HBO To Remake 'I, Claudius'

The news that HBO is planning a mini-series in conjunction with the BBC based on Robert Graves's I, Claudius novels will provoke a gamut of responses. Some, with fond memories of 1976 and the BBC adaptation of the books, will snort with dismay at yet another example of TV Eating Itself, of the corporations playing it safe by playing it retro. Others might wonder why it took them so long to get around to this. The new Claudius will involve Jane Tranter and Anne Thomopoulos who oversaw the successful mid-Naughties series Rome. A mere four years after that ended come plans for a Rome-style series in its wake. The wheels of commissioning grind safe but slow.

For those who deplore the retro-maniacal tendencies of modern programmers, this is more grist. Such projects are supposed to have a built-in, surefire expectation of success but thankfully, they don't always work. For every Doctor Who there are casualties such as the Reggie Perrin remake or the woeful Minder one, which indicate that not all 70s/80s comedy/drama can be refried for mass consumption. Less thankfully, they do keep trying, arguably at the expense of original drama.

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