If British television re-made "I, Claudius" (as they should)

Should not

Would not

Claudius: Eddie Redmayne

Livia: Emma Thompson

Augustus: Ciaran Hinds

Caligula: Ben Whishaw

None. It is essentially a theatrical conceit, and thanks to the demise of repertory theatre, none of the current stock British players have enough experience on the stage.

R3 has a point. The original roles were all so well portrayed that it's hard to think who could do a better job today. The fact that it has never been remade after 50 years means a high bar would be set for any new series to match.

Still, I like R2's casting ideas. It's difficult to picture anyone else but Dame Sian Phillips successfully portraying Livia -- she is indelibly linked with the role and won 2 awards for it. Emma Thompson would be a decent choice but whether she could make the same impact as Phillips is difficult to say.

Olivia Coleman as Antonia.

It would run something like this:

Whom would you cast today as:

The emperor Claudius - Ncuti Gatwa

His grandmother, the empress Livia - Frances Barber

His adoptive grandfather, the emperor Augustus - Kenneth Brannagh

His mother Antonia - Olivia Coleman, by law she has to appear in everything

His uncle, the emperor Tiberius - Laverne Cox, because reasons.

His nephew, the emperor Caligula - Joe Locke

His wife, the empress Messalina - Olly Alexander (because reasons)

His sister Livilla - Emma Watson

Sejanus - Tom Hardy

[quote] None. It is essentially a theatrical conceit, and thanks to the demise of repertory theatre, none of the current stock British players have enough experience on the stage.

Agreed.

The casting would be exactly like r2’s suggestion and I can picture their performances and the subsequent Emmys right now. Anthony Hopkins and Ian McKellen chewing up the furniture. There would not be a surprising moment in the piece.

If it was made I would prefer to see some big, broad American performers. Like John Lithgow as Augustus.

Not that simpering, quivering Eddie Redmayne, please!

Polly Walker as Atia, um, Livia...

CIaran Hines as Augustus

I’ve put a hex on this weak thread!

The only reason to remake it would be to Game of Thrones it up and the BBC wouldn't be able to do that as it's a government-owned entity that can't go too far with sec and violence. It would have to be done by a streaming service.

The novels are really good but deeply based in ancient Roman history and culture. I had my book club read it and they were all bored stiff.

Ian McShane played Sejanus in AD and he was terrific. Too bad he’s way too old for an I Claudius remake.

Who’s a young Ian McShane?

Blasphemy. Just make a separate TV production about the same people and circumstances, but please spare us the attempt at duplication. It won't work.

If Claudius is not played by an actual cerebal palsy person with a stutter....

Ncuti Gatwa?

You took the words right out of my mouth, R6!

I saw I, Claudius in its original 1977 PBS run. I read the book in the early 90s. It was not boring but you definitely needed to see the show first to keep all the characters straight. I’ve never seen it since but one day a few years ago, probably on here, someone mentioned that Patrick Stewart had been on it and I immediately thought, Sejanus! Like 30-35 years later, it was still so vivid in my mind.

I think Josh O'Connor could do Claudius. He's got the chops.

Paul Mescal for Caligula...or also Sejanus but it's a smaller role.

Samantha Morton would be a good Livia! Or,Emily Watson.

Olivia Williams could do Antonia.

Anya Taylor Joy as Messalina

The problem with doing I, Claudius is the fact it's an epic that spans decades. They got away with rather hammy make-up to age the actors in 1977 but audiences today wouldn't go for it.

No one could match her.

Don't remake this. The original is a classic and perfect.

The production value and standards are way outdated, but the production brought out the best in acting. It's because the camera shots had to focus on the acting, the nuance and changes in the actors' facial expressions to represent complexity.

That and so many other BBC or ITV productions from that era are acting masterpieces.

No Julia, the nympho daughter of Augustus married to Tiberius until Daddy puts her and half of the Roman elite away for fuckery?

A perfect part for La Coolidge.

I think Olivia Coleman would make a pretty good Julia.