Story in One Sentence

The Gladiator meets Dallas.

Story Synopsis

Conspiracy, intrigue, espionage. Seduction, betrayal, murder. Just another day at the palace.

The Empire covers the period from 37 BC, when Herod takes Jerusalem to become the king of the Jews, to AD 70, the year the Romans destroy the temple and the city of Jerusalem. This is the period most interesting to our Western audience, who will recognize many familiar biblical names, places, and events in our series, which will enhance our audience’s understanding of and appreciation for the history of the period.

About the Series

The Empire will consist of five years of programs, made up of 13 weekly episodes, with a three-hour television movie to introduce the series. Each of the 65 subsequent program in the series will follow the general outline of events as set forth in the Story Outline, with all of its sub-plots, twists and turns, and surprises. The series will never be dull, will be very lively, and will keep the viewers glued to their seats and wanting more. Along the way we will meet some of ancient history’s most colorful characters, including Anthony and Cleopatra, Herod and his manipulative successors, Caligula, Nero, John the Baptist, Jesus of Nazareth, and James (the brother of Jesus).

Using state-of-the-art computer generated reconstructions, we will recreate some of history’s most fascinating places, including classical Rome and ancient Jerusalem, the temple of Jupiter, and the temple in Jerusalem. Our climactic destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in our closing episode will bring the ancient past alive to our viewers the way a history book never could.

Parallels for Today’s World

The Empire is not just about the intrigues of the ancient Roman world. The Empire parallels today’s world with its power and corruption.

The Empire is about conspiracy, intrigue and espionage. The Empire is about seduction, betrayal, and murder. Just another day at the palace. With its intricate plot structure, recurring characters, and a wide range of locations and guest characters, our series will be the ultimate television experience that unites the fantasy elements of a long-lost civilization with the excitement of a strong story line and unforgettable events.

Our Historically Accurate Story Line

Some of the source material for The Empire is Flavius Josephus, a Jerusalem Jew who was born in AD 37 and died about AD 100. He served as a priest until the age of twenty-six, at which point he became involved in the Jewish rebellion against the Romans. At twenty-nine, he was the governor of Galilee, a general, and an administrator committed to his religious roots. But Josephus was nothing if not practical and ambitious. He soon saw that the Romans would overpower the Jewish rebellion, did a convenient (and traitorous) flip-flop, and served the Romans for the rest of his life. At the time he wrote his histories, Josephus was more a Roman than a Jew, although he claimed otherwise. The strong point of Josephus’s works lies in the fact that he was there and was personally involved in many of the events he describes. As far as historical facts go, he was a thorough, dependable historian. There is no better source than Josephus for the historian who wants to know the true character of Herod the Great, what the temple and the city of Jerusalem looked like at the time of Christ, or why the Roman army was so invincible.

Other source material for our series is Luke, the researcher and historical writer of the New Testament gospel account that bears his name.

About Our Story Outline

Most contemporary television series do not have a detailed story treatment that encompasses a five year plan, as does our story treatment. That’s because they are fiction and the creators of other television series are free to develop their stories as they see fit. But our series is not fiction—it is historical and informed speculation enhanced with dramatization. The events that occur and the characters that appear in our series are a matter of record and serve as the framework for our dramatic development. Our story outline is quite lengthy, as it includes the historical material for the 65 (or so) separate programs that are expected to be produced over 5 years.