HBO | Release Date: August 28, 2005
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 43 Critic Reviews
Positive:
31
Mixed:
10
Negative:
2
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91
The Detroit NewsMekeisha Madden TobyJan 28, 2014
Season 1 Review: [A] captivating and undeniable classic. [26 Aug 2005, p.2E]
90
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob OwenJan 28, 2014
Season 1 Review: Rome wasn't built in a day, the saying goes, and that applies to this show, too. It's a slow build that requires some effort on the part of viewers, but after the first three episodes, I was hooked. [28 Aug 2005, p.TV-3]
90
Miami HeraldGlenn GarvinJan 28, 2014
Season 1 Review: A wild, careening chariot ride of a new series that debuts tonight. It's like The Sopranos in togas, except without even the faintest twinge of conscience. [28 Aug 2005, p.8]
80
Detroit Free PressMike DuffyJan 28, 2014
Season 1 Review: Rome delivers high-quality television bursting with grimy, down-to-earth life. [26 Aug 2005]
80
Boston GlobeMatthew GilbertJan 28, 2014
Season 1 Review: No, it's not "groundbreaking," as HBO calls its programming. And I doubt it will give the ratings-slipping channel its much-needed hit. But it will probably find a small, loyal, "Deadwood"-size audience that enjoys a good serial melodrama charged up by a villainess named Atia who turns mothering into something akin to pimping. [26 Aug 2005, p.D1]
80
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Catherine Dawson MarchJan 28, 2014
Season 1 Review: It demands your attention to keep the many plot threads from tangling, and at times requires a strong stomach, but you never know what to expect next, and that beats the ridiculous reality series seen on every other channel. Give me gore over gonzo any day. [27 Aug 2005, p.8]
75
San Diego Union-TribuneRobert P. LaurenceJan 28, 2014
Season 1 Review: The finished product is passably entertaining, intermittently involving, tolerably well acted by an all-English cast, and offers enough kinky sex and graphic violence to satisfy all but the most depraved tastes. [22 Aug 2005, p.D-1]
75
Boston HeraldMark A. PerigardJan 28, 2014
Season 1 Review: Less perverse than ``I, Claudius,'' more entertaining than ABC's toga twister ``Empire,'' Rome gets off to an uneven start. [25 Aug 2005, p.47]
75
San Jose Mercury News/Contra Costa TimesChuck BarneyJan 28, 2014
Season 1 Review: Whether Rome attains that stature is entirely up to the Nielsen gods, but one thing is certain: The series is a lusty, violent, rollicking saga that is sure to seize plenty of initial attention, if not for its ravishing production values, then for its rampant depiction of ancient-style decadence and debauchery. [27 Aug 2005, p.F4]
70
Denver PostJoanne OstrowJan 28, 2014
Season 1 Review: While the first hour is daunting, the series offers a terrific villainess who also has a knack for humor. [28 Aug 2005, p.F-03]
67
Dallas Morning NewsEd BarkJan 28, 2014
Season 1 Review: Amply seasoned with treachery, lechery, debauchery, depravity, nudity and infidelity, HBO's Rome also tends to fall victim to filmmaking's cardinal sin - tedium. [28 Aug 2005, p.3]
63
Season 2 Review: As in season 1, the acting is rich and lusty, with no costume-drama fustiness. [15 Jan 2007, p.33]