Spartacus: Blood and Sand [** SPOILERS **]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHxn8mTpAJU

After months of waiting I'm just after watching the traliler I have to say that it's looking very well. I assumed that given Raimi and Tapert's involvement it would be another Hercules but seems more like 300 the series.

J-blk

Looks pretty cool - everywhere I've seen the trailer it has been billed as a 300-look-a-like and the visual style is very similar though a more accurate description is Gladiator-with-a-300-look. I haven't seen any specifics on when this is meant to air though...

It's supposed to air in January of next year.

J-blk

Deleted User wrote: »

It's supposed to air in January of next year.

This is what I hate about the summer season - the premieres of everything are too far away!

But there are many great shows currently airing. Leverage, Hung, Nurse Jackie, The Philanthropist. In fact this summer were spoilt for choice.

J-blk

Deleted User wrote: »

But there are many great shows currently airing. Leverage, Hung, Nurse Jackie, The Philanthropist. In fact this summer were spoilt for choice.

I'm watching everything on that list except "Nurse Jackie" and also "Rescue Me" and "True Blood" are airing new episodes... And yeah, there are some shows to watch, but nothing like the bazillion different ones that air in the winter time. It seems to be slowly changing, but I don't get why the main US networks seem to think that there is no point in airing new stuff during the summer - the cable networks seem to have realized there is...

J-blk

J-blk wrote: »

I'm watching everything on that list except "Nurse Jackie" and also "Rescue Me" and "True Blood" are airing new episodes... And yeah, there are some shows to watch, but nothing like the bazillion different ones that air in the winter time. It seems to be slowly changing, but I don't get why the main US networks seem to think that there is no point in airing new stuff during the summer - the cable networks seem to have realized there is...

Traditionally the summer months used to be pretty barren in terms of viewers. With many Americans, holidaying, out in the sun, etc, stations found themselves with smaller audiences than say in the winter months.

Also remember that in decades by gone there was nowhere near the amount of television being made that there is now. I always felt that the summer months would be perfect for the studios to re-air shows which were cancelled during the year due to poor figures but positive reviews.

JP Liz

Starts 22 January 2010 on Starz

Richard Dower

http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/12/21/spartacus-renewed-for-2nd-season-on-starz-before-1st-season-premiere/36909

Gets a second season before the first even premiere's? :eek:

MikeC101

I would have suggested it might be due to the costs associated with building sets etc for something historical making it more economical to film as much as possible in one go (didn't HBO's Rome do this?) but I think Spartacus is all green screen, so I suppose they're just confident.

Haven't finished watching the first episode, so I'll reserve judgement, but so far it seems calling it 300: The TV series might not be entirely inaccurate. Lots of violence at any rate.

Surprised at the lack of buzz about it on the net so far though, I expected the anticipation to be bigger.

aidan_walsh

I presume this isn't the two part thing that TG4 aired recently?

MikeC101

I think that one is a mini series from a few years back, Aidan.

This one is a sort of 300-esque take on Spartacus, with lots of fightin', nekkid people, and fightin'.

Richard Dower

^ it's got boobs?....i'm in!!

MikeC101

Boobs, Lucy Lawless wearing a merkin, full frontal male nudity, male actors wearing "enhancing" prostethics for their naked scenes, full frontal female nudity, it's got it all! AND violence!

Richard Dower

^ AWESOME!

Mr E

It appears that the first 2 episodes have surfaced online.

calex71

It's not bad , but hating the cheapo greenscreen look though :mad:

From what I have watched so far its basically 300 meets Gladiator with a splash of Tudor's (In that it has boob's and furry bits )

Edit: wtf the whole village is raped and killed then burned to the ground but they still feel frisky

Richard Dower

LOL!...sounds ace!, be watching the first two eps. late on when Mercy/The Middle and Friday Night Lights drop :-)

ScumLord

MikeC101 wrote: »

I would have suggested it might be due to the costs associated with building sets etc for something historical making it more economical to film as much as possible in one go (didn't HBO's Rome do this?) but I think Spartacus is all green screen, so I suppose they're just confident.

It's quite obviously CGI.

Mr E wrote: »

It appears that the first 2 episodes have surfaced online.

That's where I saw it, maybe that's why it why the CGI seemed so heavy I don't think the online ones where fully finished.

Not great over all, it's very much a stylised version of history with heavy metal music and everything. It did show the Roman lifestyle very well though.

There are bits where they get the slaves to warm them up before sex while they are chatting away to each other like it was nothing.

Richard Dower

Just finished watching....fantastic stuff!, it didn't feel like i was watching something made for TV!, it really felt and looked like a movie!

The greenscreen/CGI....i thought it looked very good, it may not have mega budget but it's not cheapo stuff either. The style is very VERY much like 300 (slow-mo/flying blood etc), with added Gladiator and Rome thrown in!

The women!...OMG, that blonde, Erin Cummigs?.....sweet jesus mother of GODDESS!, what a body!, it's got everything this show: sex/full nudity/full on swearing/blood/violence/Latin/boobs/very good acting and script and very decent production values....did i mention boobs?

It's ace, i can see why it got a second season before the first even aired, Lucy Lawless....boobs!, John Hannah....wasn't sure about him at first but he's damn good.

I have to say i'm quite impressed by it...fair play to Starz.

Richard Dower

ScumLord wrote: »

It's quite obviously CGI.

That's where I saw it, maybe that's why it why the CGI seemed so heavy I don't think the online ones where fully finished.

Not great over all, it's very much a stylised version of history with heavy metal music and everything. It did show the Roman lifestyle very well though.

There are bits where they get the slaves to warm them up before sex while they are chatting away to each other like it was nothing.

These are the finished versions i bet, i don't think the CGI was ropey at all, i think it worked well. udget wise it may not be in hundreads of millions range, but it dosen't look cheap and has alot of style to it.

JP Liz

bumped please merge threads mod

Basq

Threads merged!

calex71

Just finished the 2nd episode, the first I thought was good until I watched the second one.......... the 2nd was a massive step up I thought !!!!

Lemondrop kid

Finally, a well written interpretation of the 60's classic version - and they said it couldn't be done...

I mean whaaayyy, boobfest!

Richard Dower

The *official* broadcast was last night....i wonder if the leaked eps. will effect ratings?

JP Liz V1

Starz has ordered a second season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand before airing the show's first episode.
The first season premieres on January 22. Production on a thirteen-episode second run is to begin in early 2010 in New Zealand, reports Variety.
"Starz is committed to producing original dramas and to give the actors and writers plenty of time to prepare for a second season," Stephan Shelanski, Starz exec VP of programming said.
He added: "There was no downside to waiting longer, but we wanted to make the announcement now as a vote of confidence and to say how much we believe in the show."
The second season is to be titled Spartacus: Vengeance.
The series, produced by Sam Raimi, stars Andy Whitfield, Lucy Lawless, John Hannah and Peter Mensah.

renewed already

youngblood

Really enjoyed the first 2 episodes
Some ropey CGI at times, Dialogue a bit clunky
the amount of "C you next Tuesdays" and F bombs was
slightly out of character........
but what a gore and hot bodyfest it is

Cant wait to see more........

Richard Dower

It's good stuff, well acted and scripted...chicks are super duper HOT!

JP Liz V1

A TV programme described as the most sexually explicit ever made is expected to hit UK screens this summer.
Spartacus: Blood And Sand debuted in the US last week and features full-frontal nudity and sex scenes, as well as graphic violence.
The series focuses on the Roman gladiator Spartacus, who led a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic.
The cast includes Four Weddings And A Funeral star John Hannah, as well as Lucy Lawless, who is best known for her role as Xena: Warrior Princess.
Speaking about the series, Lucy said: "I think a lot of people are going to be shocked and they are going to shut off their televisions.
"And I absolutely encourage that because if they're shocked by the first few episodes, it ain't going to let up. But for the people who have the stomach for it, this is a bloody good yarn."
A second series of the show was commissioned before it even premiered on cable channel Starz in the US. It hasn't been confirmed yet which UK channel will be daring enough to screen the drama.

gent9662

Watched the first episode. First impressions were that it over uses the pause unpause movement a bit too much in the fight scenes. 300 was brilliant with this effect however Spartacus uses it far too much.

I am looking forward to the second episode and hope it is better than the first.