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Roman Mysteries (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Roman Mysteries is a television series based on the series of children's historical novels
by Caroline Lawrence
. It is reportedly the most expensive British children's TV series to date at £1 million per hour.
The series began filming in June 2006 and was first broadcast from 8 May 2007. The series is divided into "scrolls", each based on one book, starting with The Secrets of Vesuvius
. The stories are told in the same order as the book series, except for book 6, The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina, which is transposed to the second season. Books 11 and 12 were not adapted, and the series ends with the adaptation of Book 13. Each scroll consists of two half-hour episodes. The first scroll guest-starred Simon Callow
as Pliny the Elder
.
On 22 May 2007, after just two episodes, Anne Foy
announced on CBBC
on BBC One
that the show has been postponed due to recent events in the news and would return later in the year on CBBC on BBC One
. Since "The Pirates of Pompeii" was about children being kidnapped, the postponement was most likely due to the then recent disappearance of Madeleine McCann. On 19 June the series began broadcasting again from the beginning.
Filming for the second season began on 13 August, 2007. The episodes are based on the novels The Gladiators from Capua, The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina, The Colossus of Rhodes, The Fugitive from Corinth and The Slave-girl from Jerusalem.
The series has been sold around the world including Australia, Finland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the USA and Ireland. The second season aired first in Australia. Both seasons are now out on DVD.
The Roman Mysteries
The Roman Mysteries is a series of historical novels for children by Caroline Lawrence. The first book, The Thieves of Ostia, was published in 2001, finishing with The Man from Pomegranate Street, published in 2009, and 17 more novels were planned, plus a number of "mini-mysteries" and companion...
by Caroline Lawrence
Caroline Lawrence
Caroline Lawrence is an English American author, best known for The Roman Mysteries series of historical novels for children. The series is about a Roman girl called Flavia and her three friends: Nubia , Jonathan and Lupus...
. It is reportedly the most expensive British children's TV series to date at £1 million per hour.
The series began filming in June 2006 and was first broadcast from 8 May 2007. The series is divided into "scrolls", each based on one book, starting with The Secrets of Vesuvius
The Secrets of Vesuvius
The Secrets of Vesuvius is a children's historical novel set in Roman times by Caroline Lawrence. The novel is the second in the Roman Mysteries series; sequel to The Thieves of Ostia and prequel to The Pirates of Pompeii novels...
. The stories are told in the same order as the book series, except for book 6, The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina, which is transposed to the second season. Books 11 and 12 were not adapted, and the series ends with the adaptation of Book 13. Each scroll consists of two half-hour episodes. The first scroll guest-starred Simon Callow
Simon Callow
Simon Phillip Hugh Callow, CBE is an English actor, writer and theatre director. He is also currently a judge on Popstar to Operastar.-Early years:...
as Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
.
On 22 May 2007, after just two episodes, Anne Foy
Anne Foy
Anne Foy is a children's television presenter for the BBC. Until March 2008, she worked for the CBBC Channel and on CBBC. She can currently be heard as the voiceover on the music channel 4Music and is also working for Current TV.-Recent work:Anne has been presenting CBBC weekdays on BBC One or on...
announced on CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
that the show has been postponed due to recent events in the news and would return later in the year on CBBC on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. Since "The Pirates of Pompeii" was about children being kidnapped, the postponement was most likely due to the then recent disappearance of Madeleine McCann. On 19 June the series began broadcasting again from the beginning.
Filming for the second season began on 13 August, 2007. The episodes are based on the novels The Gladiators from Capua, The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina, The Colossus of Rhodes, The Fugitive from Corinth and The Slave-girl from Jerusalem.
The series has been sold around the world including Australia, Finland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the USA and Ireland. The second season aired first in Australia. Both seasons are now out on DVD.
Characters
- Nubia, played by Rebekah Brookes-Murrell
- Jonathan, played by Eli Machover
- Lupus, played by Harry Stott
- Polla Pulchra, played by Millie Binks
- Marcus, Flavia's father, played by Eoin McCarthyEoin McCarthyEoin McCarthy is an Irish actor who has appeared in films such as Alien vs. Predator and television programmes such as Cadfael and Roman Mysteries.-External links:...
- Gaius, Flavia's uncle, played by Eoin McCarthy
- Mordecai, Jonathan's father, played by Stephen Mapes
- Miriam, Jonathan's sister, Gaius's wife, played by Natasha Barrero
- Flavia, played by Francesca IsherwoodFrancesca IsherwoodFrancesca Isherwood is a British actress. Her most notable role to date is playing Flavia in the CBBC series of Roman Mysteries. Her other television credits include The New Worst Witch, The Catherine Tate Show and Casualty. She attended Burntwood school and now attends the University of York...
Season one
- Scroll One: The Secrets of Vesuvius (first broadcast 8 May 2007)
- Scroll Two: The Pirates of Pompeii (first broadcast 3 July 2007)
- Scroll Three: The Assassins of Rome (first broadcast 17 July 2007)
- Scroll Four: The Dolphins of Laurentum (first broadcast 31 July 2007)
- Scroll Five: The Enemies of Jupiter (first broadcast 14 August 2007)
Season two
- Scroll One: The Gladiators of Capua (first UK broadcast 8 July 2008)
- Scroll Two: The Twelve Trials of Flavia Gemina (first UK broadcast 15 July 2008)
- Scroll Three: The Colossus of Rhodes (first UK broadcast 29 July 2008)
- Scroll Four: The Fugitive from Corinth (first UK broadcast 19 August 2008)
- Scroll Five: The Slave Girl from Jerusalem (first UK broadcast 2 September 2008)
Differences from the books
- The children are older.
- Lupus is mute but his tongue has not been cut out.
- Because The Thieves of OstiaThe Thieves of OstiaThe Thieves of Ostia is a 2001 historical novel for children written by Caroline Lawrence, the first book in The Roman Mysteries series. It is set in Ostia Antica, the harbour of ancient Rome, in the last month of the reign of emperor Vespasian....
was not adapted, the meeting of the children takes place at a different time (just before the eruption of Vesuvius) and under different circumstances. - In the book of "The Assassins of Rome", Simeon is dragged off to be tortured but gets rescued (by Titus) before he is maimed or blinded as was threatened. In the movie he doesn't get rescued. It is a bit of a stretch of the imagination for him ever to have got rescued, but all the same this is a major plot-change.
- Jonathan returns home at the end of "The Enemies of Jupiter".
- "The Gladiators of Capua" and "The Fugitive from Corinth" are set in Ostia, rather than Rome and Greece, respectively.
- Pulchra appears in "The Trials of Flavia Gemina" in Jonathan's place.
- Several minor characters have been omitted or combined for the television episodes.
- In "The Slave Girl from Jerusalem", a new character, Floridius (played by Mark BentonMark BentonMark Benton is an English actor, perhaps most famous for his roles as Eddie in Early Doors and Howard in Northern Lights.-Life and career:Benton was born in Guisborough, in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England....
), was introduced for comic relief. - When bought as a slave, Nubia's head has not been shaved and she is clothed.
- There is a deliberate effort to dumb down the role of adults, with the notable exception of Doctor Mordecai, Flavia's father no longer pays the extra amount demanded for Nubia and the warm reception she then receives from the house cook is turned into one of hostility and rebute.
Reception
- From The Times review of the The Gladiators of Capua, the first episode of the second season:
"Roman Mysteries is a tremendous way for younger viewers to learn about ancient history. Set in the Roman Empire in AD79, it is based on a series of novels by Caroline Lawrence that have sold more than a million copies worldwide. It isn't hard to see why - they graft child-friendly adventure on to careful research, and the same care has been taken to transfer them faithfully to the screen with the help of a strong cast and healthy-looking budget. The first episode this afternoon gives a vivid sense of gladiatorial combat, without the risk of children waking up in the middle of the night screaming."