Just because Rome fell doesn’t mean its legacy cannot live on. The show premiered on HBO back in August of 2005 and was canceled after just two seasons. Even though there were only 22 episodes, the show managed to nab four Emmy Awards its first season and three its second. Why cancel such a critical hit? The show was originally planned to be a mini-series, and after two seasons, Rome was deemed far too expensive to continue producing. Soon you’ll be able to spend as much time in Rome as you want once HBO Home Entertainment releases Rome: The Complete Series on DVD and Blu-Ray November 17th.
The show’s first season kicks off with Julius Caesar’s civil war of 49 BC against the Roman Senate and chronicles his rise to power and eventual fall. Season two focuses on the power war between Octavian and Mark Antony. While the series provides a general overview of the epic events of the time, it also chronicles the experience of two main characters, Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), both Roman soldiers who are personally affected by the historical events.
Both the DVD and BD come with 13 audio commentaries from the cast and crew, nine featurettes, a photo gallery, a character insert, and “All Roads Lead to Rome,” an interactive guide assembled by the series’ co-producer/historical consultant Jonathan Stamp. Four of the featurettes explore the history of Rome, three provide behind-the-scenes footage, and the final two are about the creation of particular scenes. Exclusive to the Blu-ray edition is “Bloodlines,” the interactive guide showing the connection between the soldiers, Senate, and families of Rome.
Considering the demise of the series was primarily due to the cash-guzzling but gorgeous overseas filming locations, spending $139.99 on the 10-disc BD set as opposed to the $99.98 11-disc standard-definition version might make sense. There’s also been some buzz about a Rome movie being a possibility, so if that ever happens, you might want to be familiar with the series.
