Kasia Smutniak

Veni, vidi, vici, vici, and other four-letter words are among CHRISTOPHER STEVENS' words. Now we know how Asterix the Gaul got his name, but it's because of the asterisks that were used to muzzle the incessant expletives. Domina (Sky Atlantic) is a Roman matriarch who is married to the emperor Livia Drusilla (Kasia Smutniak). It is also foul-mouthed. When the show returned for a second series, I counted more than 40 F-words, a slew of monotonous swearing that made every character sound the same. All of them, from Caesar and his scheming sons to slaves and infants, used the same limited vocabulary. Any shock value is quickly lost, so the discussion becomes inarticulate, boring, and repetitive. Add to this, the desire for everyone to tell the historical bits of the exhibits, and the whole spectacle turns into a swords-and-sandals parody.

Domina is a fictional character from Roman high society who uses all her wiles to gain esteem, as scripted by Simon Burke (Fortitude, Strike Back). It's like Succession, but in togas and with a lot more murder,' says Joseph Ollman, a young noble Roman fighting for power. 'It's based on the belief that all these people vying for control are going to do something to get it.' (right)