84-642: Michael David Apted CMG (10 February 1941 – 7 January 2021) was an English television and film director and producer. Apted began working in television and directed the Up documentary series (1964–2019). He later directed Coal Miner's Daughter (1980), which was nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Picture . His subsequent work included Gorillas in the Mist (1988), Nell (1994), James Bond film The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Enigma (2001). His film Amazing Grace (2006) premiered at
168-500: A miniseries , but the network made it a full-fledged series. In 2002, HBO and the BBC agreed to co-produce the series, committing a US$ 100–110 million ( £ 62.7 million) budget to the production of twelve 1-hour episodes, with HBO contributing $ 85 million, and the BBC contributing $ 15 million. The BBC contributed £800,000 to every episode of Rome in its first season. Rome
252-635: A pair of Roman soldiers mentioned in Caesar 's Commentarii de Bello Gallico . The fictional Vorenus and Pullo manage to witness and often influence many of the historical events presented in the series, although some dramatic license is taken. The first season depicts Julius Caesar's civil war of 49 BC against the traditionalist conservative faction in the Roman Senate (the Optimates ), his rise to dictatorship over Rome, and his fall, spanning
336-463: A "prime example of historical misinformation", and called actor Ciarán Hinds ( Julius Caesar ) a "parody". The paper also called the relationship between Atia of the Julii ( Polly Walker ) and Mark Antony ( James Purefoy ) "ridiculous". The second series was never broadcast at all on analog TV; however, starting from October 2009, digital-only channel Rai 4 broadcast the original uncut version of
420-649: A B and commented on the "spectacular" clothing design. Michael Ventre from Variety magazine was positive towards the series and was intrigued by the "complex" character of Atia of the Julii . James Poniewozik from Time magazine commented on the "slow start" but further stated that the series "draws you" to the ancient city of Rome. Empire magazine reviewer Helen O'Hara said: "Not as good-looking as Gladiator , perhaps, but richer in (reasonably accurate) history and texture", and gave season 1 of Rome four out of five stars. Robert Bianco from USA Today called season 2 "the fall of Rome ", commenting that season 2
504-489: A BAFTA for Best Dramatic Director for the single play Kisses at Fifty in 1974. Apted made his first feature film in 1972, The Triple Echo , starring Oliver Reed and Glenda Jackson , and he directed two films for David Puttnam . The Triple Echo was entered into the 8th Moscow International Film Festival . He alternated this work with working on the TV series Play for Today . He directed six plays including Stronger than
588-780: A GCMG in Skyfall . Daniel Craig , who has portrayed Bond on film, was appointed (CMG) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to film and theatre. The general release on 30 September 2021 of his last appearance as James Bond, in No Time to Die , had been delayed by almost two years due to a change of director and the COVID-19 pandemic. Coinciding with the film's premiere, and matching his fictional character's rank, Craig became an Honorary Commander in Britain's Royal Navy . Following this appointment, he committed to being an ambassador for
672-458: A butcher on the streets of Rome was in fact a real-life butcher. In a separate move, the BBC also decided to re-edit the first three episodes (all directed by Michael Apted) into two episodes. The BBC claimed that this was because the British audience were more familiar with the history of Rome than their American counterparts and so much of the history was unnecessary; however, Apted claims that
756-555: A departure from his earlier work, from 1992 to 1994, Apted ventured into China's rapidly changing popular culture. In a project backed by Trudie Styler , Apted directed Moving the Mountain , a feature documentary which probed the origins of the 1989 protests in Tiananmen Square and the consequences of the movement in the lives of several of the movement's student leaders. In 2006, Apted co-directed The Official Film of
840-458: A depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of the latter. Knights and Dames Commanders and Companions may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. In the satirical British television programme Yes Minister , Jim Hacker MP is told a joke by his Private Secretary, Bernard Woolley , about what
924-608: A girl, who lives with her mother Tania Mellis. Apted married Paige Simpson, his third wife, in January 2014. Apted died at his home in Los Angeles on 7 January 2021, at the age of 79. Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV ), while he
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#17327808151101008-400: A short edit of season 1 episode 7. From that, Beal began writing a demo score. Based on head writer Bruno Heller 's desired gritty pre-Christian feel for the series, and HBO's interest in a non-modern sound, Beal chose to compose and record with live instruments from across the ancient Roman world. For each episode, Beal had about two weeks to work: in the first, he composed for – and recorded –
1092-619: A strong social message or that deal with an ethical dilemma. In 1983 he directed Gorky Park , a political thriller based on the novel by Martin Cruz Smith , that deals with police corruption in the former Soviet Union . Class Action deals with a corporate whistleblower , and Extreme Measures is about medical ethics . Class Action was entered into the 17th Moscow International Film Festival . In 1994, he directed Nell , which received three Golden Globe Award nominations and one Academy Award nomination. In 1999, Apted directed
1176-409: Is hung, emblazoned with his or her coat of arms. At a considerably smaller scale, to the back of the stall is affixed a piece of brass (a "stall plate") displaying its occupant's name, arms and date of admission into the Order. Upon the death of a Knight, the banner, helm, mantling and crest are taken down. The stall plates, however, are not removed; rather, they remain permanently affixed somewhere about
1260-642: Is mentioned in the novels From Russia, with Love and On Her Majesty's Secret Service , and on-screen in his obituary in Skyfall . He was offered appointment as KCMG (which would have elevated him from Companion to Knight Commander in the Order) in The Man with the Golden Gun , but he rejected the offer as he did not wish to become a public figure. Judi Dench 's character "M" is "offered" early retirement as
1344-479: Is set in the 1st century BC, during Ancient Rome 's transition from Republic to Empire . The series features a sprawling cast of characters , many based on real figures from historical records, but the lead protagonists are ultimately two soldiers named Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo , who find their lives intertwined with key historical events. An international co-production between the United States,
1428-554: Is the largest co-produced series with the American film market in the BBC's history . The series also marked the first series on which HBO and the BBC worked together as co-producers, although the two companies had worked together in other roles in earlier series, including Band of Brothers and The Gathering Storm . Tranter from the BBC has said this about the development of Rome : "It felt like something that could have been developed by us, and HBO felt like natural partners for
1512-512: Is the traditional award for members of the FCO. The Order's motto is Auspicium melioris ævi ( Latin for "Token of a better age"). Its patron saints, as the name suggests, are St. Michael the Archangel, and St. George , patron saint of England and of soldiers . One of its primary symbols is that of St Michael trampling over and subduing Satan in battle. The Order is the sixth-most senior in
1596-575: Is there. I would love to round that show off". In an April 2009 interview with the Associated Press , actor Kevin McKidd stated the Rome film was "in development", and Lucius Vorenus would likely be a part of it. McKidd said in a later 2009 interview, "There is a script that is being shopped and it's supposedly very good, I haven't seen it, but I am definitely going to be a part of the movie... He
1680-450: Is very much alive, so that should be a fun story to tell." In March 2010, Entertainment Weekly stated that Heller had completed the script for Morning Light Productions, the film's financiers, and was now awaiting a director and a studio, since HBO Films "won't be involved". However, in a 2011 interview with Entertainment Weekly , Heller indicated the project had stalled – "I'm not holding my breath." Rome: The Complete First Season
1764-601: The James Bond film The World Is Not Enough . In addition to the Up series , Apted made other documentaries, including Bring On the Night , a feature-length concert film about the making of Sting 's first solo album . He directed the documentary The Long Way Home , which was released in 1989. It chronicled the UK, US and USSR adventures of Boris Grebenshchikov , the first Soviet underground musician allowed to record in
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#17327808151101848-634: The 2006 FIFA World Cup , narrated by Pierce Brosnan . Apted was the collaborator and subject of the documentary: Michael Apted – Visions on Film , by artist and filmmaker Melinda Camber Porter . In 1977, Apted directed the premiere of Strawberry Fields at the National Theatre in London. Documentary film TV movies Documentary film He served as president of the Directors Guild of America from 2003 to 2009 and served as
1932-665: The British Empire . It is at present awarded to men and women who hold high office or who render extraordinary or important non-military service to the United Kingdom in a foreign country, and it can also be conferred for important or loyal service in relation to foreign and Commonwealth affairs. The three classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: It is used to honour individuals who have rendered important services in relation to Commonwealth or foreign nations. People are appointed to
2016-794: The British honours system , after The Most Noble Order of the Garter , The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle , The Most Illustrious Order of St Patrick , The Most Honourable Order of the Bath , and The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India . The third of the aforementioned Orders—which relates to Ireland, no longer fully a part of the United Kingdom—still exists but is in disuse; no appointments have been made to it since 1936. The last of
2100-603: The Up series a second time in Married in America and Married in America 2 . The idea was to interview nine married couples every two years over a ten-year period to tell a more complete story of their marriages. In 2005, he directed the first three episodes of the TV series Rome . For his work in television, Apted won several British Academy Awards , including two Flaherty Documentary Awards for his work on 28 Up and 35 Up and
2184-484: The "most lavish dramatic series yet" released by HBO. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , the first season has an approval rating of 83% based on 36 reviews, with an average score of 8.62/10; the critical consensus reads: " Rome builds slowly, but a laborious start delivers rich rewards in the form of decadent sets, delicious drama and a surprising amount of intimacy". The second season has an approval rating of 89% based on 28 reviews, with an average score of 8.05/10;
2268-416: The BBC". On 20 April 2006, Carolyn Strauss, president of HBO announced the development of a second season for Rome . The filmmakers stressed that they wanted to portray Rome as a gritty and realistic city as opposed to what they call the "Hollyrome" presentation that audiences are used to from other films, with "cleanliness and marble and togas that looked pressed." Between March 2004 and May 2005 Rome
2352-516: The Blue Rod . Blue Rod does not, unlike the usher of the Order of the Garter , perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Members of the Order wear elaborate regalia on important occasions (such as coronations ), which vary by rank: At less important occasions, simpler insignia are used: Prior to 2011, the devil was portrayed with black skin while St Michael was shown as being white; this
2436-572: The Crown in relation to the foreign affairs of the Empire". Accordingly, nowadays, almost all Governors-General and Governors feature as recipients of awards in the order, typically as Knights or Dames Grand Cross. In 1965 the order was opened to women, with Evelyn Bark becoming the first female CMG in 1967. The British sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order and appoints all other members of
2520-661: The Ionian Islands and of the island of Malta and its dependencies, and for such other subjects of His Majesty as may hold high and confidential situations in the Mediterranean ". In 1864, however, the protectorate ended and the Ionian Islands became part of Greece . A revision of the basis of the Order in 1868, saw membership granted to those who "hold high and confidential offices within Her Majesty 's colonial possessions, and in reward for services rendered to
2604-402: The Julii was nominated in the category " Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series – Drama ". The series was also nominated for three Satellite Awards , two for season 1 and the last for season 2. The pilot episode "The Stolen Eagle" won a Visual Effects Society (VES) award in the category "Outstanding Visual Effects – Broadcast Series". Writers Guild of America (WGA) nominated
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2688-541: The Order In July, the Cabinet Office announced that officers of the Order who were unhappy with their insignia could exchange them for one of the newer models. On certain collar days designated by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the Order's collar over their military uniform or morning wear. When collars are worn (either on collar days or on formal occasions such as coronations),
2772-597: The Order (by convention, on the advice of the Government). The next-most senior member is the Grand Master. The office was formerly filled by the Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands ; now, however, Grand Masters are chosen by the Sovereign. Grand Masters include: The Order originally included 15 Knights Grand Cross, 20 Knights Commanders, and 25 Companions but has since been expanded and
2856-526: The Order rather than awarded it. British Ambassadors to foreign nations are regularly appointed as KCMGs, DCMGs, or CMGs. For example, the former British Ambassador to the United States, Sir David Manning , was appointed a CMG when he worked for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and then after his appointment as British Ambassador to the US, he was promoted to a Knight Commander (KCMG). It
2940-696: The Order's chapel has been in St Paul's Cathedral in London. (The cathedral also serves as home to the chapels of the Order of the British Empire and the Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor .) Religious services for the whole Order are held quadrennially; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. The Sovereign and the Knights and Dames Grand Cross are allotted stalls in
3024-581: The Orders on the list, related to India, has also been in disuse since that country's independence in 1947. The Prince Regent founded the Order to commemorate the British amical protectorate over the Ionian Islands , which had come under British control in 1814 and had been granted their own constitution as the United States of the Ionian Islands in 1817. It was intended to reward "natives of
3108-587: The Royal Navy, particularly in its international role, and to the welfare of its service families. Long-time Doctor Who companion Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart wore the ribbon of the order as the highest of his decorations. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of St Michael and St George . Rome (TV series) Rome is an American-British historical drama television series released in 2005–2007 and created by John Milius , William J. MacDonald , and Bruno Heller . The series
3192-599: The Sun , written by Stephen Poliakoff and starring Francesca Annis as a young woman who places her life in danger to expose a crime, a theme Apted returned to several times. In 1979 he directed the Hollywood-financed Agatha , featuring Vanessa Redgrave . He went to the United States in 1980, where he directed Coal Miner's Daughter , which received seven Academy Award nominations, winning best actress for Sissy Spacek . Both Spacek and Loretta Lynn ,
3276-466: The US from 14 January 2007 to 25 March 2007. The series was launched in the United States on 25 August 2005, at Wadsworth Theatre in Los Angeles. HBO broadcast the series pilot " The Stolen Eagle " four days later. According to the Nielsen ratings system , the pilot broadcast was seen by 3.8 million viewers and achieved a 9.1 household rating for Sunday primetime. HBO re-aired the pilot 11 times in
3360-538: The United Kingdom and Italy, the series was filmed in various locations, but most notably in the Cinecittà studios in Rome, Italy. The show, consisting of two seasons for a total of 22 episodes, aired on HBO , and BBC Two from 28 August 2005 to 25 March 2007, and was later released on DVD and Blu-ray . Rome received largely positive reviews and had a high number of viewers. It received substantial media attention from
3444-548: The West. Before the making of Thunderheart , Apted made the documentary Incident at Oglala about Leonard Peltier . Incident at Oglala then informed Thunderheart in the casting of actors for the fiction film. In 1997, he explored the creative process in Inspirations through candid discussion with seven artists from diverse media, including David Bowie , Louise Lecavalier and Roy Lichtenstein among others. In
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3528-706: The badge is suspended from the collar. All collars which have been awarded since 1948 must be returned to the Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood . The other insignia may be retained. The original home of the Order was the Palace of St. Michael and St. George in Corfu , the residence of the Lord High Commissioner of the Ionian Islands and the seat of the Ionian Senate. Since 1906,
3612-488: The category "Excellence in Production Design – Single-Camera Television Series" for the pilot episode "The Stolen Eagle". Michael Apted won the Directors Guild of America (DGA) in the category "Outstanding Directing – Drama Series, Night" for "The Stolen Eagle". The series itself was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in the category " Best Television Series – Drama ", and Polly Walker who portrayed Atia of
3696-413: The choir of the chapel, above which their heraldic devices are displayed. Perched on the pinnacle of a knight's stall is his helm, decorated with a mantling and topped by his crest. Under English heraldic law, women other than monarchs do not bear helms or crests; instead, the coronet appropriate to the dame's rank, if there is one, is used. Above the crest or coronet, the stall's occupant's heraldic banner
3780-576: The closing of the Toronto International Film Festival that year. On 29 June 2003, he was elected president of the Directors Guild of America , a position he served until 2009. He was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2008 Birthday Honours . Apted was born on 10 February 1941 in Aylesbury , Buckinghamshire, the son of Frances Amelia (née Thomas) and Ronald William Apted. He
3864-401: The critical consensus reads: "Pulp meets prestige in Rome ’s sensational second season – though its style sometimes outweighs its substance". Capping its successful first season, Rome won four Emmy Awards out of eight nominations in 2006, for the episodes " Caesarion ", " Triumph ", " Kalends of February " and " Stealing from Saturn ". The series also won an Art Directors Guild (ADG) in
3948-457: The current affairs series World in Action . As a researcher and assistant to Canadian director Paul Almond , Apted was involved in selecting the children, who came from a variety of backgrounds and classes. Though originally conceived as a one-off documentary, the series has become an institution. When it was suggested that they revisit the subjects at ages fourteen and twenty one, Apted accepted
4032-530: The current limits on membership are 125, 375, and 1,750 respectively. Members of the royal family who are appointed to the Order do not count towards the limit, nor do foreign members appointed as "honorary members". The Order has six officers. The Order's King of Arms is not a member of the College of Arms , like many other heraldic officers. The Usher of the Order is known as the Gentleman or Lady Usher of
4116-583: The first episode attracting 1.5 million viewers. The final episode aired 25 March 2007 in the US, garnering 2.4 million viewers. In total, HBO spent about $ 10 million US$ to promote Rome . HBO enlisted the Mozilla Firefox web browser in its marketing campaign for the series by designing a downloadable custom Rome Firefox theme . BBC Two premiered Rome in the United Kingdom on 2 November 2005, attracting 6.6 million viewers (27%); viewing figures declined in future episodes, with
4200-409: The first series and went on to broadcast the second series unaltered as well. HBO chairman Chris Albrecht announced in a July 2006 news conference that season two of Rome would be its last, citing the fact that the series (called "notoriously expensive" by Broadcasting & Cable ) had been developed under a two-year contract with the BBC that would have been difficult for the BBC to extend due to
4284-484: The former are written out in their fullest forms. Furthermore, honorary (foreign) members and clergymen do not receive the accolade and thus are not entitled to use the prefix "Sir" or "Dame". Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal "GCMG"; Knights Commanders and Dames Commanders use "KCMG" and "DCMG" respectively; Companions use "CMG". Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to receive heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with
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#17327808151104368-410: The general rule of honours, that a husband never derives any style or title from his wife.) Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders prefix "Sir", and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commanders prefix "Dame", to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix "Lady" to their surnames, but husbands of Dames derive no title from their wives. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when the names of
4452-406: The historical background. But all that's happened as far as the viewer is concerned is that it has made Rome hard to follow. Apted also said that he only learned of the edits by accident, "...a couple of weeks ago when one of the actors told me". Since then, the original uncut Season 1 episodes aired on UKTV Drama, coincident with the UK broadcast of Season 2 on BBC Two. The Italian broadcast of
4536-422: The instruments he performed on the soundtrack. In the second week, he incorporated producer's notes, and orchestrated and recorded the other live instrumental sections. Rome' s first season originally aired on HBO in the United States between 28 August and 20 November 2005, subsequently being broadcast on the United Kingdom's BBC Two between 2 November 2005 and 4 January 2006. The second season aired on HBO in
4620-528: The most expensive in the history of television. Funding was generously employed to recreate an impressively detailed set featuring a number of Roman Villas, the Forum, and a vast slum area of the ancient city of Rome. A significant part of this set was later destroyed by a fire that burned down a portion of the Cinecittà Studios in 2007. According to HBO, the fire started after they had finished filming
4704-463: The offer to direct and directed every subsequent episode in the series. It explores Apted's thesis that the British class system remains largely in place. It studies the participants based on the Jesuit motto "Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man", looking at how they develop during their lives, compared to when they were seven. The series looks at the lives of these people over
4788-468: The period from Caesar's death in 44 BC to the suicide of Antony and Cleopatra in 30 B.C. after their defeat at the Battle of Actium . Thirty-eight actors are credited in the show's opening credits when they appear, with only Kevin McKidd , Ray Stevenson , Polly Walker , Kerry Condon and James Purefoy appearing in every episode. William J. MacDonald and John Milius pitched the idea to HBO as
4872-458: The perspective of Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo , and while they were real people who were briefly mentioned in Caesar's Commentarii de Bello Gallico , almost all of their adventures in the series are fictional. Co-creator Bruno Heller has said, "We try to balance between what people expect from previous portrayals and a naturalistic approach ... This series is much more about how
4956-514: The pilot episodes for The Dustbinmen and The Lovers . They worked together again in 1982 for the TV movie P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang , the first film commissioned by Britain's Channel 4 . In 1976 Apted directed a play in the Granada TV series Laurence Olivier Presents . The episode was The Collection by Harold Pinter . The play starred Laurence Olivier , Malcolm McDowell , Alan Bates and Helen Mirren . Apted used his idea from
5040-407: The psychology of the characters affects history than simply following the history as we know it". Series Historical Consultant Jonathan Stamp also notes that the show aims for "authenticity" rather than "accuracy": We did everything we could to make these episodes historically authentic, which meant researching and incorporating every kind of detail we could about the way our characters behaved,
5124-436: The purpose was to boost the ratings by increasing the prominence of the scenes of sex and violence. In an interview with The Times , Apted said: I'm really pissed off with the BBC for bringing down my first three episodes to two and, in doing so, taking out much of the vital politics. What also makes me very grumpy is that I was told that the cuts had been introduced by the BBC because they thought British viewers already knew
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#17327808151105208-514: The season finale only attracting 3 million viewers (13%). The first episode of the second season aired on BBC Two on 20 June 2007. A "sanitized" version of the first series of Rome – with toned-down nudity and violence – aired on Rai 2 in Italy, garnering only a meager 10% audience share. RAI also stated to have co-produced the show, whereas HBO listed only itself and BBC as co-producers. The Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera called it
5292-484: The second one, which accounts for the blazing speed we go through history near the end. There's certainly more than enough history to go around. In a February 2008 interview with Movieweb.com, actor Ray Stevenson stated that a Rome film was in development, with Heller working on a script. Heller confirmed in December that there was "talk of doing a movie version", adding that "It's moving along. It's not there until it
5376-466: The second season. A portion of the set was also used in late 2007 by the crew of the long-running BBC sci-fi drama series Doctor Who , for the fourth-season episode " The Fires of Pompeii ". Audio commentary on the Season 1 DVD indicates that many of the background performers used in the series were also their true professional counterparts. One example is that the actor shown in the series working as
5460-402: The secretary-treasurer from 2011 to his death. Apted's first marriage was to Jo, with whom he had two sons, Paul and Jim. Paul Apted was a sound editor who worked on movies such as The Wolverine ; he died from colon cancer in 2014. He was married to screenwriter Dana Stevens for 10 years, before they divorced. They had a son, John. In 2007 Apted became a father for the fourth time, to
5544-414: The series for the Royal Television Society (RTS) award in the category "Best Visual Effects – Digital Effects". For season 2 (2007) Alik Sakharov won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series , for the episode " Passover ". The series' major details are generally historically accurate, but many of the minor details were dramatized. The show is generally told from
5628-438: The series for the category "Best Writing – New Television Series" in 2005. The series was also nominated for four British Academy Television Awards (BAFTA), three in season 1 (2006) and one in season 2 (2008). In 2005, the series was nominated for a Cinema Audio Society Award (CAS) in the category "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Series" for the episode " The Spoils ". The British award ceremony nominated
5712-498: The series was also marred by controversy. Strong language was removed in the Italian dubbing process; as for the more explicit sex scenes and disturbing violence, they were replaced by "safe" alternative versions shot during production especially for the Italian market. Rai 4 began showing the "complete version" of the series on Italian TV in September 2009. Composer Jeff Beal was invited to audition for Rome after he completed work on HBO 's Carnivàle . The producers sent him
5796-420: The series' cost. Of the storyline, co-creator Heller said: I discovered halfway through writing the second season the show was going to end. The second was going to end with the death of Brutus. Third and fourth season would be set in Egypt. Fifth was going to be the rise of the Messiah in Palestine. But because we got the heads-up that the second season would be it, I telescoped the third and fourth season into
5880-678: The stall, so that the stalls of the chapel are festooned with a colourful record of the Order's Knights and Dames Grand Cross since 1906. The reredos within the chapel was commissioned from Henry Poole in 1927. Members of the Order of St Michael are assigned positions in the order of precedence in England and Wales . Wives of male members also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders; relatives of female members, however, are not assigned any special precedence. (Individuals can derive precedence from their fathers or husbands, but not from their mothers or wives. This follows
5964-403: The start, becoming a ratings success for HBO and the BBC (although the numbers declined considerably in the second season) and being honoured with numerous awards , including four Emmy Awards , seven Primetime Emmy Awards , and a Visual Effects Society Award . The series ran for two seasons out of the planned five due to high production cost; much of the material for the third and fourth seasons
6048-629: The subject of the film, have said that they believe Apted's outsider point of view was crucial to the movie's success in securing the participation of Appalachian residents and to the avoidance of stereotypes that previously had marred portrayals of mountain culture . In 2019, Coal Miner's Daughter was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Apted also made several films with
6132-447: The time from the end of his Gallic Wars (52 BC or 701 ab urbe condita ) until his assassination on 15 March 44 BC (the infamous Ides of March ). Against the backdrop of these cataclysmic events, we also see the early years of the young Octavian, who is destined to become Augustus , the first Emperor of Rome. The second season chronicles the power struggle between Octavian and Mark Antony following Caesar's assassination, spanning
6216-544: The various post-nominals stand for. From Series 2, Episode 2 "Doing the Honours": Woolley : In the service, CMG stands for "Call Me God". And KCMG for "Kindly Call Me God". Hacker : What does GCMG stand for? Woolley (deadpan): "God Calls Me God". Ian Fleming's spy, James Bond , a commander in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (RNVR), was fictionally decorated as a CMG in 1953. This
6300-523: The week following 28 August 2005 premiere, garnering a total viewership of 8.9 million for all 11 airings. After the broadcast of only three first-season episodes, HBO announced plans to produce a second season of Rome in 2006, for release in March 2007. HBO aired each episode multiple times a week, and by the end of the first season, the total weekly audience for all airings exceeded seven million viewers. The second season premiered in January 2007, with
6384-425: The years; the latest instalment, 63 Up , was produced in 2019. It won a Peabody Award in 2012 "for its creator’s patience and its subjects' humanity." During his seven-year period of working at Granada, Apted also directed a number of episodes of Coronation Street , then written by Jack Rosenthal , among others. Apted and Rosenthal later collaborated on a number of popular television and film projects, including
6468-476: Was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III . It is named in honour of two military saints , Michael and George . The Order of St Michael and St George was originally awarded to those holding commands or high position in the Mediterranean territories acquired in the Napoleonic Wars , and it was subsequently extended to holders of similar office or position in other territories of
6552-418: Was changed that year to show both with same skin colour, although St Michael's wings were changed from being multi-colour to being pure white. The alleged racism of this imagery has resulted in the government of Jamaica suspending the use of the badge entirely. In June 2020, calls were made for a complete redesign of the insignia, including from Sir Michael Palin of Monty Python fame, a Knight Commander of
6636-458: Was educated at City of London School and Downing College, Cambridge , where he studied law and history. Apted began his career in television as a trainee for six months at Granada Television in Manchester , where he worked as a researcher. One of his first projects at Granada would become his best known: the Up series , which began in 1964 as a profile of 14 seven-year-old children for
6720-515: Was filmed in co-production with Rai Fiction in the Italian countryside on Cinecittà studios' six sound stages in Rome. A collection of massive sets in Cinecittà studios' back lots comprised an elaborate "period reconstruction" of sections of ancient Rome . It was a huge undertaking, with an international crew of 350, and more than 50 local Italian interns. The production is regarded as one of
6804-637: Was not as good as season 1 citing "off-key characterizations and plot absurdities". Linda Stasi from The New York Post called herself a "slave" to the show. Melanie McFarland from Seattle Post-Intelligencer called season 2 "at top of its form" and said it was as good as the former season. Historian Robin Lane Fox , writing in The Guardian , called the series "splendidly ambitious". Eric Neigher from Slant Magazine called season 1 of Rome "good art". Robert Abele from LA Weekly called it
6888-560: Was released as a six-disc Region 1 DVD box set in the United States in 2006, distributed by HBO Home Video. Featuring all 12 episodes, it included features such as episode commentaries, behind-the-scenes footage and making-of features. The set (without the episodic previews and recaps) was also released in Region 2, with the same title. Season 2 was released in North America in 2007 and soon after in Region 2. Rome: The Complete Series
6972-484: Was released in November 2009 on Blu-ray in North America. Rome garnered mostly positive reviews. Sean Woods from Rolling Stone called the series "masterful" and "epic", and gave the series 3.5 out of 4. Alessandra Stanley from The New York Times said: "But behind all that gritty squalor the glory that was Rome gets lost", while reviewing season 2 . Lisa Schwarzbaum from Entertainment Weekly gave season 2
7056-462: Was telescoped into the second season. Accordingly, the series has been praised for high detail of accuracy and scenery of its daily life, including both its Roman and Egyptian language used in the script. The series primarily chronicles the lives and deeds of the rich, powerful, and historically significant, but it also focuses on the lives, fortunes, families, and acquaintances of two common men: Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, fictionalized versions of
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