Spartacus - STARZ - Friday - 10pm est

[Emperor]

Premieres January 22nd

 

Trailer:

 

Starz executives announced plans today to order a second season of the ground-breaking new original series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," set to premiere Friday, January 22nd at 10 pm ET/PT. The unusual timing of the renewal, more than one month prior to the debut of the highly anticipated program, gives returning executive producers Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Joshua Donen and Steven S. DeKnight (who is also the head writer on the show) the green light to start production in New Zealand on 13 new episodes in the first quarter of 2010.

 

"We couldn't be happier with the first season. 'Spartacus' delivers on all levels - action, characters, intrigue, romance and excitement," said Starz Entertainment EVP, Programming, Stephan Shelanski. "'Spartacus' is the most ambitious original project we've ever undertaken, and speaks to the commitment to our subscribers to provide truly original programming along with our unmatched lineup of theatrical features."

 

"Steven S. DeKnight and his team of writers have created a rich narrative that lays the groundwork for more great stories," added Executive Producer Rob Tapert. "The slave rebellion led by Spartacus and the oh-so-current political intrigue and personal dynamics laid out in the first season provide rich source material for the second season and beyond."

 

The title of the second season is expected to be "Spartacus: Vengeance," but other details are being kept under wraps, so as not to spoil any of the sure-to-shock plot twists the first season promises to deliver.

 

"Spartacus: Blood and Sand" features Australian newcomer Andy Whitfield as the title character, a Thracian fighting to return to his wife after being sold into slavery at a gladiatorial school. He is joined by Lucy Lawless ("Xena: Warrior Princess," "Battlestar: Galactica") as the deceptive Lucretia, John Hannah ("The Mummy" movies) as her power-hungry husband Batiatus, Peter Mensah (300) as the head of the gladiatorial school, Doctore, along with a cast of familiar as well as fresh faces.

 

The series is shot utilizing virtual environments in the graphic novel style of such successful features as 300 and Sin City. The process gives the show a fresh narrative approach and a hyper-realistic look that is unlike anything yet seen on TV.

[Emperor]

I am watching this.  To me it looks like 300 meets Gladiator meets Rome. 

[Krakalakachkn]

YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!

[Majsju]

It massively failed to impress GRRM...

Starz is not HBO, and this SPARTACUS is not ROME. Hell, it is not even SPARTACUS. Charles Laughton, Peter Ustinov, and Laurence Olivier are nowhere in sight. The writing and acting here are pretty much on a par with the historical accuracy. The visual style, especially in the action scenes, attempts to borrow from 300... but the slow-mo slaughter gets old really fast, and the giant gouts of blood being splashed around at every opportunity soon become silly, and began to remind me of nothing so much as the Black Knight sequence in MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL. There's one scene near the end where a gladiator who has had both legs cut off is trying to drag himself away across the sand, and I was half expecting him to pop up, proclaim it just a flesh wound, and try to continue the fight.

 

I am going to have to watch all of I, CLAUDIUS again to get the taste out of my mouth. Pfui.

[Silver]

There is quite a bit of nudity in this show.

[Segurant]

I did not like the show.  Kathana started to ignore it altogether about 15 min in.

 

The story wasn't all that great.  The 3D blood splatter was a joke and all the t & a was a coverup to a lack of plot.

[Emperor]

I was not highly impressed either.  I will give it another one or two to develop someting but if it keeps up with the 300 type style with no depth I will quickly drop it.

[Almearafan]

There is quite a bit of nudity in this show.

 

Only reason I'm still watching it  so far.

[ThorkinBarrimore]

There is quite a bit of nudity in this show.

 

Yeah, Showtime put their mark on the first few

seasons of Stargate this way as well.  ;)

 

It just seems like the Rome thing has been done

already. I'd personally like to see a series on

Greek civilization. Maybe like the Spartans or

even the story of Odysseus.