Rome Complaints Rejected by UK Watchdog  12/21/05

Acclaimed TV drama Rome has been declared non-pornographic by UK broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, following a spate of viewer complaints.

The $108 million (#60 million) co-production between the BBC and US network HBO, which took five years to make and recently picked up two Golden Globe nominations, offers an uncompromising depiction of the brutality of ancient Rome, featuring scenes of rape and full frontal nudity.

British television viewers complained that it was pornographic and therefore unacceptable to be screened at 9pm on BBC2 - a statement rejected by Ofcom who praised Rome for being an accurate representation of the ancient world.

In October (05), Italian broadcaster RAI decided it will screen a heavily edited version of Rome next year (06).