# 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:** 2
**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, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/21 "2005-10-21T13:09:33Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > 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? Yes, the actors are british. That’s what it’s a matter of. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/22 "2005-10-21T13:11:41Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I’m going to buy the DVDs of _I, Claudius_ and re-watch that great series. Hijack (I am watching Rome): I’m going to re-watch the _I, Claudius_ series too. During _Rome_ I keep trying to figure out who all these people are in relation to Claudius. Octavia and Marc Antony are his grandparents, and little precocious Octavian is Augustus… ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/23 "2005-10-21T13:13:26Z")
My interest has flagged as I have generally lost hope of seeing chained, naked slavegirls being deliciously mistreated. You’d think HBO would be on that like white on rice, but nooooooooo… ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/24 "2005-10-21T13:16:38Z")
I don’t have HBO ---
**Author:** ![John\_F](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/43a26b/32.png) [@John\_F](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_F)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/25 "2005-10-21T13:18:34Z")
Shows like Oz,The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Deadwood,The wire, and Carnivale all gripped me right away. Rome just does not have the same instant draw for me that the others do. I wish they would have made Rome a multi part movie like Angles In America. They had such a dominant hold on Sunday nights with the above shows and mixing in others like Entourage, unscripted, and the newer ones like the Comeback and Extras. (last weeks Extras was the best so far with Samuel L. Jackson damn that was funny 😃 ). During the lead up to Rome they let big holes into the line up and even pulled the plug on Six Feet Under. :mad:I think the networks saw the opportunity to capture viewers with shows like Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy. I don’t know what runs against Rome but the other networks may also be a factor in ratings slipping by bringing in some quality shows. ---
**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, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/26 "2005-10-21T18:28:48Z")
One problem I see with Rome is the plot’s a bit complicated, and you have to really pay attention. It’s got some great sex. Not a lot of action though. That is, a lot of the action takes place between your ears, rather than say, chariot races taking place on-screen. Might be a bit too cerebral for your typical viewer with a Nielsen box. That was probably Carnivale’s downfall, too. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/27 "2005-10-21T18:30:41Z")
Won’t pay $10 a month for HBO on top of my already $100 a month digital cable/cable Internet bill. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/28 "2005-10-21T18:59:21Z")
I’m watching Rome. I like it but I’d rather have Carnivale back. HBO Bastards. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/29 "2005-10-21T19:15:21Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > 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. What sort of objection is that? Do you expect the actors to speak in ancient vulgar Latin? Or maybe English with a “Latin accent”, whatever that would be, and which would be just as ahistorical? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/30 "2005-10-21T19:15:51Z")
> [@BobT](#): > > I watch it, but I imagine some people are burnt out on “sword and sandal” type stories. Well, it’s the only sword and sandals show on TV. Maybe it’s the only S&S on TV ever. I can’t think of any other series set in ancient times, except for I, Claudius and that awful Empire thing. I wonder if some folks think it’s going to be dry or high-toned, or that the setting is too remote in time and they won’t be able to relate to it. Some of them might be like my husband. He won’t watch **any** costume drama. If the actors aren’t wearing clothes that he’d wear, he won’t watch. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/31 "2005-10-21T19:37:47Z")
I’m surprised the ratings are so bad. Personally I think that _Deadwood_ is a superior show, but I would have thought _Rome_ was \*\*more \*\* accessible. Certainly you can usually understand the dialogue the first time you hear it, which is often not the case with _Deadwood_. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/32 "2005-10-21T20:29:26Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Some of them might be like my husband. He won’t watch **any** costume drama. If the actors aren’t wearing clothes that he’d wear, he won’t watch. 🙂 Wow, **AuntiePam**. I’m twice as likely to watch something if it’s a costume drama. 🙂 Does he also exclude, for example, science fiction movies? Or is it only historical costumes that bother him? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/33 "2005-10-21T20:34:43Z")
Eleanor, me too. He likes science fiction, so I guess it’s mainly the historical dramas that he won’t watch. I think he sees them as “highbrow”, and he’s got a redneck gene. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/34 "2005-10-21T20:54:31Z")
If I’m not willing to pay for HBO to watch _The Sopranos_ or _Six Feet Under_ or _Curb Your Enthusiasm_ or _Extras_, then _Rome_ certainly won’t tip the balance. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/35 "2005-10-21T20:59:14Z")
I’m watching it, but I am disappointed in the “small-scale” scheme of things. The epic battle between Caesar and Pompey was barely hinted at, and there hasn’t been any sweeping vistas or grand sights. It seems like the could have shaved a bit here and there on the costumes and spent more on the battle scenes. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/36 "2005-10-21T21:01:27Z")
Um, dudes in leather mini skirts? Looks kinda gay. [RIGHT] 🆒[/RIGHT] ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/37 "2005-10-21T21:13:31Z")
Oh, is it on HBO? I don’t watch _Rome_ because I don’t get HBO. And I’m not interested in paying to get HBO. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/38 "2005-10-21T21:48:52Z")
Don’t have HBO. Don’t want HBO. I’ll be able to rent it for two bucks when it comes out on DVD. Being a total sucker bothers me. ---
**Author:** ![Kaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Kaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaf)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/39 "2005-10-22T00:21:08Z")
> [@Can Handle the Truth](#): > > 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! Mostly because its not on again until Sunday. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2005, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180/40 "2005-10-22T00:44:55Z")
> [@Bytegeist](#): > > > [@Revtim](#): > > > > 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. > > What sort of objection is that? Do you expect the actors to speak in ancient vulgar Latin? Or maybe English with a “Latin accent”, whatever that would be, and which would be just as ahistorical? I don’t understand this objection either. The show might be more authentic if everyone spoke Latin, but it would be even less successful and much harder to follow. I like it as it is. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-you-watching-rome/327180.md?page=3)