I watched the 1970s BBC drama ‘I, Claudius’ for the first time a couple of years ago. Tremendous fun – even with the limited TV sets and makeup of the era. The script and acting more than makes up for it. Brian Blessed, John Hurt, Derek Jacobi, and of course Siân Phillips as the murderous poisoner Livia! It runs rings around the modern show ‘Domina’, which is set roughly in the same era. The latter show has vastly superior production values, and it 100% forgettable and banal.
So when I saw the thumbnail for this youtube video from YT’er ‘Moviewise’, with the provocative title ‘This Old TV Show Has Better Directing Than Anything Today’ I was all in! And it doesn’t disappoint. I recommend the video AND the original series – but be ready for John Hurt as Caligula, ooof! That costume!
Moviewise has another video on similar bad habits that have crept into modern TV and movie production. At the start of the video you are warned that once you see this you cannot unsee it. THIS IS NOT A LIE! If you watch this, you won’t be able to look at modern TV ‘staging’ in the same way again.