I know my review is like 10 years after the show, but I've just bought the DVD, and I kinda wish I didn't!I won't talk about the unnecessary and pointless nudity, I got used to it with the most recent shows now. I've noticed that it was a low budget production from the start, you can see it from the clothes, the jewelry and of course the setting itself, the buildings were far bigger and more glamorous. On the other hand, there were a lot of actors that I liked, the directing was good and the story wasn't bad, so I kept watching it. It's not 100% historically accurate, but so are all the historical based shows nowadays, I watched it then as an ordinary TV show "inspired" by true events. However, we must respect a minimum of accuracy. So when I've reached episodes 7 and 8 of the first season that were in Egypt, I started laughing out loud for the following reasons: There was a mosque in the background (you can see it when Mumbay arrived Egypt in episode 7). So Egyptians believed in a religion that appeared 500 years later ??!!I've actually understood the language spoken by the Egyptians in the episodes (I'm Egyptian btw), it was modern Egyptian, which is mainly Arabic!!! The Arabs didn't invade Egypt until late 400 or early 500 AD, and it took us centuries to use Arabic in our language!! there are a lot of books on ancient Egyptian language used at that time, why not applying it like any other decent show or movie did??? Better yet, just make them speak English like the rest!of course the costumes are not right (Arabic style, really??), the desert was only used for cemeteries and not even to imprison a princess like Cleopatra. We were a rural society, and we still are. We hate the desert, and we still do. Egypt was a great and civilized nation at the time, why is it looking like it's comprised of a couple of nomad tribes? American (or English) stereotypes much, even in historical shows??Last, but not least, with all my due respect to the actress, she's ugly to be Cleopatra. And Cleopatra wasn't so juvenile like that, she was known to be mature comparing to her age.I'll continue watching the show (I wrote this review in the middle of ep. 8, couldn't resist!!) as I bought the DVD

Technically a very good visual product. However the story introduces and drops characters, something a good film project doesn't do, i.e. the only survivor of Vorenus's slave investment, a young boy, is 'saved' by Vorenus, introduced to the family and then disappears. Another example is the chief of Egyptian security/army who we are told has a force of 100,000. He is pleaded with by Cleopatra's top two officials, says he "has to think about it" and then is never seen again. Then in the final episode we have the terminally wounded Vorenus, in an un-canopied WOODEN wheeled cart, making it across what appears to be an Egyptian desert under days of blazing sun and heat.....for 30 days. 30 days to cross from the boonies of Egypt to Rome! How can some of you give this atrociously written movie 4 and 5 stars. Finally, and this is directed to the folks who absolutely loved "Rome", do understand that you cannot think of it as even remotely historically accurate; Julius Caesar WAS NOT killed in the regular Roman senate building. It was under repair in 44 BCE and so on March 15, the senate met in a chamber next to the Theater of Pompey, where he was slain. We also regularly see a group of perhaps 3 or 4 senators who are suggested are the main assassins. It was more likely a group of up to 33 senators who were the plotters and assassins. In conclusion, though there's much more to be said, I would invite the people who liked Rome a lot, other than for it's porn and violence, to do some reading about its history. The reality of those times is so much more fascinating than what this mass entertainment portrayed.

(Season 1) Memorable fact - The month of July was named after Julius Caeser.Review - The TV series, in quite an artsy way, shows a glimpse of Rome during the time of Gnaeus Pompous Magnus (Pompey) and Gaius Julius Caesar.The screenplay is great at showing the machinations and all crafty deeds done for gaining power, in the name of keeping peace for Rome and the Republic.The story progresses slowly in the beginning, carefully depicting important characteristics of key people and does that very well. In the end, the viewer can relate to the reason why the protagonists acted in a particular way.

This story is much like a vaudeville, it has comedy, drama, romance, and adventure. Right off the bat, it would appeal to quite a very wide audience.However, it does feel very crowded. Not only are there a lot of characters, but there are a lot of plot points and genres to contend with. Without a central character or a theme, I did lose interest in the series many times. One moment I'm watching two soldiers trying to survive on some desolate island, the next moment my eyes were assaulted by a flurry of orgies... this is a HBO production after all. Aside from a few characters, it was a bit difficult to care for everyone else since each episode switched sceneries so many times. However during a war arc, the narrative does focus and everything becomes all the more enticing.Despite the drawbacks of this series, it has pays attention to detail and authenticity. Despite how rare battle scenes are, this movie stays true to form and doesn't make their characters have superhuman fighting abilities. Everything feels grounded, and the threats always feel real. However, right at the moment I'm caught up in the struggles of one character, the vibe is instantly killed when the narrative changes to another scene.Overall, if you like a bit of history, a lot of sex without the courting part of romance, and gratuitous violence, this is the TV show for you. But for someone like me who enjoys the intricacies of ancient battles and politics, "Rome" feels lacking.