List of I, Claudius episodes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of episodes of I, Claudius, a 1976 BBC Television adaptation of Robert Graves's I, Claudius and Claudius the God. Written by Jack Pulman, it was one of the corporation's most successful drama serials of all time. It also provided popular initial exposure for several actors who would eventually become well known, such as Derek Jacobi, Patrick Stewart, John Rhys-Davies and John Hurt.
[edit] Episodes
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A Touch of Murder" | 20 September 1976 |
| Emperor Augustus begins to favor his nephew Marcellus over his friend Agrippa, who leaves Rome in protest. Livia wants her son Tiberius to become Augustus' heir, so she secretly poisons Marcellus, who eventually dies. Augustus has Agrippa return to Rome, and to seal their renewed friendship, he gives Julia, Marcellus' widow, to Agrippa to be his wife, infuriating Livia. | ||
| 2 | "Family Affairs" | 20 September 1976 |
| Nine years have passed. Agrippa is dead and Tiberius has been forced to marry Julia. Tiberius' brother Drusus, a general on campaign who favors a return to the Republic, smashes his leg by falling off a horse. His condition worsens and he dies in the presence of his wife, Antonia, and their recently born son Claudius. Augustus looks forward to sharing his power with his grandsons Lucius and Gaius when they come of age. | ||
| 3 | "Waiting in the Wings" | 27 September 1976 |
| Gaius has died and Tiberius has been banished to Rhodes for his mistreatment of Julia. One day in the garden, the young Claudius catches a wolf cub dropped from an eagle's claws, leading a seer to predict that he will protect Rome in an hour of need. Livia tricks Lucius into revealing Julia's infidelities and a grief-stricken Augustus banishes her from Rome. The death of Lucius in a boating accident ends Tiberius' exile and he returns to Rome to be named, along with Postumus, as co-heir to Augustus' throne. | ||
| 4 | "What Shall We Do About Claudius?" | 4 October 1976 |
| Three Roman legions have been massacred in Germania at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Tiberius and Germanicus are dispatched to exact revenge. While Claudius is in the library researching his family's history he is advised by Pollio that, if he wants to live a long life, he should play up his infirmities to enhance his place in his family as a harmless fool. Augustus has determined that Postumus will succeed him as Emperor, but Livia overhears this and, with Livilla's help, frames Postumus for rape. Before he is banished, Postumus tells Claudius of all the people whom Livia has killed and reiterates the advice that Claudius should continue to play the fool. | ||
| 5 | "Poison is Queen" | 11 October 1976 |
| Germanicus has defeated the Germans and returns to Rome in triumph. Claudius tells him of Postumus' suspicions and Germanicus passes this information on to Augustus. On a trip to Corsica, Augustus stops to see Postumus and learns of his innocence, leading him to change his will in favor of Postumus. Livia learns of this and, soon after, Augustus falls ill, though he recovers slightly when he begins to eat only food that he has grown and picked by hand. On his deathbed, Livia explains that he should have listened to her more since, as a Claudian, she wants what is best for the Empire. Sejanus is dispatched to kill Postumus and as Tiberius prepares to take over as Emperor, Livia warns him that he shouldn't touch the figs. | ||
| 6 | "Some Justice" | 18 October 1976 |
| Tiberius, with Sejanus' help, is ruling with an iron hand. Only Germanicus is preventing total tyranny, but he dies in Syria under mysterious circumstances. His wife Agrippina accuses Piso and his wife Plancina of complicity in Germanicus' death, and they are tried in the Senate to avert any subordination of the courts. Martina, the poisoner, reveals to Livia that Germanicus' own son, Caligula, aided her in bringing about his death. Threatened in court, Piso blackmails Livia and Tiberius with evidence that they approved of Germanicus' murder. Plancina stabs Piso, bringing the trial to an end, and Agrippina and her friends have to be satisfied that at least "some justice" was done. | ||
| 7 | "Queen of Heaven" | 25 October 1976 |
| Tiberius now only lives for his perversions, in which Caligula is only too happy to join. Sejanus oversees continual treason trials of notable citizens, and sleeps with Livilla, who becomes so enamored of him that she poisons her husband Castor to be able to marry Sejanus. Sejanus forces Claudius to marry his adopted sister Aelia. Livia confesses to Claudius all of her misdeeds and her fear that they will keep her locked in hell for eternity. On her deathbed, she reveals to Claudius that an unpublished Sibylline prophecy claims that he will become Emperor and makes him promise to make her a goddes when he rules. | ||
| 8 | "Reign of Terror" | 1 November 1976 |
| Tiberius has retired to Capri. Sejanus has divorced his wife and approaches Tiberius about marrying Livilla. Tiberius refuses but suggests that he could marry Livilla's daughter Helen. This infuriates Livilla, who poisons Helen. Sejanus sets his final plans for taking power in motion by conniving in the banishment of Agrippina and her son Nero and having her other son Drusus arrested. Antonia discovers letters between Sejanus and her daughter implicating them in several deaths. Claudius smuggles the evidence to Tiberius. At Caligula's suggestion, Tiberius orders Macro to murder Sejanus, his family, and his followers. | ||
| 9 | "Zeus, by Jove!" | 8 November 1976 |
| Tiberius dies, leaving Caligula and Gemellus as his joint heirs. Claudius' life-long friend Herod has returned to Rome in time for Caligula's ascension. Caligula displays signs of mental instability and after falling into a coma, declares that he has become Zeus. Caligula has Gemellus killed and declares his sister Drusilla his wife and fellow goddess. Antonia commits suicide, disgusted with the depths of depravity that her family and Rome have sunk to. Fearing that his child will become greater than he, Caligula tries to recreate the birth of Athena by cutting the child from her belly and swallowing it whole. | ||
| 10 | "Hail Who?" | 15 November 1976 |
| Claudius is living with the ex-prostitute Calpurnia in meagre circumstances. Caligula has turned the palace into a brothel where he sells the wives of high-ranking Senate members to the highest bidder during sexual orgies. He takes his legions on a campaign to Germany to put down an alleged rebellion and then to the English Channel where he attempts to do battle with Neptune. He also makes his horse Incitatus a senator, and forces Claudius to marry Messalina. Cassius, a leading general whom the Emperor continually mocks, forms a plan with several others to assassinate Caligula. They strike during the games held to celebrate Augustus, killing Caligula, his sister and wife Caesonia, and their daughter, Julia Drusilla. While the Praetorian Guard are looting the palace, they come upon Claudius and decide to make him emperor. | ||
| 11 | "Fool's Luck" | 22 November 1976 |
| The leaders of the guard and Herod convince Claudius that he should take up the Imperial crown. Claudius in turn convinces the Senate of the same. Cassius is condemned to death but the other conspirators against Caligula are set free. Livia is finally deified and made a goddess. After successfully bearing Claudius children, Messalina convinces him to share the burdens of power with her. As Herod will soon be leaving to take control of the lands in the East that Claudius has granted him, Messalina suggests that Appius Silanus, a Senator, be brought in to assist her husband. Later her mother Domitia and Silanus marry. Before Herod leaves he warns Claudius that, as Emperor, Claudius must trust no one, not his advisors, not his wife, not even Herod himself. Messalina attempts to seduce Silanus and tells him that Claudius approves. Silanus then attempts to kill Claudius in the hopes of ending the line of depraved rulers. Messalina, with her mother's help, convinces Claudius of her innocence and Silanus is put to death. | ||
| 12 | "A God in Colchester" | 29 November 1976 |
| Claudius is leading his troops in an invasion of Britain. Messalina's sexual excesses lead her to challenge the well-known prostitute Scilla to a contest to see who can take the most men in an evening; she wins easily. Claudius returns in triumph, and learns that Herod has organized a rebellion in the eastern provinces against his rule. Herod believes that he is the "King of the Jews", but he dies before completing his plans. Messalina takes Gaius Silius as her lover, and they divorce their respective spouses and marry, thinking that Rome will rally around them and proclaim them rulers. Forced to act, Claudius' servants Pallas and Narcissus enlist Calpurnia to tell the Emperor the truth. In the end he believes them and the conspirators are arrested and killed. As Claudius is mourning the fact that all whom he cared for are gone, he learns that the Britons have dedicated a temple to him in Colchester making him a god. | ||
| 13 | "Old King Log" | 6 December 1976 |
| Claudius' benevolent rule of Rome leads the populace to accepting an emperor, but Claudius feels that this was a mistake. He decides that Rome must come to hate its ruling family, overthrow it, and restore the Republic. To do this, he marries his niece Agrippinilla and adopts her son Nero, making him co-heir with his son Britannicus. Because of a prophecy, Claudius knows that Nero will become the next ruler of Rome, but he still tries to protect Britannicus, so that he may take over later. Ready for his end, Claudius voluntarily eats poisoned mushrooms from his wife's fork and dies. Looking for Claudius' will, Agrippina and Nero come upon his autobiography and burn it. Lying on his bier Claudius and the Sibyl have a good laugh over the fact that he buried another copy of his book to be found later. | ||
