ABC PREMIERE EVENT: CLEOPATRA {PART 1 OF 2} (TV)
Summary
Part one of two in this miniseries about Cleopatra, the famed Egyptian queen. The program begins in 47 B.C. with twenty-year-old Cleopatra in exile after her brother and sister have stolen her throne. Roman ruler Julius Caesar arrives in Alexandria to collect debts owed to Rome. Accompanied by the loyal Rufio, Caesar meets with King Ptolemy, shocked to see he is only twelve years old. He also meets Queen Arsinoe, refusing to recognize her as a ruler, as well as the king's prime minister, Pothinus. Caesar wonders why Cleopatra is not present, wanting to meet the "goddess." Meanwhile, at the country's border, prostitute Jehosheba meets with Cleopatra, who says she wants a man to fall in love with her and desires to know about sex. Jehosheba claims that a conqueror is easy to get to bed but hard to keep interested. That night, Caesar learns that Ptolemy's 20,000-man army is still at the border, guarding against an attack from Cleopatra. Later, Caesar receives a gift from Cleopatra: a bound rug. When the rug is unrolled, Cleopatra is discovered, having hidden inside it as a means of re-entering the palace. Caesar is immediately impressed and smitten by the young and brash queen. Cleopatra claims that her father was an ally to Rome and that she is the true ruler of Egypt. Cleopatra believes the only "safe" bed for her that night is Caesar's. That evening, Caesar and Cleopatra make love, with Cleopatra claiming it is for "one night only."
The next day, Caesar reveals Cleopatra's presence to Ptolemy, Arsinoe, and Pothinus. He dictates that, in order to make Egypt more powerful, Cleopatra will marry Ptolemy and officially become queen of Egypt. He offers Cyprus to the ungrateful Arsinoe. Afterward, Cleopatra explodes at the thought of marrying her brother. Caesar explains that he expects her to bring order to Egypt, then fetes the union, saying that there is no need for the royal army to be at war. Pothinus is sent to the border to retrieve the soldiers. Cleopatra is unsure about Caesar's strategy until Caesar subsequently has Pothinus killed and his severed head sent to the Egyptian generals. Meanwhile, Arsinoe and Ptolemy flee the palace, preparing an army to march on Alexandria. That night, as Caesar learns about Arsinoe and Ptolemy's plans, his men encourage him to head back to Rome. But under Cleopatra's urging, Caesar instead sets up a strategy to trap and defeat the Egyptians inside the city walls. With adjutant Cornelius at his side, Caesar leads his men into battle against the Egyptians. During the assault on the city, Alexandria's library is set aflame and Cleopatra is desperate to save it. After the first waves of Egyptian soldiers are killed by the Roman forces, the remaining troops flee for the hills where Arsinoe waits. Caesar exults in one of his greatest victories, though Cleopatra is upset that so much of the world's knowledge has burned in the library. Cleopatra claims that the fight is not over until Ptolemy and Arsinoe are captured. Meanwhile, the royal siblings flee on chariots as Caesar's men go after them. Ptolemy is killed in pursuit while Arsinoe is cornered, then placed in a cell at the palace. Later, Caesar and Cleopatra relax, with Cleopatra claiming she will reunite her land and bring prosperity back to Egypt. When Cleopatra asks why her sister wasn't put to death, Caesar claims that Arsinoe is valuable to him.
That night, Cleopatra is secretly taken to Arsinoe's cell, and the two sisters argue. Cleopatra has Arsinoe killed, after which a furious Caesar tells her never to cross him again. Later, Cleopatra and Caesar depart on a barge down the Nile. She encourages Caesar to begin conquering the East, if not the entire world, forming the greatest of empires -- along with her. Soon, they are at the sight of the Sphinx and the pyramids, and Caesar begins thinking he must return to Rome. Shortly afterward, Rufio tells Caesar that Marcus Brutus is stirring up the Roman Senate against him, feeling that the conqueror has begun living a life of luxury. Before Caesar's departure, Cleopatra is excited to find that she is pregnant with his child. As the two fight about his leaving, she declines to tell him of her condition. Meanwhile, Brutus continues preaching to the senate, saying that Caesar has wasted his time in Egypt. Cassius considers Caesar an adulterer, though Marc Anthony defends Caesar's character. Then, Caesar appears, angrily responding to those plotting against him. Later, an obviously pregnant Cleopatra receives a message from Caesar courtesy of Rufio: a copy of Caesar's senate report and an invitation to visit him in Rome. Cleopatra thinks it is less an invitation than an impersonal summons. Thus, she angrily turns down Caesar's offer.
Later, Cleopatra exits the palace to release grain to her hungry and angry subjects. The citizens are afraid to take the grain, claiming that the Romans will kill them. Just as she's winning them over, Cleopatra goes into labor, giving birth to a boy. She decides to call him Ptolemy Caesar, despite her adviser's wishes against the moniker including Caesar's name. A weak Cleopatra then appears before her people, hoisting aloft her baby, the future prince of Egypt. After Cleopatra finally travels to Rome, Antony greets her in lieu of Caesar, offering a message from his leader. The "master of the horse" leads Cleopatra to Caesar's villa outside Rome, where she is to stay. That night, Caesar arrives at Cleopatra's bed and immediately embraces her. Then, he hears their baby crying and is finally introduced to his son, now known as Caesarion. However, Caesar claims he cannot make the child his own and must keep him a secret. The next day, there is a Roman welcoming ceremony for Cleopatra. There, she meets Caesar's wife Calpurnia, Caesar's nephew and heir Octavian, niece Octavia, and the antagonistic Brutus. Then, when Cleopatra is presented before the Roman people, she is booed and taunted as being "Caesar's whore," much to the delight of Calpurnia and Octavian. Later, Caesar tells Brutus that he wants to "improve" the calendar. That evening, Cleopatra shows the Romans "Egypt's greatest treasure" -- her son by Caesar. She lays Ptolemy Caesar at the ruler's feet, after which the conqueror claims him. Afterward, Caesar is angry at Cleopatra for forcing his hand and putting Octavian's future as heir in question. Caesar states that Cleopatra remains a queen only at his say, because he fell in love with her. Caesar tells Cleopatra that Antony will now protect her and the baby. Octavian assures Caesar that Cleopatra is using him to advance her own fortunes. Caesar responds that Octavian is his heir, so long as he doesn't harm Caesarion.
One evening, Antony is drinking with Cleopatra when Octavian's men come to the villa to kill Cleopatra and her boy. Antony quickly slays the attackers. Meanwhile, Caesar is hailed as Rome's dictator for life, and he relates his future plans to conquer neighboring lands. That night, he tells Cleopatra of his designs to claim Parthia with her help, though he says his ambitions will remain completely Roman. They fight over his refusal to divorce Calpurnia and make Caesarion his heir. Cleopatra threatens to return to Egypt, at which time he dismisses her. Later, Brutus, Octavian, and various Roman senators discuss Caesar's arrogance and whether they should stay loyal to him. The next day, on the ides of March, Caesar is locked out of the senate before being stabbed to death, assassinated by Brutus and his co-conspirators. As Antony cradles Caesar's body, Cleopatra remains at the villa, sensing that something disastrous has just occurred. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: May 23, 1999 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:55:02
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:57429
- GENRE: Drama, historical
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; Egypt; Royalty
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1999
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - "Instinct" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - "Notting Hill" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - "The General's Daughter" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - AT&T calling plans
- TV - Commercials - America's Dairy Farmers for "Got Milk?"
- TV - Commercials - Clairol Herbal Essences facial creams
- TV - Commercials - Clairol Herbal Essences shampoos and conditioners
- TV - Commercials - Claritin allergy medication
- TV - Commercials - Coffee-Mate creamer
- TV - Commercials - Coldwell Banker realtors
- TV - Commercials - Domino's pizza
- TV - Commercials - E*Trade online financial services
- TV - Commercials - Excedrin migraine medicine
- TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Gardenburger veggie patties
- TV - Commercials - Jaguar automobiles
- TV - Commercials - K-Mart stores
- TV - Commercials - Kinko's copy center
- TV - Commercials - Lamisil athlete's foot relief
- TV - Commercials - Merrill Lynch financial services
- TV - Commercials - Mighty Dog dog food
- TV - Commercials - Office of National Drug Control Policy/Partnership for a Drug-Free AmericaTV - Commercials - Suave hair care
- TV - Commercials - Pepsi soft drinks
- TV - Commercials - ReMax realtors
- TV - Commercials - Serta mattresses
- TV - Commercials - Sparkle paper towels
- TV - Commercials - Sprint wireless
- TV - Commercials - Stayfree maxipads
- TV - Commercials - Tide detergent
- TV - Commercials - U.S. Department of Transportation for drunk driving prevention
- TV - Commercials - Wendy's restaurants
- TV - Promos - "20/20"
- TV - Promos - "All My Children"
- TV - Promos - "Dharma & Greg"
- TV - Promos - "General Hospital"
- TV - Promos - "Good Morning America"
- TV - Promos - "Home Improvement"
- TV - Promos - "NYPD Blue"
- TV - Promos - "One Life to Live"
- TV - Promos - "Port Charles"
- TV - Promos - "Spin City"
- TV - Promos - "The Drew Carey Show"
- TV - Promos - "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place"
- TV - Promos - Billy Zane on ABC.com
CREDITS
- Robert Halmi … Executive Producer
- Robert Halmi … Executive Producer
- Dyson Lovell … Producer
- Steven Harding … Line Producer
- Catherine Duncan … Digital Effects Producer
- Franc Roddam … Director
- Stephen Harrigan … Writer
- Anton Diether … Writer
- Margaret George … Based on the book "Memoirs of Cleopatra" by
- Trevor Jones … Music by
- Billy Zane … Cast, Marc Antony
- Timothy Dalton … Cast, Julius Caesar
- Rupert Graves … Cast, Octavian
- Leonor Varela … Cast, Cleopatra
- John Bowe … Cast, Rufio
- Art Malik … Cast, Olympos
- Nadim Sawalha … Cast, Mardian
- Owen Teale … Cast, Grattius
- Philip Quast … Cast, Cornelius
- Daragh O'Malley … Cast, Ahenobarbus
- Bruce Payne … Cast, Cassius
- Sean Pertwee … Cast, Marcus Brutus
- David Schofield … Cast, Casca
- Kassandra Voyagis … Cast, Arsinoe
- Indra Ove … Cast, Charmian
- Josephine Amankwah … Cast, Iris
- Caroline Langrishe … Cast, Calpurnia
- Elisabeth Dermot Walsh … Cast, Octavia
- Ralph Brown … Cast, Guevarius
- James Cosmo … Cast, Agrippa
- Dennis Quilley … Cast, Negotiator Senator
- James Saxon … Cast, Pothinus
- Amina Annabi … Cast, Jehosheba
- Oded Fehr … Cast, Egyptian Captain
- Stephen Jenn … Cast, Nakht
- Ashley Clark … Cast, King Ptolemy, 12 years old
- Alexander Francis-Lynch … Cast, Ptolemy Caesar, 6 years old
- Michael Francis-Lynch … Cast, Ptolemy Caesar, 3 years old
- Omid Djalili … Cast, Storemaster
- Andrew Peisley … Cast, Cavalryman
- Tim Barlow … Cast, Elderly Senator
- Antony Bunsee … Cast, Ship's First Mate
- Ahsen Bhatti … Cast, Skeptical Citizen
- Stephen Giffin … Cast, Victor
- Mark Delafield … Cast, Suetonius
- Mark Hill … Cast, Dionysios
- Matthew Bartlett … Cast, Theocritus
- Richard Armitage … Cast, Epiphanes
- Naim Khan Turk … Cast, Eos
- Simone Harper … Cast, Wet Nurse
- Karim Doukkali … Cast, Egyptian General
- Patrick Gordon … Cast, Assassin
- De Selva, Simon … Cast, Egyptian Admiral
- Bouchra Ababsa … Cast, Belly Dancer
- Carlton Headley … Cast, Nubian Guard
- Trevor Lovell … Cast, Nubian Guard