This Old TV Show Has Better Directing Than Anything Today

A video essay about the legendary 1976 BBC miniseries "I, Claudius": the intrigue-heavy, blood-soaked, sex-maniac, decades-spanning story of the first four Roman emperors.
Brilliantly adapted by Jack Pulman from the novels by Robert Graves, the series was directed by journeyman Herbert Wise. Here you'll see how his deft camerawork and creative blocking elevated a seemingly stagy production into an extraordinary example of effective cinematic staging.
The stunning cast features Derek Jacobi (Claudius), Siân Phillips (Livia), Brian Blessed (Augustus), John Hurt (Caligula), Patrick Stewart (Sejanus), George Baker (Tiberius) and Patricia Quinn (Livilla).
#videoessay #filmmaking #cinematography
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[@christophermiller4029]

I joined the BBC camera crew that shot I Claudius, as a trainee in 1978. At that time there were 20 crews working at TV Centre, this one was crew 5, lead by camera Supervisor Jim Atkinson. He operated the main camera on every ep. Unlike in film, he did not have a focus puller, nor was the camera on a dolly with a grip or two moving him around. Everything he did himself, lens angle, focus, pan and tilt, lens height and pedestal position. With only the help of a cable basher to keep the two and a half inch (70mm) camera cable from the EMI 2001 camera from under his feet. Unfortunately during the 80’s studio drama was looked down on and slowly died. Along with skills that Jim had mastered.

[@patrickpaganini]

But during the 80s you had edge of darkness and after pilkington?

[@chrissgchriss]

Wow! I was going to mention the guy in charge of focusing the camera when it moved. But I guess Mr. Atkinson did it all!

[@tortysoft]

My father, Chick Anthony, was the sound man on Clavdivs .

[@radarlockeify]

​@@tortysoftI thought it was just me who says Clavdivs!😂

[@Gorboduc]

Are you a cinematographer now, by chance? If so I'd like to talk to you...

[@1972hermanoben]

In ‘I, Claudius’ the directors had the immense good fortune to be working with experienced theatre actors. The work the camera did was met with equal technical sophistication from the cast.

[@celtspeaksgoth7251]

Patrick Stewart and Brian Blessed were in the same repertory company (travelling thespian circus) as teenagers

[@orangefacedbuddah1776]

it shows,always maintain that theatre is were you prove your worth as an actor. Today its all about drama school and then hopefully hollywood.👍👍

[@MissCaraMint]

And a great story and dialogue. The book is fantastic. The director simply let it shine. Super smart move.

[@2msvalkyrie529]

Exactly ! Can you imagine a fast of similar quality from today's crop ? David Tennant?!?!! And the rest are even worse!!

[@zora_noamflannery2548]

- I watched every episode. It would have been beyond great if it had been filmed with a Super-8 on a bare stage. The acting was that good.

[@misteryA555]

Anyone who wants to see a director with similar talents, Akira Kurosawa is highly recommended. He trained to be a painter in his early life, which gave him an eye for beautiful shot composition. Scenes in his movies have a lot of movement, with backgrounds full of depth, and have characters staged in such a way that you can tell the emotion of the scene without a single piece of dialogue. Definitely worth checking out.

[@lukasmiller486]

Also the Merchant/Ivory/Forrester movies.

[@welltoucansamatthatgame]

Very true. I was blown away by the blocking in High and Low. That movie looks beautiful.

[@danielmoore9209]

Go a level deeper and watch Akio Jissoji's Ultraman. Some of the best blocking in film history is hidden inside those episodes. No wonder they were used as the basis for the compositions of Neon Genesis Evangelion

[@guitarfan01]

Yes, I think of the group scenes from Seven Samurai, or that masterful first hour of High and Low especially.

[@drohegda]

Mistery I'll never forget when I was young seeing "" The Seven Samurai "" by Akira for the 1st time, it is absolutely incredible movie photography.

[@Jet-tb7tw]

I`ll never forget when this first aired in late 1976. It was instantly one of those landmark series. Everyone discussing each episode the next day at school. It captivated everyone from 12 year old school children to adults alike. Every actor was pitch - perfect. Unmissable show. Faultless.

[@vermis8344]

Man, it was so difficult to recognise Brian Blessed without hair on his face, and to recognise Patrick Stewart _with_ hair on his head.

[@pappy374]

Interestingly, the hair they shaved from Brian's face is the same hair they weaved into Patrick's toupee.

[@erikswanson5753]

Ha ha. Yes. One with. One without.

[@paulmurgatroyd6372]

I don't know if the BBC appreciated the embarrasment of riches they used to have in the acting department. With giants like these two, plus the likes of John Hurt and Derek Jacobi all trying to out-act each other, you can't go wrong.

[@BiggieTrismegistus]

I couldn't get over how weird Patrick Stewart looks with hair.

[@SRMoore1178]

Holy crap! I was just wondering if that was Patrick Stewart but it was hard to tell.

[@Jennifer_Lewis_Beach_Living]

“I, Claudius” is STILL considered one of the BEST dramatic series of all time. The acting and dialogue is brilliant, and the direction is top notch. Others have tried to make another historical series like “I, Claudius”, and even with the bigger budgets and new technology, they never measured up.

[@theminister1154]

You know I never could make it through that. The production values were just a little too low. I don't mean the technical skill of course, just the general cheapness of the BBC. The acting seems great and very worthy of the excellent books which I've read multiple times each and listened to an audiobook as well.

[@theminister1154]

I'll tell you another historical series that's as good as I Claudius if not better: lonesome Dove. Does that count? perhaps it doesn't. There are historical figures in it but it's mostly fictional characters in a historical setting. If it does the lead actors are just as good as in iclaudius though the supporting aren't quite up to snuff despite being quite good. The production values are far better... far far better. Especially with the new 720p cut. It got recut because Sheridan blatantly plagiarized it for one of his Sheridan verse shows. He's not so classless as to not make a little thank you gesture. I highly recommend you watch lonesome Dove if you haven't. Read the book as well it's even better.

[@theminister1154]

Master and Commander The far side of the world also falls into my category of extremely high quality historical drama, though again it may not qualify. I also have a soft spot in my heart for Sharpe. That ain't no I Claudius though.

[@theminister1154]

Sorry for all the posts but I can't edit on this tablet. John Adams on HBO was excellent too. That is definitely getting up into I Claudius territory when you consider the better production values.

[@GudieveNing]

​@@theminister1154Agreed! M&C was outstanding.

[@whycantiremainanonymous8091]

Now, it didn't hurt that "I, Claudius" had the finest collection of actors England had to offer. I mean actual actors, not movie stars. The acting is unbelievably good. I remember even as a young adolescent being just glued to the screen when watching it, and then not being able to watch anything else for some time, because everything looked so dumb and badly acted by comparison.

[@downix]

I Claudius is the presentation which made me want to become a cinematographer. The camera work was mesmerizing. I spent years analyzing movement, only to discover that modern cinema directors want static shots. I left cinema a decade ago and haven't looked back.

[@paulwright2264]

How about David Fincher?

[@downix]

@@paulwright2264 he always works with Darius Khondji and Jeff Cronenweth, plus I already wanted to make movies long before Alien 3 was in development.

[@RenegadeContext]

Why not make your own movies?

[@downix]

@@RenegadeContext an expensive prospect. As someone who has worked in cinema, I would never ask for someone else to work for free for my vision of something.

[@RenegadeContext]

@@downix I make a design my own escape rooms and have also worked in the film industry. I wasn't asking him to work for free I was asking him why he didn't make his own films

[@alyzu4755]

John Hurt and Derek Jacobi spoke about how they were frantically doing each other's makeup before one shot. If they filmed past a certain time, the electricity would be turned off, so they had to hurry and the budget was low. 😊 Just goes to show that writing, directing, and acting go a long way. Even without CGI or A.I. 😉

[@ScaryMason]

I’m sure NYPD Blue did this too. The entire set was lit so the actors and camera could move about. Friday Night Lights (the TV show) was filmed in real homes and a high school to give it a documentary feeling. FNL actually had people write to complain that the camera movement was making them seasick LOL a more modern example might be Kevin Can F- Himself

[@tortysoft]

Yup, another reviewer who didn't notice the sound...

[@thedirectorschair1054]

Technical teams always shut down at a certain time at the BBC. The very last shot of the last episode of Blackadder Goes Forth, they only had ten minutes to shoot before shutdown. The end result didn't come off and they couldn't reshoot, so they were forced to cut in a fade to the poppies which became truly iconic.

[@alyzu4755]

@@thedirectorschair1054 Yes, I remember hearing about that!

[@curiousworld7912]

The appalling budgets for today's blockbuster movies and shows, can't make up for their lack in visually telling the story. The camera is like an invisible performer - not only through action or dialogue, but in using it in a sort of 'silent' performance. The 'dance' of the camera, used in 'I, Claudius', more than made up for lack of a gazillion dollar budget. I'm not putting this too well, but suffice it to say, 'I, Claudius' is still one of the best television series - ever.

[@krgkrg1]

Ignore the low budget and 70s limitations, and this is still by far one of the greatest tv series ever filmed. The inventive direction, superbly arch adaptation and outstanding acting lift it to incredible heights. Excellent analysis revealing the brilliance of this forgotten masterpiece.

[@Elephantstonica]

Not forgotten. It’s still plenty of people’s favourite TV series of all time. Me included.

[@markrice4808]

@godscop999 Absolutely! I have been treating it for years as a "guilty pleasure," but this video points out more embedded qualities than I ever realized.

[@jerau2990]

@@Elephantstonica And it was even successful abroad. I'm German, and "Ich, Claudius" is still fondly remembered in my family to this day.

[@ba55bar]

forgotten? It's one of the most celebrated dramas in UK TV history

[@1funkyflyguy]

ABSOLUTELY!

[@davidpaylor5666]

"I, Claudius" is one of the very best TV shows ever to be made, stunning television.

[@PopeLando]

I've always loved that scene of Augustus with the senators, but I never before realised that the whole thing was a single, beautifully choreographed shot. Thanks for making this video. _I, Claudius_ is currently enjoying a rare rerun on BBC Four. BTW something every British person knows but might be a surprise to people from elsewhere, but Brian Blessed's name is pronounced "blesséd", two syllables, like from a line of Shakespeare.

[@memofromessex]

Thanks for the info!

[@wasneeplus]

To be honest, that's probably more surprising to most English speakers than to most people from elsewhere.

[@PossumReviews]

I talked about this sort of thing in my review of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Movies these days are shot "for coverage", meaning they shoot a scene from as many angles as possible and get a combination of inserts and close-ups, then they decide what angles to use in editing. This is done because big movies and shows always undergo last-second rewrites as studio executives demand changes based on market research, so they always have to either cut stuff out, or add things in from reshoots, and filming everything in a simple shot/reverse shot fashion makes it easy to add or remove things without having jump cuts. Shooting this way also makes it easier for the actors because if an actor stumbles on a line, the editor can just cut to a reaction shot of another character to cover up the fact that they spliced two different takes together. If you've ever watched a movie or TV show and wondered why it cut to a seemingly random and pointless close-up of some character, it was to hide an edit.

[@janovlk]

If an edit seems to be random, then it's a bad work.

[@AzureSymbiote]

Thank you.

[@purplelibraryguy8729]

Understandable, but IMO not worth it on balance. That openness to rewrites, and making a major objective in shooting the movie to have it be easily rewritable, all in the name of focus-grouping, may make things convenient and even on a movie-by-movie basis safer, in the sense that the market research may actually stop you from doing something with the movie that audiences wouldn't like. But it's going to create a generic feel across all the movies, and that's not entertaining. The studios are dealing with a certain viewer malaise, and their obsession with safety is I think causing gradual loss of viewers over time. People are getting less interested in movies because movies are mostly not interesting; generic shooting is one aspect.

[@hotdog1214]

@@janovlk Absolutely, the old adage, the best editing goes unnoticed.

[@pleaserespond3984]

Also, VFX. When you're rendering CGI, you have to copy the physical camera's motions digitally, which is quite tricky when you have all these movements and focus changes. Much easier to have a simple static shot or a steady panning shot with no focus changes.

[@Garbageman28]

God damn its easy to forget how good an actor Brian Blessed actually is. I need to rewatch this stat.

[@evorock]

its on BBC4 now mate

[@melenatorr]

@@evorock We caught it when it was first broadcast in the US, and absolutely loved it: I was too young to appreciate the technical talent that went into making this a fluid, active, dynamic series, and thank you Moviewise for pointing it out.

[@goldenage]

Agreed. I just wish he appeared in more feature films.

[@paulmurgatroyd6372]

I think Brian was mostly there for the shouting. 😆

[@melenatorr]

@@paulmurgatroyd6372 No one can shout like Brian Blessed! But actually, for me, he gave Augustus a lot of charm, humor, and twisted intelligence, and though I have a few big beefs against Augustus, I love the Brian Blessed Augustus.

[@fingerhorn4]

After all these years, this is still the very best series ever produced by the BBC, based on a brilliant book by Robert Graves. Thanks for your excellent analysis.

[@eddstarr2185]

By 1977, "I Claudius" had become a television phenomenon and PBS scored viewer numbers that were usually common to commercial television. This is an example of what talented people on both sides of the camera can achieve. This video has brought back to me many wonderful memories from "I Claudius". Thank You!

[@psypher8184]

This is one of my all time favourite TV series. I was captivated by every episode.

[@kittykatz4001]

Ditto!

[@Graphicxtras1]

Definitely ... one of the greats and still always very watchable.

[@bentonrp]

I am so glad I found I, Claudius. Unlikely for a young Californian adult guy with little European experiences. Through this marvelous teleplay production, author Robert Graves' interpretation of politics in the Pax Romana era helped me to understand complexities and confusions of this era that years and years of diligent research were never able to do. Only by chance did Gladiator come out when I was in high school. Only by chance was the internet just available to fascinate me more about ancient history. Only by chance did I then look in depth into that marvelous film. And only by chance did actress Connie Nielson mention I, Claudius when acknowledging Derek Jacobi's role within it. It opened up a world that I couldn't believe, especially astonishing after researching all these historical figures. Because getting answers to these questions in such an entertaining way was like a production straight out of my dreams! I will forever be the biggest fan of I, Claudius, a truly unique show that is my definite favorite, and one of my favorite media productions of all time!

[@marywhittle3759]

❤

[@santosmadrigal3702]

I believe the cellphone and the computer striped everyone of creativity and individuality . The writers of that were actually imagining ideas .

[@maryhowland3558]

Let's also remember that the 1970s cameras weighed a huge amount, and didn't have a separate focus puller - so Peter Hider and Jim Atkinson are moving/being moved AND changing focus themselves in real time!

[@tortysoft]

The Boom Mics were not nippy either and yet they were never in shot or heard as they rushed around matching the shots and getting out of the way. No one SHOULD notice this, so no one mentions it.

[@CynicalOldDwarf]

Not sure if those two used it, but apparently there was a common technique to sellotape toothpicks to the focus wheel during rehearsal so when recording the cameraman would be able to hit his preset focus level. I think the cameras in the National Media Museum had an example of this when I was a young lad.

[@civillady13]

I watched this series on public tv when it was first on in the Chicagoland area and absolutely loved it. To this day I remember certain scenes such as Claudius not wanting elephants painted in his histories, the Praetorian Guard finding Claudius to crown him emperor after Caligula’s assassination, the death of Patrick Stewart’s character and Claudius’ death among other things. I wish I could see it again.

[@colintroy3831]

Looks like it's on most streaming sites (Apple, Amazon, etc.) I might check it out, as I've never seen it!

[@Amethyst_Friend]

It's also on BBC iplayer

[@davidhollingdale5408]

This was a truly enthralling series. As a teenager I watched all 13 episodes when originally broadcast. The cast were superb; Brian Blessed,Derek Jacobi,Sian Phillips, John Hurt,and even Patrick Stewart (later to be Jean Luc Picard). Modern series are never as good as this. I could happily watch it all over again.

[@fuccasound3897]

And don't forget this was being vision mixed 'live' in the gallery from 3 or 5 cameras. The blocking was worked out during rehearsals usually in a hall somewhere with tape on the floor to indicate the set. so the director could work out the camera directions and actors movements. This was standard BBC working procedure. And though it may not have the gravitas, you can see some great examples of these techniques in early Dr Who productions (of all places).

[@gilgameshofuruk4060]

People forget how groundbreaking early Dr Who was. Stanley Kubrick approached the production team for advice on special effects when he was making 2001 a Space Odyssey.

[@janovlk]

The BBC almost always had 4 cameras in a set.

[@tortysoft]

My Father did the sound on Dr Who as well as Clavdivs...@@gilgameshofuruk4060

[@goobfilmcast4239]

I have re-watched I, Claudius at least 20 times and enjoy it more with each reviewing. It fired my love for ancient Roman History then Greek, Persian, Byzantine, Chinese and on. Derek Jacobi is very good but Brian Blessed is AMAZING as Augustus. Overall, the casting was inspired......you feel like you are eavesdropping ......gonna start a re-watch now !

[@ChasOnErie]

Yup..?always find something new !!!

[@TheGreatAmphibian]

You’ve probably read Mary Renaults novels then, but Colleen McCulloughs Masters Of Rome series is fascinating too.

[@goobfilmcast4239]

@@TheGreatAmphibian I have read some Historical Fiction including Graves’ OG I, Claudius novels but my main interest has been with lay histories by the likes of Mary Beard, Tom Holland and Adrian Goldsworthy

[@Krose333]

Strongly agree!

[@darania1]

​@goobfilmcast4239 Lay histories..? Mary Beard is a Cambridge Classics graduate & academically renowned expert on Roman History!

[@JesseKellerFilms]

4:40 Patrick Stewart leans out of his scene partner's key light. To execute a brilliantly blocked scene like this, you need actors who can deliver great performances while also hitting their marks perfectly. That's the kinda top-level mix of art and craft an actor learns on stage, and a lot of people in the biz today couldn't execute it even if a director could block it like this.

[@geoffk777]

I saw this when it aired in the 1970's and never forgot it. Like Dr Who, the low budget ws obscured by the brilliance of the execution. In particular, the acting, scriptwriting and direction are among the finest that I have ever seen on television, before or since. The actors are a virtual who's who in British dramatics. It was a landmark series and I'm glad that other people remember it too.

[@Vort317545]

Simply put I Claudius is a MASTERPIECE. From staging, directing, acting, storytelling and beyond. It's Shakespearian! I first saw it when I was eight and it still stuns me to this day at fifty-six. I re-watch the series once a year on the anniversery it first appeared on PBS here in the USA.

[@hermanspaerman3490]

I Claudius is my favorite tv-series of all time. I always thought that it was due to excellent acting but this presentation has showed there was more to it than that. Next rewatch I will study the camera work thoroughly.

[@tortysoft]

Go on, think about the sound as well eh?

[@cleopatra1633]

Its my favorite too and I rewatch it over and over again. Its that good.

[@sensemaya1]

Mine too. It is simply perfection and will remain so in posterity.

[@TiagoJoaoSilva]

Almost everybody raves about the acting on Alfred Hitchcock's films but actually it's Hitch himself doing all the acting with setting, camera and lighting.

[@seandalston]

I watched this lying on the sofa of my childhood home, I was 15 in 1976. This show blew my tiny mind. It's a great show!

[@lv67890]

Thank you for pointing this out. Didn’t even realize how effective the camera work was until you pointed it out. That’s true artistry -serving the narration. No Dutch angles and whatnot needed.

[@delilahhart4398]

The acting in I, Claudius is phenomenal and more than makes up for limited scenery.

[@bluebee5266]

Yes. Why would anyone need scenery in a story about palace intrigue? This wasn't Lawrence of Arabia.

[@silverXnoise]

I could watch Brian Blessed chew the lack of scenery all day.

[@scarlettptheoriginal]

Frankly I love its limited scenery! It makes me (a theatre nerd from way back) feel like I'm watching a live play rather than a television show.

[@iwanttocomplain]

@@silverXnoise I’ve actually never seen him so reserved!

[@k33k32]

There are so many great performers in this show...John Hurt (best Caligula ever), Derek Jacobi, Sian Phillips (from the Lynch version of Dune and a zillion other things) Patricia Quinn (Magenta from Rocky Horror!) Patrick Stewart (a very young Capt. Picard), John Rhys-Davies (LOTR), Frances White (of Pepa Pig fame)...No wonder it was such a fantastic production.

[@raybearoz]

I've always loved this show for the acting, but thanks to your insights I can now appreciate it on a whole new level

[@ShamrockParticle]

I just read up on the cast. My jaw dropped several times, and then I saw Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart). This series really should be mandatory for the cast alone and I haven't seen it yet!

[@NuisanceMan]

@@ShamrockParticle Yeah, Stewart played the powerful and ruthless Sejanus... with hair!

[@ShamrockParticle]

@NuisanceMan LOL! Am looking forward to seeing this. Apparently, critics at the time lambasted the first couple of episodes. Then the show really took off and numerous accolades would follow. Then again, every show will be liked by some and disliked by others.

[@lysan1445]

This was my favourite show as a teen. I even bought Robert Graves' books that originated the series. As soon as it was available on DVD many years later, I bought it at once. Half a century later, I still love the show. It feels so much more interesting than most series and movies today. Looking back at the cast, brilliant actors all over, though some became famous only later. Indeed, some of its appeal comes from the camera movements and use of layered space. Thanks for pointing this out.

[@virginia-marieparker6325]

Remarkable!! Thank you for cementing further my understanding of why old work like this will never fade in its glory. Art is ART!

[@ThePereubu1710]

A perfect example of how limitations force creativity.

[@fepeerreview3150]

I enjoy so much the long takes in older works like I Claudius. It allows me to drift into the scene as if I'm in the room with the actors. The constant cutting of contemporary movies seems to have the opposite effect, constantly putting me outside the scene, in some different, unexpected position. It breaks my concentration. I should think the classically trained actors probably also preferred being able to do continuous dialogue rather than having the natural flow of conversation constantly interrupted.

[@kikijewell2967]

Beautifully put - I wonder if all the cutting cutting affects people's attention spans as well.

[@TiagoJoaoSilva]

European film in the 70s was all about the sequence-shot (plan séquence) telling as much and for as long as possible in a single shot using the camera to "write" the film. American film has always been more rooted in using editing to tell the story, partly because it's easier to shoot that way but also because the film can be re-written and manipulated by the producer in the editing room (including re-shoots to change story and dialogue in small shots that just slot into the other cuts), while a film that consists of sequences comes out of the camera a lot closer to the finished article (and the director prevents the producer from messing up with the film)

[@balok63a40]

@@kikijewell2967 Fred Ward in kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHbOXoR9g7Zmha8

[@charliekane135]

I'm rewatching this series in 2023, first watched it in 1976 as a young teenager. It's marvellous, what a superb cast with Jacobi being the jewel in the crown

[@MrGumby385]

Absolutely one of THE best miniseries ever. The story draws you in, and keeps you captivated, and the cast - Derek Jacobi, Sian Phillips, Brian Blessed, Patrick Stewart, Margaret Tyzack,,and so many other wonderful actors.

[@novakingood3788]

I think viewers 50 years ago were more capable of suspension of disbelief and when the acting was this good, they didn't give a toss about the scenery. Nowadays, having exactly the 'correct' scenery often seems more important than the acting.

[@inisipisTV]

The Live Theatre audience is still quite predominant at that time and idea of leaving the audience up to their imagination to fill up the rest of the world the story is taking place, that any film studio would be hard pressed to not disappoint. The imagination is more boundless than any CGI can make; The production just focuses on what they are good at, the acting and the writing, the rest would be filled in if the audience are deeply invested with characters and story. The problem with today, we have so many toys at our disposal that most production didn’t let the good actors act or let the good dialogue and story flow naturally, but treated them as just as a prop to a comic book filmmaking process, totally devoid of any independent input that would make the film many times better, more human. All has to be rigidly shot, tinted, cropped and edited by the director and producers whim.

[@jonathanwobesky9507]

I thought the interior sets of Rome were pretty good. Today they'd show Tiberius's clif on Capri.

[@fus149hammer5]

It was so good because it relied on the actors to actually act. No green screen, no effects just brilliant actors acting brilliantly. It's on again soon so I'll be watching.

[@ralphclark]

I avidly watched this series when it was first broadcast back in the 1970s. I re-watched it again a couple of years ago and it is just as gripping as it was back then. It is quite possibly the best drama ever made for TV.

[@c10_c10]

Fantastic breakdown of directing and blocking. The director and cinematographer really understood the writing and the characters motivations. I noticed that the framing was always anchored to the center of the screen, regardless of camera movement and blocking. This provides us as viewers with a main point of reference so that our eyes are not wandering around the screen searching for the focus of the action. This allows us to relax our minds and be engaged with the storytelling.

[@BaritoneUkeBeast4Life]

This was an excellent education in an aspect of film making I never noticed or knew existed. Thank you for this. I won't be able to view tv shows or movies the same way again. Btw, I was a big fan of I Claudius back in the early 90's when it was in reruns on public television and I watched every episode. I had no idea at the time how brilliant and innovative the camera work and blocking were at the time, as I was more focused and mesmerized by Derek Jacobi and the rest of the cast's acting ability and the brilliant writing behind the series.

[@petelambert4410]

Thank you for putting this together! You've described so well why I Claudius feels such a 3D experience. We're in among the actors at all times, looking around naturally.

[@davidcolin6519]

I honestly think that I Claudius is one of the greatest TV series ever created. As you point out, the direction and camera work are close to flawless, and the acting is best described not by superlatives, but by the actors names themselves From Brian Blessed to Derek Jacobi via Sian Phillips, George Baker and John Hurt, and not forgetting (who can?) Patrick Stewart's first major television rôle.

[@minanes6549]

This is why I have so many box sets of older series, like Elizabeth 1 with Glenda Jackson, or The Barchester Chronicles with Donald Pleasance. Proper theatrical experience with good writing and directing intended to take the watcher through a scene satisfactorily, appreciating what the characters are feeling and putting over. So much drama series today have such short 'clips' of sometimes inaudible dialogue, or sudden, and frankly intrusive green-screen action that there's no continuity of story, or feeling for the overall story.

[@amykolterman3744]

Fall of the Eagles is good too.

[@tortysoft]

The Barchester Chronicles, another one my dad did - got a Bafta nomination for the sound. Oddly not for Clavivs though.

[@markcowell7257]

This is a superb analysis of the role of blocking in TV production and using the camera as an actor. It allows the viewer to participate in the story in an active way that is more naturalistic than cinematic. Well done,

[@larryvaughn2567]

I Claudius is one of the finest series of all time.

[@burtingtune]

I have watched and re-watched I Claudius several times and the things that leap off the screen are the quality of the script and the quality of the acting. I would say that the best piece of television ever filmed is the scene between John Hurt and Derek Jacobi when Caligula believes himself to have transformed into a god. Modern audiences are so caught up in production values, they´d watch paint drying if it were filmed well and had a soundtrack. Perhaps the fact that I never paid attention to the blocking tells that it was so well done!

[@markfrancis5164]

When repeated year after year, the viewing figures were still impressive. It was one of those shows that everyone talked about even though it was historical and wordy. I see the whole series at least every few years it’s just so enjoyable.

[@pamelaroyce5285]

The wordiness is where the intrigue, the psychological warfare and manipulation all happen. It was like watching a soap opera, in a sense, yet an oddly cinematic one. The viewers feel like they’re there in the scene. And it makes historical figures so unstuffy, down to earth, terribly human. It’s more like chess than football, more cerebral than physical, but nonetheless brutal. It shows that overt sexy and violence aren’t necessary to keep the audience riveted.

[@christophergraves6725]

I prefer "wordy" and historical.

[@orangefacedbuddah1776]

@@pamelaroyce5285 The irony is that the wordiness works here,but i think it carried over into a lot of British drama to this very day and somehow slows things down.

[@JPH1138]

Yes, there's a lot of potential for storytelling that gets left on the table without clever blocking. The camera can communicate an awful lot with what is framed and how, and position in the frame. There are massive opportunities for subtext. However, to make something like I, Claudius was also a lot of work. My understanding is that these TV productions weren't just stagey in terms of their acting and sets most famously, but in their prep, and that rehearsals took up roughly as much time as shooting. That's how they were able to frame some of these remarkably well blocked scenes with their frequently 5+ minutes of choreographed movements from the actors (and all of the actors having stage experience was doubtless helpful in them remembering so many marks for a single shot) Shooting TV now seems to be a lot quicker and adhoc, and some guest actors are literally only on for a day and sometimes even just shoot pickups without meeting the main cast. To make a show in this way now I think you'd need to be a real auteur director with a lot of pull.

[@suburbanbanshee]

Well, that's the problem, isn't it? Actors don't bounce off each other and the set, because they are not given the opportunity. They just do monologues consisting of single lines; and therefore they don't act as convincingly as a three year old, unless they can pretend to be interacting with someone.

[@jaedaens]

I loved this miniseries. I watched it with my dad in the late 90s or early 2000s on DVD. I'm surprised to see it mentioned today since it seems to have fallen off the collective radar. I never paid much attention to the cinematography or directing at the time, so I appreciate your perspective. Amazing acting all around, but I think my favorite character was Livia, the manipulative villain you really loved to hate. Thanks for the memories!

[@Telcontar1962]

I, Claudius is without doubt the high watermark of TV or Film anywhere in the world, at anytime. Exceptional cast, exceptional performances across the board, even the bit part actors, exceptional script and the direction was faultless. It is the gift that has been giving for nearly 50 years, and it will continue to give while there is life to watch it.

[@cliveperrott]

One of the finest, if not best, television dramas ever made. There is certainly nothing to compare on The BBC now.

[@funksocks]

The Beeb seldom makes serious programming now, outside detective dramas anyway. People don't appear to have enough capacity to concentrate long enough, especially for something as narrative-rich as a series like this.

[@theminister1154]

I put little above it. I do put the wire above it though. Also lonesome Dove in the new 720p cut. It's pretty damn hard to beat the wire or lonesome Dove. Breaking bad can't do it.

[@funksocks]

@@theminister1154 The Wire is exceptional television. I don't think you can make a comparison between the two though.

[@k.umquat8604]

​@@funksocksWell,those and documentaries... Those are nice

[@scottm6875]

Excellent video on one of the best things ever made for television. I've always appreciated the writing (Jack Pulman is amazing) and acting but never fully appreciated the direction, and especially blocking, until watching your analysis. You only forgot to mention the timeless performance of the fly crawling on George Baker's (Tiberius) shoulder during the dramatic scene in which he discovers Augustus is dead. That little "we can only afford one take, people" example always makes me smile. I also would add the incredible scene in, I believe, the last episode in which the decrepit Claudius sits in the Senate and hallucinates that senators on the floor are ghosts of the Julian-Claudians who died before him. Fantastic blocking as the dead characters walk to deliver words to him (including the Caligula's classic, "When they told me I wasn't a god after all, you could've knocked me over with a feather") and then give way to the next. In the background you can hear the faint cheer of Roman crowds. The masterstroke is when a form appears in blurred distant archway and strides forward. The cheers crescendo into a roar as the figure is reveal to be Augustus. The direction subtly tells us that everything started with, came from, and would never again be as good as under this first remarkable emperor.

[@cathe8282]

Like a great book one re-reads over and over again, finding new joys and surprises , this show is repeatable and still hold me enthralled. Love it!

[@jf2176]

I Claudius, is one of the best dramas ever aired on TV! Derek Jacoby is a powerhouse actor.

[@33Donner77]

Thanks for the course in directing and production. I've watched this excellent series several times without being aware of the effort used for visual storytelling, and that shows that the producers and directors have succeeded.

[@richiesimons4403]

This is likely the greatest series ever made by the BBC. The cast for I, Claudius was simply outstanding. A Who's Who of fabulous actors. It is a masterpiece and your video here just goes on to emphasise that even more. Great video and new subscriber here.

[@balok63a40]

While I haven't seen every series ever made by the BBC, of the ones I have seen, I'd have to put "I, Claudius" as a close second to "The Singing Detective."

[@lrrroftheplanetomicronpersei8]

Definitely. I'd heard of I, Claudius but never seen it. Watching this and I say "hang on.. is that Patrick Stewart?". The cast is great and full of all-time British theatre greats

[@tomm7505]

Such a great series. I have it on DVD and have watched it many times. One of my favorite scenes is when Claudius is telling Livia that he's going to publicly read one of his histories that he's written and she tells him no. He says that he's "better when I'm rehearsed" and Livia responds: "So's a trained monkey but it still looks and acts every inch a monkey."

[@varasano]

Easily one of the best things ever filmed for TV. Crazy how I still remember the dialogue and character names from every scene you showed, even though I was 10 when this came out.

[@MrMvidz]

Saw this as a child, bought the DVD's as an adult. Stellar acting, indeed.

[@stephaniecarrow4898]

I Claudius is IMO the best drama series ever produced for TV. Not only great camera work and acting, but the writing -- which is where it all starts -- was superb. I still think of some of the lines. I'm glad you included the clip of Messalina's execution at the end -- the most creatve and dramatic use of the camera ever! It all proves how limitations necessitate creativity. It's not in spite of the limitations, but because of them, that it worked so well. And the focus was on story, not spectacle.

[@theminister1154]

The wire and lonesome Dove beg to disagree. Respectfully but forcefully.

[@bluebee5266]

I hope you've also seen "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" and "Elizabeth R". Similar in theme and quality.

[@mistertagomago7974]

@@theminister1154 I 'Claudius beats the Wire.

[@theminister1154]

I love the books and the acting is terrific, but I can't get by that production design@@mistertagomago7974. Probably read the books four and two times. Still the wire wins.

[@petewylde6592]

I saw this as a young kid, i found it to be very intriguing, horrific and generally awesome since i was fascinated with old rome.

[@drandrewclarke]

watched this at the time and again half a dozen years back. I think time to get it out again. masterpiece

[@Romartus]

Thanks for the new insights as I can remember the camera angles as well as the dialogue from this brilliant TV series. If characters are believable then imagination can fill in what is obviously a 'stage' for performers.

[@CptMark]

All time greatest TV show. Siân Phillips role is masterclass in acting.

[@majkus]

By the way, don't touch the figs.

[@tortysoft]

Splendid actress indeed ! We should make her a God.

[@louisewalker9074]

Electrifying! You can’t take your eyes off her when she’s on screen. And so pretty!

[@Kevon420]

This show deserves a lavish remaster, one of the best TV shows of all time.

[@amanul_2474]

I love that you can tell what is going on in a scene even without the dialogue. It truly feels like the Camera and Actors are dancing with each other

[@jollyjohnthepirate3168]

I read I Claudius for a freshman level history class. Imagine my delight to find this masterpiece many years later.

[@michaelmccrory634]

Thank you for giving me such a specific reason to watch this superb series again. This adds a whole new dimension of appreciation that I wouldn't have thought possible. Such a rewatchable gem.

[@johnnie2638]

I absolutely was enthralled by "I, Claudius" back in the 70s. I watched it with my mother. It was so well done! I love it to this day.

[@samsmom1491]

Oh, wow! What memories this has brought up. I took a Humanities class in my junior year of high school (best classs EVER!!!) and our teacher, one of the best I'd ever met, had us watch this series and after each episode we'd have wonderful discussions about Rome, philosophy, life lessons, etc. I was a lifetime fan of Claudius after that.

[@roystonlodge]

About 30 years ago, when I was 14 years old, my mom and I took a vacation to England. One of the sights we saw was the Museum Of The Moving Image in London. The souvenir I got from the gift shop is a short BBC manual on directing a television program. Blocking is a big part of the manual. I still use that manual for the social media videos I sometimes shoot for clients.

[@biffstrong1079]

This was a great series. Loved how they did this. Opening credits running a snake over a beautiful mosaic was classic. "Is there anyone in Rome who hasn't slept with my daughter!!" I love the reverb following this. Brian Blessed was extraordinary in this show and left me hating and feeling sorry for Augustus Caesar. Brian Blessed, Derek Jacobi, Sian Phillips, Patrick Stewart, John Rhys Davies, John Hurt, Fiona walker, Margaret Tyzack, Ian Ogilvy, George Baker, Sheila White. What a cast.

[@biffstrong1079]

And John castle. Great cast Oh and Blessed also got to scream " Quintilius Varus Give me back my Eagles. I want my eagles!!" great fun

[@69jonhill]

I remember my parents talking about I Claudius when I was a kid. I watched it, only a few years ago, and it blew me away. Visual storytelling at it's finest.

[@Aussiemarco]

It demonstrates the greatness of a TV drama when it was made in 1976 and is far, far better than most TV (or movies) made today.

[@sterlingpratt5802]

This show is a masterpiece. One of my all time favorites.

[@NomadicBrian]

One of the best productions ever made for TV. I was delighted to find it and watch it all the way through again last year. It is good theater with excellent dialogue in a box. As you have pointed out a mastery of camera angles and use of space.

[@bqgin]

I Claudius is the best tv series I've ever seen. Literally everything there was great. Imagine if they had even bigger budget.

[@miketemple876]

In an interview, Brian Blessed said that he was initially uncertain about how to play Augustus. Herbert Wise said to him, think of the show like its the godfather. Blessed immediately knew where to go with the role. Great stuff

[@freebornjohn2687]

Interesting analysis. I've watched it twice and was totally captivated - the dialogue and acting were sublime.

[@gregmattson2238]

yeah, when the camera switches to the point of death as characters lose their lives it just hits hard, even when those characters are monsters. I love this series.

[@alexanderdgray]

Augustus's death scene in my mind remains the best death scene ever filmed.

[@tortysoft]

How Brian didn't blink for so so long astounds me. I just re watched it - from the current BBC4 reruns on iPlayer@@alexanderdgray

[@johnbull1568]

@@alexanderdgray Yup. They could have cheated and freeze framed it to stretch it out, but Blessed gives his best performance in that scene, which ironically is his quietest lol.

[@Broadercasting]

A multitude of elements came together to make it the recognised classic. One element which hasn't yet been discussed fully is the technology: Several four-tube colour cameras fed to a gallery and thence to (edited) videotape: 576 line analogue television in an academy format (4:3) with a (transmitted) bandwidth of 5.5Mhz: Line scanning was interlaced with two fields at 50Hz, which meant that there was high motion resolution which gave the audience a more associated, viceral sensation to the action, with actor engagement. Most directors in film are dismissive and look down their noses at high frame rates of this 'new' medium of television, discounting and insulting the look as: 'The soap opera effect.' I think they are missing a trick. High frame rates do away with a multitude of problems associated with recording low frame rates; and allows audiences to see actors, act.

[@benlap1977]

I never watched I, Claudius, but heard of it. The camera work in impressive indeed and not often seen in modern productions, Birdman being the only one coming to mind. Thanks for allowing us to discover it!

[@RWSCOTT]

yes! it's directing and design were genius (as were the performances, adaptation, writing, etc). I've often thought it was the best TV show ever made, esp. considering it's limitations, every one of which it turned into strengths.

[@annademo]

In my opinion, I, Claudius is one of the greatest TV series of all time. Just a brilliant production. Incomparable acting. Perfect dialogue. I cannot think of a better series. Not Game of Thrones. Not The Walking Dead. Not any of those English mansion shows. Nothing compares to I, Claudius.

[@louisewalker9074]

There were a few other things that were pretty good too, try ‘Colditz’ (lots of full episodes on YT), and ‘Secret Army’ (fantastic drama about the French Resistance), and ‘Tenko’ (drama about female European POWs in the Far East in WW2).

[@hoopyfrood4391]

I have to agree with you. I absolutely loved that production, the writing, the superb acting, the direction, despite the limitations of the sets.

[@Mandibil]

I remember watching it on the telly back in the 70s ... groundbreaking quality ... never been better TV

[@hollyibbotson5290]

This was one of two shows we were allowed to stay up and watch as twelve year old...we were totally enthralled, thank you all for your beautiful work 😊

[@peterjones3557]

Didn't Caligula give you nightmares?

[@Blacklodge_Willy]

I've only ever heard of this show name dropped by George R.R. Martin once, but I definitely need to check it out. It's awesome how similar this is to the way Orson Welles blocked in his later films like Touch of Evil, The Immortal Story and the Trial for example.

[@simonappleton8296]

It's stunning: you can definitely see how it influenced some of George R. R. Martin's more shocking plot elements. You might also check out the books. Although the cast and TV adaptation were superb, like LotR and GoT, it also benefited greatly from fantastic source material. I read the two novels (I, Claudius and Claudius the God) after watching it, and it was surprisingly faithful - despite the books being written more than 40 years before the adaptation. In turn, Graves drew a lot on Suetonius's almost contemporary history, The Twelve Caesars - including most of the more shocking tales.

[@Blacklodge_Willy]

@@simonappleton8296 Thank you for your wonderful insight. I'm definitely going to look into it!

[@farmergiles1065]

This isn't just any "old TV show". It's an absolutely standout masterpiece. So of course it excelled beyond all normal standards. And of course it demonstrates the best of how to do something. "Old" is sometimes superior forever.

[@paulcallahan3676]

Yes, I had the same reaction. First off, an "old" show to me means I had to watch it in reruns, and I was 13 when this came out. Second, it was like the big event of the year for PBS and received critical acclaim. I remember my parents watching and talking about it.

[@farmergiles1065]

@@paulcallahan3676 Indeed, it was big TV, very widely watched and admired. The BBC pioneered dramatic series on TV, though it took Roots a year later to bring the genre attention on commercial TV in the U.S.. I was about 25 when it first aired, but as it turned out, I too had to see it in reruns because of my work schedule at the time. For years now, I've had a copy on DVD. Visuals and imaging are glitzier these days, but the drama here is so good, you don't miss that at all.

[@DougHoffman]

I Claudius is a classic. Soooo good. Augustus's death scene, Livia's deathbed scene (where she reveals all to Claudius) are two of my favorite moments from any theatrical production, ever.

[@Pelagion98]

I am a fairly young man, not even British, and yet I, Claudius is my most beloved series. I have seen it plenty of times back to back, and every time I look up a single scene, I finish the whole episode. It is fascinating how this old show managed to enthrall my interest in a way new productions wish they could.

[@kevinmcqueenie7420]

A show I return to often. Stellar cast, great script, superb cinematography. I doubt we can get this kind of quality ever again, more's the pity.

[@derrionbrown3923]

I started watching this a month ago. Time to go back 🔥

[@aopaul]

This isn't just hitting your mark... this is a master class in complex choreography.

[@walterblanc9708]

Watch all of it over afew days every few years. Absolutely brilliant. Once watched it completely in a weekend .

[@bookaufman9643]

If you want to see another series that the British put out during this timeframe you should definitely try to watch "Smiley's People." Great cast and wonderfully filmed it may be the best take on anything that LeCarre ever wrote. I definitely think that there have been a couple very good movies based on his work but the length of this mini-series gives it so much more depth and detail. It's a 9 out of 10 at the worst.😊

[@jeremypnet]

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy came first. Smiley’s People was the mere sequel.

[@bookaufman9643]

@@jeremypnet I've seen them both. For some reason Smiley's people sticks in my head more. I like the movie version of tinker Tailor better.

[@bookaufman9643]

@@jeremypnet godfather 2 was a mere sequel as well. Being a sequel doesn't mean being worse. Quite the opposite sometimes.

[@johnneville403]

@@bookaufman9643 They're both wonderful series. Pretty much the best British TV shows I've ever watched, along with I Claudius.

[@baihou88]

Absolutely hands down agreed! "Smiley's People" is the greatest spy story ever written, and the BBC production with Alex Guinness knocked it so far out of the park you could barely see the ball...

[@electron8262]

I think what also differentiates this from modern tv plays is that the camera has quite a narrow field of view (not to mention the aspect ratio), meaning that there is no choice but for actors to overlap if you want their presence to stay visible.

[@slowneutron6163]

I still say that I, Claudius was the greatest thing ever aired on TV. ANYWHERE. EVER.

[@Pea_Green]

Wonderful. I, Claudius remains a huge favourite with me to this day and I often re-watch it.

[@dalegreer3095]

I loved this series! It's weird to see now how low budget it was, I didn't even notice back then. One thing I love about it still is how normal the staging is. I mean, it's not all Sturm und Drang like modern historically based shows.