Watch I, Claudius

Two legionaries through the fall of the Republic; HBO and the BBC's expensive Caesar.

Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell by candlelight; Hilary Mantel on the BBC.

Rowan Atkinson through four eras of English history; the last scene of Goes Forth.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge talks to the camera through grief and a hot priest; two perfect seasons.

David Brent at Wernham Hogg in Slough; twelve episodes and a Christmas special that invented the form.

Benedict Cumberbatch in modern London; the Reichenbach fall and the internet.

The Shelby gang in 1920s Birmingham with razor blades in their caps; Cillian Murphy.

A time-travelling alien in a police box since 1963; start with the 2005 revival.