I put my comment on this series here, in memory of Sian Phillips. Her portrayal of Livia in this series defined the remainder of her career. Smiling malevolence was never better embodied on the screen. I saw this series when it first aired on PBS nearly fifty years ago, one episode per week. Over the course of several weeks, we came to hate Livia as the other characters met with premature death so often. In this episode, there is an absolutely astonishing scene between Livia and Claudius in which Livia makes a request and Claudius asks a question. I won't spoil it by saying anything more than the scene is so quiet and understated. No scenery chewing, no performance given in pursuit of an award. Yet it embodies what is so fascinating about this series.
Review of Queen of Heaven
