I know Rome is an excellent new drama series that is currently on HBO at the moment, we are only nine episodes in and I'm already desperately hooked.

However, without sounding like a prude, I think all the very excessive sex and violence gets a bit too much. Rome makes that other HBO workhorse, The Sopranos, look like a Vicars tea party, in the first episode alone a bad guy ends up having his decapitated head on a plate; we had to wait till the forth season for anything like that to happen in The Sopranos.

I know Ancient Rome was heavily steeped in casual sex and ultra violence, but do any of you think the new HBO drama series, Rome, goes a little too far?

The show is quite tame compared what historically that time period was like. But if it offends your sensibilities, Nick Jr. runs "Dora the Explorer" quite regularly.

No, I don't think it goes too far. A large penis is always welcome.

With the violence and sex? No. With the frontal male nudity? YES!!!!

You do, in fact, sound like a prude.

I wish more people here grew up during the 1970s, when there were more films aimed at adults. I fear that Hollywood's trend towards making everything suitable for the much-coveted PG-13 rating has rendered people unable to stomach mature subject matter.

No. While I do not enjoy the male full frontal as some here do, I want this show to be as realistic as it can be. I love history and I love the history of Rome and hate that to some Gladiator is the most realistic Roman movie/show to date.

I agree that it's over the top. I wish it was more like Gladiator, which is the most realistic Roman movie/show to date.

It may be, but given the actual culture, it is still quite toned down.

If anything they need more naked on it.

Really?

Actually, one of the things I like about Rome is the fact that the public announcements are sponsored by businesses, which was the case in Rome. Gladiators also had sponsors, there was advertising, etc. That was left out of Gladiator because they felt it would seem like a gimmic and people wouldn't believe it, similar to the Nike symbol used in A Knight's Tale.

And for any of you that are liking Rome I cannot too strongly recommend Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/se...0&Go.y=0&Go=Go

The order is:

The First Man in Rome
The Grass Crown
Fortune's Favorites
Caesar's Women
Caesar
The October Horse

These books are meticulously researched and exquisitely written. Goes from 110 BCE to a little after Caesar's assassination. I'd like to see her continue at least through which would probably take two more books but she says she is through. It's been a monumental amount of work for her and the books didn't sell like The Thorn Birds.

no it is not too much. Do some reading on that period and history and you will find out how if anything it is toned down. Phallic symbols and nudity were a normal part of the culture along with way more permissive views on sex and sexuality. I have found it very interesting to see how much these things shock people. I think it shows how different our cultures actually are. Says a lot that people are freaked out seeing some cock but decapitation, incest, drug use, family members marrying, etc hardly get a mention.

Oh and I like Gladiator but it is hardly the most realistic thing done about the Roman period. The thing that ticks me off the most is how clean everything looks from people to buildings to clothes. I mean they didn't even have soap for cleaning. How did everything come out so sparkling fresh looking?

If you think it is too much, watch Caligula.

movielib, are you spoiler-texting Roman history?

No, I don't think this show is too much. However, I still prefer "I, Claudius" over "Rome" for all of those people old enough to remember that miniseries.

I just know if I don't someone will whine that I ruined the second season of Rome for them.

Being an old-timer I sometimes get the impression that young people don't know much of anything about history before they were born.

I, Claudius will likely forever be the gold standard of ancient Rome TV. It will probably never be surpassed except in production values.

But, at least for now, Rome is portraying a period well before that of I, Claudius.

I agree since "I Claudius" started off during the period of

If you're going to make a statement like that, you should cite some sources, because I seriously doubt your statement.

Gladiator wasn't even close to being historically accurate.

Agreed.

I enjoy Rome, but there is some "We're HBO...look what we can show!" that adds nothing to the story.

Was too.

WallyOPD was obviously joking in his post... read the one right before his. I guess if it's not Groucho, no one gets the sarcasm

Groucho's posts tend to derail threads because sarcasm often don't translate well to the written word. And Groucho is a professional; Wally is no Groucho.

Some things are better left in Other.