There's No Place Like Rome

Watched the first episode of "Rome" last night. It is a tale of epic proportions about an epic story set in epic locations epically. All the usual suspects are there, Mark Anthony (why did they give him two first names?), Julius Caeser (famous salad inventor), Brutus (who later moved into aftershave) etc etc.

Very graphic. A lot of writhing, nubile, bodies and swords going through people. And yet it is still shaping up like any other big budget soap:

Flawed hero: check
Principled but doomed bloke: check
Scheming woman: check
Doomed lovers: check
Powerful and ruthless leader: check
Another Powerful and ruthelss leader to take him on: check
Headstrong and ultimately evil younger bloke: check
Patterned Hearthrug: check (actually I made this one up)

We are still going to watch it I suppose, after all, Cleopatra will probably be turning up later. And I wouldn't want to miss that.