his daughters about what a shock it is for them to see they have such an ugly father and then he talks with his Wife about taking care of them with the Money he's saved. It basically makes it clear that he doesn't know how to interact with his wife.
I'm still scanning episode 2 now, but it's pretty jarring so far...
Caesar's bald head for starters.
It's Octavian you refer to here. Octavia is his sister
I think that's beyond the call of duty. Well done and thanks.
K
There was one scene (where the soldiers came out of the house before splitting up) which looked exactly like the street where FH used to sit!
K
What's wrong with that? Colorado is a big state. Why do Brits always talk about Americans not knowing where things in Europe are, when very few of them could probably point on Colorado on a map? My English father-in-law has said the same thing to me, though. "I haven't finished seeing all of England yet"! And he travels from London to Yorkshire about once every week!
Anyway...I'm a pretty competent person, but I would have liked to have seen the whole episodes. I don't appreciate the BBC deciding what I need to see and hear. I found it confusing to figure out who was who, even after reading the Radio Times article about the series.
Although on the lazlow show on K rock new york they played a skit from an Australian hidden camera show where they labelled the map of Australia North Korea and south Korea went down to texas and asked weather they should declare war on this country .... A Majority of Texans said yes
Forget Gibbons, for an equally majestic and superbly written version of events in this series (and those preceeding it) try Tom Holland's Rubicon. Just as good as any ficticious novel.
Will RTE be showing it?
I've downloaded all eps shown in US so far and am in the middle of watching Episode 8. I had no idea BBC were going to butcher it. Will that be the version that comes out on Region 2 DVD (I love this show, and know I already want to buy it on DVD).
Ok the Romans liked sex - but do we need to be shown full frontal nudity or someone bonking every six or seven minutes to prove it?
There is a great series trying to get out here - I just hope the Beeb don't butcher the rest of the series as they have done the first episode
From what I understood from the various newspaper reports, either the first 3 HBO episodes got compressed in to 2 (or 2 into 1). Either way, by the time ep3 starts here, we should be running with very few other cuts...
K
Did anyone notice they didn't cut much of the creaking, groaning and thrusting bits..... Funny that.
Bear in mind, your watching the sex scenes of 2 episodes thrown into one as well.