TV antiquity : swords, sandals, blood and sand / Sylvie Magerstädt.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Magerstädt Sylvie, 1976- author.

Series:

Television series (Manchester University Press)

The television series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Historical television programs--History and criticism.

Historical television programs.

Civilization, Ancient, on television.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xi, 225 pages) : illustrations (black and white), digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Manchester : Manchester University Press, 2019.

Summary:

This is a comprehensive overview of Greek and Roman historical dramas on television. It traces the development of fictional representations of antiquity from the 1950s to the present, exploring how broader cultural, political and economic issues have influenced the representation of antiquity on television.

Contents:

part I. The ancient world as serial television drama

part II. Pepla and politics : the emergence of a television genre (1960s)

Case study 1 The Caesars (1968)

Case study 2 Odissea/The Odyssey (1968)

part III. Costumes and censorship : the BBC's Roman Empire (1970s)

Case study 3 I, Claudius (1976)

Case study 4 The Eagle of the Ninth (1977)

part IV. Cult and kitsch : Graeco-Roman myths on US television (1980s-90s)

Case study 5 The Last Days of Pompeii (1984)

Case study 6 Hercules : the legendary journeys (1995-99)

part V. Expanse and spectacle : the postmillennial revival of a genre

Case study 7 Rome (2005-8)

Case study 8 STARZ Spartacus (2010-13)

Conclusion : what is the future of TV antiquity?

Notes:

Also issued in print: 2019.

Includes bibliographical references, filmography and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (viewed on March 17, 2026).

ISBN:

9781526100061

1526100061

9781526100078

152610007X

OCLC:

1089195547