Although it has now been dwarfed in scale by more recent shows like Game of Thrones and The Last of Us, HBO's Rome was a groundbreaking piece of television due to immense size and budget; instead of feeling like a cheap imitation, the historical drama series had the look, feel, and dramatic intent of a Hollywood historical epic. Although many films had explored the origins of the Roman Empire, Rome offered a definitive examination of the rise of Julia Caesar, the War of Actium, and the emergence of the Roman Republic. Rome was so popular at the time of its release that it caused an internal shift in HBO; David Milch, who would go on to create Deadwood, had to shelve his original idea for a series set in Ancient Rome.
Milch had envisioned a series that would explore the origins of law, civilization, and democracy at the end of the Roman Empire, and how this civilization served as a blueprint for future governments. Understandably, HBO was hesitant about greenlighting another show set during the same time period; however, they were still interested in developing a new series with Milch, as he had already proven himself to be a brilliant writer due to his work on NYPD Blue. Milch wanted to create another show that could explore the political themes he was interested in, which drew him to the true story of Deadwood, South Dakota.
David Milch Created 'Deadwood' After Shelving His Original Idea for a Show Set in Ancient Rome Close
Milch was interested in telling a story about all the participants in a democracy, which was one of the reasons that Rome had such an interesting perspective on the Roman Empire. While it did include famous historical figures like Caesar (Ciarán Hinds), Mark Antony (James Purefoy), Brutus (Tobias Menzies), and Cassius (Guy Henry), it also included fictional characters who represented the point of view of the common man, such as Ray Stevenson's incredible performance as Titus Pullo. Deadwood took a similar approach; while some characters, such as Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) and Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant), were loosely based on real people, many of the key supporting characters were meant to represent the types of figures that could have feasibly existed during this period in history. Even if history itself is ultimately told by the successors and those with the most power, Milch had the foresight to understand that a more diverse show would also be more dramatically compelling.
Both Deadwood and Rome examined the challenges a democracy faces, and why changes in leadership can be so fraught. In Ancient Rome, there was an obvious story to tell about Caesar's assassination and the power vacuum that led the Empire into a civil war; however, Milch was able to connect with many of these same ideas by showing how Deadwood officially became annexed. Both Deadwood and Rome question whether giving up personal freedoms is worth the creation of a civilization in which people are given an equal chance at success, regardless of their background. It is to the credit of both shows that they take the time to explore the perspective of women, people of color, and other groups that are often underrepresented within historical dramas.
Roman principals are often brought up in Deadwood, as characters like Bullock and Sol Star (John Hawkes) refer to the teachings of the Founding Fathers of the United States when discussing the power structure of Deadwood; the Founding Fathers themselves used Roman philosophy when conceiving the political makeup of the United States, with the Empire earning several specific references in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. Milch may not have been able to create a series set during Caesar's reign, but he did prove that he was an expert on the guiding ideas that made Rome such an unprecedented civilization.
Related Before Ian McShane, This Beloved Sitcom Star Almost Became 'Deadwood's Al Swearengen
Oh, what could have been.
Posts 'Deadwood' and 'Rome' Explore the Origins of Democracy
Deadwood and Rome stood out within this era of prestige television because of the fluidity of their ensembles. Milch and Rome creators John Milius, William J. MacDonald, and Bruno Heller understood that the setting itself was more interesting than just one character, leading to exciting shows in which protagonists could be killed at shocking points. Despite the frequency with which the shows cycled through their ensembles, they were each able to draw some established names for their casts, even though this was a time in which there was little crossover between film and television acting. Deadwood earned a supporting role from the Academy Award-nominated actor Brad Dourif, while Rome featured veteran film and stage actors such as Kenneth Cranham and Lindsay Duncan.
Deadwood and Rome succeeded in addressing the complexities of their historical eras, which revealed all the characters to have complex ethics. Although the television industry had seen the creation of defiant antiheroes like Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) in The Sopranos, Vic Mackey (Michael Chiklis) in The Shield, or Don Draper (Jon Hamm) in Mad Men, both Rome and Deadwood had less clearly defined heroes and villains; even characters that were genuinely empathetic, such as Deadwood's Bullock or Rome's Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd), were capable of doing terrible things. The moral gray area may have cost viewers for HBO at the time, as Rome and Deadwood didn't provide the traditionally satisfying moments that some television audiences may have expected. Nonetheless, the development of more complex writing helped to signify why HBO was pushing the medium forward.
Both Deadwood and Rome were sadly cancelled before their time; while Deadwood was able to reunite its cast for the spinoff Deadwood: The Movie over a decade after it went off the air, Rome was forced to hastily wrap up its story at the end of its second season. It's unfortunate that these two brilliant pieces of storytelling weren't given the chance to fulfill their potential, but their impact is certainly clear; without Deadwood and Rome, it's likely that many of the greatest shows on HBO right now would not exist.
Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Like Rome TV-MA Action & Adventure Drama Release Date 2005 - 2006 Cast See All Kevin McKidd Ray Stevenson Ciarán Hinds James Purefoy Where to watch Close WHERE TO WATCH Streaming BUY
Creator(s) John Milius, William J. MacDonald, Bruno Heller Powered by Expand Collapse