‘Empire’ miniseries recalls rise of Rome
I’m a sucker for sword-and-sandal movies. Give me some gladiator fights, a girl in a tunic and a guy with Richard Burton/Richard Harris affectations quavering about “Rome,” “fate” or “the gods,” and I’m usually hooked for a good three hours.
And the epic miniseries “Empire” (9 p.m., ABC) lasts only six hours (two unfold tonight), so it’s not a major commitment. The other four one-hour episodes are slated to air on successive Tuesday nights through July 26.
Filmed entirely on location in Rome and southern Italy, “Empire” follows Octavius (Santiago Cabrera), the 18-year-old nephew of Julius Caesar (Colm Feore), from his formative teen years until he becomes Caesar Augustus, the man-god founder of the Roman Empire. The action begins with Julius Caesar’s return to Rome and the plot by the city’s decadent senators to do him in.
It’s not giving away too much (at least not to those who’ve read Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” or “Antony and Cleopatra”) that Caesar is slain and Rome plunged into civil war. Before Caesar breathes his last, he anoints Octavius as his son and heir and entrusts him in the care of Tyrannus (Jonathan Cake), a gladiator slave who was concocted just for this miniseries.
While fans like me will watch “Empire,” others may recoil at its blatant imitation of Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator.” The invention of the Tyrannus character is only the beginning.
There are frequent jump-cut scenes of gladiatorial gore as well as long-lingering shots of waving wheat fields accompanied by New Age musical wailing of the ancient pagan variety.
Cabrera brings a WB-ish teen energy to his role as the boy who would be emperor. But he more than meets his match by falling head over heels in love with a vestal virgin (Emily Blunt) who’s the dreamiest thing this side of the Appian Way.
Fasten your sandals, Plebes; it’s going to be a bumpy night.
Twenty years after the documentary “Little People,” director Jan Krawitz revisits her subjects – individuals affected by dwarfism – in the film “Big Enough” on “P.O.V.” (10 p.m., KSPS).
Other highlights
An awkward double date on “Gilmore Girls” (8 p.m., WB).
Robert Redford hosts “The New Heroes” (8 p.m., KSPS), a four-hour series about entrepreneurs devoted to social change.
Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith host the “BET Awards 2005” (8 p.m., BET), tape-delayed from Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre.
Back for its fourth season: “Average Joe: The Joes Strike Back” (8 p.m., NBC).
The doctor gets crankier as he tries to kick his painkiller habit on “House” (9 p.m., Fox,).
Scheduled on “48 Hours Mystery” (10 p.m., CBS): a woman’s right to shoot first.
A teen needs protection on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (10 p.m., NBC).
Michael Ian Black, Michael Showalter and David Wain star in “Stella” (10:30 p.m., Comedy Central), based on their long-running club routine.
Cult choice
Mel Brooks spoofs Hollywood chicanery in the 1976 comedy “Silent Movie” (5 p.m., Fox Movie Channel), featuring Brooks, Marty Feldman, Dom DeLuise, Bernadette Peters and Sid Caesar.
Series notes
A sailor’s murder on “Navy NCIS” (8 p.m., CBS) … Parallel wives on “Trading Spouses” (8 p.m., Fox) … An unexpected gesture on “My Wife and Kids” (8 p.m., ABC) … Love’s loss on “All of Us” (8 p.m., UPN).
Not so nice nostalgia on “George Lopez” (8:30 p.m., ABC) … Competitive giving on “Half & Half” (8:30 p.m., UPN).
Pink-slipped but not red-faced on “Fire Me … Please” (9 p.m., CBS) … The mother of a trashy heiress offers advice on “I Want to Be a Hilton” (9 p.m., NBC) … The Rev. Al Sharpton guest-stars on “Girlfriends” (9 p.m., UPN) … A club opening on “One Tree Hill” (9 p.m., WB) … A fling re-flung on “The Bad Girl’s Guide” (9:30 p.m., UPN).
Late night
Julian McMahon and Raul Midon appear on “Late Show with David Letterman” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jay Leno hosts Teri Hatcher and Big and Rich on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC).
Craig Ferguson hosts Ringo Starr on “The Late, Late Show” (12:37 a.m., CBS).