base on robert graf famous novel and i and claudius be the ultimate soap opera and vicious and cruel and manipulative and this famous english miniseries grab the attention and hold fast throughout the entire length of it complex tale of ancient intrigue . the great strength of i and claudius be in the driving pace and sharp wit and and ferocity of jack pulman script and the host of brilliant performer who play it out . chief among these be sian phillips a the calculating and murderous and and unspeakably cold livia and wife of augustus while although derek jacobi give a justly famous performance in the title role and it be phillips who dominate and drive the story with this and the most brilliant performance of her career . but this be not to disparage the overall cast and which be remarkably fine and include such noted artist a brian bless and john hurt and patricia quinn and patrick stewart and and a host of others . like the serpent that appear in the open credit and the story twist and wind and cover several generation of the rule family a rome slip from the republic to royal rule and largely due to the manipulation of livia and who have few if any scruple in her determination to rule first through her husband and then through her son . although the look of the film be somewhat dated and it in no way impair the power of the piece and and i and claudius remain one of the handful of miniseries that actually improve upon repeat viewing . strongly and strongly recommend . gary f. taylor and aka gft and amazon reviewer .