# Why aren't you watching 'Rome'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180 "2005-10-21T01:16:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/1 "2005-10-21T01:16:14Z")
I got HBO last month just to see this series, and I haven’t been disappointed; but apparently the ratings aren’t that great. So, all of you who aren’t watching, tell me why! ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/2 "2005-10-21T01:17:40Z")
Don’t have HBO. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/3 "2005-10-21T01:17:52Z")
I don’t have HBO. Or cable, for that matter. I’m quite interested to watch it on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/4 "2005-10-21T01:35:50Z")
> [@Can Handle the Truth](#): > > apparently the ratings aren’t that great. Compared to what? Is it doing worse than other shows on HBO? ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/5 "2005-10-21T01:52:09Z")
I don’t have HBO, and I really don’t feel like paying for it just for Rome(as much as I’d like to see it). Particulary not when the DVD’s will be out in a few months. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/6 "2005-10-21T02:59:28Z")
> [@fluiddruid](#): > > I don’t have HBO. Or cable, for that matter. I’m quite interested to watch it on DVD. Dito, except probably won’t watch it on DVD Brian ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/7 "2005-10-21T03:02:49Z")
I watch it, but I imagine some people are burnt out on “sword and sandal” type stories. And it’s British. It’s not as accessible to American audiences as “The Sopranos”. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/8 "2005-10-21T03:03:09Z")
HBO wasn’t worth it when I did have it, plus I don’t watch much TV anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/9 "2005-10-21T03:26:08Z")
Another vote for “don’t have HBO but will probably watch it on DVD”. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/10 "2005-10-21T04:38:09Z")
Well, I’m watching it, but just barely. I can’t quite figure out why, but it just hasn’t grabbed me as much as, say, _Deadwood,_ or my favorite, _The Wire_. _Rome_’s production values are great, the acting and writing are excellent, but it doesn’t engross me as much as I expected or hoped it would. Maybe it just doesn’t have quite enough depth and subtlety. I’ve noticed that, unlike with the two shows I’ve mentioned, or \*Six Feet Under, Carnivale, \*or _The Sopranos_, I don’t feel I have to watch each episode of Rome twice to make sure I caught everything. I’m going to buy the DVDs of _I, Claudius_ and re-watch that great series. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/11 "2005-10-21T08:38:00Z")
What commasense said. I’ve seen the first few episodes, and just wasn’t left with a real burning desire to stick with it. It ain’t Deadwood, that’s for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/12 "2005-10-21T10:34:11Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > Compared to what? Is it doing worse than other shows on HBO? Yes. Worse even than Carnivale. But HBO has committed to another season. ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/13 "2005-10-21T12:09:40Z")
I don’t have cable. It makes me sad. I’ll wait until it’s on DVD, at which point I wll merrily MST it. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/14 "2005-10-21T12:25:11Z")
I watched the first couple episodes, and went, “meh”. Then I missed a couple. Then I tuned back into the rerun last Friday when they made the raft out of dead people and cut off pompey’s head. and I was right back into it. I watched last Sunday with the Egyptians and I plan to watch this Sunday. So, it lost me, but it got me back. aside: the filmed a scene for _The Wire_ right near my house the other day, down by the stream where I walk my dogs. No lame-o scene, this. It was a gun battle!! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/15 "2005-10-21T12:47:48Z")
don’t have hbo. Plus never heard of ‘Rome’. Carnivale is bad?? I saw the previews, looked interesting, and put it on hold…but just the first dvd. We’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/16 "2005-10-21T12:49:49Z")
Yep, don’t have HBO. Don’t watch that much TV, either, really. It’s not worth paying for, to me, when I wouldn’t watch it enough to make it worthwhile. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/17 "2005-10-21T12:53:17Z")
Saw some bits of it, failed to care. And was again annoyed at even in this day and age, on an allegedly sophisticated channel like HBO, they still have ancient Romans speaking with British accents. Maybe not everybody, but it seemed like a lot of them did. Or was it simply a matter of the actors being British? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/18 "2005-10-21T12:55:49Z")
Well _I_ love the series. So that’s _one_, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/19 "2005-10-21T13:01:32Z")
I’m not watching it because it doesn’t start until the 2nd of November! And we won’t have to pay specifically to see it as it will be shown on one of the BBC’s two free-to-air analogue channels (BBC2). But you could argue that we have already paid for it through the [licence fee](http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/licencefee/#information), which is currently £126.50 a year [US$220-ish]. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/20 "2005-10-21T13:08:19Z")
I also love the show. Pullo is the Forrest Gump of ancient Rome. 😉 And he makes me “wet as October” 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180.md?page=2)