Rome wasn’t built in a day, but the UK’s BBC and America’s HBO will still take two years to build it.

The new dramatic series ‘Rome’ will premiere in 2005 and will tell the epic story of Julius Caesar and the plots to overthrow him from power. Important background characters will include Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

"This is one of the most ambitious projects I have come across, and its epic scale is inspiring," says Jana Bennett, the BBC's director of programming. "We have not attempted to bring the ancient world to life since the seminal series 'I, Claudius,' so this one was too hard to resist. Forging such a strong creative partnership with HBO, one of the world's most respected drama producers, is part of the BBC's role as both a catalyst and an enabler for exciting new projects. Audiences around the world can look forward to a landmark piece of great television."

"The intriguing saga of ancient Rome is both a fascinating historical epic that offers insights into the foundations of the modern world, and a story of timeless passions with contemporary resonance," says HBO Chairman Chris Albrecht.

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