For some reason I was surprised at first you liked Rome, not really sure why. And then I realized that you must be a Lucius Veranus fan, right? Rome would be higher in my esteem if they hadn't played so fast and loose with the history when they wrote it. I think the real events would have made for as much drama and good storytelling as any of the insane changes they made to the story. Veranus and Pullo to be excepted there of course; yes, they were real individuals (mentioned by name by Caesar his Commentaries on the Gaulic War), both of them centurions. I don't mind the expansion of such characters, nor the addition of fictious figures, but to blatantly alter the events of the Late Republic (which are well documented) is just plain stupid to me. I will say this though, it was a great show (history aside), it had the LOOK of Rome down, and David Bamber was absolutely PERFECT as Cicero! And Perkins simply owned the first season's young Octavius.

Watched a dozen or so episodes of The Shield, and I would say that it was better than a lot of other shows, but I never did get into it. Something I plan to watch at some point.

And I wager that BSG was too candy assed liberal for your tastes.