“I Claudius”

Press, 7 November 1978, Page 18

“I Claudius”

Sir, — Mrs Kenny’s article on “I Claudius” bears many justifiable criticisms on the standard of entert a i n m e n t. However, “I Claudius” is historically accurate, and disconcertingly applicable to our own time. As each Of the past great civilisations declined, the pattern was the same; our own is no exception. Flow many thousands of unborn children, were “torn, living, from their mothers’ wombs,” in New Zealand last year? Albeit in a frightfully refined manner. How many persons were found, intoxicated, in vehicles during the recent purge? How many cases of incest were reported from the courts? We were informed by another of your correspondents, during the past few days, that one in eight New Zealanders is a practising homosexual or lesbian. Look at the tally in the drug scene. Our daily news reports make the Romans look like amateurs, and we cannot turn the switch off. — Yours, etc.. (Mrs) A. J. FLANAGAN. November 4, 1978. Sir. — I too object to the violence on TV and particularly to the episode shown on Thursday night of “I, Claudius.” I fully support Mrs Kenny’s protest. — Yo u-j, etc., J. W. KNOWLES. November 4, 1978.

Sir, — I would like to reiterate the sentiments expressed by Mrs Hazel Kenny in your article headed “Violent TV revives Mau Mau memories” (November 4). What base level has the 8.8. C. sunk to?, Evil comes out of the screen during every episode of this series. As Mrs Kenny says, why should our family rooms be violated in this way? 1 felt

so concerned for my daughter and teen-age son that the sound was turned off when the beautiful young woman started to scream . . . The memory lingers on. All those interested in opposing violent and sordid television productions'should speak up. — Yours, etc., PAT PHILLIPS. November 5, 1978.