History Series / TheCaesars

* PlayingGertrude: Sonia Dresdel (Livia) was only three months older than André Morell, who played her son Tiberius.

[[Creator/{{Granada}} Granada Television's]] take on the early years of UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire comprised six episodes written by Philip Mackie (who went on to write ''Series/TheCleopatras'' for Creator/TheBBC in 1983) and directed by Derek Bennett, first airing in [[OlderThanTheyThink autumn of 1968.]] Rather than encompassing the entire Julio-Claudian dynasty, the series focuses primarily on the reigns of Tiberius and UsefulNotes/{{Caligula}}, beginning with the last days of Augustus in 14 AD and concluding with the declaration of Claudius as Emperor in 41 AD.

* UnfortunateName: Agrippa Postumus, whose name is phonetically identical to "posthumous" aka "after-death", and who was thus named because [[SomeoneToRememberHimBy he was born after the death of his father]], Marcus Agrippa. Fittingly, he is murdered by his guards at the end of "Augustus", ostensibly on Augustus' orders.

* UnfortunateName: Agrippa Postumus, whose name is phonetically identical to "posthumous" aka "after-death", and who was thus named because he was born after the death of his father, Marcus Agrippa. Fittingly, he is murdered by his guards at the end of "Augustus", ostensibly on Augustus' orders.

The final two episodes cover the brief but chaotic rule of Tiberius' successor. When Tiberius dies in "Caligula", he names Germanicus' surviving son Gaius Caligula (Ralph Bates) as co-heir with his grandson Gemellus. Caligula presents himself as sole ruler and initially rules benevolently, but after recovering from a severe fever, he becomes violently, even homicidally, insane and [[AGodAmI declares himself a god]] while massacring anyone he sees as a threat, including Gemellus. His murderous reign continues into "Claudius", but his enemies are finally multiplying faster than he can eliminate them, and he is [[BodyguardBetrayal assassinated by the Praetorian Guard]], who declare Germanicus' lame, stammering brother Claudius (Freddie Jones) the new Emperor.

** Augustus has to deal with one, with his preferred heirs, his grandsons Lucius and Gaius, dead before the series begins. It's implied in the series and agreed by historical sources that Augustus didn't particularly like his stepson Tiberius but saw him as the only suitable heir. In the series, Tiberius himself bitterly remarks that he's been made into a placeholder until Augustus's grandnephew, Germanicus, is old enough to be emperor.

* SuccessionCrisis: Tiberius is confronted with one throughout his reign. Initially, he plans to make Germanicus his successor in accordance with Augustus' will. When Germanicus dies in Syria, he names his own son Drusus as his successor, to be followed by Germanicus' son Nero. When Drusus is poisoned and Nero is arrested on trumped up charges of treason by Sejanus and starved to death in captivity, Tiberius names Caligula and Gemellus co-heirs. Caligula accepts, but glosses over the "co-heir" idea and has Gemellus murdered after Tiberius' death.
** Indeed, Augustus has to deal with one too, with his preferred heirs, his grandsons Lucius and Gaius, dead before the series begins. It's implied in the series and agreed by historical sources that Augustus didn't particularly like his stepson Tiberius but saw him as the only suitable heir. In the series, Tiberius himself bitterly remarks that he's been made into a placeholder until Augustus's grandnephew, Germanicus, is old enough to be emperor.