i have always be a great lover of history and the historical fiction that robert graf weave in his claudius novel be not only some of the best novel i have ever read and it be some of the best history of have ever read and even if large portion of it be at least partially fabricate or stretch history . graf have a very easy style of writing and his book be very readable anyway but he know what to add and where to make the already enthral history even more interesting to the reader . this miniseries be one of the best translation of a book into film or television that i have ever see . there be very little major that be change or remove from the story . the story be excellent and the acting be absolutely incredible . derek jacobi conveys grave claudius perfectly in all his innocence and wisdom and foolishness and and nobility . he effect the stutter perfectly and twitch and limp incredibly convincingly . with very little makeup he look fairly convincingly a a teenager in the brief scenes where claudius be mean to be in his late teen . brian bless be excellent a the family original patriarch and and the first master of the roman empire and possibly the great political mind of all time . he convey the historical augusus very well who be both amicable and good natured but also very imposing and powerful . sian phillips be excellent a the ultimate uncompromising matriarch whose mind alone be nearly equal to augustus and but much more harsh and uncompromising . george baker be excellent a the dark and brood tiberius who be slowly push into the evil which he commit later in life . john hurt be amaze a the psychotic caligula . the rest of the large cast be excellent with such mention a patrick stewart a the power hungry sejanus and patricia quinn a claudius vile sister livilla and margaret tyzack a claudius mother and and john rys davy a the sadistic and violent macro . i definitely recommend this to anyone who have any love for history or just great television .