it took a while to win over the critics, but i, claudius was an instant hit with audiences. the series was enriched by numerous memorable scenes, many laced with dark comedy. married three times already. how many more marriages do you want? that s not my fault. i was widowed twice. how woman can get us a widow twice is beyond me. and it produced this unforgettable moment when brian blessed as augustus meets his end. director herbie wise told blessed he wanted to see rome die on his face and kept the camera on him unblinking for several minutes. i m finished. tomorrow, bbc4 will put the machinations of ancient rome on screen again. but can it grab a new audience? when compared with modern tv dramas, will it fall like the roman empire? or, like claudius himself, outlive them all?