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The Cleopatras (1983)

First aired January 19, 198350m/ep1 season · 8 epsEnded
2.3

3 votes

Drama

Overview

The Cleopatras is a 1983 BBC Television historical drama serial created and written by Philip Mackie. Set in Ancient Egypt during the latter part of the Ptolemaic Dynasty, the eight-part series follows the lives of a series of queens belonging to the Ptolemaic Dynasty of ancient Egypt, culminating in its final active ruler Cleopatra VII. Intended to be the I, Claudius of the 1980s, The Cleopatras met with a decidedly negative critical reaction, and was regarded and portrayed as a gaudy farce. It also produced a number of complaints due to scenes of nudity.

Created By

Philip Mackie

Top Billed Cast

Michelle Newell

Michelle Newell

Cleopatra

Seasons

Status

Ended

Language

English

Type

Miniseries

Last Air Date

February 23, 1983

Networks

BBC Two

Production

BBC

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User Reviews

CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

Written by Philip Mackie, who also penned "The Caesars" (1968), I recall the furore at the time here in the UK when the BBC started showing "The Cleopatras". This eight-parter was accused of being a seedy, tawdry - and just about everything else pejorative - depiction of the Ptolomeic court in Alexandria that saw a multitude of women called Cleopatra rule Egypt. What those criticisms failed to acknowledge is that this is pretty much exactly how these depraved, incestuous individuals did behave. Mothers married sons, fathers their daughters - indeed it would have been quite possible for your mu…

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