Epic drama chronicling the life of Rome's last dictator, featuring Richard Harris's final screen performance.

Although successful military campaigns in Gaul and Egypt bring glory to Caesar and the Roman Empire, political enemies ultimately conspire to bring about his downfall.

Historical Drama Julius Caesar 4.50pm BBC2
If your idea of a perfect bank holiday is to curl up in front of a star-studded drama of epic proportions, then you'll be in seventh heaven today because they don't come much bigger than this.
This nearly three-hour drama set in ancient Rome has Six Feet Under's Jeremy Sisto in the title role, while fans of Sex and the City may be pleased to see Chris Noth (aka Big), looking extremely dashin in his tunic and breastplate. The film also features Richard Harris - albeit briefly in his last screen performance. Harris plays Sulla, Rome's first dicator, and he appears to relish portraying his character's sadistic nature.
Sticklers for historical accuracy may take issue with the details, though, and while the crowd scenes are impressive and the battles bloody, I suspect some viewers may fall by the wayside before they reach the gory climax (achieved without the famous "Et tu...?" line) because much of the dialogue is ponderous. This is spectacular drama with all the high production values you'd expect, but perhaps it might have been wiser to follow America's example and show it in two parts.
Fans of the genre will be delighted to know that the BBC and HBO (who made Julius Caesar) are joining forces for another epic production: a 12-hour extravaganza about ancient Rome. JR