Spartacus Creator Talks 'Gods of the Arena' Finale & Epic Season 2 Plans

Six hours was far too short of time to spend among such fine gladiators in Starz’ Spartacus prequel, Gods of the Arena. Below is Entertainment Weekly's Q&A with creator Steven S. DeKnight.

They talked about the prequel’s finale and learn some details about season two (and when it airs), plus get an update on our favorite gladiator, Andy Whitfield. Warning, spoilers ahead!

Entetainment Weekly: Gratitude for this interview!
Steven S. Deknight: [Laughs] Sure, I love the way it’s starting.

So one headline is: “Gannicus lives!” Your “Han Solo meets Achilles” — as you once described him — will fight another day. Those who know the history of Spartacus figured this, but was still great to see him make it out alive.
Yes, Gannicus is one of Spartacus’ generals in the actual war. Our original plan was always to introduce Gannicus unto storyline. We will set him up to at some point to come back. It was a wonderful performance. When I designed that character I wanted something different from Spartacus and Crixus. He brought it in spades.

‘At some point’? So not necessarily at the start of season two?
We’re still working on it. We don’t know when or how. We got some very juicy ideas. He won’t pop up immediately.

So one possible take-away from this season: It’s pretty much all Lucretia’s fault. Did you hesitate to have her poison Batiatus’ father? That seems pretty heartless even for her.
The two major things she does — poisoning Titus and maneuvering her husband to kill Tullius — are all done for love. Love of her husband and her friend Gaia.

Glad to see one of my favorite characters, Ashur, got so much development this season. Is it fair to assume he will be serving Lucretia like he did Batiatus in season two?
Ashur serves himself at the end of the day. Who he aligns himself to is an ever-shifting arena all its own. I love the character at the end of season one when you realize the reason he’s bad is he just wants a hug — he wants love and respect, but he can’t get it. It was great to show how he got started, and how it all fell apart. He’s going to have some amazing stuff in season two.

Does it ever get boring dreaming up new gross ways to kill people?
Does any red-blooded American male ever get tired of that? We come up ideas in the writers room, it’s part character focused and part “wouldn’t it be cool.” Then we turn it over to the stunt team and they make it ten times better.

Also noticed you threw in some mixed martial arts moves in this season.
Yeah, it started with that first blindfold fight with Gannicus. We didn’t want him to appear to be a superhero. [Executive producer] Rob Tapert and the stunt team came up with the idea the best thing to do is get him on the ground and grapple. Then they found some natural places to throw [MMA] in.

You once again had some great dialogue, though not all of it I’m happy to have in my head: “Words fall from your mouth like shit from ass” still haunts me.
I can never tell what the audience will really love. That one I see retweeted all the time. It seems to have culturally stuck and I’m thrilled.

The show must be a blast to write.
I love the world. I love playing with the language. But it’s a pain in the ass to write. It takes twice as long. We tried writing it in modern language, then going back over it, but that didn’t work. It’s a linguistic exercise that never gets easier.

The arena is such a major part of the storyline. With the escaped gladiators on the run, will there be gladiator fights in season 2?
We definitely won’t be in the arena as much. Season 2 is the segue period where we’re segueing out of the arena. Eventually we will put an exclamation mark on never returning to the arena.

Since the show is shot entirely on greenscreen, you need a number of regular interior settings since it’s expensive to use special effects to make outdoor backgrounds. Since the gladiators are on the run, what will those settings be?
We find incredibly inventive ways of putting them inside. One of the cool things is you will never see our heroes inside a tent for season 2. I can’t tell you what we do, but they find different places to be inside. And in season 2 an equal part of the story is the villains side, which is much more interior.

Can you give fans an update on how Andy Whitfield is doing?
Last I heard he’s doing great, fighting the good fight, very much concentrating on his health and family. It’s a horrible thing, I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. I have no doubt Andy will beat it. He’s one of the strongest and most centered men I’ve ever met. He’s very private, but I hear third-hand that he looks great and is in high spirits.

Liam McIntyre, who will play Spartacus in season 2, looks a lot like Andy. How important was that?
Not important at all. We were trying to find somebody who didn’t look exactly like him. We saw a thousand people. It came down to a handful of choices. Liam was the only one who resembled Andy. What we really loved about Liam is he had an honesty and intensity and compassion and sympathy in his performance — something that Andy really brought to the role. Spartacus doesn’t come from a place of anger.

I recently re-watched season one and was really struck by Andy’s performance — he played anger well, but he was also came across really vulnerable.
He was. It was incredibly difficult finding Andy. And nearly impossible finding somebody else to step in. Liam was so good in his audition, we overlooked he had dropped like 35 pounds for another role — he looked like Christian Bale in The Fighter. We’re keeping him down in New Zealand beefing him up, putting him on the [gladiator training] program. The last picture I saw of him, I can’t believe it’s the same guy.

Lesley-Ann Brandt, Lucretia’s body slave Naevia, is also leaving the show.
Things like that are always complicated. That had to do with her contract and the lost period of time it’s taken to get back to season two. She relocated to Los Angeles and is getting work and we couldn’t make schedules to work out. We wish her the best, she was great in the role. But in this show we weather characters dying and being recast.

So season 2 is not coming until next January right?
Unfortunately, we cannot air it until the end of January. Our post-production process takes so long. We can start airing it sooner, but we’d have to air five episodes and go on a long break. And Starz has Camelot in the spring and Torchwood in the summer.

And Gods of the Arena will be out on DVD when?
I don’t know the official date. I will assume it will be around the same time season one, which was September. We also like to pack in a lot of extras. [Note: Starz confirms September is the target, but adds this plan is still tentative.]

Since you have one season of Spartacus done, and you have the second mapped out, and you know the overall story of Spartacus that you’re telling from history — you must have some idea at this point how many seasons this story should be. So what’s that number?
It’s entangled with other numbers. One is budget — the show gets more expensive each season. The other is ratings. I could go anywhere from three to six seasons. Budget is not a small part of it. As the gladiator war continues and Spartacus’ army grows, it becomes more difficult to produce on a TV budget.

So is it fair to assume season two has a bigger budget than the first season?
Yes. The budget was always planned to go up a bit.

Anything else about season 2 you can tease to?
It will be epic. In true Spartacus fashion, nothing will be easy for our heroes or our villains. The thing I love about this world is you have villains who are not all bad and you have villains who will try to screw other villains — and the same is true on the heroes side. The scope and scale we are attempting is much larger than anything we have done before. And I’m guessing a few beloved characters may die.

Liam McIntyre is the New Spartacus

After an exhaustive search, Starz has officially tapped Aussie actor Liam McIntyre (HBO’s The Pacific) to replace the ailing Andy Whitfield as the new star of Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

“Since no one can really replace Andy, we realized that we should instead find an actor who can truly lead Spartacus forward,” said Starz CEO Chris Albrecht in a statement. “It was important to us to have Andy endorse the idea of recasting this part, which he did in the same heroic manner that he’s dealt with his whole ordeal. And that, coupled with our fortune in finding a young actor with the gladiator credentials and the acting ability of Liam, makes it easier for us to keep this hit franchise going.”

In the release put out by Starz, the network referred to the “grueling and rigorous audition process” that McIntyre went through to claim the title role — and they’re not exaggerating. According to sources, McIntyre — whose slight build initially led execs to rule him out as Sparty — underwent two-plus months of boot camp to bulk up for the part.

In September, news broke that Whitfield was dropping out of Spartacus‘ second season to undergo treatment for a recurrence of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Starz debated whether to end the series or embark on the daunting task of recasting the lead. With Whitfield’s blessing in hand, the network ultimately decided the show must go on.

McIntyre assumes the role at the start of the show’s second season, which begins shooting later this spring.

In the meantime, fans can get their Sparty fix with Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, a six-part prequel debuting this Friday at 10:00 pm (ET) on Starz.

Dominic Purcell Poised to Enter 'Spartacus' Arena?

With the long-delayed second season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand officially a go, who will replace cancer-stricken Andy Whitfield as Rome’s most famous gladiator?

Last Friday, Starz’s boss Chris Albrecht said the was “confident that we will find an actor who can ably step into Spartacus’ sandals.” I hear that that same day, the pay cable network’s executives had received a screen test for the role done by former Prison Break star Dominic Purcell.

Throwing Purcell’s name into the mix is an intriguing proposition. For one, he does have the the physique to pull off a believable gladiator. Australian actor Liam McIntyre is said to still be in serious contention for the role, and he continues to bulk up as Starz reportedly liked him as an actor but his thin frame was a problem.

It’s not clear what the network’s final decision will be, but if Purcell does indeed get the lead, his last-minute hire would mirror his 11th-hour casting on Fox’s Prison Break, where he auditioned and got the role three days before the pilot was to go into production. And in another peculiar coincidence, Purcell’s Prison Break co-star Wentworth Miller reportedly expressed interest in taking over the Spartacus role back in October.

Spartacus Lives!: Starz to Move Forward on a Second Season

Those wondering about the future of Starz’ Spartacus can breathe a big sigh of relief: The network confirmed at the Telebision Critics Association (TCA) press tour that it will continue the breakout hit despite the loss of star Andy Whitfield.

Sources close to the production say season two will start shooting this spring, with an eye toward a 2012 premiere.

Which, of course, raises a big question: Who’s Spartacus?

Though Starz has not yet crowned a new rebellious slave-warrior to lead the series, producers are confident that the rapidly narrowing field of candidates will yield a new star.

Though there’s been plenty of suspense over the fate of the series since Whitfield left the show to resume treatment for cancer, moving forward makes plenty of sense. The first season of Spartacus gained viewers nearly every week last year to become Starz’ first hit title. Though Whitfield was terrific in the lead, he was backed by a strong supporting cast. Plus the show grabbed plenty of viewers by virtue of its unique visual style and aggressive R-rated content.

In other words: There was a lot going for Spartacus aside from just Spartacus.

Starz will get an idea of how the show fares without Whitfield when its prequel, Gods of the Arena, debuts Friday, January 21st.

Producer Rob Tapert spoke on the decision to continue the series without Whitfield and here's what he said: “Nothing good came from losing Andy. We’ve had the luxury of building an infrastructure and having the prequel and sharpening the skills of the actors. If there’s any upside, we’re better prepared to support the new Spartacus when he comes into the role. The season two story no longer takes place in the ludus. It’s a different world and different set of shoes to fill. We feel confident, as does Starz, we will find the right person.”

Starz CEO Chris Albrecht added, “We really struggled with this. From a business point of view, the show is so successful. And the prequel, when we saw it, we saw that the show was continuing to be a creative success. Now we’re at a place where the show is more than the character. We know we can find someone who can step into Spartacus’ sandals.

As for whether the new Spartacus will be a star or another relative unknown like Whitfield, Albrecht says, “It will be fair to say the person will not be a household name, but he will potentially have a pre-existing fanbase.”

We'll have to stay tuned for my details on the second season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' Trailer: Blood, Sex, But No Andy Whitfield

Behold, the new trailer for "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena." (It just feels right to say "Behold" when you're talking about a sword-and-sandal show like this.)

While you won't really see any of Andy Whitfield in the 90-second teaser, you will see a lot of what you've come to expect from "Spartacus" -- lots of action (and accompanying gore), a few hints at steamy sex scenes and intrigue at the house of Batiatus.

Best of all, though is the fact that the prequel, which takes place before Spartacus (Whitfield) arrives at the ludus, found a way to involve John Hannah and Lucy Lawless again. They were often the most interesting parts of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," and it's great to see more of their characters.

While the full second season of "Spartacus" is still a ways off, "Gods of the Arena" premieres on Starz on January 21st.

Three Actors Vying for 'Spartacus' Lead

The search for the new lead of Starz's flagship drama series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," is entering its final stage, with the field narrowed down to three actors: Stephen Amell, Aiden Turner (pictured) and Liam McIntyre.

The three are being flown to New Zealand for screen tests and to meet with the show's cast and crew, with a final decision on who would be the next Spartacus expected as early as this week.

The chosen actor will replace original Spartacus star Andy Whitfield who dropped out in September when his cancer returned. He was first diagnosed with treatable Stage 1 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in early March when the series was in pre-production on Season 2.

Whitfield's cancer recurrence put the second season of Spartacus in limbo, leaving the series' producers with a choice to recast the role or end the series,which put Starz on the original programming map with its highly-rated first season.

Ultimately, they launched a search for a new actor to play the famous gladiator. Like Australian Whitfield was before he landed Spartacus, Canadian Amell (Closing the Ring), Brit Turner (All My Children) and Australian McIntyre (The Pacific) are relatively unknown foreign actors with chiseled looks and impressive physique.

Turner is the most familiar name because of his long run on All My Children and as a contestant on ABC's Dancing with the Stars. The Spartacus prequel, "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena," is slated to launch in January.

Wentworth Miller Eyeing Spartacus?

Ex-Prison Break star Wentworth Miller has expressed interest in taking over the title role in Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

As reported recently, the Starz series — which briefly considered “closing up shop” after leading man Andy Whitfield dropped out to resume treatment for his Non-Hodgkin lymphoma — is moving forward with the recast option.

But is Miller right for the part? Since his Fox series wrapped, he’s been largely out of the limelight. And when he has been spotted, he hasn’t quite been the picture of buffness that the sand-and-sandals epic demands. Of course, that’s nothing a month or two with a personal trainer couldn’t fix.

Personally, he doesn’t seem quite right to play Spartacus. My pick to replace Andy is True Blood‘s, Grant Bowler.

It's Official: 'Spartacus' Moving Forward with Recast

That this was inevitable doesn’t make it any less sad: Starz has officially started looking for an actor to replace Andy Whitfield on Spartacus.

According to the just-released casting notice, producers are searching for a Caucasian male in his mid to late 30s to play the “smart, intense, passionate” title role. Interested parties must have an authentic British accent and be prepared to sign a three-year contract.

Whitfield was forced to bow out of the show’s second season after doctors advised him to resume “aggressive treatment” for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Last week, executive producer Steven S. DeKnight said the production would either “close up shop or recast.” It looks like they’re moving forward with the latter.

No one can possibly replace Andy Whitfield. But the person who probably comes closest is Grant Bowler who started on Ugly Betty and can now be seen on True Blood.

Spartacus May 'Close Up Shop' in Wake of Andy Whitfield's Cancer Relapse

Although Starz execs have yet to decide how Andy Whitfield’s cancer relapse will impact the future of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, exec producer Steven S. DeKnight reveals that one of two things will likely happen: a new actor will be brought in to replace Whitfield or the series will end.

“The two main options are to close up shop or recast,” says DeKnight. “I want to talk to Andy and find out how he feels about the options. That’s obviously very important to us.

“We’re still absorbing what’s happened,” adds DeKnight. “I think it’s going to be a little while before we reach any conclusions.”

DeKnight says his primary concern remains Whitfield, who bowed out of the show’s second season after doctors advised him to resume “aggressive treatment” for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. “He’s a trooper,” marvels DeKnight. “He has a very positive outlook.”

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, a prequel to the series, will still air as scheduled in January 2011.

New Release Tuesday!

Here's a list of what's new today on Blu-Ray, CD and DVD including "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" starring Andy Whitfield, John Hannah, Peter Mensah, Lucy Lawless and Nick Tarabay.

MOVIES

American Beauty (B)

The Experiment (2010) (B)

Ondine (B)

Robin Hood (2010) (B)

The Secret in Their Eyes (B)

The Secret of Mooacre (B)

MUSIC

Billy Currington - Enjoy Yourself

John Legend & The Roots - Wake Up!

Liza Minnelli - Confessions

Maroon 5 - Hands All Over

Santana - Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics

Selena Gomez - A Year Without Rain

Serj Tankian - Imperfect Harmonies

Shontelle - No Gravity

Zac Brown Band - You Get What You Give

TV SHOWS

30 Rock - 4th Season

Being Human - 2nd Season (B)

Castle - 2nd Season

Community - 1st Season

Desperate Housewives - 6th Season

Falcon Crest - 2nd Season

Hell's Kitchen - 3rd Season

The Hills - 5th Season

How I Met Your Mother - 5th Season

Human Target - 1st Season (B)

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - 11th Year

The Mentalist - 2nd Season

Modern Family - 1st Season (B)

Rhoda - 4th Season

Saturday Night Live - Best of 09/10

Spartacus: Blood and Sand - 1st Season (B)

Two and a Half Men - 7th Season

(B) - Available on Blu-Ray

Andy Whitfield Bows Out of Spartacus to Resume Cancer Treatment

Spartacus: Blood and Sand star Andy Whitfield will not be returning to the second season of the Starz series, the network announced Friday via press release.

The actor, who was in remission after being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in March, has been advised to resume “aggressive treatment” for the disease.

“It’s with a deep sense of disappointment that I must step aside from such an exceptional project as Spartacus and all the wonderful people involved,” Whitfield said in the release. “It seems that it is time for myself and my family to embark on another extraordinary journey. Thank you for the support so far.”

The series had delayed production in the spring while Whitfield underwent treatment; the actor had been training for the second season after he was declared cancer-free in June.

At this point, the network has not made any decisions regarding the series’ future. “Right now, we just want to extend our concern and support to Andy and his family,” Starz Media’s Managing Director Carmi Zlotnik said in the statement. “We will address our programming plans at some later date.”

Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, a prequel to the series, will still air as scheduled in January 2011.

'Dead' John Hannah And Lucy Lawless Coming Back For Spartacus Prequel

John Hannah and Lucy Lawless have been brought back from the dead for a prequel to hit cable series Spartacus: Blood And Sand.

The TV couple were slaughtered in the bloody finale to the ancient Roman drama, which aired last month, but they'll revive their scheming characters Batiatus and Lucretia in a six-episode prequel.

The project comes as the show's slave star Andy Whitfield battles cancer - the actor, who played the title character, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma earlier this year.

The Gayncients...All of the Gladiators!

Brad Pitt, Russell Crowe, Gerard Butler, Andy Whitfield, the list goes on: all muscular fellows who got down and dirty in leather thongs and strappy sandals. With the Clash of the Titans remake set to launch Sam Worthington onto the big screen in yet more oiled-up action, and Starz’s Spartacus: Blood and Sand ramping it up with some gay thrills (and quite a bit of full frontal male nudity), we ask just how gay were the real ancients? The answer is -- a whole lot more than the movies show.

Spartacus

In contrast to most of the stories that follow, the ’60s movie is pretty gay, the TV series is very gay, but the real-life story wasn’t really gay at all. Spartacus was one of a group of slaves who fought their way out of a gladiator school in Italy in 73 B.C. He proved smart and scored victories over every Roman army sent after him, and his own ragtag army grew to number tens of thousands. Finally, the might of Rome prevailed and Spartacus was defeated, his followers killed or crucified. His body was never found. There are no reports of gayness. On to Stanley Kubrick’s 1960 movie, Spartacus, with Kirk Douglas in the title role, but the much more interesting subplot featuring the very camp Crassus (Laurence Olivier) lusting after a very young, pretty slave boy Antoninus (Tony Curtis) and making his play in the baths. That scene was not restored until the movie’s re-release in 1991. Now we have the TV show, which is really 300 meets Gladiator meets The Matrix with some man-on-man action. No, really -- and this time not just innuendo. It isn’t a major plotline, but there is a serious relationship there, with a muscled hunk and a … whatever twinks were called in those days. Twancients?

The Sacred Band of Thebes

One hundred-fifty homo couples, idolized by society, heroes to all, sworn to fight to the death to protect their love and homeland. Perfect. And for 40 years (from 378 B.C.) they did just that for the Greek city-state of Thebes. They were instrumental in defeating the Spartans (mild irony here, given those scantily clad brutes’ fondness for pederasty), and then (major irony this time) were wiped out by none other than Alexander (soon to be “the Great” and very likely “the Gay”) and his dad, Philip of Macedon, in 338 B.C. The Band were the only ones not to run away and refused surrender. Philip, seeing the bodies, is said by Plutarch to have stated: “Perish any man who suspects that these men either did or suffered anything unseemly.”

By chance, that very battle is re-created in the 1956 Richard Burton film Alexander the Great, though sadly it makes no mention of the Band at all and is in fact completely lame-looking other than Burton, who’s always worth a look.

Alexander the Great

Was he or wasn’t he? Gay, that is -- clearly he was great, having conquered one of the largest empires in history by the time of his death at 32 (in 232 B.C.). But despite his two marriages and his harem (a Persian affectation he favored though apparently used “sparingly”) and the arguments between biographers and historians, most agree his greatest relationship was with Hephaestion, his bodyguard, general, and companion. Hephaestion’s death plunged Alexander into a deep depression, and he died just eight months later. So was he gay? Maybe not, but the boy was very, very bi. Colin Farrell, in the movie Alexander, went for a pretty queer blond hairdo, but that’s as gay as the film got -- which is probably why the movie bombed.

And for purists, see Richard Burton in the 1956 movie Alexander, under our previous the Sacred Band of Thebes entry.

The Spartans

Bullies, brutes, preening peacocks, and big fans of oiling up and doing each other’s hair before a battle. The Spartans were all that and more and for a long time, given how much they really annoyed pretty much everyone they met (Sparta was a major power from 650 B.C. until around 360 B.C.). A brief summation of Spartan society: two kings, a small council of old men (the Gerousia), a small number of citizens, and a huge number of slaves (helots) to bully, humiliate, abuse, and kill. The male citizens were full-time soldiers and enjoyed pederasty, where an older man took a younger man under his wing. Some historians say this was chaste, some say chaste and yet erotic, some say get a grip, of course it was sexual. Also, when a young soldier came of age, his pre-chosen wife had her head shaved and was wrapped in a woolen military cloak and made to lie in a darkened room for him. Pretty conclusive, no? The movie 300 managed to simultaneously be really gay and pretty homophobic, what with the Athenians dismissed as “boy lovers” and that huge Persian drag god-king. Still, if it’s oiled six-packs and leather thongs you’re after, look no further. And don’t think of Gerard Butler as he is now, captured recently post-swim by a paparrazi, in all his bloated glory. Think of him always with a stomach like a carton of eggs, shouting “THUS. US. SPARTA!” in a Glaswegian accent.

Clash of the Titans

This is Greek god territory, and not many people would still claim they were real, so it’s fair game for reinvention in the movies. And as a genre, Greco-Roman mythology has no shortage of same-sex relationships -- Hercules perhaps the best-known and reputed to be the lover of many, many women and not a few boys.

As for the movies, the original Clash of the Titans sucked and not in a good way. The remake though, well: Sam Worthington in a tiny leather kilt and shaved head, plus a band of brawny companions in red cloaks and not much else. Liam Neeson too, though he’s gotten old and keeps his clothes on, thankfully. Can there be such a thing as too many dirty sweaty Greeks with great bods? Don’t be silly.

The Trojans

You know you’re manly when a brand of condoms is named after you, right?

So if we pretend we believe the siege of Troy really happened the way the legends tell us (Helen, face that launched a thousand ships; wooden horse; Achilles and his heel; etc.) then we’re mining a historically queer vein here. Achilles himself and Patroclus were very close, though no one specifically says they were bedding down together, but in context, pederasty seems highly likely. Achilles’ homo tendencies are again to the fore when the Trojan prince Troilus and his sister Polyxena are captured and Achilles takes a fancy to the lad. In different versions of the tale, Troilus rejects Achilles and is decapitated (you’d think twice before rejecting Achilles, clearly) or they get it on and Troilus is killed in an overenthusiastic clinch with Achilles. If only to show how un-gay the 2004 movie Troy, is in comparison to the legend: We have Brad in sandals and a tiny skirt with lots of muscles but the movie stresses that the pair are cousins (in fact, they’re first cousins once removed), and this is stressed with much manly sporting around, so we know there couldn’t be anything dodgy going on.

The Roman Emperors

Forget Caligula and Nero and their excesses: Those dudes would have humped a doorknob. The real, honest-to-goodness gay emperor also one of the best emperors: Hadrian (emperor from 117 A.D. until 138 A.D.), who was one of the so-called “five good emperors.” He strengthened the empire, wrote poetry in Latin and Greek, and made the beard fashionable (his may well have been grown to hide a warty face, but never mind). He also built libraries, bathhouses (of course) and theaters. Is any more proof needed? Well, here it is, in the handsome shape of Antinous, a Greek boy who Hadrian met when the youth was 13 or 14. When the boy mysteriously drowned six years later, the grief-stricken emperor founded a city in his honor and then had him deified.

But back to Caligula for a second, and high praise for a classic moment in TV history, courtesy of the Brits’ cheap and cheerful 1970s TV series I Claudius. There’s no suggestion Claudius was a homo, but check out this wonderful scene where the young Caligula (John Hurt at his creepiest) presents his Uncle Tiberius with ancient gay porn … and a special appearance by Patrick Stewart (with hair) as Praetorian Guard commander Sejanus.

Gladiator

We love an excuse to show Russell Crowe at his sweaty best, and here it is. He fights Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) in the arena at the end of the movie, you may recall. Commodus’ character is based on the real-life emperor of the same name (who ruled 180 A.D. to 192 A.D.). The real Commodus was a thug who loved a fight and used to battle men and animals in the arena, often naked in his preferred guise of the famously bi-curious Hercules.

Article from: Out Magazine

“Spartacus” Star Andy Whitfield Diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Keep Andy Whitfield in your thoughts and prayers as the star of the new hit series Spartacus: Blood and Sand begins treatment for non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

The cancer was discovered during a routine checkup as Whitfield prepared to begin shooting the second season series which is filmed in New Zealand. The Starz network, which airs the series, says production has been postponed while Whitfield undergoes treatment.

According to the network, doctors say the cancer was detected in its early stages and is “very treatable.”

The Australian actor and former model whipped himself into incredible shape to film the series, said inm a recent interview: "I'm going to rest. I'm tired physically, obviously. You can get to a certain point and you get injuries and you have to carry on around those injuries. But also emotionally it is very draining as the series progressess."

Spartacus had been scheduled to resume production in April. No official information has been released on the new production starting date.

Our best wishes go to Andy for a speedy recovery!

'Spartacus' is a Slave to Shock Value, Nudity, and Graphic Violence

The STARZ cable network is bringing us new original programming tonight with the first installment of their controversial series, "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" and I would like share with you the USA TODAY review by Robert Bianco.

They got the Blood part right. They just left out the rest of the body parts Starz throws at you.

A heady mix of 300-style graphic violence and "Debbie Does Rome" soft-core porn, "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" is proof of TV's ever-expanding boundaries and ever-plummeting tastes. You've never seen anything quite like it on TV and, with luck, will never again anytime soon — not because it's terrible but because once is surely enough.

If you've seen 300, you'll immediately recognize the highly stylized look of this adventure hour in which everything, other than the people and the sets, is created on a green screen. That allows both for the weirdly colored landscapes and — most often — for the fountains of bizarrely behaving blood. It can't just spurt; it has to shoot out, freeze in midair and then splatter, drenching everything in its path.

You have to marvel not just at its flow but also at the Romans' incredible ability to produce it. Spartacus alone has a sword that can cut off two legs with a single swipe. That's a technology lost to time.

Sex, however, is ever with us, and ever with Spartacus. Man on woman, woman on woman, man on man, full frontal nudity of both varieties (though, in typical fashion, more female than male); Spartacus offers up the full array, early and often. It even features ancient-world fluffers, which is probably a first.

There is a story buried underneath the breasts, blood and obscenities, but it doesn't much matter. Still, for those unfamiliar with the basic outlines from history class or the classic Hollywood epic, Spartacus (Andy Whitfield) is a warrior betrayed, enslaved and separated from his wife by the Romans in the end days of the Republic.

Sold to a gladiator camp run by Batiatus (John Hannah) and his wife, Lucretia (Lucy Lawless), Spartacus must learn to persevere so that he can someday, a few seasons from now, organize the slave revolt that shakes Rome to its core.

Though it's loosely based on real events, you would not want your children to get their history lessons (or any other lessons) here. You could point out that the Romans were no more violent than other ancient peoples and were less licentious than some (we don't get the term "Roman virtues" for nothing), but you would be wasting your time. Spartacus is a brutal, ugly graphic novel come to life, not life itself.

Still, there's no denying that Spartacus does what it sets out to do fairly well — and in a way that doesn't duplicate anything else now on TV. Were it broadcast free over the air where children might find it, one might blanch, but that's not the case. You have to pay to watch Starz, which means it's up to you to decide who watches it. Enter at your own risk. And watch out for those swords.

"Spartacus: Blood and Sand" will be televised tonight at 10:00 pm (ET) on STARZ.

Visit the official website at: http://www.starz.com/originals/spartacus.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand is Coming to Starz TV

With a mix of gay and lesbian characters, sex, violence, full frontal male nudity andenhanced visual effects, what's there not to love about the new Starz original action series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand"?

Produced by Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man") and starring hunky Australian actor, Andy Whitfield ("McLeod's Daughters"), lesbian icon Lucy Lawless ("Xena: Warrior Princess") and British character actor John Hannah ("The Mummy"), this unique mix of live action, graphic novel effects and brutal battle sequences is set to make "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" an epic (and very, very sexy) television event.

The 13-episode series is set to debut January 2010.