August 2010 Archives   31 August 2010 Spartacus To Launch In Belgium, Norway & Sweden This is great news for those who have been waiting to see the show. Let's hope you get the full unedited version of the show unlike Australia. The following tweet was sent by Todfilm     30 August 2010 New Artwork - Frenemies by Klippart Klippart has sent in this gorgeous new piece called Frenemies - Ilithyia and Lucretia! Click here to view artwork You can also view Klippart's artwork on the AUSXIP Spartacus Artwork by Klippart Gallery     30 August 2010 Spartacus Giant Promo On The Side Of Auckland Building Now this is a cool way to promote Spartacus. The following photos were taken by Jo in Auckland. It says: "The Women Swim In His Eyes. The Men In Pools Of Their Own Blood" Indeed! Click on the thumbnails for the larger scans.           .     29 August 2010 Jupiter's Rod! Spartacus Play School Version - Legends Reviewed SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND Season 1 Episode 3 Legends (aka Spartacus: Play School Version) Reviewed by MaryD Goodness. Starz has sanitized this show for Channel 9 beyond recognition. Whilst I do not enjoy a lot of violence, sex and rock 'n roll, it has it's place and it's place is on Spartacus! There is something totally ridiculous without the violence, without the nudity, without the naughty words...it's wrong. Wow. Someone remind me since it's been a while since I've seen Legends (and I can't find my original copy), was there a love scene at the beginning with Spartacus and Sura? You have Spartacus getting ready and then it cuts abruptly to Doctore yelling orders. Australian TV is not normally adverse to showing boobs but somehow this is turning into Play School Spartacus. I'm the first one to admit I have railed against those who just want to see this show for the sex, the violence and the nudity and have thought that you could remove these elements and it would still be a great show but seriously, all those elements give the show it's soul ontop of the great writing, the characters, the acting and the plot! You can't remove one aspect without affecting the other. It's just not possible. Spartacus: Play School is what you get. 1. The scene where Lucretia is being sold the necklace to impress Ilithyia and she has Naevia model the necklace. In the US version she takes off Naevia's dress so she can have a better look at the necklace and we see Neavia boobs. In the Aussie version, you see none of that. What you see is a good look at Lesley-Ann's gorgeous tattoo on her shoulder and at Lucretia haggling for the necklace. 2. The scene where Lucretia orders Crixus to her. You see one long shot of Lucretia coming forward and then NOTHING below the neck and abruptly the scene ends. Way way disjointed. 3. This line from Doctore nearly had me falling off my chair in disbelief: "Not if Jupiter himself were to rip open the heavens and dangle his...ROD from the skies..." How very genteel of Doctore. It sounds like Peter - the focus turns to Spartacus whilst Doctore is speaking but it does sound like Peter so I'm going to say they filmed that scene differently OR someone who sounds like Pete did a good job of inserting ROD where the other naughty word should be. 4. It's not only Doctore getting all nice and proper. We also have Varro. In the middle of the muck in the hole...Varro utters the immortal swear word...FRICK! "no glimpse into the fevered brain of what the FRICK you are doing..." Again you don't SEE Varro saying the words, just hear him and it sounds like Jai so...this is ridiculous! 5. Lucretia's corruption of Ilithyia We have an entire scene ripped apart. The scene where Lucretia entices Ilithyia to sample the stock and Varro with the slave girl...GONE. I have to say that scene wasn't my favourite but to have the entire scene cut out? It goes to the core of Lucretia's plan to corrupt Ilithyia! The scene in the photo NEVER happened. Completely gone. Not a shred of it. No closeups no nothing. What's worse is that you have Lucretia and Ilithyia discussing the previous evening's events at the arena the next day..what events? Nothing happened. It was all a figment of Ilithyia's imagination. What? No, really it was. She gets all excited over some wine and a bit of gladiator watching? If I didn't know about that edited scene, this scene would be totally superfluous. Bleh. We have boobs, violence AND naughty words edited out. Why exactly is this show on at 9:30 pm? It's so sanitized it could be on at 6:30 pm and more importantly why is there a warning at the start of the show about sex? THERE ISN'T ANY. NO NUDITY. NO VIOLENCE. NO BLOOD. NO NAUGHTY WORDS. JUPITER'S ROD! WHAT THE FRICK IS GOING ON!!!!! Wow...Spartacus: Play School Version.     29 August 2010 VIP Tickets for Katrina's First UK Convention Update Reunion 8 VIP Tickets for Katrina's first convention in the UK - Winner drawn! Congratulations to Isabel from Germany. Thanks to everyone who participated. If you are in Europe and would like to see Katrina in her first convention..head on over to the Reunion 8 Convention page http://www.sfbevents.com/reunion/ for tickets! It's on between 10-12 September 2010. Message from Katrina about the convention: I am so excited to be a part of Reunion 8. It is my first convention and I am a little nervous but really looking forward to it. Can't wait to meet some of the Sparty and LOTS fans over in the UK. There's a Fancy Dress Competition and I'm judging it so you better Bring It! See you all soon! Katrina     29 August 2010 Katrina Law Behind The Scenes Regard Magazine Katrina Law – Behind the Scenes Regard Magazine Photoshoot Recently Katrina did a hot photoshoot for Regard Magazine. Here is the behind the scenes video!   Watch Video     29 August 2010 Spartacus Season Review The Boston Globe 29 August 2010 The Boston Globe - 29 August 2010 - With “Centurion’’ slashing its way into select cinemas nationwide, now is as good a time as any to revisit some movies and TV shows set in ancient Rome and examine the recently energized, post-“Gladiator’’ wave. SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND (Starz, 2010) A Post-it-sized pitch (“Spartacus done like ‘300’ ’’) sold this cheerfully over-the-top, fictionalized reimagining of the Spartacus legend. As the rebel hero (a soldier turned gladiator in this version), Welsh-born Andy Whitfield has a Clint Eastwood squint, a slow-burning fuse, and a bad bargain with his hated owner, Batiatus (John Hannah). When he isn’t swearing a blue streak, Batiatus promises Spartacus a chance to be reunited with his wife, who also has been enslaved. The producers — including Sam Raimi — break new ground by focusing on how the anxious, striving middle class (Batiatus and his adoring, scheming wife, played by Lucy Lawless) lose sleep over debts, social status, and fertility issues, yet are thoughtlessly cruel to their slaves. And those slaves aren’t the faceless, nameless background players of previous epics; they’re the resentful, beaten-down, terrorized majority who finally realize that “the dream that was Rome’’ doesn’t include them. (Season 1 will be available on DVD and Blu-ray Sept. 21. A six-part prequel is expected to air in January.) Source     28 August 2010 Spartacus Blood and Sand Score CD Pre-Order For September Release Spartacus: Blood & Sand - O.S.T. [Soundtrack] You can pre-order from Amazon.com Composed by: Joseph LoDuca # Audio CD (September 21, 2010) # Number of Discs: 1 # Format: Soundtrack # Label: Varese Sarabande Betrayed by the Romans. Forced into slavery. Reborn as a Gladiator. The classic tale of the Republic’s most infamous rebel comes alive in the graphic and visceral new series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Torn from his homeland and the woman he loves, Spartacus is condemned to the brutal world of the arena where blood and death are primetime entertainment. But not all battles are fought upon the sands. Treachery, corruption, and the allure of sensual pleasures will constantly test Spartacus. To survive, he must become more than a man. More than a gladiator. He must become a legend. Reported by Annie Smith     27 August 2010 Spartacus Resources Links Directory Redesign AUSXIP Spartacus Resources / Links Directory has been redesigned. Here you will find great resources related to Spartacus – Official Sites, Social Networking and Fan Related Resources. Do you have a Spartacus related site? Would you like to submit your site for this directory? If so, please use the ADD URL form to submit your site. Your submission will be checked before it is added to the directory. A link back to AUSXIP Spartacus would be cool but not required for inclusion into this directory. AUSXIP reserves the right not to post links to sites containing nudity or torrent sites with Spartacus episode downloads, illegal downloads or other media. Click here for more info     27 August 2010 Birthday Wishes for Sparty Cast A big round of Happy Birthdays go to Nick Tarabay and Peter Mensah!  May you both live long and prosper!       Both men are celebrating their birthdays this week!     27 August 2010 Spartacus in Turkey Starting 15 September Lots of happy fans around in Turkey as Spartacus will now be shown there starting on 15 and 19 September on two channels! Received the following news from Esra which is slightly overjoyed by the news: Spartacus is coming to Turkey finally!! its coming to 2 channels: e2 on 15 Sept and Cnbc-e on 19 Sept! Im totally over the moon!!!! :))) There will be a Spartacus behind the cam airing on 8 Sept on channel e2..     26 August 2010 Spartacus Season 1 Episode 3 Ratings for Australia The ratings for Spartacus: Season 1 Episode 3 Legends has been posted. 25 August Episode 3 #48 Ch: GO! SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND Total Viewers: 198,000 18 August Episodes 1 and 2 #46 Ch: GO! SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND Total Viewers 223,000      25 August 2010 Spartacus Fandom Resources - New Fan Site AUSXIP will now features a Spartacus Fandom Resource section. If you have a Spartacus related fan page / forum / artwork site and would like to submit it, please contact me - due to the graphic nature of the series, AUSXIP reserves the right not to post links to sites that feature nudity or download sites for Spartacus episodes. Spartacus: The Bringer of Rain Roland has unveiled his new baby: Spartacus The Bringer of Rain. Looks very nifty and it's all nice, shiny and new! Check it out Click here to view     25 August 2010 Record Breaking Wednesday - Spartacus on GO! The latest from Australia's Channel 9's GO! digital channel GO! continues to break records with last Wednesday's epic night of television representing some of our highest ratings ever. We're so happy to be offering you all these great new shows and there's a lot more to come in the next few months with Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl returning as well as big new premieres, such as Hellcats. For now though we're totally wrapped up in the awesomeness of Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Last Wednesday's movie-length first episode certainly whet the appetite of a lot of GO! fans and let me tell you that things only get better from here. This is definitely a show you don't want to be missing, because as the story progresses the amazing plot and awesome action get better and better building into one of the best shows we've ever seen on TV. If you missed the first episode, though, don't despair. You can watch it now on www.fixplay.com.au along with many other great shows (Only Available to Australian viewers) So make sure you get comfortable on Wednesday nights for our epic night of TV starting with Wipeout at 7.30pm followed by Human Target, the epicness that is Spartacus and ending with the great new crime drama Dark Blue, only here on GO! Source     25 August 2010 Vote for Spartacus in the EWwy Awards EW Magazine is holding it's own awards. Emmy snubs in Drama? Vote To Make 'Em EWwy Winners! Which show deserves the EWwy for Best Drama Series? Spartacus, of course! Go and vote! Vote here     25 August 2010 Michael Hurst To Direct Episode 3 of Gods of the Arena The super talented Michael Hurst has posted the following on his official site: August/September 2010: Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Michael is directing episode 3 of the 6-episode prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand for Starz Productions Source     24 August 2010 Spartacus Season 1 Episode 3 25 August on GO! Preview Aussies tune in to GO! for the next episode of Spartacus Blood and Sand. The show is on at 9:30 pm Wednesdays but is repeated at 1 AM on Thursdays. Season 1 Episode 3 Legends Though Spartacus proved himself during training and now wears the attire of a gladiator, his coarse attitude and relentless quest to see his wife isolates him from his fellow gladiators and Doctore. MULTIMEDIA: Credits | Official Page | Episode Stills PROMO VIDEO   More Promos on AUSXIP Video Spartacus Channel Episode Promo #2 #3 #4 #5     24 August 2010 Spartacus Blood and Sand Season 1 Review Spartacus: Blood and Sand Season 1 Reviews ksitetv.com has a great review of Season 1 written by C.M. Houghton. As well as being long (love long reviews) it's also a well thoughtout, beautifully written review (love those as well)   Read the review     23 August 2010 Gorgeous New Andy as Spartacus Artwork Here is an incredible artwork of Andy as Spartacus created by dreamfactory. It was posted to a forum located here and the artist has created a step by step guide on how he created his artwork on his blog! View artwork on blog site with guide Do you have artwork you would like to share with the fans or a blog site featuring your art? Send me an email and I will add it to the site!   News submitted by Susanne     23 August 2010 Lucy Lawless Magazine Covers 2010 Gallery Update Updated the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Magazine Cover Galleries to include covers for 2010. All the magazine covers relate to Spartacus with one exception being the NZ TV Guide which features Lucy from the OK Magazine photoshoot from 2006 but the article is Spartacus related. - Polish Magazine Telewizyjna Gazeta - NZ TV Guide - NZ Skywatch View Magazine Covers     23 August 2010 Spartacus Premiere Episode Ratings in New Zealand The ratings from last night's Spartacus premiere (the unedited version unlike their Aussie cousins) are now available: Most watched on the BOX Spartacus Blood and Sand: 35,720 (9:30pm - 10:40pm) Ratings for the Aussie premiere (which was episode 1 and 2) garnered 341,000 viewers Source     23 August 2010 Spartacus Preview "Legends" Best on the Box Preview of Episode 3 "Legends" for Wednesday night's Spartacus episode from The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney) 23 August 2010 - Best on the Box. I'm not quite sure which version of Spartacus the reviewer is looking at but judging from the last 2 episodes where there was extensive editing...there isn't alot of blood, sex or violence. Spartacus Season 1 Episode 3 Legends Though Spartacus proved himself during training and now wears the attire of a gladiator, his coarse attitude and relentless quest to see his wife isolates him from his fellow gladiators and Doctore. USA - 2010     22 August 2010 Spartacus in New Zealand TONIGHT! Alrighty kiwis it's your turn to get Spartacus and I believe (according to Sky) that you are all getting the unedited version. I wonder if Australia is the only one with the edited version.   There is now an official NZ Spartacus site, much more snazzy than the Aussie version which is rather spartan. Ep: 1.01 The Red Serpent A Thracian warrior, enlisted by the Romans to fight, has his destiny seized by an act of rebellious violence. As punishment, he faces death by being forced to battle in the gladitorial arena. Credits | Official Page | Episode Stills | MaryD Episode Preview | | Watch Episode Online | Episode Recap (SPOILERS)     20 August 2010 Special Encore Screening of Spartacus for Aussies As reported yesterday there will be an encore screening of Spartacus episode 1 and 2 on GO! on Saturday. The time is at 11:00 pm to 1 am Click here to read my review of Spartacus Episode 1 and 2     19 August 2010 The Cairns Post TV Plus Magazine - Freedom Fighter The Cairns Post (Queensland newspaper) has a TV magazine TV Plus that features Andy, Erin, Lucy and the rest of the Spartacus cast. Freedom Fighter - Andy Whitfiled bares more than his knuckles in Spartacus: Blood and Sand Mortal Combat: Beyond the flesh and blood, Spartacus: Blood and Sand offers a tough, compelling story. Guy Davies stepped into the arena. View article scans by clicking on the thumbnails     19 August 2010 NZ Herald - Naughty Bits On the Box - 19 August 2010 Scott Kara from the New Zealand Herald reviews Spartacus in this very amusing article. Forward Thinking: Naughty bits on the box 19 August 2010 With all this talk about the naughty bits in Spartacus: Blood and Sand, I was intrigued - as I'm sure you might be come Sunday night when it premieres on Sky's Box channel (9.30). So, in the name of research and to prepare your innocent eyes for what sauciness may lie ahead, I sat myself down ahead of time to watch the first two episodes, just for you... ... I had also feared seeing Lucy Lawless in the buff might be a little like bursting in on your folks, especially since her on-screen hubbie is John Hannah (who played the lovely Matthew in Four Weddings and a Funeral, remember?). However, prepare yourself, because it is our Lucy (as the beautiful Lucretia) and Hannah (as Batiatus) who might just have you spluttering your shortbread into your cup of tea one Sunday night very soon. And this particular scene doesn't even show boobs, bums, or willies. I'm not revealing details, because I advise witnessing it for yourself, but let's just say if you ever wondered where the word "handmaiden" came from, here's one possible explanation. Read Full Article     19 August 2010 NZ Herald - Blood, Sweat and Sex 19 August 2010 NZ Herald 19 August 2010 - Blood, sweat and sex Pick of the week SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND When: Sunday, 9.30pm Where: The Box What: Action on the bed and battlefield Even before he gets his heroic nickname in the first episode of this much talked about New Zealand-filmed TV series, Spartacus shows his form both in bed and on the battlefield. He sure is a lover, a winner, and a fighter. HEAVY-GOING: Wedged between the blood and guts of the battlefield are love scenes galore. Based on the life of the Thracian warrior, slave, gladiator and revolutionary from the 1st century BC, Blood and Sand, starts as Spartacus and his fellow Thracian fighters align with Rome to help protect their homelands. But when ruthless and obnoxious Roman army leader Gaius Claudius Glaber (Craig Parker) changes his battle plans, leaving Thracian villages vulnerable, Spartacus leads a rebellion and deserts the Roman army to return to his village and wife Sura. But after a night of hot and heavy lovemaking Glaber and his cronies capture them and separate the pair. And so Spartacus’ fight for survival, and his desperate search for Sura, begins. Welsh actor Andy Whitfield stars as Spartacus, who, while powerful, rebellious and charismatic, also looks a little bit of a batamweight beside some of the other beefier galdiators. Shot in glamorous Mt Wellington using green-screen and CGI technology, it is visually similar to the graphic novel style of Zack Snyder’s 2006 film 300. So there’s lots of slow-motion whiplash, sprays of blood, gaping wounds and a mood that blends hyper-realism and epic fantasy. As well as the much-publicised naughty bits and full frontal male and female nudity, there’s plenty of colourful language (had the ‘‘c’’ word even been invented back in the 1st century BC?). Filming of a follow up series — prequel Spartacus: Gods of the Arena— was initially delayed as Whitfield was diagnosed with cancer but he has since been given a clean bill of health and production of the second season is under way. The executive producers include Sam Raimi ( Spider-Man) and Rob Tapert (the creator of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena), the latter of whom happens to be married to Lucy Lawless who plays Lucretia (the wife of Batiatus (John Hannah) who owns a troop of gladiators). Lawless says Tappert told her: ‘‘Look, there is this role that might be right for you. But there is some nudity.’’ Told it was not gratuitous, Lawless agreed, saying: ‘‘I’m there.’’ She sure is, you can’t miss the 41-year-old who admits to not being used to ‘‘getting my kit off in front of all those people — and pretending to like it’’. Lawless wanted to do the show because it heralds a new kind of television, bringing in the technology and scale of modern cinema, but on a budget and schedule that works for TV.     19 August 2010 Special Encore Screening of Spartacus on GO! On Saturday! Here's the lastest from the GO! Blog - there will be an encore screening of episode 1 and 2 for those that missed it yesterday. So if you don't feel like biting your nails waiting for the election results to come through on Saturday (Australia is going to the polls in a general election on Saturday and it mercifully comes to an end) then tune into Spartacus: Good news for all fans of GO!’s brand new action drama Spartacus. On Saturday we are going to air a special encore screening of the debut episode of this new action classic. What’s more you can catch it all in a huge night of entertainment with Wedding Crashers at 8.30pm leading off the night. For those that missed it the first time around this is the perfect opportunity to catch up on a truly epic show (and we mean that in every sense of the word). Spartacus takes the best bits from blockbuster films like Gladiator and extends it all out over a whole series as we follow the trials of Spartacus the slave as he fights for his freedom. So make sure you’re here on Saturday night, right after The Wedding Crashers for a special one off encore of Spartacus. Source     19 August 2010 Aussie GO! Spartacus Episode 1 and 2 Ratings GO!'s Wednesday night Australian premiere of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Human Target and Wipeout USA delivered huge ratings for Australia's Number One Multichannel securing wins in its key 16-39 demographic with a 6.6% share, along with wins in 18-49s (6.0%), 25-54s (5.6%) and Total People (4.4%). The movie length premiere of Spartacus: Blood and Sand starring Australian Andy Whitfield and Lucy Lawless was the night's Number 1 program in 16-39s, 18-49s, 25-54s and Total People peaking at 341,000 viewers across the 5 City Metro. The show held 8% of last night's FTA multichannel share and won its timeslot across all key demographics. The top 3 shows in 16-39s, 18-49s, 25-54s and Total People was rounded out by GO!'s other exclusive premiere content: the high octane action series Human Target and All New Wipeout USA. [Spartacus was the highest rated show for the 16-39 demographic digital channels and #39 for all channels] Source     19 August 2010 Spartacus Blood and Sand The Aussie PG Version Okay the premiere of Spartacus Blood and Sand was on GO! last night. For Aussie fans who were expecting the same as the US fans, well you didn't get it. Andy did say a few months ago that Australia was getting the PG version and that is what we got. What we got was the majorly edited version. Since it was eight months ago that I saw episode 1, I went back and compared it. The most obvious editing has been the nudity. Sura and Spartacus first love scene - edited out to basically nothing Sura and Spartacus after Sparty comes back from the war - MAJOR edit with only Spartacus's chest and some of Sura's back. Glaber finding Spartacus and Sura - MAJOR MAJOR edit - when the soldiers take Sura away from Spartacus. In the US version she is naked. In the Aussie version she has a red blanket attached to her body. I wonder what Episode 9 (Whore) is going to look like. Lots of closeups.   The violence is also edited. The scene where Spartacus chops off the guys legs in episode 1 and he is crawling away..you don't see the leg chopping, you don't see the guy trying to crawl away minus his missing limbs, you don't see the blood. All you see is Spartacus taking the pitchfork and striking him in the back. End of life for missing legs guy. Episode 2 most of the same - the scene with Batiatus and Lucretia (what has been described as the "fluffer" moment) - edited so you only see Lucretia's face and so on. Very PG and very tame. Now I realise why GO put it on at 9:30 pm. This is a very very tame Spartacus. Our kiwi cousins across the ditch are getting the full unedited version according to Sky. I wonder if Foxtel (our cable company) would have had the unedited version if they were showing the series. Channel 9 is not a cable company and has to adhere to different rules although having said that, they do have Underbelly which is extremely violent and has nudity. I'm not complaining we got the PG version (I like the idea) but it's a bit odd that Australian TV doesn't have any problems with nudity and yet we get the Spartacus PG version. Maybe channel 9's quota of nekkid people has been filled with Underbelly. <g> Whether it's the PG version or the full unedited version...Spartacus is one hell of a great show! so to Aussies, I say watch this great show; you won't be disappointed.     19 August 2010 NZ TV Guide Lucy Lawless Interview Scans - Lucy's Raunchy New Role Lucy Lawless returned home to New Zealand to film her latest minisenes Spartacus: Blood And Sond. The show, which features plenty of sex and nudity, focuses on the historical figure of Spartacus (Andy Whitfield), a Thracian gladiator who from 73 BC to 71 BC led a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic..John Hannah (Four Weddings And A Funeral) plays Lentulus Batiatus. The owner of a gladiator-training school; who buys Spartacus when he is brought into Rome as a slave. Lucy plays his manipulative wife, Lucretia. The 42-year-old actress. who rose to stardom in Xena:Warrior Princess has been married for 12 years to Xena and Spartacus producer Robert Tapert. They have two sons - Julius, 10, and Judah, eight, and Lucy also has a 22 year old daughter, Daisy from a previous marriage Click on the the thumbnail for the larger scan     18 August 2010 Spartacus Episode 1 and 2 TONIGHT on Channel 9 GO! Ep: 1.01   The Red Serpent A Thracian warrior, enlisted by the Romans to fight, has his destiny seized by an act of rebellious violence. As punishment, he faces death by being forced to battle in the gladitorial arena. Credits | Official Page | Episode Stills  |  MaryD Episode Preview | | Watch Episode Online  | Episode Recap (SPOILERS) Ep: 1.02   Sacramentum Gladiatorum Enslaved in gladiatorial school, the newly christened Spartacus must try to suppress his desire for vengeance when his new master promises to reunite him with his wife. Credits | Official Page | Episode Stills |  MaryD's Episode Review |  Watch Episode Online | Episode Recap (SPOILERS)            17 August 2010 Channel 9 GO! Promotes Spartacus I love the fact that channel 9 is going all out to promote Sparty! Here's the latest Official blog posting And finally at 9:30pm it’s the big one. Spartacus: Blood and Sand. You’ve probably already heard us harp on about this one because, frankly, we can't wait! We get to follow the plight of legendary Roman gladiator Spartacus as he fights to regain his family and Freedom. Sex. Blood. Gore. Passion. Effects to die to for (and there is quite a bit of that that goes on). A cast made of up hotness after hotness (including sexy Australian actor Andy Whitfield and equally sexy Lucy Lawless). I'm talking a feast for the eyes from every possible angle (in fact, it feels like you’re watching a big screen epic like Gladiator or Alexander, except that you get to watch it every week, and with a lot more of that sex, blood, gore and passion we were talking about). Oh Wednesday, you never looked so good. Epic, right? Hope you remembered that warning…     17 August 2010 NZ Media on Spartacus Premiere The NZ Media is now on Sparty alert with the premiere in a few days of the first season (Australia's premiere is on tomorrow night). Here's a couple of articles: The Press Decadence, baseness the lure of Spartacus Otago Daily News Salacious Spartacus wins fans with blood and beauty   and of course this gem from twitter CatherineHaines?: @SnarkyWench There's a giant sign I see on the way home. Says something like "It wouldn't be too bad to be Lucy Lawless's slave" Twitter - 3 hours ago Those funny kiwis! :)     17 August 2010 Spartacus Set To Become New Flagship Show for GO! Spartacus: Blood and Sand is set to become the new flagship show for GO! when it has its Australian premiere tomorrow night. The US cable series, featuring Australian Andy Whitfield as the leader of the Roman slaves, has been a hit series for the Starz Network and attracted buzz for its buff gladiators, gory violence, CGI special effects and sex scenes. It is the kind of alternative viewing that Nine’s Director of Acquisitions and HD Channel, Les Sampson, calls a perfect fit. “It’s got action, sex appeal, it’s the brand of the channel. It’s a mega series,” he told TV Tonight. “And the great thing is there’s an Australian in the lead, and another in Season Two and it’s shot in our region as well. So it’s got some good breeding!” Read More     17 August 2010 Spartacus Episode 3 Preview Australian TV Week 21-27 August 2010 The Australian TV Week Magazine 21-27 August 2010 has a great preview/review of Episode 3 "Legends" Spartacus: Blood and Sand No Pain, No Gain Though Spartacus proved himself during training and now wears the attire of a gladiator, his coarse attitude and relentless quest to see his wife isolates him from his fellow gladiators and Doctore. Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan Other Episode Multimedia View Episode Stills | Watch Episode Promos #1 #2 #3 #4 #5     17 August 2010 Spartacus Review in Aussie SW Newspaper 16 August 2010 The Sydney gay newspaper SW had a write up about Spartacus and the premiere which is on tomorrow night here in Sydney at 9:30 pm on GO! (Channel 9 digital channel) Don't you just love it when friends clip things out and just give them to you to share? I must say the reviews for the show so far have been very positive (almost glowing) with a couple of exceptions. Excellent response from the Oz Media. Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan.     17 August 2010 Aced Magazine Interviews John Hannah - 16 August 2010 Aced Magazine has interviewed John and they have just released the Q&A: John Hannah returns to Spartacus: Blood and Sand in the season 2 prequel that documents Lentulus Batiatus' early conflicts with this father and the rise of champion gladiators like Crixus and the fall of would-be champion, Asher. In this interview, Hannah provides a glimpse into the second season of this groundbreaking epic series. Read Interview     17 August 2010 Katrina Law Photoshoot & Article - Regard Magazine Regard Magazine's latest issue has an article on Katrina plus some gorgeous photos! The magazine is now available (in the US):               17 August 2010 2009 Comic Con Photo of Lucy, Peter and Erin The San Diego County news has a gorgeous picture of Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah and Erin Cummings from the 2009 Comic Con. I suspect this went under the radar with the Spartacus PR juggernaut as it was released on 4 January 2010. The article is about Starz's decision to renew Spartacus before Season 1 even started. Rob Tapert said: “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.” Read the article View the image     16 August 2010 Spartacus Artwork by Beatriz Beatriz has created some new artwork of Spartacus! This is such beautiful work. View artwork I have rearranged Beatriz's art and put them in name order for easy access Spartacus | Varro | Naevia | Mira | Lucretia | Glaber Ilithyia | Doctore | Crixus | Batiatus View galleries     16 August 2010 Rob Tapert and Spartacus - NZ Listener Magazine 21-27 August 2010 NZ Listener August 21-27 2010 Vol 225 No 3667 Swords, sex and sandals with Spartacus by Sarah Barnett There’s plenty of red in Rob Tapert’s Kiwi-made Spartacus, but the American husband of Lucy Lawless (who plays Lucretia) says it’s only a little gratuitous. From the set of Spartacus: Blood and Sand (Sky D05, Sunday, 9.30pm), executive producer Rob Tapert is confident Kiwis can handle the uncut version of this swords, sandals, sex and swearing melodrama: “I’ve seen what’s on local television.” Tapert is as good as local these days. After discovering New Zealand as a filming location for shows such as Xena: Warrior Princess, he has continued to roll camera here – and he married Lucy Lawless. The set this time? An Auckland warehouse. One hundred and fifty extras today, 250 tomorrow, with digital effects to come to transform it into ancient Capua, Rome. Our hero, Spartacus (Andy Whitfield), is a Thracian warrior sold into slavery after crossing the wrong Roman (Craig Parker), and winding up in the glad­iatorial arena. Parker and Lawless have major roles beside UK import John Hannah, and Michael Hurst pops up in the director’s chair – these ancient Romans often speak with a Kiwi inflection. There were, it’s fair to say, middling reviews in the US, although they began to turn around as the series went on. Some reviewers, Tapert says, “recanted by episode 13. We felt good about that.” It’s a long way from Tapert’s early days with fellow executive producer Sam Raimi, making the Evil Dead films on a shoestring, even mixing their own blood. Or perhaps not so long – there’s still plenty of blood, but rather than being mixed set-side, this is filmed exploding in glorious arcs in front of green screens to give it that vivid, comic-book effect seen in flicks like 300. Spartacus is, in other words, decadent, debauched and ghoulishly stylish. “There’s only probably two times in the first 13 episodes that, looking back on it, I feel we did something gratuitous,” Tapert says. “The rest of it, everything had a reason, and decisions about blood or gladiators fighting – that’s more about a ballet in a kind of chop-socky Japanese kind of fashion.” Article submitted by Barbara Davies     16 August 2010 New Spartacus Blood and Sand Promo Images Added some GORGEOUS new promo pics from Season 1 Spartacus Spartacus & Sura Lucretia Lucretia & Quintas Doctore Naevia     16 August 2010 What to Watch for Aussies On 18 August on GO! Spartacus: Blood and Sand Premiere. Buff gladiators, gory battle scenes, torrid romance and special effects -- this new series is unlike anything else on the box. Heavily influenced by the movie 300, this is a CGI spectacle set among the Roman Empire. Aussie Andy Whitfield makes a sexy Spartacus in this double-episode premiere, which also features John Hannah and Lucy Lawless. Think of this as a rock video version of Rome and you will probably have a lot of fun. Follows the premiere of Human Target. Airs: 9:30pm Wednesday on GO! Source     16 August 2010 Lesley-Ann Interview Northern Advocate 16 August 2010 Lesley-Ann has been interviewed by The Northern Advocate (NZ newspaper) today (16 August 2010) SPARTACUS SERIES ALREADY A SMASH HIT Lesley-Ann Brandt has legions of fans across the world but the Auckland actress is still relatively unknown in her adopted home country -- for the time being. Brandt, who was in Northland at the weekend, is one of the stars of the break-out TV series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, the R-rated show filmed in New Zealand that also features Lucy Lawless and John Hannah. Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan and article     15 August 2010 Official Spartacus Go! Site GO! Channel 9's digital channel has now added Spartacus to it's lineup online. Nothing fancy, no interviews (yet), it has 8 character stills (nothing new). Hopefully they will be adding some interviews and other goodies. Click here to view     15 August 2010 Swords, Sandals And Sex - The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney) 15 August 2010 The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney) 15 August 2010 Swords, sandals and sex Lucy Lawless faced an unexpected challenge in her latest role, writes Richard Clune Lucy Lawless says her exploration of the Roman Empire meant checking her inhibitions at the studio door. "Mate, you said it. It’s the first time I’ve had to do a sex scene and I just about had a stroke," Lawless, best remembered as Xena: Warrior Princess, says of her role in Spartacus: Blood And Sand. The build-up for the scene was so stressful, she says, that when it was over, she went straight home to bed and slept, make-up still on, for 11 hours. "You want to think you’re a modern woman and artistically able - an ‘ac-tor’ - but really you’re a middle-class girl from Mount Albert, New Zealand, who went to Catholic school. It has long tentacles, all that stuff; I’m certainly not the free spirit I think I am." Lawless is not alone in having to overcome the inyour-face nature of the series. A bloody ride, full of lithe, naked bodies, Spartacus was criticised in the US for the " gratuitous" nature of its history lesson. "If you think Spartacus is soft porn, that simply tells me you’ve only watched the first two episodes," says Lawless. "Even we go back and look at the first two and are like ‘ wow’ . . . but we’ve very quickly moved on from that, and sex scenes should always give up something else; they’re a power play - somebody always wants something." Shot in New Zealand, Spartacus gave Lawless the chance to return home for the series. "I was a little nervous about coming home because I felt like I was giving up my Hollywood dream a bit," she admits. " But it was great to have the family under one roof." (She and husband and series producer Robert Tapert have two sons Julius, 10, and Judah, 8, and Lawless has a daughter Daisy, 22.) Lawless, 42, has worked solidly since her swordwielding Xena days of the late 1990s. She’s been in Battlestar Galactica, TV comedies Flight Of The Conchords and Curb Your Enthusiasm, blockbuster action flick Spider-Man and the Broadway production of Grease — but she still can’t escape her Xena role. "If you’ve been at primetime for six years and lucky enough to have a character that was burnt into public consciousness, well, I guess it’s awfully hard to move people off that and evolve your career. It has taken me a long time to break that conception. "But, no, she’s in no way annoying. I certainly can’t grumble because Xena gave me everything." Spartacus: Blood And Sand begins Wednesday, 9.30pm, on GO     15 August 2010 Brazen Update For Spartacus - Herald on Sunday 15 August 2010 The Herald on Sunday newspaper in New Zealand has the following article regarding Spartacus Blood and Sand. Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan. Read More Spartacus Articles in the AUSXIP Spartacus Press Page     13 August 2010 Spartacus Creator Loves Lucy - Toronto Sun 13 August 2010 Toronto Sun 13 August 2010 Spartacus Creator Loves Lucy Beverly Hills, Calif. - We all knew Lucy Lawless was taking part in the prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand, titled Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. But executive producer / creator / writer Steven S. DeKnight cracked up the room at the Television Critics Association tour when he was asked “what the hell he was thinking” regarding the fate of Lawless’ character at the end of the first season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand. “I was thinking she was still twitching at the end of season 1, if you look,” deKnight said. In other words, Lawless, who plays Lucretia Batiatus, also will be part of the second season of the sexy and savage Spartacus: Blood and Sand. “Now, John Hannah (who plays Lentulus Batiatus) is a little harder to bring back, obviously,” said deKnight, prompting more laughter.“But we’re thrilled that Lucy will be back in season 2. Where the story goes with her is really Spartacus: Blood and Sand and the prequel Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, both of which originate on the cable network starz in the united states, will air in Canada on the Movie Network and Movie Central.     13 August 2010 Spartacus Season 1 DVD News & Promo Video Received the following from PR promoting the release of Spartacus: Blood and Sand Season 1. Check out the great video! Spartacus: Blood and Sand Season 1 Pre-Order DVD | Pre-Order Blu-Ray Executive produced by Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Joshua Donen and Steven S. DeKnight, “SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND - The Complete First Season” on DVD and Blu-ray™ promises to take fans even deeper into the deadly brutality of gladiator games and the decadent machinations of Roman society with hours of bonus features delving behind the scenes into the making of a modern epic, including interviews and commentaries from the actors and filmmakers, augmented with rare production footage exploring the series’ ground-breaking visual effects, production and costume design. Enhanced digital effects have been added to several of the episodes, and as a Blu-ray™ exclusive, four episodes have been personally selected as “Directors’ Cut Extended Episodes,” featuring content too risqué, even for cable TV! The bonus features on “SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND - The Complete First Season” are anything but spartan. Hours of featurettes, behind-the-scenes footage, audio commentaries, interviews, and outtakes will get the “thumbs up” from the casual Thracian to the die-hard Roman! DVD and Blu-ray™ bonus features: Featurettes: Gladiator Camp, History Rewritten, Make-up Effects, The Hole, And more! Audio Commentaries Episodes with Enhanced Digital Effects Behind-The-Scenes Footage Bloopers Trailers Exclusive Blu-ray™ bonus feature: Four “Directors’ Cut Extended Episodes” personally selected by Executive Producer Rob Tapert PROMO VIDEO     13 August 2010 The Green Guide Review of Spartacus Series Premiere The Age Newspaper's (Melbourne, Australia) tv supplement "The Green Guide" on 12 August 2010 has a review of the first two Spartacus episodes which will go to air on 18 August 2010 at 9:30 pm. In the same issue there is an article about Andy - click here to read Click on the thumbnail to read the review     13 August 2010 More Spartacus Casting Calls - Actors Wanted StarNow, a New Zealand casting company is searching for more Spartacus cast Casting no. 179882 - Auckland, NZ Apply now We have been the leading agency for Spartacus, American Films & TV Series, which we are casting now! We offer a wide range of audition/acting and stunt/combat training. SPARTACUS: We are now casting for Spartacus which has started filming in August, so we are urgently looking for the following: Physically fit and active men and woman such as body builders, sports people and athletes. We are especially interested in European, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and African males with an athletic build. Spartacus requires a wide range of looks, skills, and characteristics. For example: Men and women with Italian, Spanish, French, South American looks or descent. We are looking for men and women who wish to get involved with the above productions. You must have good availability and reliable transport and aged between 16 and 70 years old. Actors/extras Any gender, aged 16 to 70 from New Zealand Acting experience: Extra / background player, Previous unpaid speaking roles, Previous paid speaking roles Languages spoken: English Apply now Created: 11 August 2010 Applications accepted for at least another month Reported by Barbara Davies     13 August 2010 The REAL Andy Whitfield NOT on Facebook Following up yesterday's post about Andy Whitfield having a Facebook account. Alas this is not correct. It's a fake. I have confirmed it through official sources that Andy does not have an official Facebook account. This is quite upsetting to many people who believed it (including me) and quite frankly annoying. I do wish some "fans" would stop trying to dupe other fans. Andy Whitfield does NOT have an official Facebook page as of this time. You never know what might happen in the future. He also does not have a twitter account. UPDATE: In case there were any doubts whatsoever that Andy Whitfield on FB is Fake Andy...(and many thanks to Roland for the very quick and ingenious way he discovered Fake Andy's real location) The guy lives in Gibraltar!!! This is his IP: 195.244.210.198 His host: 198.210.244.195.dsl.static.gibconnect.com His Internet provider: Gibtelecom's ADSL Static Pool Assignment What's more to be said? Nothing. End of debate.     12 August 2010 Lucy Lawless in NZ TV Guide The lastest issue of the New Zealand TV Guide has an article on Lucy according to the latest tweet from NZ TV Guide: New TV Guide on sale today! Lucy Lawless tells us about her raunchy Roman romp, Trinny and Susannah share style... http://fb.me/FdTsQDT0 about 6 hours ago via Facebook     12 August 2010 The Green Guide - Roman Gladiators Head For High Camp The following article is from Melbourne's The Age newspaper in their TV supplement "The Green Guide" for 12 August 2010 One thing I have noticed in the Aussie media is that they are using slightly different promo images.   Click on the thumbnail for the larger image.     12 August 2010 Cast Bios For New Spartacus: GotA Actors DUSTIN CLARE (GANNICUS) Dustin Clare plays Gannicus, the champion gladiator of Batiatus’ ludus in “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” a Starz original action-adventure drama series. In the class-conscious world of ancient Capua, the House of Batiatus has not yet earned the respect of local society, or the right for its gladiators to fight in the championship bouts. Gannicus must survive the arena to not only keep his place in the ludus but also rise to become the champion in all of Capua. Clare recently completed Fred Schepisi’s feature film The Eye of the Storm, opposite Charlotte Rampling, Judy Davis and Geoffrey Rush. Clare starred as Sean in the second and third seasons of “Satisfaction,” where he earned a Logie Award nomination for “Most outstanding Actor” and a Golden Nymph nomination for "Most Outstanding Actor" at the 49th Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monaco. He also played the lead character Riley Ward in the highly popular television drama, “McLeod’s Daughters,” which he won the Logie Award for “Most Popular New Talent.” His other television appearances include the critically acclaimed second series of “Underbelly” and guest roles in the leading Australian television series “All Saints and Headland.” Clare graduated from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) in 2004. JAIME MURRAY (GAIA) Jaime Murray portrays Gaia in “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” a Starz original action-adventure drama series. Gaia is a long time friend of Lucretia on the prowl for a new husband. Murray is well-established in the UK and previously made her mark starring in the AMC/BBC acclaimed hit “Hu$tle” also starring Adrian Lester and Robert Vaughan. It ran for four seasons abroad and will be made into a feature film with the original cast next Spring. She completed two other films last year; the British caper “Botched” opposite Stephen Dorff; and the thriller The Deaths of Ian Stone with Mike Vogel. Previous credits include the role of glamorous model Bianca Minola in the updating of Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew” with Rufus Sewell, “Agatha Christie’s Poirot” opposite Elliot Gould, and “Keen Eddie” with Sienna Miller. Murray studied Philosophy and Psychology at London School of Economics before honing her craft at the prestigious method acting school, Drama Centre. She originally came to Hollywood for six weeks to shoot the CBS supernatural drama pilot “Demons” with Ron Eldard, but even though that pilot did not go to series she quickly landed a showcasing role on Showtime's “Dexter” with Michael Hall. She went on to also do the CW series “Valentine” and “Beautiful Life.” Most recently she had a recurring role on Syfy's “Warehouse 13.” Marisa Ramirez portrays Melitta, the personal slave to Lucretia and wife to Oenomaus in “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” a Starz original action-adventure drama series. She struggles to balance the small portion of freedom she's attained within the confines of the villa, with the cold reality of her very real status as a slave. Ramirez began her career at age thirteen when one of the top modeling agencies in Los Angeles discovered her Polaroid® snapshot. Soon, she was traveling around the globe as an international fashion model and later returned home to California to pursue acting. Ramirez played the spirited supermodel Gia Campbell on ABC’s daytime drama “General Hospital,” which earned her a nomination for an NAACP Image Award® and an ALMA Award® as "Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series." Her other television appearances also include a role on ABC’s short-lived but critically hailed investigative drama “Miracles,” FOX’s summer medical drama “Mental,” and she co-hosted MTV’s “Senseless Acts of Video.” Ramirez has appeared as the lead role in music videos such as “Wild, Wild West” (Will Smith), “American Woman” (Lenny Kravitz), “As Long As You Love Me” (Backstreet Boys) and “Give It to You” (Jordan Knight). She also volunteers for a variety of philanthropic causes focusing on HIV/AIDS awareness, education, and eradication to animal rescue. She currently resides in Los Angeles, where she was born and raised. Jeffrey Thomas is a Welsh-born New Zealand actor, best known for his television roles. He rose to prominence in New Zealand in the late ‘80s with the lead role of Inspector Brian Finn in the TVNZ police drama series “Shark in the Park,” and is also well-known for his roles in two long-running New Zealand soap operas, “Mercy Peak” and “Shortland Street.” His distinctive voice can be heard narrating a large number of documentaries. Internationally, Thomas is best known for his roles of Jason in “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and narrator in Costa Botes's and Peter Jackson's mockumentary “Forgotten Silver.” Thomas is a graduate of Liverpool University and Oxford University in England. Bilingual in English and Welsh, he is also a writer of dramatic material in both languages. He has scripted several episodes of New Zealand television drama series, and has also written several stage plays, including “Playing the Game,” which has been performed in both New Zealand and the United Kingdom. TEMUERA MORRISON (DOCTORE) Temuera Morrison has become one of New Zealand’s most famous stars for his roles as the abusive Jake "the Muss" Heke in 1994's Once Were Warriors and as bounty hunter Jango Fett and the Clone Troopers in the Star Wars series. He also voiced Boba Fett in the 2004 special edition of Star Wars episodes V and VI. Morrison, a Maori, was born in the town of Rotorua in the North Island of New Zealand. He attended Wesley College, Auckland. Trained in drama under the New Zealand Special Performing Arts Training Scheme, one of his earliest roles was in the 1988 film Never Say Die, opposite Lisa Eilbacher. His role in Once Were Warriors won him international acclaim, and he received the 1994 award for best male performance in a dramatic role from the New Zealand Film and TV Awards. He reprised the role in the sequel, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?, for which he received the Best Actor award from the New Zealand Film Awards. He has appeared in supporting roles in Speed 2: Cruise Control and The Beautiful Country. Morrison is featured in the upcoming Green Lantern.     12 August 2010 Spartacus Gods of the Arena Cast & Character Update Updated the Cast Information page with character bio information on all the major characters of the prequel Quintus Batiatus Lucretia Titus Batiatus Oenoamaus Gannicus Crixus Ashur Naevia Solonius Tullius Melitta Barca Auctus Spartacus Starz has not released any promo images yet. Once they do they will be posted in the Cast Gallery.     11 August 2010 The Daily Telegraph - The Fight Of His Life 11 August 2010 The Aussie media have started to pick up stories on the premiere of Spartacus Blood and Sand on Aussie TV on 18 August 2010. The following article is my home town newspaper The Daily Telegraph which appeared today. The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia) 11 August 2010 The fight of his life Andy Whitfield has battled cancer to resume combat as Spartacus, writes Colin Vickery ANDY Whitfield has just endured the most shocking time of his life. In March, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It couldn’t have come at a worse time. The 35-year-old actor, who moved from the UK to Australia 10 years ago, had just completed the biggest role of his career. Whitfield, who starred in local shows including McLeod’s Daughters, Packed to the Rafters, The Strip and Out of the Blue, had been picked for the title role of major US TV show, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Whitfield had just finished shooting the first series of the Gladiator-style historical drama when tragedy struck. Production on the second series of Spartacus was postponed while Whitfield received treatment. ‘‘I’m receiving excellent care, and am feeling strong, positive and determined with an army of support behind me,’’ Whitfield said at the time. Four months later, he’s cancer-free and back in training. Series two of Spartacus will start filming in October. The cancer scare has had a major impact on Whitfield’s life: now he doesn’t take a single day for granted. ‘‘I was pretty tired at the end of filming the first series, but I think that was only to be expected,’’ Whitfield says. ‘‘I’d put my sore back and other ailments down to nine months of pretty intense physical activity. ‘‘To find out that it was cancer was very strange timing after having spent so many years trying to crack it (acting in the US) and to get this hit show and then for that to happen. ‘‘So many great things have come out of it. I went through a process of stripping back. Everything was taken away, almost. I embraced it and had a profound time which I’ll never forget. It changed me forever. ‘‘When you have something as serious as that (cancer) all the other stuff which you thought was important or worth worrying about just isn’t. ‘‘There’s a level of fearlessness that I’m enjoying and I’m really interested in seeing how that translates into work. ‘‘Acting essentially is taking risks every day — putting yourself out there — and some things can go wrong. That was easy to worry about before but now it’s like — what’s the worst that can happen?’’ Spartacus: Blood and Sand has been shot in the style of recent hit historical action film, 300. The series, which was shot in New Zealand, is incredibly violent and bloody. There’s also a high level of sex and nudity, but Whitfield says it’s the scripts, rather than the spectacle, that made him want to sign on. Whitfield plays Spartacus, a Thracian soldier who, as punishment for defying Roman commander Legatus Glaber (Craig Parker), is sentenced to fight in the gladiatorial arena. Spartacus is then sent into slavery but lives on the promise of one day being reunited with his wife Sura (Erin Cummings). ‘‘This is my dream role — the fighting, the sandals, the blood, the legend,’’ Whitfield says. ‘‘When the scripts came, I was blown away. It’s a unique combination of real hard edge, heart, passion and power.’’ Spartacus, GO!, Wednesday, August 18, 7.30pm     10 August 2010 Spartacus: The Toon Series! The Toon Series has created Spartacus Toons and they are just so adorably cute! Click here to view the larger versions               9 August 2010 More Spartacus GotA Casting - Auctus, Barca's Love Interest Last month AfterElton.com confirmed that the Spartacus sequel Spartacus: Gods of the Arena would feature a gay gladiator named Auctus who would be the new love interest for Barca. Sources have now confirmed exclusively to AfterElton that Australian actor and dancer Josef Brown will be playing Auctus. Read article on AfterElton.com   I'm not going to say a word...just look at the pretty pictures... *sigh* (that's not a word that's an action <g>) visit his site at JosefBrown.com.au     9 August 2010 New Naevia Artwork by Carpe Chakram Carpe Chakram sent me a gorgeous new Naevia artwork inspired the gorgeous Lesley-Ann Brandt as Naevia. Click here to view artwork View more of Carpe Chakram's art     9 August 2010 Clio Historia Magazine June 2010 Issue Article Translated Clio Historia Magazine - June 2010 has a four page article on Spartacus. Cris volunteered to translate the article from Spanish to English and the translation is now available. HEADER: SPARTACUS / Antiquity's 'Che' Guevara? SPARTACUS on TV: blood, sweat and...lots of sex "Spartacus: blood and sand" premieres June 3 on Canal +. A Starz media production about the historical drama of the gladiator that became a threat to the Roman Republic, giving the famous myth a new twist. "Spartacus: blood and sand" (airing in Canal + -www.plus.es-) tells the tale of a man betrayed by the Romans, taken from his homeland and parted from the woman he loves: he is forced to become a slave, and turned into a gladiator. In order to survive in a new world ruled by corruption, blood and violence, he will be forced to place the very Republic against the wall, becoming a legend. Read Full Translated Article with Scans     9 August 2010 Australian TV Week Magazine: Spartacus Fight For His Life Australian TV magazine TV Week 14-20 August 2010 Issue has an article on Andy and the upcoming premiere of Spartacus in Australia. Spartacus Blood and Sand Premiere Special. Series premiere Wednesday 9:30 pm go! Playing a brutal gladiator in Spartacus: Blood and Sand was nothing compared to lead star Andy Whitfield's real-life battle with cancer.... Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan to read full article To read more Spartacus related articles go to AUSXIP Spartacus Press     9 August 2010 Andy Whitfield Image Gallery Revamped & Artwork Submissions AUSXIP Andy Whitfield's image gallery is now back online which also features Spartacus Season 1 episode stills and promo images. There's a few more images to be posted of Andy attending various events. Click here to view I am also accepting artwork. If you would like to submit your art, please email me     9 August 2010 New Artwork "Forbidden" Crixus & Naevia by MaryD Created some new artwork of two of my favourite characters - Crixus and Naevia. Added it to my art gallery - click here to view You can view my other artwork here     8 August 2010 AUSXIP Contest - Win Two VIP Tickets To See Katrina Law at Her First Convention! Want to attend Katrina Law's first convention? Are you in Europe or the UK? Here's your chance! The prize is 2 x VIP Full Weekend Tickets SFB Events and AUSXIP bring you the chance to win VIP tickets to Reunion at The De Vere Staverton Park Reunion8 is a relaxed and friendly three-day social experience, held in the Midlands, that brings you the best stars from Sci-Fi and Cult TV. It's special as the limited number of attendees means that the dance floor is never too crowded, the queues are never too long and there is always a good seat at guest talks. CONTEST QUESTION Question 1 In which episode did Katrina make her debut on Spartacus Blood and Sand? Question 2 What was Katrina's character name on Legend of the Seeker? You must answer by 27 August 2010 to be in with a chance of winning. Answers should be sent to spartacus@ausxip.com with the subject line ‘Reunion 8 Competition’. THIS COMPETITION IS ONLY FOR TICKETS THE PRIZE Prize package: 2 x VIP Full Weekend Tickets Your weekend starts in style on Friday night with the opening Ceremony and, if you are a Newbie to Reunion, there is an exclusive Drinks Reception in the Bar where you can meet your liaison for the weekend and other convention attendees. Each winner will receive an exclusive goody bag filled with film and TV promotional items that are not available in the shops and an event guide signed by all our star guests The winners will also receive: " A guided tour of the event by our dedicated attendee liaison " Priority seating in all talks " Preferential entrance to "Photos with the stars" sessions " Advanced entry to autograph sessions Reunion is brought to you by SFB Events, a non-profit organisation run by volunteers that raises money for The Teenage Cancer Trust. SFB Events has the right to substitute the prize for a similar item of equal or higher value. SFB Events will not provide transport or accommodation for the winners and will not reimburse the winners for said expenses. Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash. Tickets can be upgraded to Alumni Tickets for an extra payment and further tickets can be purchased through the SFB Events Website. THE EVENT This year SFBEvents is delighted to welcome Connor Trineer (Star Trek Enterprise, Stargate Atlantis, 24) Eddie McClintock (Warehouse 13, Bones) Phil Ford (Writer from Dr Who and The Sarah Jane Adventures) and Katrina Law (Spartacus: Blood and Sand). We invite our guests to take part in the whole weekend experience from attending the parties to judging the fancy dress competition. All the guests will be taking part in Autograph Sessions, Photos With, Guest Talks and the Friday night Alumni party. A professional photographer is also available during the event ensuring that each attendee is able to obtain a high quality memento of their weekend. The fun starts on Friday afternoon and continues non-stop until midnight on Sunday. Each night there is the chance to dance at the disco or just relax with friends. Attendees are encouraged to interact with the stars by asking thought provoking, interesting or even probing questions during the daily guest talks. There's always something to do at Reunion; attendees can take part in games such as "Crapheap Challenge" and "Master Geek", take a turn round the dealers' room or chat with old and new friends at the bar. Our entertainment team run a range of activities to keep you amused - volunteer for the games, enter the quizzes or just sit back and enjoy the mayhem. There are also opportunities to flex your cerebral and creative muscles by entering the fiction and art competitions. An on-site dealers' room is open all weekend, supplying attendees with a selection of Cult TV and Sci-Fi memorabilia, merchandise and desirable goodies. Unique items are also up for grabs at the charity auction. The hotel that we are based at is a country club with an 18 hole Golf Course swimming pool and spa attached and available for use by attendees staying at the hotel. The hotel boasts free Wi-Fi and free tea and coffee throughout the weekend. Attendees booking through SFB Events will get a special rate for the weekend. It a perfect hotel to share with a non sci-fi interested spouse or partner.     8 August 2010 Starz Spartacus Videos Now Online - Live Video Fan Chat & Comic Con Highlights Spartacus Live - Video Fan Chat July 23, 2010 From Comic-Con. John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Steven S. DeKnight, Andy Whitfield, Viva Bianca and surprise guest, Jai Courtney. Watch Video   Highlights From 2010 Comic Con – Starz Previews of new movies in theaters this week, lively interviews with top celebrities and the latest Hollywood buzz from Starz. This week: highlights from the 2010 Comic-Con in San Diego. SPARTACUS cast interviews and Spartacus Comic Con round up at approx 8:15 minutes into the video. Watch Video     8 August 2010 Spartacus Promo Video on Channel 9 Go! Channel on Aussie TV Channel 9's GO! Channel has a blog post about the upcoming premiere of Spartacus Blood and Sand on Aussie TV on 18 August 2010 at 9:30 pm. What's even cooler (despite the blog getting Lucretia and Sura mixed up) is the cool video they have online promoting the show! Have a look see!     8 August 2010 Transcript / Live Blog of the Spartacus TCA Panel The transcript is from the live blog of the Spartacus Panel on TV Tango: Reported by Barbara Davies. Caution if you are keeping spoiler free..you may want to avoid reading this - very minor spoilers. 10:48 For SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA, Andy Whitfield appears briefly in the prequel. Saturday August 7, 2010 10:48 10:49 SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA Premieres January 2011 on Starz In this six-part prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand, the story will focus on life in the gladiator school before Spartacus arrives as a Thracian slave. John Hannah returns as Batiatus, owner of the school, along with his wife Lucretia (Lucy Lawless). Other returning actors include Andy Whitfield (Spartacus), Peter Mensah (Doctore), Manu Bennett (Crixus), Antonio Te Maioha (Barca), Nick E. Tarabay (Ashur), and others. Panel includes: Steven S. DeKnight, EP/creator Saturday August 7, 2010 10:49 10:49 They showed a short clip. Saturday August 7, 2010 10:49 10:49 Steven S. DeKnight, EP/creator: I feel like you got robbed. I bring no actors. They're all down in New Zealand filming. We just got through filming week 1. Saturday August 7, 2010 10:49 10:50 Q for Steven S. DeKnight, EP/creator: were you prepared for success of series? Saturday August 7, 2010 10:50 10:50 Steven S. DeKnight, EP/creator: It's been phenomenal and shocking. You're never prepared for extreme success or failure. I wasn't prepared for VIVA LAUGHLIN. Thankfully, I wasn't up on stage, I was in the back [at the Beverly Hilton TCA a few years back]. Saturday August 7, 2010 10:50 10:52 Q about 2nd part of rebellion story. Steven: I was planning episode 5, season 2. Once we found what was happening with Andy, I thought we should do a 2-hour episode and air it in January. It died. The people at Starz came and said "what about six hours?" Saturday August 7, 2010 10:52 10:53 Steven S. DeKnight, EP/creator: We're thrilled to tell stories about things we visited briefly in season 1. We start shooting Season 2 in November, after a one-week break after prequel.Q Saturday August 7, 2010 10:53 10:53 Q about Andy Saturday August 7, 2010 10:53 10:54 Steven S. DeKnight, EP/creator: Andy looks better than I have at any time in my life. He's talking about bulking up bigger. Saturday August 7, 2010 10:54 10:54 Q about sex and violence. how did you approach it initially? Saturday August 7, 2010 10:54 10:55 Steven S. DeKnight, EP/creator: It just seemed right for the world. If I was doing MAD MEN, I wouldn't go to these extremes. We don't censor ourselves. If we think something is a good idea, we just throw it out there. It's very rare that we in the writer's room say "That's going to far." We've only done that once, and I can't tell you what it is. We don't have to shy away from it. We can be a little more graphic. Saturday August 7, 2010 10:55 10:56 Steven S. DeKnight, EP/creator: Our take on violence if more operatic. Saturday August 7, 2010 10:56 10:56 Q about DVD set: when out? extras? Saturday August 7, 2010 10:56 10:57 Steven S. DeKnight, EP/creator: There isn't a ton of stuff on the cutting room floor. Especially in TV, where you don't overshoot too much There are some things, mostly of a sexual nature, on the DVD. There's an extra shot in there [of the gladiator getting castrated] and in episode 6 of the orgy scene. There's tons of commentary. Not every episode, but 9 or 10 out of 13. Saturday August 7, 2010 10:57 10:57 Q about killing off Lucy Lawless. Saturday August 7, 2010 10:57 10:59 Steven S. DeKnight, EP/creator: I was thinking she was still twitching at the end of Season 1. John Hannah is harder to bring back. The original plan for Lucy's character was for only one season. She was having so much fun, she wanted to come back. I said "Absolutely not, she has to die." I called him back and said "I have an idea." You'll love what we have for Season 2. Saturday August 7, 2010 10:59 10:59 Q about going outside more Saturday August 7, 2010 10:59 11:00 Steven S. DeKnight, EP/creator: When you shoot in NZ, it becomes exponentially more expensive. [Plus, the look/feel is different] We will continue shooting on green screen for the duration of the series. Saturday August 7, 2010 11:00 11:00 Q about doing prequel: did you pause? Saturday August 7, 2010 11:00 11:01 Steven S. DeKnight, EP/creator: No really. If the prequel were telling information that we learn in Season 1, but the story fills in things for Season 2. In that way it all ties together. Saturday August 7, 2010 11:01 11:01 Q about circumventing life/death stakes and continuity. 11:02 Steven S. DeKnight, EP/creator: It's pretty much the same thing we faced with S1 of SPARTACUS. We knew he was going to live, but you can still squeeze some mighty fine drama out it. We have a way to mix it up. You're never 100% sure. Saturday August 7, 2010 11:02 11:02 That was the last question for that panel     8 August 2010 IGN Interviews Steven, Lucy and John Lawless and Hannah Talk Spartacus: Gods of the Arena - IGN talks to Steven at the TCA Spartacus Panel and to Lucy & John at Comic Con Gods of the Arena IGN spoke to both actors about returning for the new six-episode Starz prequel series. Plus, will Lawless actually be returning for Season 2? US, August 7, 2010 "We're thrilled to be able to go back and tell a lot of the things that you hear about in Season 1," said Spartacus head writer, creator, and executive producer, Steven S. DeKnight at the TCA (Television Critics Association) Press Tour today. "Little one-liners like when Peter Mensah mentions his wife in one line, now we built an entire story around that." DeKnight was, of course, talking about the new six-episode prequel series, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. .. At Comic-Con, IGN had a chance to speak with both Lucy Lawless and John Hannah about their miraculous resurrection for the Gods of the Arena prequel series. "I, personally, am looking forward to seeing all of the characters as they were before they became a train wreck," Lawless told us. "To see them hopeful, idealistic and with plans. And the audience might feel smart because they know what's coming, but we're still going to surprise you. We're still going to twist it up. Nothing it going to be as you predict. I think it would be cool to see Asher before he got injured and made lame - when he's a young recruit. And Crixus when he starts in the business." She then added with a laugh, "And Lucretia and Batiatus, before they'd ever killed anybody." Read Full Article Reported by Barbara Davies     8 August 2010 Spartacus GotA Casting News: Temeura Morrison & Jeffrey Thomas More casting news for Gods of the Arena with the casting of Temeura Morrison (New Zealander and best known for Once Were Warriors, Star Wars: Episode II) and Jeffrey Thomas (many Legend of the Seeker fans will remember him as George Cypher, Richard's dad and another Welshman). 'Spartacus' prequel adds Temuera Morrison Starz's "Spartacus" prequel started filming this week after filling two key roles in its cast. Temuera Morrison ("Star Wars: Episode II") and Jeffrey Thomas will play key roles in the six-episode "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena," which is scheduled to premiere in January. The prequel -- which came about in part because "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" star Andy Whitfield had to undergo cancer treatment (he's recovered and feels "10 years younger" -- will tell the story of the gladiator training academy before Spartacus arrives there. Morrison is playing Doctore, the predecessor to Peter Mensah's Oenomaus as the gladiators' trainer. Thomas ("Hercules," "Legend of the Seeker") is playing the senior Batiatus, the father of John Hannah's character in "Blood and Sand." Whitfield will make a brief appearance in "Gods of the Arena" before returning full-time for Season 2 of the full series. The cast of "Gods of the Arena" also includes Dustin Clare, Jaime Murray and Marisa Ramirez in addition to "Spartacus" regulars Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Mensah and Manu Bennett. "Audiences ate up the story of the House of Batiatus in our first season," says Carmi Zlotnik, managing director of Starz Media. "Now, with 'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,' we've got a story that we think will keep them glued to their sets and ready for Season 2." Source     8 August 2010 Lucretia Lives! Hollywood Reporter 7 August 2010 Lucretia lives! Lawless in ‘Spartacus’ season two It turns out Lucy Lawless' character survived the bloodbath in the end of season one, reveals "Spartacus" showrunner Steven S. DeKnight. Lawless had already been revived to some extent by reprising her role as the scheming Lucretia in the upcoming "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" prequel, which takes place before the first season of "Spartacus." But now she's also firmly in season two. "Starz called, they wanted her to come back," DeKnight said. "I said 'absolutely not, she's gotta die, that's the way the story goes.'" Then he realized, "she was still twitching at the end" of the finale and came up with an idea to continue her character into the season season. "Where the story goes is really something special." Source     8 August 2010 Starz Description of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Here's the network description of the prequel: The House of Batiatus has towered above the city of Capua for many years. “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” will explore its deadly history before the arrival of Spartacus, and the death he carried with him. It’s a time of transition as Quintus Lentulus Batiatus takes the reins of his father’s stable of gladiators, with ambitions to elevate the house beyond all former glories. With his beautiful, scheming wife Lucretia at his side, he will stop at nothing to see his name forever carved into history. Batiatus stakes his fortunes on the roguish gladiator Gannicus (Dustin Clare), a man whose skill with a sword is surpassed only by his appetite to live every day as if it were his last. But there are those who would see Batiatus and his champion destroyed. Loyalties will be tested, lives shattered, and battles waged in this thrilling prequel to “Spartacus: Blood and Sand.” Source     8 August 2010 Steven at TCA Spartacus Panel - MINOR SPOILERS GotA & Vengeance Steven was at the TCA Spartacus Panel all on his lonesome while the actors are back in New Zealand filming Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. Who better to promote Sparty when the actors are not around but Steven DeKnight: Here's a rundown of some of the news from the event: At today's Starz TCA press session, SPARTACUS creator and executive producer Steven S. DeKnight spoke about why Lucy Lawless will return as Lucretiain Season Two, even though the plan was to kill her off. "The original plan was to kill Lucy at the end of the season," says DeKnight. "We had John Hannah and Lucy for one season. Lucy was having such a great time, there was interest in bringing her back. I got a call from [producer] Rob Tapert saying Starz called and 'they would really like Lucy to come back' and she wants to come back. I said 'absolutely not, she has to die' and then I called him back saying 'I have an idea.' So Lucy will be back in Season Two. Where the story goes with her, is something special. I’m excited about that." source: iF Magazine The idea of a standalone two-hour show didn't go over that well, but after some back-and-forth with Tapert and Starz, they settled on six hours -- "the bed was just right," as DeKnight puts it. "We're thrilled to be able to go back and tell a lot of the things you hear about in Season 1," he adds. "Little one-liners, like when Peter Mensah [Oenomaus] mentions his wife in one line -- now we've built an entire story around that."Season 2 of "Spartacus" is set to begin filming in November, pretty much right after "Gods of the Arena" wraps. Starz hasn't set an airdate yet. Source: wonderwall     5 August 2010 New Beatriz Artwork "Doctore" Beatriz has sent in her new artwork and this time it's the ever wonderful and adorable Oenomaus (aka Doctore) Click here to view larger image You can view Beatriz's beautiful work of the entire Spartacus cast on her AUSXIP Spartacus Art Gallery     5 August 2010 NZ Skywatch Magazine with Lucy Cover Lesley-Ann was at the gym when she spotted the magazine cover of Skywatch - Lucy promoting Spartacus! SkyWatch Spartacus Blood and Sand Lucy Lawless As You Have Never Seen Her Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan. Sky will be showing Spartacus in New Zealand so PR for the show has commenced. Australia will see the show on 18 August.     5 August 2010 New Lesley-Ann Photoshoot with PinUp Girl Clothing Now Online PinUp Girl Clothing and Lesley-Ann recently got together for a fantastic photoshoot. The photos from this photoshoot are now online! Photographer Laura Byrnes' photos of Lesley-Ann are amazing. Click here to view the photoshoot images You can visit PinUp Girl Clothing at pinupgirlclothing.com or on their facebook page     5 August 2010 New Starz Mira Promo Image From Season 1 Check this out - this is a Spartacus Season 1 Katrina Law as Mira promo image. Click on the image for the larger scan! For more Katrina images as Mira go to AUSXIP Spartacus Image Gallery     5 August 2010 New Spartacus Season 1 Episode Stills - Naevia   Wowie check these out! New Lesley-Ann as Naevia in Season 1 Spartacus episode stills! Including one with Manu / Crixus! click here to view!     5 August 2010 Spartacus Season 2 is "Different" - MINOR SPOILERS Digital Spy has a cool article about how Sparty Season 2 will be different. How different? The executive producer of Spartacus has claimed that the second season will be "different". In an interview with TheTorchOnline, Steven DeKnight explained that the series will follow the problems with Spartacus's rebellion. "The thing about season two is it's a bit of a different show," he said. "We start down the path of what most people know about Spartacus - how this rebellion came together. "But what always interested me is not that everybody broke out and it was, 'Rah, rah! We're together! Let's band together and form an army!' It's very contentious. There are a lot of mistakes made. It takes quite a while before they build anything close to an army." DeKnight explained that historically the rebellion was "not a merry band of people", adding: "What I take from that, and what I want to illustrate in the show, is that all this infighting comes from personal perspective and people's desires and passions - some people wanting to be purely free and others wanting revenge. It is all a big mess." Read More     4 August 2010 Message from Katrina Law About Reunion 8 Convention Katrina sent the following note about her first convention appearance and it will in the UK as announced early today. The Reunion 8 convention is in the UK and it's on between 10-12 September 2010. Click here to get tickets and other info Katrina writes: I am so excited to be a part of Reunion 8. It is my first convention and I am a little nervous but really looking forward to it. Can't wait to meet some of the Sparty and LOTS fans over in the UK. There's a Fancy Dress Competition and I'm judging it so you better Bring It! See you all soon! Katrina     4 August 2010 Katrina Law Confirmed For First Convention Katrina is going to be doing her first convention in September. For those in the UK and Europe here is your chance to meet the extremely talented, funny and very entertaining lady. The following is from the Reunion 8 website: What is Reunion? A relaxed and friendly 3 day social experience, held in the Midlands, that brings you the best stars from Sci-Fi and Cult TV. Why is it special? The smaller number of attendees means that the dance floor is never too crowded, the queues are never too long and there is always a good seat at guest talks. So why do we call it Reunion? Because once you have experienced one of our weekends, you'll want to come back! Click here to get tickets and other info     4 August 2010 Gorgeous New Lucy Photos from Starz Promo Photoshoot Check out the gorgeous new photos now up on Lucy's IMDb page. These were taken by Tony Molina during the Starz Show Promo with the cast of Spartacus, Party Down and Gravity. Unfortunatley the video has been removed by Starz but you can see the screencaptures There are two new photos - one colour and one black/white and one colour one that was seen previously on Tony Molina's Photography Site Click here to view them     3 August 2010 Spartacus Article in Hungarian Magazine The following scan is from the Hungarian Magazine Mozimánia and it's the August 2010 Issue. Not sure what it says other than having lots of pretty pictures (and some not so pretty in that pit pic). Click on the thumbnail for the large scan Scan contributed by Roland from The Bringer of Rain site     3 August 2010 Spartacus in Australia 18 August 2010 Australia's GO! (Channel 9's digital channel) has announced the airdate for the movie length screening of Episode 1 and 2 for 18th August 2010 at 9:30 pm. Spartacus: Blood and Sand is rated MAV for its Strong Violence and Sex Scenes. To get everyone in the mood, GO! has decided to make Spartacus BaS part of a week of Gladiator-themed entertainment including the movies 300, Troy and Alexander. Source     2 August 2010 New Beatriz Artwork - Spartacus The Bringer of Rain Beatriz has sent in her new artwork of the Bringer of Rain, Spartacus! I love the detail in Beatriz's work. Just magic. View Image You can see more of Beatriz excellent artwork on the AUSXIP Spartacus Artwork Gallery     1 August 2010 Spartacus Cover and Article in Clio Historia (Spanish) June 2010 The June Issue of the Spanish Magazine Clio Historia has a 4 page article on Spartacus.           You can purchase the digital version of the magazine on Zinio for $3.22 AUD     1 August 2010 Andy Mention in Soap Opera Digest 25 May 2010 Soap Opera Digest 25 May 2010 has a brief mention of Andy in a Q&A. Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan     1 August 2010 The Farmer Wants A Fight - Dustin Clare - Gannicus Mention The Cairns Post TVPlus Magazine Supplment 29 July - 4 August 2010 The Farmer Wants A Fight - brief blurb about Dustin Clare winning the role of Gannicus for Spartacus: Gods of the Arena   Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan     For more about Spartacus: Gods of the Arena go to AUSXIP Spartacus: House of Batiatus (GotA) subsite     Read More Archives