Does any know when Rome is starting up again? I couldn't find it on HBO's site as to when season two is to begin.

2007 if they decide to pick it up.

Bummer...I signed up for HBO just for Rome? So long HBO

I saw an interview with Polly Walker (Atia of the Julii) at the golden globes. Anyway, she said it had been picked up for series 2. We should see season 2 later this year would be my guess - around September / October.

This is a HBO / BBC coproduction and the BBC can kick these things out really quick...

The excercised the option for a second season, but it hasn't yet been funded. If they produce more episodes they will air in 2007.

Well... I don't know if we really know that or not. It isn't the kind of thing that's usually announced.

The last official word was that filming would start this spring for early 2007 (probably March) broadcast. One of the actors said in a recent interview that he starts filming in April.

They announced the 2007 date at the time they picked it up for the second season. In that announcement they made no actual commitment to a filming schedule which still gave them an out. Obviously, if they begin filming in March or April, that's good news. Should be a no-brainer since the bulk of the $100 million for Season 1 was for reusable sets and costumes.

Well I sure hope it is on to a second season. Got to see how Augustus turns out...Err...wait...I could read a book. :D

Still it is one of the best HBO shows to date.

Bummer...I signed up for HBO just for Rome? So long HBODon't disappear so fast. You'll miss "Sopranos" (HD) which starts in about a month for its final season (split into two parts), and fourth season of "The Wire" (not HD, but excellent picture quality anyway) reappears in the fall. This latter show is simply terrific.

The excercised the option for a second season, but it hasn't yet been funded. If they produce more episodes they will air in 2007.
Yes, and from the last public comment I saw from Albrect it seemed as if he was waffling on whether it would come back or not, the ratings were not anywhere near what they had expected.

Don't disappear so fast. You'll miss "Sopranos" (HD) which starts in about a month for its final season (split into two parts), and fourth season of "The Wire" (not HD, but excellent picture quality anyway) reappears in the fall. This latter show is simply terrific.

Not to mention Deadwood coming back in June. I think it's pretty silly when you hear people saying they're going to drop this or that premium channel and re-add it "when something comes back on they like" all the time. Guess that $10/mo might break 'em... :rolleyes:

No but that's the only reason I added HBO was for Rome last December. If it's going to
be a year + before they start season two why in the h*** keep it.

Don't disappear so fast. You'll miss "Sopranos" (HD) which starts in about a month for its final season (split into two parts), and fourth season of "The Wire" (not HD, but excellent picture quality anyway) reappears in the fall. This latter show is simply terrific.
I'm pretty sure that The Wire was in HD, wasn't it?

The Wire was SD.

It has to be back because it's Fantanstic.

And Real Time with Bill Maher tomorrow!

OT-- but just re-watched first 2 episodes of Carnivale on DVD recently, as much as I liked Rome, I loved Carnivale, that was great TV.

I'm pretty sure that The Wire was in HD, wasn't it?No. It was 4:3 SD, but it still looked gorgeous. And of course the storylines, acting, and season-long story and character development made it (for my money) the best drama on TV.

I was also a lover of NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street", also set in Baltimore. What a terrific collection of characters and stories.

And Real Time with Bill Maher tomorrow!

OT-- but just re-watched first 2 episodes of Carnivale on DVD recently, as much as I liked Rome, I loved Carnivale, that was great TV.

Real Time's back? Whoo-hoo! I can never keep track of when it's coming or going and don't care for the Costis fill-in between seasons.

And Carnivale was indeed great TV. Too densely and intricately plotted for the drooling masses, however. A shame HBO couldn't have kept it around anyway, sort of like a badge of honor. Ironically, the high cost of Rome probably sealed Carnivale's fate.

No but that's the only reason I added HBO was for Rome last December. If it's going to
be a year + before they start season two why in the h*** keep it.

I used to watch (and for) HBO only on Sundays by turning on and off on the website. Now they charge $10.00 a change. Ahh the good old days.

And Real Time with Bill Maher tomorrow!

HeHe! Good about time. This is why I don't kill HBO. Shows like ROME, Deadwood, and Bill Maher. Boy is he gonna have fun after last weeks "news"....:D

Everybody is gonna have fun with the recent news. I was waiting for the WH press secretary to say to the press corps, "Look, if we had a press conference every time the VP shot one of his buddies, we'd never get anything done." :D

But something tells me Bill M. won't be focusing on the VP - he's been off the air for awhile.

I'll bet his "opening" will be all about it though..;)

Hopefully never! I had high hopes for Rome, but it fell short in every way possible. Turned into a snooze fest real fast.

:D

No but that's the only reason I added HBO was for Rome last December. If it's going to
be a year + before they start season two why in the h*** keep it.

I guess if "hell" has to be sanitized, Deadwood will not be must see TV for you and yours.

Hopefully never! I had high hopes for Rome, but it fell short in every way possible. Turned into a snooze fest real fast.


I know we're supposed to pretend that one person's taste is as good as anyone else's, but I hope you're not serious, Chris. I will admit it was a little short of car crashes and explosions.

Hopefully never! I had high hopes for Rome, but it fell short in every way possible. Turned into a snooze fest real fast.

You should have stuck with it. It got much better after the first couple of episodes.

Yes, and from the last public comment I saw from Albrect it seemed as if he was waffling on whether it would come back or not, the ratings were not anywhere near what they had expected.

Albrecht's statement was in a newspaper article, and for all we know, lacking in context. Several of the actors have reported that they're scheduled to be back shooting in the spring.

HBO doesn't go crazy about ratings like the networks. They care a lot more about critics and awards. Rome appeared on at least half a dozen major top-ten/best of lists at the end of last year. It got a Golden Globe nomination for Best Drama, a writers' guild nomination for best new series, and Michael Apted won a DGA award for directing the pilot.

Two more things, neither of which prove anything, but still. HBO has also never canceled a show once it's made a script commitment. When it cancels shows, it cancels them decisively and doesn't look back. They aren't Fox. :) Also, Rome is in the most recent original series on-air promo, which canceled/ended shows like The Comeback and SFU are not.

While nothing is 100% certain, I'm reasonably confident that Rome will be back on HBO. Whether the BBC will be involved is another question entirely, since by all reports they managed to screw things up pretty completely by showing chopped up episodes, choosing an inappropriate time slot that got a lot of criticism, etc. But HBO can do just fine without the BBC... the second season will be substantially cheaper than the first, with all of those sets already built. From reports elsewhere, they seem to have sold the show to foreign markets quite successfully which further decreases the financial risk.

A friend of mine, is friends with the writer/director. Rome was written originally as a mini-series. It took years for them to sell and make the project (I think he said 7-8yrs). At the time Rome was airing its finale, the entire series had been produced - and he had not considered it as an ongoing series.

Dave B

It's true it was originally produced as a miniseries, but that changed a long time ago. HBO picked up the second season script order way back in September, and the sets were left standing in Italy in anticipation of a second season.

Not to mention the way it ended -- both dramatically and at the moment in history -- certainly left a lot of doors open for future exploration.

Not to mention the way it ended -- both dramatically and at the moment in history -- certainly left a lot of doors open for future exploration.

Heck Yeah! The Golden Age of Augustus! That is what I am looking forward to.

Not to mention Deadwood coming back in June. I think it's pretty silly when you hear people saying they're going to drop this or that premium channel and re-add it "when something comes back on they like" all the time. Guess that $10/mo might break 'em... :rolleyes:Quite frankly, HBO has been a disappointment to me as of late. Since Band Of Brothers (which was after The Sopranos and Sex In The City), not much new has been of interest. Further, the ratings seem to back up my feelings.

I've watched some of Deadwood, Rome, Six Feet Under, Carnivàle, etc. None of them do much for me.

I do admit to liking Curb. But it's not HD, and Cheryl Hines would look even better in HD.....and I hear it may not be coming back. I must be out of sync, or something,

I've watched some of Deadwood, Rome, Six Feet Under, Carnivàle, etc. None of them do much for me.

I think you are in the minority here, Ken. All of those shows do everything for me, and judging by the individual threads for those shows, it does a lot for most of the entries.

Deadwood is brilliant. But it requires a commitment to appreciate its particular mix of the lyrical and the hardscrabble. Patience is rewarded. And Rome is as epic in scale and scope as we're ever likely to get in television these days as well as being very well written and performed. Both of these shows are about as good as it gets on the small screen, and HDTV to boot.

Deadwood, The Sopranos, Band of Brothers, Rome, and early Six Feet Under - that's about as good as television has ever been. Truly art. Just not enough of it.

The hot new creative network, almost on a par with HBO for original content, is FX. Over There, which nobody watched, was one of the most moving and exciting series ever. The Shield is consistently wonderful. Rescue Me is unique and funny as hell. Nip/Tuck was great for a while.

Another series that deserves mention as long as we're talking about stellar TV is Showtime's 10-hour 'Sleeper Cell' - intense, sometimes chilling, addictive as '24' but grounded in reality. Showtime is upping the ante with this one and the very funny look at suburban-angst in 'Weeds'.

Real Time's back? Whoo-hoo! I can never keep track of when it's coming or going and don't care for the Costis fill-in between seasons.

And Carnivale was indeed great TV. Too densely and intricately plotted for the drooling masses, however. A shame HBO couldn't have kept it around anyway, sort of like a badge of honor. Ironically, the high cost of Rome probably sealed Carnivale's fate.

Carnivale ended abruptly with a "season" ending, not a "show" ending. They should have at least done a 2-hour finale to give us some answers.

So has anyone heard weather or not they've started shooting season 2 yet? Last I heard, they were going to start shooting in March.

So has anyone heard weather or not they've started shooting season 2 yet? Last I heard, they were going to start shooting in March.

From Variety,
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117940324?categoryid=19&cs=1&query=rome&display=rome
Variety.com - Irritated Italos give HBO's 'Rome' the thumbs down

Irritated Italos give HBO's 'Rome' the thumbs down
Some claimed epic was censored, historically inaccurate

By NICK VIVARELLI

ROME -- Just as the second installment of "Rome" starts shooting at Italy's Cinecitta, a toned-down version of HBO's lusty historical skeinskein has finally marched onto Roman TV screens sans nudity and violence.

And it has been snubbed by Italos with anti-Yank disdain.

The lavish epic, which has sold around the world in both its original format and the sanitized version, aired on pubcasterpubcaster channel RAI-2 to a mere 10% audience share, half as many viewers as skit comedy show "Zelig" got on rival commercial broadcaster Mediaset.

That is a far cry from the substantial ratings the original "Rome" scored when it debuted on HBO Stateside and on the BBC in BlightyBlighty.

For Italians, "Rome" was preceded by polemics over the edited-out frontal nudity, which some blasted as censorship. There were also qualms over historical accuracy -- a worry shared by the British press.

Newspaper Corriere Della Sera blasted it as a "prime example of historical misinformation," calling Ciaran Hinds' Caesar a "parody" -- "too young and with too much hair" -- and describing the sexual relationship between Roman matron Atia (Polly Walker) and Mark Anthony (James PurefoyJames Purefoy) as "ridiculous."

"Many Italian journalists and commentators just don't want to see their history depicted by Anglo-Saxons," says RAI drama exec Paola Masini. "Watching British actors playing Romans rubs a lot of people the wrong way and prompted the press to find fault with the historical accuracy."

The Japanese had similar qualms with "The Memoirs of a Geisha," starring Chinese thesps Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li.

It's something that RAI -- which co-produced the Italian version with HBO and the BBC to the tune of E4.5 million ($5.4 million) -- had been aware of from the start, but could do little to avert.

Because of a lack of English-speaking ItaloItalo thesps, the best RAI could do was make suggestions to HBO and the BBC on the scripts, and supervise the tailored Italo version, which differs only slightly from the one HBO sold for syndication.

"I truly believe this is not a piece of cheesy Yank misrepresentation," says "Rome" executive producer Marco Valerio Pugini, a native Roman. "It's not 'Ben Hur' or 'Gladiator,' and top Italian historians have actually signed off on the script."

"We've been concerned about how we are representing Roman history for Romans not just because we're working with RAI, but also because we are working with real Romans in the heart of Rome," says Jonathan Stamp, the Oxford U.-educated Brit who is the skein's historical consultant.

But aside from cross-cultural considerations, the "Rome" Italy outing is the first time the skein has played a major international territory in its expurgated version, posing questions that programmers in other territories will be mulling.

"To everyone I say: there is the HBO version and there is a tamer version, which is considerably toned down," says Charles Schreger, prexyprexy HBO Enterprises.

Paradoxically, when it comes to Roman history, Anglo-Saxon territories may prove less prudish than neo-Latin ones.

Australia's Nine Network will go with the racier "Rome," while France's M6 and other broadcasters are still deciding.

Meanwhile, at Cinecitta, the Forum is being spruced up and helmets and leather bodices dusted prior to production kickoff of series two, April 10.

It is being shepherded by John Melfi ("Sex and the City""Sex And The City"), who takes over from Frank Doelger as executive producer, while Anthony Pratt has replaced Joseph Bennett as production designer.

Episodes one and two will be helmed by Timothy Van Patten and Allen CoulterAllen Coulter respectively, both of whom also worked on the first series.

Casting is underway in Britain for an older Octavian to take over from Max Pirkis.

And, while new plot elements are under wraps, Stamp said that Rome will become a desperate and anarchic place due to a famine. Epic will start with Caesar's funeral, have at least one big set-piece battle, and continue to feature lots of nudity.


Date in print: Mon., Mar. 27, 2006, Weekly

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Thanks for the tip Whitearrow.. :)

...

keenan,

Thanks for the update. Sounds promising.

I'm sorry to hear they're replacing Max Pirkis though. I thought he did an excellent job in the first season.

I'm curious which battle they will feature for the big set-piece battle. Actium would seem to be the most obvious, but since that was a sea battle, I'm inclined to think otherwise.

Whohooo!!! "Lots of nudity"

Question: Are modern Italians descendants of the ancient Romans?

Whohooo!!! "Lots of nudity"

Question: Are modern Italians descendants of the ancient Romans?
I'm no history buff but I think if by Romans you mean the orignal founders of Rome then the answer is yes.

IF you mean in Romans in general then no since the Roman Emprire at its peak was inlcuded lots of different cultures.

Epic will start with Caesar's funeral

if they're starting back up with his funeral, why do they need an older actor to play Octavius? That is starting only days since we last saw him, correct?

There's some speculation that he'll be replaced mid-season, which makes sense if they're only starting the casting process now.

I'm sad to see him go.

I agree with some of the other posters that if not for "Deadwood" and "Rome" there is no need for HBO. I haven't watched it in months having seen all their movies on DVD and not interested in any of their other shows. In the true since, even Deadwood and Rome are always put on DVD (not in HD yet) so it's possible to save money by dropping HBO.

Everybody decides for himself whether a premium network is worth the cost or not, but in addition to Rome and Deadwood, don't forget The Sopranos, Big Love, Entourage, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Elizabeth I, with Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons, is coming. The two great original programming networks are HBO and FX, and not having one of them would be a big loss to me.

Everybody decides for himself whether a premium network is worth the cost or not, but in addition to Rome and Deadwood, don't forget The Sopranos, Big Love, Entourage, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Elizabeth I, with Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons, is coming. The two great original programming networks are HBO and FX, and not having one of them would be a big loss to me.

HBO is the one premium service that is worth the money to me. Besides most of what you mentioned (you missed Carnivale, by the way), I've enjoyed many "specials" (Chris Rock, etc.) and original movies such as 'Conspiracy' and 'The Gathering Storm' to name two.

No. It was 4:3 SD, but it still looked gorgeous. And of course the storylines, acting, and season-long story and character development made it (for my money) the best drama on TV.

I was also a lover of NBC's "Homicide: Life on the Street", also set in Baltimore. What a terrific collection of characters and stories.

Check out FX's Thief. It stars Andre Baugher as a thief. The first episode looked good. I wonder if its shot in HD since it was broadcast in widescreen.

Don't forget Boxing. No other station has as many good fights with big name fighters and in HD as HBO. Plus they always replay the big PPV the week after.

Check out FX's Thief. It stars Andre Baugher as a thief. The first episode looked good. I wonder if its shot in HD since it was broadcast in widescreen.
Thief does look good, Andre Braugher is one of my favorites anyways. Most of that stuff on FX is shot or created in a 16x9 format, all we need now is for FX to go HD. IMO, FX is every bit as good as HBO for original series.

Regarding HBO, The Wire is also quality programming.

I watched the beginning of the premiere of Thief. The scene where they have broken into the bank vault and Andre spends time talking on his cell with his wife and the school or policemen about his son or daughter was enough for me to say, "Dumb plotting. Trying to be clever but no sense of logic." Not for me.

OT: Thief just got removed from my SP. :( It is probably better than Heist, but still...

Hong.

Yeah, I bagged 'Thief' as well. I was kinda' looking forward to it, and especially the 6-hour running length - not too great a commitment. But it just wasn't compelling and I found the lead actor to be not very believable, or likable. Some of the disjointed camera work bothered me too (the kind that looks like a few frames got dropped from a scene every few seconds in order to, presumably, highten the tension).

Bump.

Huge fan of ROME. Watching it since first episode last fall. Any ideas as to what the status of the show is now? Is filming complete? Has there been a schedule for episodes released?

HBO had a sneak peak for Rome Season 2 before Red Eye aired tonight. Looks like the show returns in January 2007.

Well that's when I re-sign up for HBO again.

Bump.

Huge fan of ROME. Watching it since first episode last fall. Any ideas as to what the status of the show is now? Is filming complete? Has there been a schedule for episodes released?

I had read that they started shooting sometime in the summer. So i wouldnt expect any telecasts until about January/February 2007.

Are they going to re-air season 1 before showing season 2?

You can rent it on DVD

Why would I want to watch season 1 in 480p? :cool:

If I'm going to watch season 2, then I'm going to see season 1 in 1080i first. If it's not going to be re-aired, I'll just forget about watching this show.

Why would I want to watch season 1 in 480p? :cool:


How about because its a good show, regardless of the format its in? While I enjoy watching shows in HD resolutions, if it is a good show I'd rather watch it in non-HD resolution then watch some crap just because its HD.

I personally find it odd how many people in these forums watch TV based upon the format of the show instead of the content.

Actually, I had HBO when it was on in HD. I watched the first two eps in HD. Got a little bored with it and there were some other shows we wanted to watch in the same time slot. Plus, I didn't have a DVR back then. Now that I have an HD-DVR with several tuners, I can record it and watch it at my own leisure.

Also, unless I rent the DVDs at the local store (which I never do anymore) or join Netflix (which I have no intention of until I get Blu-Ray), I will never see this in 480p.

I don't watch shows because of their format. I just choose to watch as little SD as possible. And, if it's available in HD, why watch it in SD? There is just to much HD out there, that I can still get a VERY good pick of programming without having to look back at old SD technology.

Besides, HBO re-runs The Sopranos in HD all the time before a new season starts. They did the same for Six Feet Under and just previously did it for the first two seasons of Entourage. If they really want Rome to succeed, why not get new HBO subscribers up to speed with a re-run of the first season of Rome?

Season 2 starts Sunday January 14, 9PM eastern.

Very much looking forward to it. Aside from a very entertaining production it had some of the best looking HD picture quality I've seen. I especially enjoyed the lead-in credits which looked like they were in 3D.

Awesome show, really enjoyed it. Even though I have a minor in Medieval History and studied Caesar, etc. I knew what was coming, I knew all the variations, but I still found myself wishing so hard someone would save him at the end of season 1 that it would change, I was really caught up in everything. Excellent show. One of the best parts was the relationship between the two guards and how that developed.

If you want to re-watch (or watch for the first time) Season 1 of "Rome", HBO is having a 1-week replay of the complete Season 1 throughout the week starting this Sunday 1/7, leading up to the debut of Season 2 which begins anew on Sunday 1/14.

For your information (times Eastern/Pacific):

Sunday 1/7: 8PM #1, 9PM #2, 10PM #3
Monday 1/8: 8PM #4
Tuesday 1/9: 8PM #5
Wed 1/10: 8PM #6, 9PM #7
Thurs 1/11: 9PM #8, 10PM #9
Fri 1/12: 8PM #10, 9PM #11
Sun 1/14: 8PM #12

Then Sunday 1/14 at 9PM is episode #13 (i.e. the first episode of the new second season).

Thanks for the heads up. reminds me to set up the timers for the new season. I may have added a pass but Rome is worth double checking

Bump

NOTE: also on Sunday 1/14 following the season premiere of "Rome" (HD) will be the premiere of the second season of "Extras" (non-HD), for those who loved this Ricky Gervais comedy.

will be the premiere of the second season of "Extras" (non-HD), for those who loved this Ricky Gervais comedy.


Funny as hell. One of my favorites (despite SD)

I was so dissapointed when I read that this is the last season of Rome no matter what. They said it costs way to much to make and that there would actually only be a few episodes, like around 10 or something. That sucks, but I'll enjoy it while I can.

Yeah. HBO is going for cheaper productions now. They're also raising their prices soon. Seems to me that they are trying to charge more for less. :(

I just watched this show for the first time last night, and really enjoyed it. I'll have to catch up on the first season now...