I, Claudius 40th Anniversary: Family Affairs

This episode aired with the first episode on its premiere date September 20, 1976.

Family Affairs!

Episode 2: Family Affairs
Broadcast Date: UK: September 20, 1976 US: November 13, 1977
Studio BBC/London Film Productions Ltd.
Producer Martin Lisemore
Director Herbert Wise
Writer Jack Pulman (Based on the book by Robert Graves)
Starring Derek Jacobi, Sian Phillips, Brian Blessed, George Baker, Frances White, Sheila Ruskin, Renu Senta
Introducing Margaret Tyzack as Antonia
Guest starring Ian Ogilvy as Drusus, Tony Haygarth as the Food Taster

Twelve years have passed. It is now 10 BC. Agrippa's death makes Julia a widow again (with lots of grandchildren for Augustus). Livia has Tiberius divorce his own wife Vispania and marry Julia. Tiberius is in a sad state. Bereft of his first wife, bored with Julia, and getting no love from Livia or Augustus, he begins to surrender to the black moods that plague him. His only salvation is his beloved brother Drusus. Unfortunately, Drusus' Republicanism is a problem for his pro-Monarchist mother. When Livia finds out her son's plan to compel Augustus to retire and restore the Republic, she acts. What results is a tragedy that will affect Tiberius and Drusus' children.


Death(s) of the episode:Drusus: Gangrene

Memorable Quotes:
"Livia…They say a snake bit her, and died." –Tiberius

“It's not worth it [conquering Britain]. There's nothing of value there and the people make terrible slaves.” –Drusus

"We've abolished kings in Rome, mother! Do you now give us living gods?" -Drusus

“Now you [Drusus] look after Antonia. No accidents. Who knows what great Roman she may be carrying?” –Augustus

“Now you mustn’t mind if you dislike me. A mother can’t love all her children.” -Drusus

“It’s not unnatural for a man to see his former wife now and then. They have things to discuss. After all, I saw his [Tiberius] father several times after we were married.” –Livia
“That was different!” -Augustus
"Oh not so very different. And you, I recall, saw Julia's mother from time to time." -Livia
"Yes, but not in secret!" -Augustus
"Well, I don't remember being present."-Livia

"Marc Antony was twice the man you [Tiberius] are, but when he spurned my sister, he learned a lesson he didn't live long enough to profit from. Do you understand me? -Augustus

“Now Tiberius, you play fair with me, eh? Don't sulk!" -Augustus

"Rome has a severe mother, and Gaius and Lucius have a cruel stepmother." -Drusus

"The fact is, when you know someone’s trying to p-poison you, nothing tastes right. Abs-solutely nothing." -Claudius

"Let me go, you fat drunken cow!" -Tiberius
"Fat? Fat! If I'm fat I'm as a woman should be fat, not skinny like a boy!" -Julia

"I'm supposed to rule an Empire and I can't even rule my own family!" -Augustus

“What would we do without these boys, Livia? Without Agrippa’s sons? They’re our one hope. In three or four years time, they’ll be old enough to take some of this burden off our backs.” –Augustus
“Oh they’re promising alright. Aren’t you, my little beauties? Very promising. Still, you have a long way to go, haven’t you? A long long way to go. We must take good care of them, Augustus. And we shall, I promise you. The very best.” –Livia
“That’s how it should be. Stay like that. What a picture you make! It expresses the true spirit of the Roman family.” -Augustus

Trivia:
-Agrippa's marriage to Julia produced five children: Gaius, Lucius, Julia the Younger (absent in the series), Agrippina, and Postumus.
-Vispania was Agrippa's daughter from his first marriage. Hence, Julia was mocking her former stepdaughter. After Tiberius divorced her, she married a Roman named Gallus.
-This is the first episode not to end with a present-day epilogue from Caesar Claudius.
-Besides I, Claudius, Margaret Tyzack also appeared in The First Churchills(1971) which was [/i]Masterpiece Theatre's first program, and The Forsyte Saga(1967) whose American success in 1969 paved the road for the import of British shows to the United States (as well as creating Masterpiece Theatre). She was in her mid-forties here (a decade older than Ian Ogilvy), sharing George Baker's seniority over the rest of the cast.
-According to Margaret Tyzack, Herbert Wise had wanted she and Frances White to give more skin in the massage sequence. Since their bodies were somewhat more mature than their youthful characters, they decided to cover up.
-George Baker was quite Tiberius' opposite behind the scenes. He caused Brian Blessed to constantly break into laughter and spoil the takes.
-The original BBC premiere combined Episode 1 and 2, with the transition done by a new scene of Claudius in the Gym, changing the beginning of the flashback by temporarily freeze-framing Drusus holding the medicine ball (with Claudius's VA introducing him). As a result, the intro of Claudius writing about Tiberius marrying Julia was removed.