Has anyone caught this pretty-promising TV series on HBO?

After testing how they can or can't do with ultra-premium cable on HBO that you can't do with broadcast TV or on basic cable with previous TV projects like THE SOPRANOS and DEADWOOD("You cocksucking mother fucker!" ), now we have a TV show that through its 2 episodes showcases finally a no-holds-bar creative look at the historic days of the ruling and wild Roman Empire. Sure British actors still act dramatically as they have as Romans for decades, but now we get violence and fornication galore. What's not to like? :p

Considering the rich history of the days before/during/after Julius Caesar, the war hero-turned-populist authoritarian figure, takes down the Roman Republic and installs the Empire....I expect that we'll get some good TV out of this series.

Besides, its written/produced from John Milius, a conservative history nut-turned-Hollywood scriptwriter(getting an Oscar nod as a writer on APOCALYPSE NOW), and director of the serious mythological masculine pulp-storytelling movie CONAN THE BARBARIAN. Literally, he has the cajones to display the possible angles of the Roman Empire in its time, and he has a network that is willing to go along without the usual censor bulls*it like with the networks.

Its not been released here yet, but will be soon as it was a joint venture between HBO and the BBC. I can't wait.

According to the press:

"The BBC is about to broadcast the most violent and sexually explicit programme ever to be shown on British television - and at £58 million for 12 episodes it is also the most expensive.

Rome, a drama set in the dying days of the Roman Empire, contains full frontal male and female nudity and depictions of violent sex." -Daily Telegraph, 21st Aug 2005.

58 million pounds, eh? Me wonders how that translate in American dollars...

Really, I recommend it.

£58,000,000.00 GBP =
€86,003,476.39 EUR =
$106,656,504.62 USD

$106 million?!

I'm waiting for the series to build up on HBO On Demand so I can watch a few at a time...

I'm not an HBO subscriber, so I'll have to wait for the DVD. Since going to Rome two years ago, the Roman Empire has caught my interest a bit.

Regarding the decadence of the culture. One thing that caught my attention in this regard was the "Lupinara" that we saw in Pompeii. This was the brothel. Pompeii used to be a booming city before the big boom of Vesuvius. A lot of activity from the Bay of Naples. The Lupinara was divided into little rooms. Above each room was a painting (still visible) of a sex act or position. On the roads inside Pompeii there is an occasional stone carving of a penis pointing the way to the Lupinara...for the convenience of traveling salesmen of course.