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Masada (1981)

First aired April 5, 19812h/ep1 season · 4 epsEnded
7.0

60 votes

DramaAction & Adventure

Overview

Masada is a 1981 American historical drama television miniseries aired on ABC under the tentpole ABC Novel for Television. The screenplay by Joel Oliansky is based on Ernest Gann's 1971 novel The Antagonists. A dramatization of the historical siege of the Masada citadel in Roman Palestine by legions of the Roman Empire in AD 73. A siege that ended when the Roman armies entered the fortress, only to discover the mass suicide by the Jewish defenders when defeat became imminent.

Created By

Joel Oliansky

Top Billed Cast

Peter O'Toole

Peter O'Toole

General Cornelius Flavius Silva

Peter Strauss

Peter Strauss

Eleazar ben Yair

Barbara Carrera

Barbara Carrera

Sheva

Alan Feinstein

Alan Feinstein

Aaron

Giulia Pagano

Giulia Pagano

Miriam

Anthony Quayle

Anthony Quayle

Rubrius Gallus

Paul L. Smith

Paul L. Smith

Gideon

David Warner

David Warner

Senator Pomponius Falco

Clive Francis

Clive Francis

Attius, Head Tribune

David Opatoshu

David Opatoshu

Shimon

Richard Pierson

Richard Pierson

Ephraim

Joseph Wiseman

Joseph Wiseman

Jerahmeel, Head Essene

David A. Block

David A. Block

Reuben

Vernon Dobtcheff

Vernon Dobtcheff

Chief Priest

David Mauro

David Mauro

Epos

Alexander Peleg

Alexander Peleg

Zidon

Seasons

Status

Ended

Language

English

Type

Miniseries

Last Air Date

April 8, 1981

Networks

ABC

Production

Arnon Milchan ProductionsUniversal Television

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User Reviews

CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

7.0

I remember watching this mini-series on the BBC and throughly enjoying every minute (I was 14!). It marries historical fact, legend and drama creating a cracking action adventure that sees nine hundred Jewish people take refuge in the eponymous and impregnable mountain fortress, fleeing the brutal regime of the Vespasianic legions under the command of Peter O'Toole's ("Silva"). The other principal casting maybe isn't the best - Peter Strauss didn't work for me at all and the seriously wooden Barbara Carrera also stretches the imagination just a tad, but the pace of the story builds well as the…

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