Palma. The BBC is close to greenlighting a remake of its hit 1970's series I, Claudius, RadioTimes.com reported this week and his eldest son William Graves, admitted to the Bulletin yesterday that they are close to closing to a deal.
The Corporation has confirmed that it is on board with US cable giant HBO, in developing a remake of the series but insisted that talks about the cast were in the very early stages.
According to sources the development will be based on the two Robert Graves books I, Claudius and Claudius the God.
The new series will air on BBC2 and be made by BBC Worldwide Productions, RadioTimes.com understands, although the cast and writing team have not yet been identified.
Planned film projects by legendary director, Orson Welles and Alexander Korda were abandoned with the BBC version of the 1970s easily remaining the most successful.
First airing in 1976, the original series starred John Hurt as emperor, Caligula and Derek Jacobi as the stammering Claudius, and followed key elements of the history of the Roman Empire including the assassination of Julius Caesar and Caligula's eventual assassination.
It has recently been repeated on BBC4.
The late Robert Graves who is buried in Deya where he lived, wrote I, Claudius at his Majorcan home Ca N'alluny.
Graves, He lived with his family in Ca N'alluny from 1932 to 1985, with a brief interruption during the Spanish Civil War.
It was here that he wrote more than 144 books and poems, turning the traditional farming village with a population of 700 into a fashionable haunt, for the world's celebrity elite.
William said that he will be delighted if the deal is sealed.
I'll be very pleased because it will put Robert Graves back in the spotlight and also increase awareness of his work to a new generation and also the work of the Robert Graves Foundation.
But, it is not just I, Claudius which makes good viewing, there are so many of his books which would make excellent films and series so hopefully people will begin to look at other s, of my father's material if I, Claudius is remade, he said.
Among other awards, the original series won three BAFTAs in 1977 (Derek Jacobi, Best Actor (TV); Siân Phillips, Best Actress (TV); Tim Harvey, Best Design (TV). In a list of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes drawn up by the British Film Institute in 2000, voted for by industry professionals, I, Claudius was placed 12th.
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