BBC classic I, Claudius includes lessons for modern U.S. politics, say podcast hosts

As John Hodgman went through his latest re-watch of I, Claudius, the rise of Caligula as Roman emperor felt as though it held up a mirror to modern-day American politics.

"To explain how crazy he is, he names his horse as a senator. He declares himself a god. He wages war on the ocean, and his booty is a chest of shells. And Claudius is like: as soon as everyone sees that this ruler is not competent, we'll go back to a democracy," Hodgman told Day 6 host Brent Bambury.

"And smash cut to the senate going: 'Hail God, Caligula.'"

Hodgman documented his latest watch-through of the seminal 1976 BBC TV program with fellow Daily Show alumnus Elliot Kalan for their new podcast I, Podius.

"That was one of those moments I was watching [when] I was like, okay, this is a little on the nose," said Kalan, who viewed the series for the first time for this podcast.

"There's so much in it about politics and political power, and the way people grasp for it, and the things they're willing to do for it."

The BBC's I, Claudius is one of several adaptations of the eponymous 1934 historical fiction novel by Robert Graves. It documented the history of the early Roman Empire from the viewpoint of an elderly Claudius, who ruled Rome from AD 41 to 54, writing his memoirs.

Derek Jacobi stars as Claudius, with a large supporting cast that included Siân Phillips as Claudius's grandmother Livian, John Hurt as Caligula and Patrick Stewart (wearing a "very dismaying toupee" according to Hodgman) as Sejanus.

Most North Americans became familiar with the show as part of Masterpiece Theatre on PBS. The show won the BBC multiple BAFTAs, an Emmy for art direction and several other Emmy nominations.

Each episode of I, Podius dissects one episode of I, Claudius, with Hodgman giving his perspective as a lifelong fan and Kalan weighing in both as a newbie to the show and an expert in television production.

"I don't think a day's gone by since we watched it that I hadn't thought about it and wanted to go back and re-watch it. It just really burned itself into me," Kalan said.

The podcast marks Hodgman's tenth viewing of the show, by his estimation. He still remembers the impact it had on him the first time he saw it decades ago.

"Even though I was but a child at the time, it was this huge television phenomenon. It was arguably the first prestige drama that got adults watching television about ancient history in these cardboard backdrops," he said.

Those "cardboard backdrops" were a signature part of the show's aesthetic, seemingly necessitated out of its low budget, especially compared to modern-day prestige shows.

"It was made for a domestic British audience that loved theatre and acting. It is really just a piece of filmed theatre, and the whole of the Roman Empire is contained within, I think we ultimately counted five [stage] sets," said Hodgeman.

"The knives and swords are visibly made of rubber. They're the least convincing props that I've seen."

The look was indicative of BBC shows at a time — also exemplified by early seasons of Doctor Who, "where every alien planet was essentially a quarry," said Kalan.

But that same philosophy almost put I, Claudius of being lost forever. According to Kalan, BBC producers were often wont to tape over the VHS cassettes containing their shows to save space and money.

"We're very lucky that I, Claudius was internationally shown. … I think the BBC treated it as a little bit more valuable than the other ones," he said.

Hodgman and Kalan aren't sure if something as strangely specific as I, Claudius — a brilliantly-performed British miniseries based on a 1930s historical fiction novel — will happen again. But they see its fingerprints in many of the most talked-about programs today.

"I do think that it has happened again already in these cultural touchstone moments like Mad Men, like Game of Thrones — like Tiger King. I mean, these human dramas repeat," said Hodgman, punctuating his third example with a wry chuckle.

"I urge you to take a look at it, both because it's an incredible work of art that has touched so many people, and also because you really can't enjoy our podcast unless you see it first."

Written by Jonathan Ore. Interviews produced by Laurie Allan.

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