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Must see TV: Rome

Ian Wylie
2/11/2005

SEX, nudity and brutal violence are all part of the most expensive drama series ever screened on British TV. Rome (BBC2, tonight, 9pm) is a mammoth £63m epic which has taken five years to bring to viewers in 11 hard-hitting episodes.

Filmed in Rome on the largest standing set in the world, the series spans the years 52 to 44BC, a pre-Christian world where almost anything went.

"You were allowed to murder your neighbour or covet his wife, if it didn't hack off the wrong person," explains British screenwriter and executive producer, Bruno Heller. "Mercy was a weakness, cruelty a virtue, and all that mattered was personal honour, loyalty to yourself and your family."

Ciaran Hinds, Kevin McKidd and Lindsay Duncan head a cast of top British acting talent in the international co-production which chronicles the rise of the ancient Roman Empire through the eyes of two foot soldiers.

Cheshire-born actress Polly Walker plays Atia, the snobbish, cunning, sexually voracious and totally amoral niece of Caesar. "I feel protective of her because people are judging her by today's moralities and it was very different then," she says.

But Polly, 39, admits some scenes with actors James Purefoy (Mark Antony) and Knutsford-based former Coronation Street star Lee Boardman (Timon) were challenging.

"The sex scenes were difficult. Fortunately, both James and Lee were such lovely guys, they made it easy for me. But you still have to get your kit off. I ummed and ahhed, but I didn't feel that they were titillating scenes, that I was having to play a sex kitten.

Shocking

"It was pretty shocking, but they were always for a reason. She was always trying to achieve something by doing it. So I had to go with it because it's about the character and I had to accept all aspects of that."

Polly's previous TV roles include Manchester MP Stephen Collins's wife, Anne, in Paul Abbott's acclaimed State Of Play, and Mary Archer in Jeffrey Archer: The Truth.

Filming Rome was a very different experience. "I'm not naturally exhibitionistic. It wasn't easy and not something that my children will be watching - and I certainly won't encourage my family to watch it."

Worse still, was a scene where Atia is praying to a god for her son's safekeeping. The ritual involved standing under a giant bull while it is slaughtered, with Polly being drenched in its "blood".

"I think that was more uncomfortable than doing any of the nude scenes. I thought, I'm going to have a heart attack. And there was so much of it."

With a second series already given the go-ahead, Rome boasts plenty of statistics - like over 4,000 pieces of wardrobe designed by Oscar-nominated costume designer April Ferry. Some 1,250 pairs of shoes and sandals were made in Bulgaria. And, on the largest day of shooting, 750 actors and extras were involved for the scene of Caesar's triumph.

The executive producers hired former Royal Marine Billy Budd as military advisor. Actors who would wear a uniform on screen were sent to a two-week boot camp to learn how to be soldiers.

Billy chose 55 Italians. 43 completed the course. "Military training for actors and extras is important on these sorts of productions, because portraying a soldier is about more than putting on a costume," he says.

"That means learning discipline, proper weapons handling, marching, bonding with your fellow men and learning how to carry yourself. They were getting the chance to do something that most of their ancestors had done, and it was their duty to portray their own ancestors correctly."

A typical day at camp began at around 5am, with an hour of physical training. Lights out was at 9pm, followed by sentry duty and occasional night manoeuvres. One of the biggest challenges was heat of nearly 100F every day. A paramedic and nurse were on site at all times.

Production values

BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, Jane Tranter, is proud of the project. "We did commit a substantial budget but what you get on screen represents incredibly good value for money for the licence feepayer. I think the production values in Rome are extraordinary. They are as high as you would get in a feature film.

"It's a fascinating piece of history and offers a lot to an audience. For those who know the era, they will be really interested to see it dramatised. And, for those who don't, it will be very entertaining and informative.

"It's a vivid, highly-coloured, highly-charged drama series. I think it will be a real TV event. For me, it's Ben Hur meets The Sopranos with a touch of Mean Streets thrown in."


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Most recent 2 of 2 user comments

   I have enjoyed this programme and I feel that my licence money has created a worthly outcome, well done to all concerned!
Mrs M Evans, Birmingham
23/12/2005 at 23:24

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   Unquestionably, Rome is the very best drama on TV today. Rome is the result of outstanding acting, cinemtograpy and story. Much of what is on TV or Cable today is tasteless imitations of art, whereas, Rome is a fantastic achievement. Bravo to Bruce Heller and the entire production team
Dan Ciccone, Belmont, NC
17/11/2005 at 02:03

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