January 2011 Archives   31 January 2011 Rittenhouse Archives Spartacus Blood and Sand Trading Cards - Order Online Following our update from 22 January 2011 where we reported on Rittenhouse Archives Spartacus Blood and Sand Trading Cards, there is now an update. You can buy them at $50 or $750 for a case. Rittenhouse Archives is pleased to announce our premiere edition of Spartacus: Blood and Sand Premium Trading Cards, based on the Starz TV series starring Andy Whitfield and Lucy Lawless! In this Premium Pack Series, there will be 2 autograph cards per pack! Continue reading Rittenhouse Archives Spartacus Blood and Sand Trading Cards - Order Online.     30 January 2011 Q&A With Lucy Lawless Dishes On Sexy Spartacus Scenes - Starpulse Q&A: Lucy Lawless Dishes On Sexy 'Spartacus' Scenes, Hurt 'Xena' Fans & More January 28th, 2011 12:00pm It’s been nearly a decade since 41-year-old actress Lucy Lawless starred as a leather-loving heroine, but that’s ancient history. After "Xena: Warrior Princess" came to an end in 2001, the New Zealand icon continued her adventures in Hollywood, doing everything from minor television roles to showing off her singing pipes on “Celebrity Duets.” Fortunately, Lawless has made a triumphant comeback as Lucretia in Starz’s television series, "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena." While Lawless did co-star in the previous "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" as the sinfully seductive wife of a gladiator trainer, her character Lucretia wasn’t supposed to return for the six-part prequel. By popular demand, not only is Lawless back, but she’s here to say. Diehard fans must have gotten the memo because 2.8 million viewers tuned in last Friday for the show’s premiere. Starpulse chatted with Lawless during her brief visit to New York City about filming those dangerous nude scenes, meeting the new Spartacus, and showing off her merkin. Read Interview -- Barbara Davies     30 January 2011 Spartacus Season 2 Casting Calls: Men, Women and Boys - Apply Now After the first successful season and the prequel, Spartacus is back this year for another season called Spartacus: Vengeance. We are looking for people who want to get involved with the production, have good availability and flexibility with their time. We are especially looking for body builders and athletes (both men and women) and African, Spanish, Italian, Greek, and Middle Eastern people of all ages. Location: Auckland, New Zealand Payment details: paid Fee details: KAM Talent Sign-Up fees Applications to this casting call require: * A profile photo MEN Casting no. 212160 Auckland, NZ looking for male & female actors - Auckland You should be good looking, well built, and preferably without tattoos. There are varied roles they are casting for so if you're interested please apply, but generally we are looking for good looking well built men. Males, aged 18 to 99 from New Zealand Languages spoken: English APPLY NOW WOMEN Beautiful women required to play ladies of pleasure and other roles. * Some nudity required for the above roles (topless generally) Some roles are available for older beautiful women too so please apply! Females, aged 18 to 99 from New Zealand Languages spoken: English APPLY NOW BOYS African boys with acting experience are urgently needed to apply Casting no. 212508 Auckland, NZ African boys with experience in acting and are in good shape, you'll be a gladiator in training. This is a great featured role. Filming is April/May 2011 Note: All minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Location: Auckland, New Zealand Payment details: paid Applications to this casting call require: * A phone number * A profile photo APPLY NOW African Boy Gladiator In fit physical condition. Males, aged 13 to 18 from New Zealand Ethnicity: Black / African descent Skin colour: Black Languages spoken: English APPLY NOW Source -- Barbara Davies     29 January 2011 Lucy Video Interview TV Guide Online 29 January 2011 TVGuide.com caught up with Lawless to get the scoop on the drama's racy sex scenes. "The minute they call cut, I blank it out!" she says. "I was very blessed to have John Hannah and Jaime Murray as my accomplices — my great colleagues and friends. When you got to belt out those kind of stories and those kind of scenes, you need good, solid professionals in the trenches with you." Lawless also shares her thoughts on Whitfield's departure how it was a "torturous process" to recast Spartacus. Plus: Find out what it was about McIntyre that impressed everyone. Lucy Interview TV Guide Online 28 January 2011 Posted on: 29th January 2011 -- Barbara Davies     29 January 2011 Gods of the Arena Episode 2 Missio Recaps - CONTAINS SPOILERS! Spartacus: Things That Made Us Go "Ew!" - Today's News: Our Take | TVGuide.com Friday's episode Spartacus: Gods of the Arena delivered plenty of blood and bosoms, but like the vengeance Batiatus sought against Tullius, the good stuff wasn't served up until later. Read More 'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' Prequel Season, Episode 2 Recap by Maureen Ryan from TVSquad After receiving the beatdown of a lifetime last week, courtesy of his new rival Tullius, what would Batiatus' next move be? How could he possibly rebound from that setback? Read More     29 January 2011 Music GotA Cast Listen To While Filming The Last Scene of Episode 2 Jaime has once again supplied the music they used for the end of Gods of the Arena Episode 2: Missio WARNING: DO NOT PLAY THIS OVER YOUR SPEAKERS AT WORK MsJaimeMurray ...& this was what was playing while we filmed the last scene of episode 2... loud. Poor camera crew.     29 January 2011 Gods of the Arena Episode 3 Paterfamilias Episode Stills Now Online Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Ep 3 - Paterfamilias Directed by Michael Hurst Just as his fortunes are on the rise, his future clear before him, Batiatus is stunned by the return of his father which puts his attempts to gain rank by exploiting those above his class at risk. View High Resolution Episode Stills     29 January 2011 Lucy Video Interview with People 28 January 2011 Lucy Lawless Gives The Real Dirt on Sex Scenes - People Posted on: 29th January 2011 Lucy Lawless Gives the Real Dirt on Sex Scenes to People and what it's like to "shtup" on camera. -- Barbara Davies     29 January 2011 Lucy Lawless Interview: Spartacus' Hedonism Has A Point - The NYMag Vulture site has an interview with Lucy: Lucy Lawless has dabbled in just about every geek genre known to drooling man, whether battling swords and sorcerers alike on Xena: Warrior Princess, infiltrating the Battlestar as a Cylon on Battlestar Galactica, and violating many an ancient slave on Spartacus: Blood and Sand. As the loyal wife (and apt partner in wantonness) of Spartacus's Batiatus, the proprietor of a gladiator academy, Lawless’s Lucretia returns in the even more base, six-episode prequel to the Starz series called Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, airing Fridays at ten. Vulture took full advantage of the actress’s quick wit and playful disposition to pump her for thoughts on stuff like Snooki and merkins … and the new show, of course. A few snippets: Continue reading Lucy Lawless Interview: Spartacus' Hedonism Has A Point -.     28 January 2011 This Week's Draw Them All Spartacus Comic Strip - GotA Episode 1 Olanasmuelle is going to be drawing Gods of the Arena comic strips and this week we have two strips. Comic Strip #1 - Rainbows First one is Gaia and Lucretia in their opium haze with a slightly battered Batiatus. My first thought after seeing this artwork was...you really should not do drugs! <g> Unlike with Jaime and Lucy...no nudity is involved! The artwork is called "Rainbows" Click here to view   Comic Strip #2 - It's Evolution, Baby All I can say is...poor Gannicus! Nothing like your owner to embelish your fighting prowess! Click here to view "It's Evolution, Baby     28 January 2011 Spartacus: GotA PR - Lucy Video Interview with Talking Pictures TV’s “Xena” Lucy Lawless talks via satellite about her new mini series “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” with Talking Pictures’ Tony Toscano. The interview appears to be have been filmed on 20 January 2011. See more of Lucy’s Spartacus: Gods of the Arena PR Interviews Lucy Interview with Talking Pictures’ Tony Toscano     28 January 2011 Five Questions With Spartacus GotA Star Dustin Clare - Fancast.com Brian Gianelli: Tuned In Five Questions with ‘Spartacus: GOTA’ Star Dustin Clare Dustin Clare from 'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' (Starz) ‘Spartacus: Gods of the Arena‘ debuted last week to huge numbers on Starz, pulling in just under two million viewers for combined airings last Friday night in its premiere episode. Taking on the lead role of Gannacus, the star of the Ludus in the buzzed about prequel, is Australian Dustin Clare. Fancast caught up recently with Clare to get the scoop on his character’s motivations, working with the international cast, and whether there’s a future for his character in the upcoming Season 2 of ‘Spartacus: Blood and Sand.’ Read Interview     28 January 2011 Interview with John Hannah by Maureen Ryan TV Squad Maureen Ryan from TV Squad has interviewed John Hannah and the interview is now online on the TV Squad site: Q&A Time: John Hannah Talks About the Past and Future of His 'Spartacus' Character If you think 'Spartacus' is all about muscle-bound guys hacking each other's limbs off in the gladiator arena, think again. One of the most compelling things about the Starz drama, which returned Jan. 21 with a 6-episode prequel season, is John Hannah's fierce portrayal of Quintus Lentulus Batiatus, the owner of a ludus, or gladiator academy. He is an ambitious, cunning, self-serving man, but thanks to Hannah's subtle performance, you end up rooting for Batiatus, who loves his wife dearly and just wants to succeed in a brutal, bloody world. I recently spoke to Hannah in Los Angeles about how the Scottish actor approached the version of the character seen in 'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,' which takes place five years before the events of 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand.' Read Interview     28 January 2011 Episode 2 Missio Promo Clip - Wine and Truth E2: Missio - Wine and Truth on Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Posted on: 28th January 2011 From Episode 2 - "Missio" Jan 28th 10pm e/p on Starz. Oenomaus and Gannicus are drinking the spoils of Gannicus' win and then are joined by Melitta. You can also view the other two clips from the episode on AUSXIP Spartacus Video Channel here     27 January 2011 Spartacus Gods of the Arena Merchandise: Posters and Shirts Gold Label, the licenced Spartacus store, has some new posters and shirts based on Gods of the Arena Click here to order (and if you order before 28 Jan (US) you can get a 15% discount     27 January 2011 New Spartacus Artwork by Carpe Chakram Added new artwork by Carpe Chakram from the first episode of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. Lucretia and Gaia: Present Transgressions Click here to view     27 January 2011 Press Release: Spartacus Ratings Hit New High - 2.8 Million Starz' New "Spartacus" Event Series Connects With 2.8 Million Viewers in its Premiere Weekend Updating the viewership for the premiere of Starz' hit franchise "Spartacus," the new "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" debuted to an audience of 2.3 million viewers across four regular Friday and Sunday telecasts the weekend of January 21. With a special, additional, airing Saturday night, the weekend total rises to 2.8 million. The 10 p.m. premiere and 11 p.m. repeat set a series record for combined Friday telecasts, grossing nearly 1.9 million viewers. The special Saturday repeat, along with two regularly scheduled Sunday repeats, added nearly 1 million more viewers. For its 10 p.m. (ET and PT) premiere on Jan. 21, "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" ranked as No. 1 among households for all cable programs aired over the weekend, and was also tied for first among Adults 18-49. In addition, "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" premiere ranked No. 7 among households for all cable programs in the week. * Source: Nielsen NPower Live + SD. Rankings are based on coverage ratings for respective demos for 1/21/11 and 1/23/11 and 1/17/11 and 1/23/11.     27 January 2011 Aussies Running Rings - Cairns Post TV+ The following article appeared in the Cairns Post TV+ supplement 27 January 2011: Aussies running rings Well, it's official, Spartacus fans: Aussie actor Liam McIntyre is picking up the sword previously held by Andy Whitfield and taking on the title role for the second season of the sword-and-sandal series. For a second there, it looked as if another Australian might be in the running, with former Prison Break star Dominic Purcell reportedly submitting a last-minute audition video, but US television network Starz has confirmed that McIntyre has won the role. The actor is now hitting the gym to get into gladiator shape before filming begins in New Zealand. In the meantime, a six-part Spartacus prequel, featuring yet another Aussie - Satisfaction star Dustin Clare - is set to premiere soon.     26 January 2011 The Spartacus Workout 2.0 The Spartacus Workout 2.0 from Men's Health is here: This routine will kick your ass—and shred your abs In January 2010, we released The Spartacus Workout, a cutting-edge routine inspired by the Starz original television program, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Designed by Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, California, this fast-paced workout has helped thousands of men torch fat and sculpt their bodies. In fact, this fitness routine was so popular, we asked Cosgrove to create an all-new version for 2011. (Just in time for the new season of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena—a prequel—which airs Fridays on Starz at 10 pm EST/PST.) Click here to view     26 January 2011 Episode Promo Episode 2 Missio - Oenomaus trains Crixus Posted a new episode clip from Gods of the Arena of Oenomaus trains Crixus in how to fight. E2: Missio – Oenomaus Trains Crixus | Spartacus Gods of the Arena Posted on: 26th January 2011 From Episode 2 – “Missio” Jan 28th 10pm e/p on Starz Oenomaus Trains Crixus. Batiatus conjures up a devious plan and enlists Lucretia, Gaia and a clutch of gladiator recruits to see it through. Oenomaus longs to reclaim the top gladiator rank, but new challenges cross his path. Credits | Official Page | Episode Stills | Episode Promos [...]     25 January 2011 Spartacus Cast Page Update: John Hannah Added a cast page for the incredible John Hannah which includes the latest news, biography, credits, Batiatus bio and John interviews. Click here to view     25 January 2011 Spartacus Panel at 2011 Xena Convention 29 January 2011 The following is from the 2011 Xena Convention / Creation Entertainment Page about the convention. There is to be a Spartacus Panel with Steven DeKnight and Rick Jacobson: On Saturday Steven S. DeKnight (Executive Producer) and Rick Jacobson (Producer) will be presenting a special SPARTACUS Panel. On Friday Late Night we will be screening the season opener for those that missed it. This screening is for adults only.     25 January 2011 Meet The New Spartacus - TV Guide Talks to Liam McIntyre TV Guide Online has an interview with Liam, our new Spartacus. Meet the New Spartacus: Liam McIntyre Talks About Taking Over the Gladiator Gig There's a new gladiator in town! After a long and exhaustive casting search, actor Liam McIntyre has landed the lead role in the Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. The 28-year-old Aussie unknown will replace fan fave Andy Whitfield, who had to withdraw from the show last year after being diagnosed for the second time with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Season 2 of the international hit starts shooting this spring, with a projected January 2012 airdate. TV Guide Magazine spoke with McIntyre, who beat out a broad and beefy contingent of Spartacus wannabes — a list that included former Prison Break star Dominic Purcell and All My Children grad Aiden Turner. Read Interview     25 January 2011 TV Campire Podcast with Dustin, Manu and Steven Now Online! TV Campfire Exclusive Spartacus Interview - Monday, January 24 2011 @ 12:51 AM PST TV Campfire Podcast BONUS!!! Exclusive Spartacus interview with Dustin Clare (Gannicus), Manu Bennett (Crixus) and executive producer, Steve DeKnight!! If you have a facebook account go here for the podcast and if not it's available on Itunes here -- Klippart     25 January 2011 Gods of the Arene Episode 1 Ratings Nearly 1.1 Million! TVbythenumbers has just posted the ratings for the first episode of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Episode 1: Past Trangressions. It reached nearly 1.1 million (1.097 million). Starz’ Spartacus: Gods of the Arena premiered to 1.097 million on Friday at 10pm on Starz. The 11p encore drew another 753,000 viewers. The premiere was up 66% from the premiere of Spartacus: Blood and Sand on January 22, 2010 (659,000) and up 70% based on combined viewing of the 10pm and 11pm encore (1.850 million vs. 1.091 million). read more     25 January 2011 Spartacus GotA Shines With Mensah, Bennett, Tarabay - Monsters and Critics Review: 'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' shines with Mensah, Bennett, Tarabay Monstersandcritics.com Starz prequel miniseries, 'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' is on steroids visually. More flesh, both in unctuous carnal pose, and in crimson spurting decline - as beheading, disemboweling, graphic neck artery slicing is slow-mo - so every sinew and tendon is lovingly displayed for your vicarious viewing pleasure. This makes us all part-Coliseum throng, watching the biggest spectacle of ancient Rome and its Empire unfurl in HD. “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” stars Dustin Clare, John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah, Manu Bennett, and Jaime Murray. It will premiere on Starz on January 21st, 2011 at 10 ET/PT, 9 CST. Breasts and merkins abound, the requisite gay Gladiator moment occurs as Barca (Antonio Te Maioho, alive in the prequel) has his beefy paramour plant one on him during a ludus pow-wow in one scene for the premiere episode. Some highlights from the article: "Gods" tells the story of Batiatus (John Hannah) and his scheming wife, Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) as the center characters, who have "good" Solonius (Craig Walsh-Wrightson), Asher (Nick Tarabay) and a pre-"Doctore" Peter Mensah as Oenomaus - who is the juice of this series - by their side at the ludus. Mensah's Oenomaus is a Gladiator, not the whip-cracker we met in season one, and he plays this role with a lightness and happiness absent in the Doctore role where we first encountered him. His Oenomaus has conjugal visits with his slave wife; he is clearly in love with her and happy. Also great to see Asher (Nick Tarabay) restored as a vital gladiator in training, and we see the beginning of his bitter hatred with Crixus, born from their less-than-optimal first meeting. Tarabay is a compelling actor and he, along with Bennett and Mensah, are the saving graces for me in a series noticeably lacking the talents of Whitfield and Viva Bianca (Ilithyia). Read full article     24 January 2011 The Women of Spartacus: Blood and Sand The Sequential Tart site (cute name) has an article about the Women of Spartacus: Blood and Sand written by Corrina Lawson. Not the actors but more about the actual characters which is pretty interesting, well written and a look into the minds of the four female characters: Lucretia, Ilithyia, Naevia and Mira. The Women of Spartacus: Blood & Sand Being Naked A Lot Doesn't Keep Them From Being Interesting The last thing I expected when I started watching Spartacus: Blood and Sand were strong female characters. I was in it for the gladiators and because I'm a sucker for Roman history. The first couple of episodes were as expected. The title character had a beautiful wife who loved him — someone surely designed for the fridge. The appearance of Ilithyia, the wife of the Roman legatus, was also pretty basic, with her using sex to get him to do what she wanted. And then things started to change. Read Article -- Barbara Davies     24 January 2011 Season 2 News: Oenomaus' History To Be Revealed in Season 2 Film Review Online has an interview with Rob, Peter and Dustin about Gods of the Arena - click here to read the interview. What caught my attention was the following Question and Answer: We know that Oenomaus has a tragic past; in the prequel do we learn how he came to the House of Batiatus? Peter Mensah: This particular version of the show Gods of the Arena is just five years prior. So it doesn’t go back far enough to tell the beginning of his relationship with the House of Batiatus. Rob Tapert: You will find out in Season 2 how Oenomaus/Doctore came to the Ludus. Peter Mensah: I didn’t know if I could say anything! Very interesting!     24 January 2011 Film Review Online Interview Rob Tapert, Peter Mensah and Dustin Clare Film Review Online has an interview with Rob, Peter and Dustin Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – Producer Rob Tapert and stars Dustin Clare and Peter Mensah on the tragic past - 23 January 2011 The extraordinary success of Starz graphically violent, explicitly sexual, series Spartacus: Blood and Sand guaranteed it a second season – but when its star, Andy Whitfield, became seriously ill, the show was put on hold. Then the producers came up with a brilliant stop-gap, to do a prequel. In Spartacus: Gods of the Arena the story revolves around the House of Batiatus before Spartacus’ arrival. It’s a time of transition as Quintus Lentulus Batiatus (John Hannah) takes the reins of his father’s stable of gladiators.He stakes his fortunes on the roguish gladiator Gannicus (Dustin Clare), a man whose skills with a sword is surpassed only by is appetite to live every day as if it were his last. Also returning in the prequel is the popular character, Oenomaus (Peter Mensah). The series’ producer Rob Tapert and actors Dustin Clare and Peter Mensah spoke about the prequel at the TV Critics tour last week. Click here to read Interview     24 January 2011 Collider Interviews Dustin Clare 23 January 2011 Dustin Clare Interview SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA Collider.com Interview 23 January 2011 In the Starz original series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, actor Aussie Dustin Clare plays Gannicus, a true physical specimen who is fearless in the gladiator arena and possessed by a thirst for the fleeting pleasures of life. Newly promoted to the top position at Batiatus's (John Hannah) Ludus, Gannicus is best friend to Oenomaus (Peter Mensah) and his wife Melitta (Marisa Ramirez), forming an unlikely triangle of loyal friendship. During a recent interview to promote the prequel to the popular Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Dustin Clare talked about being the new guy, the extensive physical preparation and training that was involved, not wanting to be known as a sex symbol, and working with Lucy Lawless. Check out what he had to say after the jump: Question: How did you get involved with this project? Did you audition for it, or did someone bring it to your attention? DUSTIN CLARE: (Executive Producer) Rob [Tapert] had actually seen my work in previous series, in Australia, and was really interested in having me on his show. I hadn't seen the show, so I made a point of watching all 13 episodes of the first series, before I decided to test for it. And then, I just put a test down in my living room. I thought there was something interesting I could do for the role. Then, the network test came up, so I went and tested, and then I got the role, and then I moved to New Zealand - the land of the long, white cloud - to film. It's a lovely country, I must say. How does it feel to be the new guy? CLARE: Being the new guy's always great because you get to go in fresh with your own choices and you get to bring new life and breath and a new energy into something that's already established. I play Gannicus, who is a pretty self-destructive gladiator. Gannicus has an extreme amount of skill, but he's very self-destructive and he's always trying to escape his reality. He was an interesting character who we get to really un-pick through the six episodes. We have a great through-line and a great opportunity to see this man rise within everything that keeps him down. What had you done before this? CLARE: I was in the Australian TV series Underbelly, and Satisfaction was a series that did well internationally. And, I have a film coming out this year, called The Eye of the Storm, with Geoffrey Rush and Judy Davis, and Fred Schepisi directed it. I play a supporting role. It's a character called Col, who's the catalyst for the lead character who moves away from a relationship with me and goes to Geoffrey Rush and then comes back. I got to work with some really amazing Australian talent and a wonderful director. Read More     23 January 2011 Upcoming Lucy Lawless Interview 23 January 2011 Lucy is going to be on ABC 7 show "On The Red Carpet" Sunday, Jan 23, at 6:30pm. Many thanks to Marilyn Edwards for the news. I'm not sure if it's the same interview as the one that I posted on 21 January Part 3 On The Red Carpet Interview With Lucy Lawless 20 January 2011 Posted on: 21st January 2011 Lucy talks about doing a Xena movie and how they could it; comedy or serious. For some odd reason On the Record Carpet also stuck a Kevin Sorbo interview on there (?!) so you have first half is Lucy and the rest is Kevin. Part 2 On The Red Carpet Interview With Lucy Lawless 20 January 2011 Posted on: 21st January 2011 Part 2 On The Red Carpet Interview With Lucy Lawless 20 January 2011 Lucy talks about Andy Whitfield and updates on his health. Part 1 On The Red Carpet Interview With Lucy Lawless 20 January 2011 Posted on: 21st January 2011 On The Red Carpet Part 1 Lucy Lawless 20 January 2011 Lucy Lawless says “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” the prequel miniseries to the Starz cable show “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” will feature sex, drugs and a girlfriend for her character. Watch Part 2 | Watch Part 3 Click here to read article from On [...]     23 January 2011 High Resolution Gods of the Arena Episode 2 Episode Stills & Episode Promo Starz has officially released 11 high resolution Episode Stills for the upcoming Episode 2 episode 2 Missio Batiatus conjures up a devious plan and enlists Lucretia, Gaia and a clutch of gladiator recruits to see it through. Oenomaus longs to reclaim the top gladiator rank, but new challenges cross his path. Click here to view images EPISODE 2: MISSIO PREVIEW     22 January 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Episode 1 Now Online For Free Spartacus Gods of the Arena Episode 1 is now available to view online for free There is also a preview of episode 2 Click here     22 January 2011 Gods of the Arena Episode 1 Review by MaryD Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Episode 1: Past Transgressions Review by MaryD A younger Batiatus finds himself newly in control of his father's gladiator school. He uses his most skilled fighter to win favor with a cunning nobleman behind the building of the new arena. Well that was a welcome return of an old friend and I'm not referring to Gaia. Seeing our favourite gladiators and their owners was so wonderful. I'm sure others will review the episode and what it all means but I think I should go into how each old characters and new character affected me as I watched. Firstly I have to say I LOVED this episode. It's a more gritty look at Capua and it's inhabitants. The blood on the sand is still there in abundance and the writing is SUPERB. Beautiful job Steven DeKnight. Let's start with our beloved characters who are young again. Batiatus Goodness. I love John Hannah. He is just SUPERB! He brings life to the Lanista wanna-be and you can see the enthusiasm and the drive. He doesn't fare very well at the end of the episode but that is just a passing bump (or several) on the road to becoming the Lanista he wants to be. He loves his wife, he loves his job and he has the desire.   Lucretia The ever wonderful and supremely talented Lucy Lawless. This Lucretia is a loving doting wife, so in love with her husband and wanting him to succeed. Shy and almost schoolgirl like. I suspect her friend Gaia's influence is going to see our little Lucretia blossom. Can't wait to see that (the process of the blooming because we know the outcome) Lucy did an INCREDIBLE job in portraying Lucretia. The difference is just remarkable from Season 1 Lucretia to GotA Lucretia. You could describe Lucretia as an innocent here (so very difficult to believe after seeing her in Season 1 but there she was). Beautiful job by Lucy Lawless who is just enjoying her work and it shows. I love the chemistry she has with John Hannah and I think that same chemistry is evident with the scenes involving Jaime. The Opium Scene. I feared the worst when I first heard about it but I have to say it was handled so beautifully. Sizzling is the word I would use here and the level of trust these two actors have reached allowed that trust to come through on the screen. I was prepared to look up the ceiling and think of Mother England BUT I didn't. It was beautiful. A truly beautiful scene. There was so much to watch about Lucy's performance as Lucretia The Innocent that it's hard to pinpoint one area but here's one: When Gaia first kisses Lucretia, there's that shy little smile, a very innocent little laugh. Wow. That really emphasised the difference between the innocent Lucretia and the more worldly conniving Lucretia of Season 1. Just a brief scene but Lucy caressed it through. Lucretia...just say no to drugs... Oenomaus Oh my goodness I simply adore Peter Mensah. He is one of the most adorable men I've seen on screen. His portrayal of Oenomaus is superb. Oenomaus is the giant killer in having killed Theokoles but he isn't allowed to go back into the arena. You have to feel for the man; he wants it so badly but yet he is prepared to be loyal. Oenomaus is is a loyal man and even though he wishes to fight, he honours Gannicus. I simply adored Doctore in Season 1 and I love him even more now. Beautiful job by Peter and he does have that killer smile. Crixus Ah the Gaul. Crixus was an arrogant Champion of Capua until Naevia somewhat turned him into a man with some softness in Season 1. Here we find him a slave and yet the arrogance is still there. He isn't anything of note but the stirrings of what will be. Looking forward to seeing more of Crixus. There is a funny scene in the holding cells between Crixus, Ashur and two others that had me laughing. Very nicely written. Serious but with an undercurrent of longings and desires. Ashur What a funny guy. He comes across as wanting to be a Gladiator and the brotherhood but there is something else going on that I can't put my finger on. It's there but I don't know what it is. It will come to me. Good to see Nick back with a few more muscles. Ashur the old is lurking.   Naevia Young young young Naevia. Giggling over Gannicus' attributes and being all girly. It's good to see Lesley-Ann back but without the snap of an older, more experienced Naevia. There is a funny scene with Batiatus as she tries to stay to take something off his wrists but he kept moving way. I found rather amusing; the look on her face was priceless.   Barca We don't see alot of Barca other than a smouldering kiss from his lover Auctus (I give that kiss a 9...very nicely done). He does get smacked around by Oenomaus. Oenomaus wants to show Batiatus is he as good as ever and uses Barca as his punching bag but he did that the decency to apologise before he belted him. More Barca please. Solonious Ah good ol' Sol. He's back and looking very healthy. His friendship with Batiatus is quite strong...I wonder what happened that led him to be sliced and diced by Spartacus in Season 1. I guess we will find out.     And now we come to the new characters. Gannicus Dustin Clare where have you been? I know where he has been, he was in Underbelly, a show I didn't watch and I'm now going to remedy. I need to go and find the DVD of that. Dustin described Gannicus as being modeled on the Australian boxer Anthony Mundine. Young Anthony is an arrogant young man who needs to be boxed around the ears a few times. I was dismayed when I heard that he modeled himself on the boxer. I came into this episode thinking I would dislike the arrogance but the opposite happened. I love Gannicus. The man has demons; why else would he drink to oblivion, be reckless with his life (standing on a precipice and nearly falling to his death) and not caring what happened to him. He doesn't have a death wish when he's sober as evidenced by the way he fights but there are demons there. He displayed loyalty to Oenomaus that was so different to his normal persona. There is a bond between Oenomaus and Gannicus that is very interesting and I hope the rest of the 5 episodes explore. Gaia Oh what a naughty naughty naughty girl! I love naughty characters and Jaime Murray...goodness gracious me. I should get my head out of the sand occasionally and venture out in tv land more often to find these treasures. Jaime Murray is simply SUPERB! There are not many actors who can share the screen with Lucy and not be overshadowed. Jaime is one of them. Whilst it's true the characters called for one to be more, shall we say, dominant that the other,. the two actors were perfection. I'll go one step further and say that the only other actresses I've seen have this level of chemistry with Lucy is Renee O'Connor and Viva Bianca. There is that something special going on that is just magic. I have not seen Jaime's work before and came into this show completely oblivious of her previous work which I think I'll catch up on pretty quickly. Now back to Gaia. What a naughty, playful, people eater (I think she can eat and chew out both men and women). I get the distinct impression she could kill you without thinking about it if the need arose. Solonius fancied her...oh boy, keep clear Sol or else you will be gutted long before Sparty gets to you. I wonder how her husband died? Gaia is the Destoryer of Innocents! Jaime has posted on her twitter page about the music she and Lucy used to get into the swing of things during the "opium scene" Lucy & I had a song 4 what I'll only describe as the Opium scene. This was it. We played it loud :) Enjoy ? http://blip.fm/~10zuw6 Melitta Like Jaime Murray I hadn't seen anything Marisa Ramirez has been in and I was very surprised. What a strong performance by Marissa. I didn't expect the character to be so strong. Melitta has some flirting issues going with Gannicus that I don't quite understand. It's very obvious she's in love with Oenomaus. The flirting bugged me for some reason. Not sure what that's about but I guess we will find out. Very strong performance by Marissa. Did anyone notice that nifty butterfly tattoo on Melitta's back? Hmm very similar to the tattoo that Naevia had in Season 1. Interesting or that Marissa has also got the same identical tattoo in exactly the same place as Lesley-Ann but I highly doubt that. More please. Doctore Temuera Morrison is an old favourite of mine and superb actor. I suspect his talents are wasted here. I did not like Doctore. Very one dimensional and no depth. It could be because he has a short time in this life or he isn't an important character. A waste of a great actor.   Tullius Stephen Lovatt, another fine actor but again, I'm not feeling the love. It could be because he is such a nasty SOB but I doubt it. He may grow on me or maybe not.     Vettius Gareth Williams is yet another actor I haven't heard much about. His character is smug arrogant bastard... can't wait for someone to wipe that smirk off his face. I'll bring the popcorn.   Auctus Josef Brown - not much happening other than looking gorgeous and showing how much he cares for Barca and a good kisser. This is a great start to the prequel we have been waiting for. There was no sign of Batiatus' father Titus Rating 8/10 Bring on Episode 2!     22 January 2011 GotA - Episode 1 Past Transgressions Review Roundup - SPOILERS! You know the drill. If you don't want to be spoilt...don't follow the links! If you want to be spoilt...just click away The links will be updated as more reviews come through 1. AfterElton.com "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" 2.01 Recap: "Here's How it All Started // love these recaps! 2. TVSquad.com Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' Prequel Season, Episode 1 Recap     22 January 2011 Gods of the Arena Mood Music by Jaime and Lucy SPOILERS Minor spoilers - only if you kept your head in the sand and refused to read any Sparty articles or watch any of the interviews. If you did, I admire your strength unlike us mere weak mortals who devoured everything Sparty related but I digress... Jaime has posted on her twitter page about the music she and Lucy used to get into the swing of things during the "opium scene" (I think pretty much everyone and their grandmother knows about this scene since it's been discussed at length). The "opium scene" is where Gaia seduces Lucretia and they get hot and bothered (Lucretia can blame the drugs...Gaia is just naughty) Lucy & I had a song 4 what I'll only describe as the Opium scene. This was it. We played it loud :) Enjoy ? http://blip.fm/~10zuw6 Nice.     22 January 2011 Journal Pioneer - A Bloody Continuation Roman Epic 21 January 2011 The Journal Pioneer from Canada has the following article about the return of Spartacus to Canadian TV. The image they used is from the second episode "Missio". A bloody continuation Roman epic ‘Spartacus’ gets prequel in ‘Gods of the Arena’ Gladiators return in “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.” 21 January 2011 PASADENA, CALIFORNIA — Don’t always believe what you see on TV. It’s a cliched, overworked expression, to be sure, but followers of the cult Roman epic “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” probably needed reminding after April’s finale, aptly titled “Kill Them All,” in which virtually every character but Spartacus himself was killed — bloodily and lustily — in the story’s closing moments. Click on the thumbnail to get the full article Episode still from Episode 2 Missio - Gods of the Arena       22 January 2011 New Lucy Videos - ET and TMZ 21 January 2011 Lucy was on VERY briefly on two shows tonight. ET and TMZ both featured Lucy. TMZ found Lucy at the airport and ET showcased Spartacus and there was a snippet of a Lucy interview. Entertainment Tonight Spartacus & Lucy Lawless 21 January 2011 Posted on: 22nd January 2011 ET has a very quick look at Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and an even quicker Lucy snippet of an interview that looks to be part of a larger interview. TMZ At The Airport with Lucy Lawless 21 January 2011 Posted on: 22nd January 2011 TMZ spots Lucy Lawless at the airport as she flew into Los Angeles after her PR tour in New York for Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.   For more Lucy Lawless interviews go to AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Interviews subsite     22 January 2011 Highlights From Collider Interviews Lucy Lawless - 21 January 2011 Lucy Lawless Interview SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA On the Starz original drama series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, the prequel for the popular Spartacus: Blood and Sand, actress Lucy Lawless plays Lucretia, a woman who is always supportive of her husband Batiatus’ (John Hannah) dreams, however wild the direction they threaten to grow. Though conscious of the role she’s expected to play as a proper Roman woman, she will discover that when the moment most needs it, she can do what is necessary to gain power. During a recent interview to promote the prequel, Lucy Lawless talked about returning to a character that she thought was dead at the end of the show’s first season, the pleasure of seeing the early life of Lucretia, how much she hates doing action scenes, and the fact that she will be returning for Season 2, which is being called Spartacus: Vengeance, and will now feature Liam McIntyre in the title role. Check out what she had to say after the jump: Here's a few highlights: Since you’re married to one of the executive producers, has Rob told you what’s going to happen in Season 2 at all? LAWLESS: It’s best not to know because you angst about it ahead of time. What good is that going to do for you? Or, you look forward to it and it doesn’t happen because they rewrite it. So, until it’s on the stage, what’s on the page doesn’t matter so much. Do you consider this show a family business? LAWLESS: What makes it easier is that I’m proud of this. I’m proud of my work and I’m proud of the finished product. I think Rob’s a brilliant producer and a brilliant boss. People bring 110% because he’s the kind of boss who sets them up. They’re not afraid to fail. They are not going to get shot down. They are going to take the best idea from whoever in the room has got it, so all the guns are pointed in the same direction and not at each other. That’s an environment of trust that he sets up in New Zealand. Chris Albrect and Starz have been so courageous. It’s great that Chris didn’t kill it because he could have, when he came in and took over. It’s like the leader of a pride of lions. The alpha male lion comes in and often kills the predecessor’s cubs. But, he had the foresight, the intelligence and the wisdom to go, “You know, this is working surprisingly well,” and he kept us alive. I, for one, am so very grateful to him and to his team. So, no more performances at The Roxy? LAWLESS: The energy to get them up and running was too much. Spartacus burned me out in a really good way. It just took everything I had. There was that terrible flu that everybody had for three months, and I had it for just about the entire shooting of the prequel. I was just not in good enough shape to do singing as well. It just didn’t present itself as an option. I’m a bit sad about that, but I’m too tired. Did you always hate the action? (about Xena) LAWLESS: Yes, I hated it, but I wasn’t in a position to say no. Very quickly, I realized that I can’t be cringing every time they come and say, “Lucy, would you like to go and learn your next fight?” I haven’t even finished filming the last one and I would have to go learn the next. I said, “You know what, guys? Instead of asking me, ‘Would you like to?,’ just say, ‘Lucy, the fight’s up.’ Then, it doesn’t require a response. It just requires me to do what I’m told.” If they say, “Would you like to?,” it makes me think, “No, I fucking hate that stuff!” If I have a choice, I don’t want to go. So. we very quickly realized that it’s better to just give me an order and then I’ll do it without thinking. Did you really think there was a doubt that they’d find a way for you to be in Season 2? LAWLESS: I’m in Season 2, but I probably won’t be in Season 3. They’re bringing me back for Season 2, but I fully expect to die. It’s just the best role, ever. My character gets a lot of air time. Read Full Interview     22 January 2011 Lucy Interview - In the ‘burbs, Spartacus Is Rocking A Lot Of Marriages New York Post Lucy Lawless: In the ‘burbs, Spartacus is rocking a lot of marriages. New York Post - 21 January 2011 The real life drama that rocked "Spartacus" left producers scrambling for a plan B and that answer presented itself in the form of a pre-quel. "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" takes place prior to the "Blood & Sand" series yet features many of the men and women who made that show such a success. The six-episode miniseries, which kicks off tonight, also serves as an excellent send-off for the even more excellent John Hannah since his Batiatus was offed in the show's season finale. Joining Batiatus in the fun is his loyal lady Lucretia, played by Lucy Lawless. In addition to talking about recasting their lead character, Lucy revealed that while filming their signature sex scenes never gets any easier, each one serves a very specific purpose -- to inject some love back into viewer's sex lives! Read More     22 January 2011 Gods of the Arena Private Screening for Cast and Guests Last night the Gods of the Arena cast and their guests had the chance to see the first episode of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Episode 1: Past Transgressions. Here are some of their responses: Lesley-Ann Brandt (Naevia / Gods of the Arena) Screening last night of ep 1 was amazing!!! @MsJaimeMurray so good to see you hunny. Beautiful work! Can't wait for u all 2 see it. 10pm on starz tonight!!!! Katrina Law (Mira on Spartacus Blood and Sand and upcoming Vengeance (Season 2) Congrats @starz_channel @stevendeknight @LesleyAnnBrandt, #NickTarabay, #PeterMensah n all the peeps on #Spartacus:GOTA airing 2nite! Enjoy! Jaime Murray (Gaia / Gods of the Arena) So great to see @LesleyAnnBrandt last night, such a beautifull girl :) Watch @spartacus_starz tonight at 10pm. I think you'll like. Likey a lot. Keith Andreen (Katrina Law's (Mira) partner) Without question @stevendeknight knocked it out of the park with @spartacus_starz Gods of the Arena. Brilliant, visceral and sexy. Prepare! Congratulations to @LesleyAnnBrandt , Peter Mensah, Nick Tarabay and all the other brilliant actors on Gods of the Arena! Amazing work! Sharon Delaney Editor: Official Xena Fan Club & Official Lucy Lawless Fan Club Saw the first episode of Gods of the Arena Lucy Lawless and Jaime Murray will melt your socks off! http://tiny.cc/4xujy (link to Sharon's episode review on Official Xena Fan Club Page) Zoe_Archer Zoe Archer (Guest) @ @Whoknowsya Tall, gorgeous, great skin. And she was very sweet. Congratulated me on my career in a competitive field. 44 minutes ago Zoe_Archer Zoe Archer @ @bonn1511 No Crixus, sorry. Actors from the new series, though! Pretty people. 59 minutes ago Zoe_Archer Zoe Archer Last night at a Spartacus screening, I met Lucy Lawless! We talked of romance & naughty things, then I gave her a bookmark. #epicallycool 1 hour ago     22 January 2011 Interview: Manu Bennett Plays Tough - Premier Guide Miami Premier Guide Miami » Manu Bennett Plays Tough Manu Bennett plays Crixus, the future Champion of Capua in “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” a Starz original action-adventure drama series. Newly purchased, Crixus is a recruit enlisted into Batiatus’s gladiator school. Over the past four years Bennett has played action roles involving spectacular fights with the greatest modern-day gladiators from the popular WWE wrestling arena: John Cena in The Marine and Stone Cold Steve Austin in The Condemned. He played Steve Veldez in the award-winning 2001 film Lantana opposite “Without a Trace’s” Anthony La Paglia. He was Deputy Billy Kitka in 30 Days of Night, from “Spartacus” executive producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures; and earlier had starred as Marc Antony opposite his “Spartacus” co-star Lucy Lawless in Tapert and Raimi’s hit series “Xena: Warrior Princess” He was born in Auckland, New Zealand, of Maori descent, and grew up in Newcastle, Australia. His acting career began in Australia in series such as “Paradise Beach,” “Water Rats,” “All Saints,” followed by lead roles in New Zealand series including “Street Legal,” “Shortland Street” and “Mataku.” In a brief conversation, Manu Bennett shared a bit on the rigorous training he underwent for the series. Read More     22 January 2011 Premier Guide Miami Interview with Jaime Murray - Temptress and Seducer Premier Guide Miami Jaime Murray: Spartacus-Gods of the Arena’s Temptress and Seducer The well established UK actress, 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. Seen as the seducer and temptress, Jaime (Gaia) will stir up trouble in the House of Batiatus. Jaime Murray’s 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, “Hu$tle” also starring Adrian Lester and Robert Vaughan, Showtime’s “Dexter” with Michael Hall, CW series “Valentine” and “Beautiful Life,” Syfy’s “Warehouse 13,” and “Keen Eddie” with Sienna Miller. Read More     22 January 2011 Spartacus Trading Cards From Rittenhouse Archives Andrea just sent me the following news about the new Spartacus Trading Cards (you will notice that Viva's name has been written as Biba). The news will be in the next issue of Previews Magazine. Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan. The cards be will available from 27 April 2011 at $50 per box and only 200 available. Limited Edition Series-Only 200 Boxes Produced! Rittenhouse Archives presents the premiere edition of their Spartacus: Blood and Sand trading cards series, based on the hit Starz TV series! The card series will include 26 Episode Synopsis cards (2 per episode), with each card sequentially-numbered to 250 (2 cards per pack). Also look for the 9-card "Savage" sub-set, depicting the blood, violence, and action of Spartacus, sequentially-numbered to 350 (1 card per pack). Also look for 12 Autograph cards from Andy Whitfield, Lucy Lawless, John Hannah, Biba Bianca, Jai Courtney, and more! 2 autographs per premium pack! 6 Cards per pack. 15 Packs per box. News submitted by Andrea     22 January 2011 'Spartacus' Allows Cast Members To Pull Out All The Stops - LA Times 21 January 2011 'Spartacus' allows cast members to pull out all the stops "We're just like every other couple," giggle John Hannah and Lucy Lawless about playing Quintus Batiatus and Lucretia on the television series "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena." Yeah, like every other couple if you have a house of slaves and gladiators, partake in copious amounts of sex and don't mind dispatching anyone who gets in your way. Hannah and Lawless are back unexpectedly in the prequel to Starz's hit series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." At the end of that show, they looked like they were dead - more about that later - after a slave revolt led by Spartacus (Andy Whitfield). Originally, Starz planned a second season, but then Whitfield was diagnosed last March with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. "Gods of the Arena" was meant to give the Australian actor time to recover and return to his role as the Roman gladiator who led a slave rebellion, but it was announced earlier this month that the actor's cancer had returned and that he was stepping aside to concentrate on getting well. Read More     22 January 2011 'Spartacus' series a thrilling ride for MSU pals - Detroit Free Press A quarter of a century ago, few people could've predicted Rob Tapert would emerge as a Hollywood heavyweight responsible for some of today's most popular and sensational fantasy and horror genre vehicles, including tonight's premiere of Starz's "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena." His coursework at Michigan State University was filled mostly with economics and history credits. But a group of friends including Sam Raimi (who'd go on to direct the "Spider-Man" franchise) and Bruce Campbell (who'd become a name actor in movies and TV) put their twisted young minds together and exploded onto the silver-screen scene with the 1981 cult classic "The Evil Dead." Over the past 30 years Tapert, 55, has produced a plethora of popcorn entertainment like "Darkman" and "The Gift." In 2004, Tapert and Raimi's big-screen horror label Ghost House Pictures debuted with the monster hit "The Grudge." They have since produced more than a dozen films, including 2009's throwback "Drag Me to Hell." On the small screen, their partnership has been just as fertile with "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess," which starred Lucy Lawless, whom Tapert married in 1998. Tonight, the latest installment of their bloody-good brand "Spartacus" will be unleashed with a six-episode prequel. A second season of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" is set to begin production this spring. Read more: 'Spartacus' series a thrilling ride for MSU pals | freep.com | Detroit Free Press     22 January 2011 Lucy Lawless Revels In Over The Top Spartacus Role - Detroit Free Press 21 January 2011 The campy legend of Lucy Lawless' iconic small-screen heroine "Xena: Warrior Princess" is ancient history, but her cunning and power-hungry turn as the lustful Lucretia in Starz's ever-evolving fantasy dynasty "Spartacus" is one tasty part. "There are plenty of other things I would do to show my other sides, but most people couldn't imagine me out of this genre," she said. "Besides, there really isn't anything better than 'Spartacus.' " The New Zealand-bred Lawless, 42, who married Michigan-made Rob Tapert in 1998, said she can't wait for fans of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" (which debuted in January 2010) to witness the new six-part prequel, "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena," when it premieres tonight. "You really have to let people know to watch right to the very last drop," she said. Still not convinced? Let Lawless -- who talked to the Free Press last week after Starz announced a second season of "Blood and Sand" but before Liam McIntyre ("The Pacific") was announced as the new Spartacus -- pique your imagination on what she declares is "the most exciting show ever." Read Interview AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     21 January 2011 US TV Guide 24 January 2011 Scan - Fight Club: A Tale of 2 Gladiators The following article is from the US TV Guide Print Magazine 24 January 2011. Click on the smaller image for the full size scan. Scanned by Roger       21 January 2011 Gods of the Arena Episode 1: Past Transgressions Just in case anyone has forgotten that today (21 January 2011) is premiere day for Spartacus: Gods of the Arena: Episode 1: Past Transgressions A younger Batiatus finds himself newly in control of his father’s gladiator school. He uses his most skilled fighter to win favor with a cunning nobleman behind the building of the new arena. Credits | Official Page | Episode Stills EPISODE PROMOS E1: Past Transgressions – Good Friends Reconnect Posted on: 21st January 2011 Gaia and Lucretia meet up in the marketplace. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – Ep 1 “Past Transgressions” Premieres Friday Jan 21st at 10pm e/p on Starz. http://www.starz.com/spartacus E1: Past Trangressions – Batiatus Presents His Champion, Gannicus Posted on: 21st January 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – Ep 1 “Past Transgressions” Premieres Friday Jan 21st at 10pm e/p on Starz http://www.starz.com/spartacus     21 January 2011 Lesley-Ann Photoshoot Magazine Article UFC Magazine The Feb / March 2011 Issue of UFC Magazine has a very interesting photoshoot / article with Lesley-Ann. Amazing pics! The article is a brief look at the first season and how different it was to film those scenes with Lucy Lawless and John Hannah. Click here to view high resolution scans!     21 January 2011 On The Red Carpet Lucy Lawless Interview Parts 1 - 3 On The Red Carpet has an interview with Lucy from today where she discusses Spartacus, Andy Whitfield and a Xena Movie. For some very strange reason they chose to stick a Kevin Sorbo interview on the back of the third portion. Part 3 On The Red Carpet Interview With Lucy Lawless 20 January 2011 Posted on: 21st January 2011 Lucy talks about doing a Xena movie and how they could it; comedy or serious. For some odd reason On the Record Carpet also stuck a Kevin Sorbo interview on there (?!) so you have first half is Lucy and the rest is Kevin. Part 2 On The Red Carpet Interview With Lucy Lawless 20 January 2011 Posted on: 21st January 2011 Part 2 On The Red Carpet Interview With Lucy Lawless 20 January 2011 Lucy talks about Andy Whitfield and updates on his health. Part 1 On The Red Carpet Interview With Lucy Lawless 20 January 2011 Posted on: 21st January 2011 On The Red Carpet Part 1 Lucy Lawless 20 January 2011 Lucy Lawless says “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” the prequel miniseries to the Starz cable show “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” will feature sex, drugs and a girlfriend for her character. Watch Part 2 | Watch Part 3 Click here to read article from On [...] AUSXIP Reporter: Klippart     21 January 2011 New Videos - Behind The Scenes and Episode 1 Promos Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Behind The Scenes 2 Posted on: 21st January 2011 Go behind the scenes of the latest original series by Starz, ‘Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena.” Premieres January 21 only on Starz. The video takes a look at the main characters, interviews the actors and looks behind the scenes of this spectacular show. E1: Past Transgressions – Good Friends Reconnect Posted on: 21st January 2011 Gaia and Lucretia meet up in the marketplace. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – Ep 1 “Past Transgressions” Premieres Friday Jan 21st at 10pm e/p on Starz. http://www.starz.com/spartacus E1: Past Trangressions – Batiatus Presents His Champion, Gannicus Posted on: 21st January 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – Ep 1 “Past Transgressions” Premieres Friday Jan 21st at 10pm e/p on Starz http://www.starz.com/spartacus     21 January 2011 Ipad App - The Scrolls of Spartacus by Starz The Scrolls of Spartacus By Starz Media Description Experience the action of the arena from script to screen of the Starz® Original hit series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Episode Scrolls allow you to purchase the script from each episode of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Season 1 (free episode included with download). Scripts are packed full of audio and video extra features, notes from show creator Steven S. DeKnight, and behind the scenes footage. Also included is Scaling Capua, an interactive widget detailing the social networks of Capua’s most fascinating citizens. Features Episode Scrolls – Extra feature filled scripts for each episode of Season 1 available for purchase. Future updates will include episodes from Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. Scaling Capua – Explore the back stories and social networks of the characters in Spartacus’ Capua. Videos – View videos from purchased scripts including show clips and behind the scenes footage. Photos – View exclusive photos from purchased scripts and use them as iPad wallpapers. Future updates will include scripts from Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, premiering on January 21. Only on Starz. Click here to purchase     21 January 2011 Lucy Talks about Andy and Jaime - TV Guide TV Guide Online has an article: Spartacus Draws Up a New Battle Plan With Prequel Series Gods of the Arena Lucy mentions two of her co-stars that inspired her: Lawless is most certainly a survivor, even though Lucretia seemingly died in the Blood finale with a sword to her pregnant abdomen. "This role is the greatest challenge and pleasure of my career, so I'm grateful I escaped my fate," says Lawless, who shot Lucretia's demise two ways — one where she's clearly dead, one where she's still twitching. Execs chose the latter, assuring she'll be back for Season 2. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. In Gods, the popular actress engages in some sizzling Sapphic sex with costar Jaime Murray (Dexter), who plays Lucretia's girlhood pal Gaia — and that's something Lawless' fans have been dying to see since the star's days as Xena: Warrior Princess. "The lesbian stuff made me nervous as hell, and I don't think I could have done it without Jaime," Lawless admits. "She's really funny and 200-percent professional. She's my kind of woman!" And Whitfield, who is currently undergoing treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, remains her kind of man. "Andy didn't curl up in a ball and think of himself — he's concerned about all the people making their livelihood with this show," says Lawless. "He wants us to continue and we love him for that. It's no wonder he played Spartacus so well. The guy is a true hero." Read Full Article     21 January 2011 Gods of the Arena Behind The Scenes Video & Episode 1 Promo Clips Starz has released three new video clips - one is an all new behind the scenes look at the show, it's characters and the actors. The next two clips are from the first episode "Past Trangressions" Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Behind The Scenes 2 Posted on: 21st January 2011 Go behind the scenes of the latest original series by Starz, ‘Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena.” Premieres January 21 only on Starz. The video takes a look at the main characters, interviews the actors and looks behind the scenes of this spectacular show. E1: Past Transgressions – Good Friends Reconnect Posted on: 21st January 2011 Gaia and Lucretia meet up in the marketplace. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – Ep 1 “Past Transgressions” Premieres Friday Jan 21st at 10pm e/p on Starz. http://www.starz.com/spartacus E1: Past Trangressions – Batiatus Presents His Champion, Gannicus Posted on: 21st January 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – Ep 1 “Past Transgressions” Premieres Friday Jan 21st at 10pm e/p on Starz http://www.starz.com/spartacus     21 January 2011 New Lucy Interviews - Omaha Morning Blend and AM Northwest Added two interviews Lucy has done today with Omaha Morning Blend and AM Northwest. Omaha Morning Blend 20 January 2011 Lucy Lawless Posted on: 21st January 2011 You know her from Xena:Warrior Princess. Now Lucy Lawless is back in action in Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. We’ll hear about this latest role in the Starz series and what Lucy’s been up to! AM Northwest Lucy Lawless 20 January 2011 Posted on: 21st January 2011 Lucy Lawless is best known for her role as Xena: Warrior Princess. Now she’s set to star in a new series called Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. We talked with Lucy today via satellite. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is a Starz original action-adventure drama six-part series. In a passionate and ambitious partnership with her [...] For more Lucy interviews go to AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Interviews subsite     21 January 2011 Dustin's Gannicus Back For Season 2 Looks like Gannicus will be back in Spartacus: Vengeance (Season 2) from an article that appeared in the Denver Post today: As hard-drinking, hard-fighting Gannicus, the Aussie actor has the lead role in the six-episode prequel. The self-destructive gladiator character has a "great arc," he promised. "The man we meet at the beginning of the six episodes and the man we know by the end are two very different men. There's a lot more to him than meets the eye." What meets the eye, as fans expect, is a great deal of graphic blood and sex, continuing the stylized, graphic-novel look of the genre piece. Clare is on board for the second season of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." "We finish filming next November," he said. Read the full article AUSXIP Reporter: Klippart     21 January 2011 Premier Guide Miami Interview with Dustin Clare Newest Heart-throb Premier Guide Miami has an interview with Dustin Claire Dustin Clare Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Newest Heart-throb 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. “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” tells the story of the Champion of the House of Batiatus in a more ruthless time before Spartacus’ arrival, when honor was just finding its way into the arena. As the prequel begins, Quintus Batiatus is the acting Lanista while his father is on an extended visit to Sicilia. But Batiatus isn’t satisfied with just the thought of taking over the Ludus one day; he aspires to political power and prestige in Capua, and perhaps beyond. In the class-conscious world of ancient Rome, the House of Batiatus must first earn the respect of politicians as well as socialites before being granted the right for its gladiators to fight in the much-revered championship bouts called the Primus. Batiatus must not only survive the harsh politics of Capua, but also compel his hedonistic fighter, Gannicus, to embrace being a champion gladiator who will bring esteem and respect to the House of Batiatus. Recently casted as the newcomer to the series, this gladiator screams sex on and off TV. I caught up with him to find out about his status as a sex symbol and to find out more on his involvement in Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. Read Full Interview AUSXIP Reporter: Klippart     20 January 2011 AP Live Interview with Lucy Lawless - Video Now Online AP Live Interview with Lucy Lawless 19 Jan 2011 Posted on: 20th January 2011 Lucy is interviewed by the Associated Press on her role on Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. For more Lucy interviews related to Spartacus: Gods of the Arena go to the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Interviews subsite     20 January 2011 Steven DeKnight Talks About Season 2 - NO SPOILERS Steven S. Deknight, executive producer, creator and headwriter of the highly-anticipated series, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena took some time to discuss the premiere of this epic adventure drama series. Season 2 part... Liam McIntyre was picked up for Season 2 and you guys are going to start shooting soon. Can you give us any kind of additional juice or information? Steven S. DeKnight: The only juice I’ll give you is that it’s extra sweet. Season 2 is shaping up to be a hell of a ride. We’re actually almost halfway through figuring out Season 2. You know, we’re obviously deeply saddened that Andy couldn’t continue with us. He was a huge part of the show’s success. And we’re – you know, we wish him the best and a speedy recovery. And we did an exhaustive search to find somebody not to replace Andy, but to step into the role of Spartacus. And feel very fortunate that we were able to find Liam, who we really felt really embodied everything we were looking for in the character moving forward. Read Full Interview     20 January 2011 Season 2 News From ScreenCrave Interview with Steven ScreenCrave's interview with Steven dealt with Spartacus: Gods of the Arena but it also contained some Season 2 bits. No spoilers included so it's safe for those on a spoiler free diet As for the connection between the prequel and “Blood & Sand.” DeKnight says that there will be a direct correlation between the two. “Absolutely! I never wanted to do just a prequel. I wanted it to inform season one and to really enrich season two. It is very much the connective tissue between both seasons.” Even though he wouldn’t reveal major spoilers, the creator exclaimed that season two of “Blood & Sand” will be “extra sweet, and “a hell of a ride.” The show is expected to begin production this spring. Read Full Interview For more Season 2 News - check out the AUSXIP Spartacus Season 2 page...all the latest on Spartacus: Vengeance     20 January 2011 Starz Poll: Who Do You Wish To Grace The Ludus More Often? Starz has got a new poll up on their facebook fan page Who do you wish to grace the ludus more often? Winner will be next week's featured character. Click the "Poll" tab above and vote. Grattitude My question is..do we have to choose? How about all of them!     20 January 2011 Lucy at Sirius XM Radio Photos + Show Recap Lucy was a guest at Sirius XM Radio for an interview on the Spartacus PR train. Here are some links to pics of her at this event! Rex Features and StarTrackPhoto 1/18/11 Show Recap January 19, 2011 by Good Egg Dave in Featured, Main Blog, photo Lucy Lawless stopped by in studio. And that name absolutely rhymes with her appearance in studio. She talked about her co star dealing with adversity, and how it has been an inspiration to her. Andy Whitfield does not want getting sick to be his legacy. Lucy talked about Spartacus’s meaning and information for her prequal. Lucy also called Rich a queer for talking about Blanch on the golden girls. Covino enjoyed the interview and really felt like Lucy was very open about a lot of issues. Covino felt like she was even more beautiful in person. Source AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     20 January 2011 The Daily Blam Interview - Lucretia and Gaia Snippet EXCLUSIVE: The Daily BLAM! was able to participate in a round-table interview with Manu Bennett, Dustin Clare, Jaime Murray & series creator Steven DeKnight who talked about the upcoming prequel, Gladiator Camp, a and small bit about season two of Blood and Sand. Also causing mischief this season is Lucretia's college home girl Gaia played by Jaime Murray. Though she was "late to the party," as she stated due to a audition but she did answer a few questions. Gaia is seen as the obvious troublemaker on the series this season. When asked her feelings about playing one, Jaime stated that being such is "always the best role." She also goes on to explain "I don't think Gaia sees herself as the troublemaker. I think she's gets a certain thrill over the power that she wields and generally the power that she wields cause a bit of trouble along the way." Jaime also states that she thinks her character is generally fond of her friend Lucretia and that her friendship with Lucretia may be due to Gaia being, more or less, alone in the world. "She doesn't really have much in the world. It's a time where women had very little power in the world. They couldn't vote... they had to be married, it was really look down on for a woman to be without her husband and she finds herself alone in the world and Lucretia is all she has." Read Full Interview with Steven, Manu, Jaime and Dustin     20 January 2011 Lucy Pics Arriving For Wendy Williams Interview + Interview Snippet Lucy was on another interview today for the Wendy Williams Show. Zimbio has two very fab pics of Lucy arriving for the interview. Click on the images for the larger versions. The Wendy Williams Show has also released a snippet of the interview (everyone seems fascinated by the merkin and Wendy chats to Lucy about how the merkin is created).   AUSXIP Reporters: Klippart & Lori     20 January 2011 Steven Talks To ScreenCrave About Andy Steven was interviewed for ScreenCrave today regarding Spartacus: Gods of the Arena but he also talked about Andy: Earlier today, we got the opportunity to talk to Steven S. DeKnight, the creator, writer, and executive producer of the Starz hit, “Spartacus: Blood & Sand.” DeKnight is currently promoting the upcoming prequel series “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” which airs on Friday January 21. Just yesterday it was announced that Australian actor Liam McIntyre would replace Andy Whitfield in the title role of “Blood & Sand” when it returns for season two. DeKnight revealed why McIntyre was chosen for the part, and what we can expect from the character in the future. On Whitfield’s departure, McIntyre’s arrival, and the future of Spartacus: “We’re obviously deeply saddened that Andy couldn’t continue with us, he was a huge part of the show’s success and we wish him the best and a speedy recovery. We did an exhaustive search to find someone not to replace Andy but to step into the role of Spartacus and we feel very fortunate that we were able to find Liam who we felt really embodied everything we were looking for in the character moving forward.” With the personal battle that Whitfield is facing [he's currently battling cancer], his former co-stars still stand behind him. Manu Bennett who plays Crixus on the show stated, “We’re all praying for him. We are all in huge support of Andy. We are all so deeply saddened.” Read Full Article     20 January 2011 NY PIX Morning News Interviews Lucy Lawless 19 January 2011 NY PIX Morning News 19 January 2011 Lucy Lawless Interview Actress Lucy Lawless stopped by to talk about her role as Lucretia on Spartacus: Gods of the Arena which premieres January 21 at 10pm on Starz. Before Spartacus struck down his first opponent in the arena, there were many gladiators who passed though the gates onto the sand. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, the highly anticipated prequel to Starz’ hit series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, tells the story of the original Champion of the House of Batiatus. Watch Video     19 January 2011 TV Guide Online: Andy Attacking Cancer Like A True Champion TV Guide Online has an article about Andy's Battle with Cancer Spartacus: Blood and Sand creator Steven. S. DeKnight wants Andy Whitfield's fans to know the actor is actively fighting the disease. "Andy of course is being very private about his condition and what he's going through with his family," DeKnight said Tuesday to discuss the prequel Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.  "It's been a little while, but the last thing I heard was that he was attacking it like a true champion. I have the utmost faith that he will pull through with flying colors." The 36-year-old Whitfield has been battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, forcing him to drop out of the Starz series in September. Liam McIntyre was recently announced as Whitfield's replacement as the titular gladiator. Read More     19 January 2011 Interview with Liam - He is Spartacus - New York Times 19 January 2011 He Is Spartacus: Liam McIntyre Talks About Taking Over in Season 2 of 'Blood and Sand' By DAVE ITZKOFF On Monday Liam McIntyre received some of the most exciting news of his career, and some of the most difficult: he learned that he had just been cast in the title role in a cable series -- but as the replacement for Andy Whitfield in "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." "It's been the toughest thing," Mr. McIntyre said in a telephone interview from his home in Melbourne, Australia. "Every actor dreams of getting a big break, a big opportunity. Andy's such a wonderful actor. I don't want to follow that guy, and everybody hurts that he's had to give up the role, myself included." Read More of the Interview     19 January 2011 Viva's X Trailer Now Available Online Viva has been busy since Spartacus: Blood and Sand wrapped up. She's in a new Australian movie called "X" Jon Hewitt directed Hanna Mangan Lawrence in Acolytes, and now the pair have teamed up again for X, which looks like it might be a disturbing thriller set within the bowels of Sydney’s sex industry.Viva Bianca from Spartacus: Blood and Sand stars. After the break, there’s a just barely safe for work trailer with enough dark, foreboding context that you might just feel bad about enjoying how great both stars are occasionally made to look. Holly Rowe’s retiring, kissing her callgirl life goodbye. She just has to get through her last night on the job. Shay Ryan’s a teenage runaway, broke and alone. She just has to get through her first night as a hooker. Then fate throws them together on a job that goes horribly wrong and they’re suddenly racing on an out-of-control roller coaster ride, through Sydney’s criminal underworld. X is a sizzling thriller about love, chance, escape and the oldest profession experienced by two women on a night that will change their lives forever. WARNING: The trailer is somewhat graphic in nature so if you wish to see it - click here     19 January 2011 Lucy Talks About Liam As The New Spartacus - NY Post Lucy Lawless talks 'Spartacus' substitute New York Post - 18 January 2011 While talking about Friday's premiere of "Spartacus" prequel, "Gods of the Arena," I had to take a moment and ask Lucy Lawless -- who plays the scheming Lucretia in both incarnations -- about yesterday's announcement that Liam McIntyre would be Andy Whitfield's replacement. A word she hopes no one actually uses when referring to the situation. "This was not a decision we made lightly. It hurt us to do it and Liam has some terribly big shoes to fill," she told PopWrap exclusively. "We don't expect him to be Andy, no one could, but he's going to be Liam. And we believe that he's the right guy to reimagine that role and keep this series on fire." Read More     19 January 2011 Lucy "Louie" Lawless on The Today Show Lucy's interview on The Today Show turned out to be more entertaining than anticipated. You just don't give Lucy that opening and not have her do something funny: Coda mispronounced Lucy's name when she was saying one of the "later in the hour we have Louie Lawless". So it became a running joke. They cut to Lucy once and she had made up a name tag so someone knew who "Louie Lawless" was. Throughout the interview "Louie" was also mentioned. Here is Lucy's interview (for some reason the embedding doesn't work well - this will take you to the official Today Show site)   Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy     19 January 2011 Lesley-Ann Interview in UFC Magazine The Feb/Mar 2011 issue of UFC Magazine is now out and it has a Lesley-Ann interview. Price is $8.95 USD Lesley-Ann Brandt South African stunner and star of the TV series Spartacus talks gladiator training, vuvuzelas, Lucy Lawless, and other curves in her career. Scans will be posted soon Purchase the magazine online or on the newstands in the US AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     19 January 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena in the UK Update Following up the post back in December on when Spartacus: Gods of the Arena will be shown in the UK. The following tweet shed a bit more light on when that will be occuring: Http://twitter.com/#!/sky1insider sky1insider Sky 1 Insider Spartacus: Gods of the Arena will air on Sky 1 HD and Sky 1 in early February - exact date coming soon! @NYGUK 3 hours ago -- On December 8, 2010 the following was posted: Spartacus: GotA will be screen in the UK on Sky1 early in 2011 (the TVChoice tweet doesn't say what day) You can catch Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena on Sky1 early in the new year - sounds really exciting! about 3 hours ago via Tweetie for Mac Just met John Hannah for a very funny and frank chat about Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena. He's a real star, but does have a potty mouth! -:) about 3 hours ago via Tweetie for Mac The Current GotA Premiere Schedule: USA - 21 January 2011 Canada - 23 January 2011 UK - February 2011 Australia - ??/2011 (GO! has announced it's picked up the show for 2011 - exact date not known yet) AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     19 January 2011 Xena and Spartacus Writer-Producer Passes Away - Dan Filie [Steven Sears, via twitter and Facebook, wrote: 'RIP Dan Filie, one of the unsung heroes of Xena/Herc. Dan was the Universal Studios executive who believed in the shows and fought for them.'] Writer-Producer Dan Filie Dies 4:27 PM 1/17/2011 by Mike Barnes He penned and produced the screenplay for "Frankenhood" and co-wrote an episode of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." Dan Filie, a writer-producer and television development executive, died unexpectedly at his home in Studio City on Jan. 13. He was 56. A spokesman for the family said Filie died of natural causes. Filie served as director of current drama for NBC and senior vp drama development at Universal Television, where he was responsible for the creation of many TV shows, most notably the syndication hits Hercules and Xena: Warrior Princess. More recently, Filie wrote and produced the screenplay for the 2009 feature film Frankenhood, a horror-comedy spoof, and co-wrote (with Patricia Wells) the "Old Wounds" episode of the Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Survivors include his son Steven and his brother Nick. Services will be held at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Source AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     18 January 2011 Dustin Claire Video Interview with Men's Health Interview with Dustin Claire - Men's Health Posted on: 18th January 2011 Men's Health talks to Dustin Claire about his training for Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and what was required to get into shape for the role of Gannicus. Also contains footage of the other cast.     18 January 2011 Starz Press Release - Australian Actor Picked to Topline Hit Series for Starz Starz Press Release: Australian Actor Picked to Topline Hit Series for Starz Production of Season 2 Is Set to Begin in New Zealand by Spring 2011 Beverly Hills, CA - Jan. 17, 2011 - Australian film and TV actor Liam McIntyre has excelled at a grueling and rigorous audition process to claim the title role in the second season of Starz' hit franchise, "Spartacus," Starz, LLC, President and CEO Chris Albrecht announced today. McIntyre takes over the role of the Thracian warrior sold into slavery in the Roman Republic city of Capua - where he rises to become the champion of the city - before leading the slave revolt that ended Season 1. The part was played in the first season of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" by Andy Whitfield, who was forced to leave the show in order due to health issues. Whitfield gave his blessing to the recasting. "Since no one can really replace Andy, we realized that we should instead find an actor who can truly lead 'Spartacus' forward," Albrecht notes. "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." Continue reading Starz Press Release - Australian Actor Picked to Topline Hit Series for Starz.     18 January 2011 New Starz Spartacus Videos for Gods of the Arena Starz has released three new videos for Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Fight For Glory – Gods of the Arena Posted on: 18th January 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – Fight for Glory Premieres Friday Jan 21st at 10 pm e/p on Starz Lust For Power – Gods of the Arena Posted on: 18th January 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – Lust for Power Premieres Friday Jan 21st at 10 pm e/p on Starz. http://www.starz.com/spartacus Meet Gannicus – Gods of the Arena Posted on: 18th January 2011 Meet Gannicus, a true physical specimen, fearless in the arena and possessed by a thirst for the fleeting pleasures of life. Premieres Jan 21st 10pm e/p on Starz     18 January 2011 NEWSFLASH! We Have A New Spartacus! - Liam McIntyre New Spartacus! EW Magazine has released the news we have all been waiting for - Who will be the new Spartacus. Starz has found its new Spartacus. Australian actor Liam McIntyre has been cast as the Thracian warrior. The decision comes after a lengthy and difficult process to find a new lead on the cult hit after star Andy Whitfield had to depart the show to resume treatment for cancer. Earlier this month, Starz decided to move forward with a second season as the number of contenders for the role narrowed. “Since no one can really replace Andy, we realized that we should instead find an actor who can truly lead ‘Spartacus’ forward,” said Starz president and 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.” Read More AUSXIP Reporter: Lori Boyles     18 January 2011 This Week's Draw Them All Spartacus Comic Strip - Clash Of The Egos This week's Spartacus Draw Them All Comic Strip by Olansamuelle is called Clash of the Egos - in time for the news of Season 2...go and have a look for a special guest as the gladiators retelling the story of Kill Them All...heh. Fandoms collide! Click here to view     17 January 2011 Lucy Interview with Extra at the Grove Update I've just received the following tweet about the Extra interview Lucy did at the Grove from Katie Wilson @AUSXIP I was told that the LL on Extra at the Grove interview, airs tonight in Los Angeles at 1am. :) about 4 hours ago via web thekatiewilson Katie Wilson Haven't confirmed it yet but it's something.     17 January 2011 EW Magazine 21 January 2011 Spartacus Hunts For Star For Season 2 EW Magazine 21 January 2011 issue has a small article on the hunt for a new Spartacus and the news of Lucy's return as Lucretia (that's not much of a spoiler since everyone has already heard that bit of news) Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan. Scanned by Roger     17 January 2011 EW Magazine 21 January 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena EW Magazine previewed Spartacus: Gods of the Arena in the 21 January 2011 Issue of the magazine Click on the smaller image for the larger scan Scanned by: Roger     17 January 2011 Updated Lucy Lawless Spartacus PR Lucy's site has been updated with more Spartacus PR interviews In addition to interviews already we knew about: Here are the new additions Interviews: - NYmag.com - LA Times - NY Post Jarrett Wieselman’s PopWrap blog - Backstage - People TV - Reuters TV 18 January 2011 - The Today Show / 18 Jan (US) - Live (some may be taped for airing at a later date): - Sirius/XM Radio Tour (4 shows) 19 January 2011 - Wendy Williams Show / 19 Jan (US) - PIX Morning News 8:45 am segment - ABC News Radio - AP TV - TVGuide.com 20 January 2011 - The Morning Blend / 20 Jan (US) - Satellite Media Tour - Better TV     17 January 2011 Lucy Lawless On The Today Show 18 January 2011 Lucy did an interview for The Today Show last week and the interview has been scheduled for 18 January 2011. The following is an NBC Press Release NBC NEWS - PRESS RELEASES TODAY January 13, 2011 COMING UP ON "TODAY" <snipped> Tuesday, January 18 (7-9 a.m.): Hear the touching story of a husband’s sacrifice for his pregnant wife. Mark Feuerstein dishes on “Royal Pains.” Dylan Ratigan discusses “Steel on Wheels.” Tony Dungy and Lauren Dungy talk about the book “You Can Be A Friend.” The Script performs live on TODAY. (9-10 a.m.): Diet S.O.S. How to cut travel costs. Sarah Shahi discusses “Fairly Legal.” Diet S.O.S. How to optimize your food storage. Today’s Kitchen with Terrance Brennan. (10-11 a.m.): Today’s Buzz with Andy Cohen. Sara on the streets. Overcoming betrayal and dealing with revenge. Lucy Lawless discusses “Gods of the Arena.” The Kratt brothers stop by TODAY. AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     17 January 2011 Boston Herald Interviews Dustin Clare 16 January 2011 Actor Dustin Clare champions ‘Spartacus’ prequel Boston Herald - 16 January 2011 You might think a TV series in which a character’s face is carved off and worn as a mask in a gladiator arena is all about brutality. Dustin Clare disagrees. Clare stars as Gannicus, champion of the House of Batiatus, in “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” (premiering Friday at 10 p.m. on Starz). He thinks there’s more to his series than buckets of blood and wanton sex. Read Full Interview     16 January 2011 Spartacus Behind The Scenes Extras On Starz This page lists several GotA behind the scenes documentary extras as being scheduled for Starz On Demand from 22nd Jan onwards. I would guess they're pretty much the same content as the videos on Starz's youtube channel Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena Extras Go behind the scenes of Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena. See this new original series by Starz beginning January 21 only on Starz! Starring: John Hannah, Lucy Lawless Episodes Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena Extras Gladiator Camp Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena Extras Slaves Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena Extras Girlfriends Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena Extras Gladiators Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena Extras Women AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     16 January 2011 Spartacus Behind The Scenes Extras On Starz This page lists several GotA behind the scenes documentary extras as being scheduled for Starz On Demand from 22nd Jan onwards. I would guess they're pretty much the same content as the videos on Starz's youtube channel Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena Extras Go behind the scenes of Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena. See this new original series by Starz beginning January 21 only on Starz! Starring: John Hannah, Lucy Lawless Episodes Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena Extras Gladiator Camp Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena Extras Slaves Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena Extras Girlfriends Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena Extras Gladiators Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena Extras Women AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     16 January 2011 AUSXIP Interviews Jessica Grace Smith - Diona from Spartacus Gods of the Arena AUSXIP Interviews Jessica Grace Smith Role: Diona, Spartacus Gods of the Arena Interviewed by: MaryD January 2011 On January 21, 2011 we will see the premiere of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, the prequel to the hugely successful Spartacus Blood and Sand. Before Spartacus struck down his first opponent in the arena, there were many gladiators who passed though the gates onto the sand. "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena," the highly anticipated prequel to Starz' hit series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," tells the story of the original Champion of the House of Batiatus: Gannicus (Dustin Clare) in a more ruthless time before Spartacus' arrival where honor was just finding it's way into the arena. In this world we will also meet Diona, a slave. I interviewed Jessica Grace Smith who plays the role of Diona and we find out more about this young actress. Read Interview     16 January 2011 Film Review Online Interviews Lucy Lawless - Life After A Fatal Wound Film Review Online has a fantastic interview with Lucy. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – Lucy Lawless on life after a ‘fatal’ wound It didn’t look good for John Hannah and Lucy Lawless, aka Batiatus and Lucretia, at the end of Spartacus: Blood and Sand. It still doesn’t look good for Batiatus, as he almost had his head severed off, but the fatal wound Lucretia was dealt now appears not to be quite so deadly. She will be returning to Season Two of the franchise. Unfortunately, Andy Whitfield, who played Spartacus, won’t be coming back as his cancer has recurred. So instead of going straight into Season Two, Starz decided to do a prequel, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, which will chronicle the House of Batiatus before Spartacus arrives. I spoke with Lucy about the series, which is produced by her husband Rob Tapert, along with Sam Raimi. Read Interview AUSXIP Reporter: Klippart     16 January 2011 Film Review Online Interviews Lucy, John and Peter 11 Janurary 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena – Stars John Hannah, Lucy Lawless and Peter Mensah on the prequel - Posted on 11 January 2011 With the illness of Andy Whitfield, the second season of Spartacus on Starz has been delayed. To keep fans of the series satisfied, the producers came up with a unique concept – to do a prequel. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena explores the deadly history before the arrival of Spartacus, and the death he carried with him. Quintus Lentulus Batiatus (John Hannah) 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 (Lucy Lawless) at his side, he will stop at nothing to see his name forever carved into history. Also returning for the prequel is Peter Mensah, who plays Oenomaus, a gladiator who later joins forces with Spartacus in the series. I spoke with all three at the TV Critics Association Read More AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     16 January 2011 New Lucy Photos on AP Site from AOL Studios There are 53 absolutely gorgeous photos of Lucy taken at the AOL Studios. EVERLY HILLS, CA - JANUARY 13: Actress Lucy Lawless stops by the AOL Studio, January 13, 2010 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Becker/PictureGroup) via AP IMAGES Here are a sample of the images - Click here to view them all AUSXIP Reporter: Klippart     16 January 2011 Upcoming Lucy Interview The Morning Blend 20 Jan 2011 Lucy is scheduled for another interview with The Morning Blend in Omaha on 20 January 2001. The following has been posted on their site. They appear to post the interviews on the site. Lucy Lawless Thursday, Jan 20, 2011 You know her from Xena:Warrior Princess. Now Lucy Lawless is back in action in Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. We'll hear about this latest role in the Starz series and what Lucy's been up to! AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     15 January 2011 Lucy Lawless on Wendy Williams Show 19 January 2011 Lucy will be on the Wendy Williams Show to promote Spartacus: Gods of the Arena on Wednesday January 19 Friday January 14th, 2011 From the Official Wendy Williams Show site: From “Xena” to “Spartacus,” actress Lucy Lawless gives us a first look at the new season of her hit Starz show. AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     14 January 2011 Lucy At The Grove 13 Jan 2011 - Video Lucy Lawless at The Grove 13 January 2011 Posted on: 14th January 2011 Lucy was at Los Angeles’ The Grove on Spartacus: Gods of the Arena PR duties today. Lucy appears 1:02 minutes into the video clip. She was being interviewed on the tv Show EXTRA and also handing out Spartacus: Blood and Sand Season 1 DVD’s to lucky fans who attended. Extra did not air the interview [...] AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     14 January 2011 Lucy Photos From The Grove Extra Appearance Check out the photos of Lucy from the Extra Interview at The Grove today. Looking gorgeous as ever. You can find out more pics here AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     14 January 2011 Lucy On Extra 13 January 2011 - Tweets Lucy was being interviewed on the US TV show Extra today and also giving out Spartacus Season 1 DVDs to lucky fans who went to The Grove. Extra did not air the interview today (hopefully it will show up tomorrow) The following were tweets from fans who attended: bonniegirl88: back from Extra! got to stand mere feet away from one of my idols...Lucy Lawless!! =D and i got season 1 of Spartacus! a definate plus! =D about 7 hours ago via TweetDeck thekatiewilson: Still cannot believe that I talked to Lucy Lawless today! haha about 9 hours ago via web thekatiewilson: Met Lucy Lawless today during Extra at the Grove!! So exciting! about 9 hours ago via web bernadettyork: Just saw lucy lawless at the grove in la! She was doing an interview for "extra" about 10 hours ago via txt -- AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     14 January 2011 Battle Lines Redrawn TV Guide 17-23 Jan 2011 Issue - SPOILERS!! The US TV Guide has a two page article and advert in time for the GotA premiere on 21 January 2011 in the US. The issue is dated 17-23 January 2011. WARNING: ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS Scans by Lori Boyles     14 January 2011 Gods of the Arena in Times Square Lauren Conoscenti was in Times Square and came across a hunky Gladiator. Check out her video! Lauren Conoscenti - Gannicus in Times Square! @spartacus_starz - TwitVid: http://www.twitvid.com/5FHHY #spartacus_starz Check it out!     14 January 2011 Spartacus: Blood and Sand in Italy Update Sky official website is promoting Spartacus in Italy with an article and a video. Here more details: Spartacus is coming in Italy from February 17th on Sky 1(channel 109) There are two versions: On thursday night at 10 pm they are showing the edited version. On Sunday Night at 11 pm they are showing the full version: http://mag.sky.it/mag/serie_tv/2011/01/12/spartacus_sky_cine_news.html Reported by: Barbara Bruno     14 January 2011 Dustin Clare Interview - San Antonio Living 13 Jan 2011 Dustin Clare Interview – San Antonio Living Posted on: 14th January 2011 Dustin Clare (Gannicus) on Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is interviewed by San Antonio Living. Interview date: 13 January 2011 Dustin Clare Interview – Watch Interview     14 January 2011 Season 2 News: Dominic Purcell Poised to Enter 'Spartacus' Arena? TV Line has an exclusive article about another possible hiring for Spartacus: Exclusive: 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. Read More AUSXIP Reporter: Klippart     14 January 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Might Just Be Gayer Than the Original - CONTAINS SPOILERS "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" Might Just Be Gayer Than the Original AfterElton.com When actor Andy Whitfield, who played the title character in last year's break-out cable hit Spartacus: Blood and Sand, was diagnosed with cancer, it forced the producers of the show to get creative while they hopefully waited for him to recover. The result is a six-episode "prequel" series debuting January 21st on Starz that begins with a glint in the eye of Batiatus dying at the end of Blood and Sand and takes us back to tell the story of Batiatus' ludus before Spartacus' arrival. It also gave the producers a chance to tell a gay sub-plot that seems considerably different than the one between Barca (Antonio Te Maioha) and Pietros (Eka Darville) in Blood and Sand: Barca's earlier love affair with fellow gladiator Auctus, played by Josef Brown, an Australian dancer and actor. Read More     14 January 2011 TCA Photos on Spartacus Facebook Fan Page The Starz Spartacus Fan Facebook page has three photos from the TCA Panel. Click here to access Facebook Fan Page     14 January 2011 Steven Interview with Inked There is an article Inked site about Steven and it does not contain spoilers. The article is about Steven's tattoos. Inked People > Steven DeKnight Writer, director, and producer Steven S. DeKnight had three simple goals: shave his head, learn to ride a motorcycle, and get tattooed. He’s done all three, and while they might seem like minor ambitions compared to his immensely successful career, it appears they were just as high on his to-do list. DeKnight is the brains behind Spartacus: Blood and Sand, the Starz series that portrays the life of Spartacus as only cable television can, full of green-screen brutality, artful arterial splatter, and more sex than The Devil Wears Nada. Longtime collaborator with sci-fi sage Joss Whedon, DeKnight can also take some credit for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Smallville. Read More News submitted by: mchuang     13 January 2011 Dustin Clare Spartacus PR on 13 January 2011 The following was posted on Twitter about an upcoming Spartacus PR appearance by Dustin Clare (Gannicus) gnaiTWC_TX G'Nai Blakemore @spartacus_starz Dustin Clare will be in #SA tomorrow! Look for twitpics from @lauraTWC_TX! #Spartacus premieres Jan 21 on @starz_channel! AUSXIP Reporter: Klippart     13 January 2011 Lucy Lawless at The Grove 13 January 2011 Reminder for those in the Los Angeles area on 13 January 2011 between 1:00 and 1:30 pm - Lucy will be with the Extra TV Show crew and she will be handing out goodies like the Spartacus Blood and Sand DVD. The Extra site is now listing Lucy as one of the guests for the day. The show will be taped (Monday-Friday) between 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM PDT at The Grove, a hugely popular L.A. shopping and celebrity hot spot, with Mario talking to all the stars and interacting with fans. There will also be special musical guests and performances featured on The Grove stage. Thursday, Jan. 13: Actor Joe Mantegna and daughter Gia, Miss Golden Globes (9:30 am), Katharine McPhee (11:00 am) and Lucy Lawless (1:00 pm) Read More AUSXIP Reporter: Klippart     13 January 2011 New Lucy Lawless Blog Post 12 January 2011 Lucy has posted a new blog post about her upcoming Spartacus: Gods of the Arena promo duties. It's taking her to New York for The Wendy Williams Show and The Today Show next week. Check out Lucy's blog post     13 January 2011 Dustin Signing Autographs and Posing with Fans Dustin was signing and posing for photographs with friends http://twitter.com/#!/gnaiTWC_TX gnaiTWC_TX G'Nai Blakemore Stop by TWCable Irving location until 4p to get an autograph/pic with @spartacus_starz Dustin Clare! http://twitpic.com/3pfrii gnaiTWC_TX G'Nai Blakemore @spartacus_starz Gannicus (Dustin Clare) posing for pictures with visitors at TWCable in Irving! http://twitpic.com/3pfkd5 gnaiTWC_TX G'Nai Blakemore @spartacus_starz Dustin Clare is signing autographs at TWCable Irving today until 4p! Stop by and see us! AUSXIP Reporter: Klippart     13 January 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Canadian Press Release ET THE GAMES BEGIN. THE STARZ ORIGINAL SERIES SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA DEBUTS ON THE MOVIE NETWORK AND MOVIE CENTRAL THIS MONTH •The highly anticipated six-part prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand premieres Sunday, January 23 at 10 p.m. ET/MT •Free online sampling opportunity begins Saturday, January 22 at www.themovienetwork.ca and www.moviecentral.ca TORONTO, Jan. 12 /CNW Telbec/ - Astral's The Movie Network (Eastern Canada) and Corus Entertainment's Movie Central (Western Canada) are once again entering the brutal, visceral world of Ancient Roman gladiators with Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, a six-part prequel to the Starz action-adventure original drama series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. The uniquely graphic series will premiere Sunday, January 23 at 10 p.m. ET on The Movie Network and 10 p.m. MT on Movie Central. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena centres around Gannicus (new cast member Dustin Clare), the charismatic gladiator aspiring to become Champion of Capua and of the House of Batiatus. With political ambitions and poised to overthrow his father and take control of the House, a young Batiatus (John Hannah) will freely betray anyone to ensure his gladiators are in the highest demand. With his loyal and calculating wife Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) by his side, they will stop at nothing to deceive the masses. Read More     13 January 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Canadian Press Release LET THE GAMES BEGIN. THE STARZ ORIGINAL SERIES SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA DEBUTS ON THE MOVIE NETWORK AND MOVIE CENTRAL THIS MONTH •The highly anticipated six-part prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand premieres Sunday, January 23 at 10 p.m. ET/MT •Free online sampling opportunity begins Saturday, January 22 at www.themovienetwork.ca and www.moviecentral.ca TORONTO, Jan. 12 /CNW Telbec/ - Astral's The Movie Network (Eastern Canada) and Corus Entertainment's Movie Central (Western Canada) are once again entering the brutal, visceral world of Ancient Roman gladiators with Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, a six-part prequel to the Starz action-adventure original drama series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. The uniquely graphic series will premiere Sunday, January 23 at 10 p.m. ET on The Movie Network and 10 p.m. MT on Movie Central. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena centres around Gannicus (new cast member Dustin Clare), the charismatic gladiator aspiring to become Champion of Capua and of the House of Batiatus. With political ambitions and poised to overthrow his father and take control of the House, a young Batiatus (John Hannah) will freely betray anyone to ensure his gladiators are in the highest demand. With his loyal and calculating wife Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) by his side, they will stop at nothing to deceive the masses. In addition to Hannah and Lawless, the series also stars returning cast members Peter Mensah as Oenomaus before he becomes the gladiator trainer Doctore, and Manu Bennett as the gladiator Crixus. New cast members also include Jaime Murray as Capua's sexy social climber Gaia; Marisa Ramirez as Melitta, a beautiful slave who must face the ultimate decision of the heart; and Jeffrey Thomas as Batiatus' father Titus. The six-part, one-hour series is produced by Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Joshua Donen and Steven S. DeKnight. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena will be simulcast on The Movie Network and Movie Central's High Definition channels and new episodes will be available on demand following their network premieres. New episodes of the series will also be available on The Movie Network OnLine following their premieres. FREE ONLINE SAMPLING OPPORTUNITY Beginning Saturday, January 22, The Movie Network and Movie Central will also offer a free, two-week online sampling of the premiere episode of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. The episode will be available free-of-charge at www.themovienetwork.ca and www.moviecentral.ca. The Movie Network is a pay television service available in eastern Canada. With premiere access to Hollywood hit movies, new and exclusive HBO content, critically-acclaimed Showtime series and first-rate Canadian programming, this pay-television service presents Canadians with some of the best television entertainment available. The Movie Network service includes five 24-hour multiplex channels - M, HBO Canada, MExcess, MFun! and MFest - which deliver diverse and entertaining programs in an uncut and commercial-free television environment. The Movie Network also offers The Movie Network HD, HBO Canada HD, MExcess HD and MFun! HD, four dedicated high-definition channels providing hundreds of titles in HD; The Movie Network OnDemand, a Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) service, available in select areas across eastern Canada; and, TMN OnLine an Internet-based content streaming service available to BellTV, Rogers and Videotron subscribers. For more information, please visit www.themovienetwork.ca . The Movie Network is a member of the Astral family. Astral (TSX: ACM.A/ACM.B) is one of Canada's largest media companies. It operates several of the country's most popular pay and specialty television, radio, out-of-home advertising and digital media properties. Astral plays a central role in community life across the country by offering diverse, rich and vibrant programming that meets the tastes and needs of consumers and advertisers. To learn more about Astral, visit astral.com. Movie Central is a commercial-free premium pay TV service available in western Canada. Movie Central premieres the best in Hollywood, international and Canadian films across nine 24-hour movie channels, including dedicated high-definition feeds, a Movie Central On Demand service and exclusive HBO content on HBO Canada. Movie Central is also the first window for Showtime content and home to cutting-edge Canadian series. A major force in the Canadian independent film and television production industry, Movie Central, through The Corus Made with Pay Fund, supports many critically-acclaimed and award-winning Canadian series and films. Visit the Movie Central website at www.moviecentral.ca. Movie Central is owned by Corus Entertainment Inc., a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, television broadcasting, children's book publishing and children's animation. Experience Corus on the web at www.corusent.com. For access to The Movie Network's media room or Movie Central's press site, please visit http://tv.astral.com or http://mediacentre.corusent.com. Source AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     13 January 2011 AP Photos From TCA Panel of Lucy, John and Peter The timesunion.com site has posted three AP photos of Lucy, John and Peter from the TCA Panel. In order to view the larger images you will need to click through all the images. The three photos are #44, #45 and #46. Click here to view #44 of 89 Lucy Lawless, left, and Peter Mensah, cast members in the television series "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena," take part in a panel discussion during the Starz Networks Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., Friday, Jan. 7, 2011. (Chris Pizzello / AP) #45 of 89 Lucy Lawless, a cast member in the television series "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena," answers a reporter's question during the Starz Networks Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., Friday, Jan. 7, 2011. (Chris Pizzello / AP)   #46 of 89 John Hannah, left, Lucy Lawless, center, and Peter Mensah, cast members in "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena," take part in a panel discussion during the Starz Networks Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., Friday, Jan. 7, 2011. (Chris Pizzello / AP) AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     13 January 2011 IGN Interviews Lucy, John and Steven - The Search For The New Spartacus The Search for the New Spartacus - Stars Lucy Lawless & John Hannah, along with EP Steven S. DeKnight, talk to IGN about what it's going to take to succeed Andy Whitfield. There is a Lucy quote which I found very interesting (Craig Parker is amazing so whoever this actor was that totally made Craig change tack...let's hope it's the new Sparty.) "That's right," Lawless said. "Someone who's got their own thing going on. The audience will forgive. The crew will support. And the story will be told. They have to find somebody who surprises. They've brought in a lot of people and they have to play opposite Craig Parker [Season 1's "Glaber"] and I saw somebody in particular surprise Craig. And I thought 'that person, just in pure acting terms, did the best job.' Because I saw Craig get off his road and have to take a new tack. This boy was not following. A lot of the others were following. This boy took it. So they're inching closer." Read full interview AUSXIP Reporter: Klippart     12 January 2011 More Spartacus PR for Lucy Lawless Lucy will be on the Wendy Williams Show and The Today Show next week to promote Spartacus: Gods of the Arena according to Sharon from the Official Lucy Lawless Fan Club. Last year on 26 January 2010 Lucy appeared on the Wendy Williams Show to promote the upcoming premiere of Spartacus: Blood and Sand Click here to view the video   Lucy appeared on The Today Show on NBC 22 January 2010 to promote the show Spartacus Blood and Sand. HQ Screencaptures | Watch Video     12 January 2011 Behind The Scenes on Spartacus With Men's Health Winner Randy Santel Ever wonder how Hollywood actors get in such great shape? Check out The Spartacus Workout. It’s a training plan designed for the cast of the Starz television show Spartacus—and perhaps the most popular workout in Men’s Health history. It’s also the same routine that landed Men’s Health reader Randy Santel a role on the show. In a competition with thousands of MH readers, Barnes came away with the title of “best transformation” as judged by the Starz producers. His prize: A trip to New Zealand to appear on the television show. Check out this behind-the-scenes video which takes you onto the set of Spartacus. The best part: A special appearance by actress Lucy Lawless. Look for the premiere of new season of Spartacus—a prequel—on Starz, Friday, January 21 at 10 pm EST/PST. And check back that same week for an all-new Spartacus Workout—think, The Spartacus Workout 2.0—here on MensHealth.com AUSXIP Reporter: Klippart     12 January 2011 Bits and Bytes from Cable Side - Spartacus Toronto Star 11 January 2011 Bits and bytes from cable side Two popular genre shows have now been reincarnated Two popular genre shows have now been reincarnated, snatched back from the edge of oblivion by admirably inventive means. When the illness of title star Andy Whitfield threatened to shut down Spartacus for good, its creators kept the show going by flashing back five years for a six-part prequel, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. With Whitfield now permanently sidelined, a full second season will then pick up the current storyline with a recast lead. Not only is the show still alive and kicking, but so is co-star Lucy Lawless, despite her having been mortally wounded at the end of Season1. “Just a little poke in the tummy,” Lawless laughs. “Put a poultice on it, she’ll be all right.” “I remember when we made that decision,” adds series co-creator Steven S. DeKnight. “ I got a call from Rob (Tapert) saying, you know, (originating network) Starz really loves John (Hannah) and Lucy, as did we all. John obviously got his head almost completely severed (at the end), so . . . “It wasn’t that bad,” protests Hannah. “I could survive.” Apparently not. But Lawless’s Lucretia remained, if perforated, more or less intact. And thus, once she’s healed , will be hale and hearty enough to resume her scheming solo in Season 2. “What we have planned for Lucretia in Season 2 makes Season1 and the prequel pale in comparison,” says DeKnight. “And that makes me pale,” confesses Lawless. “The writers have come up with some incredibly twisty, gnarly stuff. My head nearly exploded several times. But it’s been the greatest job, the most complex, rewarding job in my life.”     12 January 2011 Lucy Lawless At The Grove in LA - 13 January 2011 Upcoming Spartacus PR Event: Lucy Lawless at the Grove in Los Angeles this Thursday January 13 between 1:00 to 1:30 pm with the crew from the TV Show Extra. Lucy will be giving away DVDs of season 1 of Spartacus! The Extra at the Grove page is here. It doesn't yet mention Lucy will be appearing on 13th, but I expect it will be updated in due course. AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     11 January 2011 Win a Walk On Role on Starz - Warrior Workout Video The following advert is a contest to win a Walk On Role on Starz. Doesn't say for what show (it could be Spartacus or it could not) Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan Scanned by Lori     11 January 2011 Brutal TV Deaths - Sura of Spartacus Blood and Sand Brutal TV Deaths That Make Grown Nerds Cry Aww, still not over it? Pick your jaws off the floor and grab the tissues as UGO fires 21-gun salutes to TV's Most Shocking Deaths. #21 The Departed: Erin Cummings of Spartacus: Blood and Sand Cause of Death: Stabbing You know, Spartacus is a depressing show both in context and the real world. Andy Whitfield's tragic health issues aside, we expected Spartacus wouldn't have the easiest of journeys without Aulus murdering his wife Sura after Batiatus bought her, solely to break the hero's spirit. Honorable mention goes to the Spartacus' comrade Varro, surprisingly felled by an inglorious death at the hands of the gladiator himself purely for show. Source News submitted by Olansamuelle     11 January 2011 Interview with Marissa Ramirez on AfterEllen AfterEllen interviews Marissa Ramirez (Melitta) about working on Spartacus Gods of the Arena and how it was like working Lucy Lawless. Interview with Marisa Ramirez “I didn’t wear a bra for three months,” said actress Marisa Ramirez while talking about just one facet of her upcoming role on the Starz six-part series Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. And what a role she has (braless or not) on the highly touted prequel to Blood & Sand, playing "body slave" to none other than Lucy Lawless’s Lucretia. After spending three months filming in New Zealand, the Los Angeles-based actress (who played gay in the 2009 Fox series Mental) told AfterEllen,com all about the intricacies of being a body slave, the challenges of wearing very skimpy outfits, how at times she couldn’t help but stare at the gorgeous Lawless and how she thinks Hollywood is doing with gay representation these days. Read More AUSXIP Reporter: Klippart     11 January 2011 EW Magazine - Spartacus Gods of the Arena New Drama EW Magazine 14 January 2011 issue has the following article about the upcoming premiere of GotA. Click on the smaller image for the larger scan. Scanned by Roger Click here for more Spartacus: Gods of the Arena press     11 January 2011 TV Guide Q&A - Andy Update and GotA Update TV Guide Online had the following Q&A about Andy's health and Gods of the Arena: Question: With the new prequel of Spartacus starting soon on Starz, what is the status on Andy Whitfield and will he return, and if not, who will fill his shoes? Please tell me the show will go on! — Scott Matt Roush: Last week, Starz confirmed the second season of Spartacus is a definite go later this year. But Andy Whitfield, unfortunately, is still fighting cancer (no updates on his condition, which is being kept a private matter for now) and he will not be a part of it. They appear to be close to recasting the title role, but until then, we'll have to settle for the Gods of the Arena prequel (which starts a week from Friday). I've seen two hours so far, and it's fun to see John Hannan and Lucy Lawless chewing the scenery (and each other) again, along with other characters from the first season at earlier stages in their gladiator history. The biggest problem is that the star gladiator Gannicus is, to put it mildly, no Spartacus. Which serves as a reminder to how difficult it will be to fill Whitfield's sandles. AUSXIP Reporter: Lori Boyles     10 January 2011 This Week's Spartacus Draw Them All Comic Strip Double Feature Oh goodness this had me laughing so much! Okay this week you get a double feature from Olansamuelle. I won't spoil it...it's just too funny and priceless #1 is Lucretia Teaches It and   #2 is Naevia Tries it   Enjoy!     10 January 2011 Lucy Lawless Video Interview - Toronto Star at TCA Lucy talks to Toronto Star TV columnist Rob Salem about Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. Lucy's interview comes on around 7:05 minutes into the video Lucy Lawless Interview Toronto Star 09 January 2011 Posted on: 10th January 2011 Torchwood’s Eve Myles and Spartacus star Lucy Lawless talk about their upcoming seasons with Toronto Star TV columnist Rob Salem Lucy’s interview can be seen around 7:05 minutes into the video.     10 January 2011 Season 2 News Recasting Spartacus NO SPOILERS Alrighty well Ausiello's reveal of Liam McIntyre being the new Sparty may be half of the story. Here is the other half. Maureen from TVSquad has an article Stay Tuned 'Spartacus' Creator Talks About Recasting the Title Role and What's to Come for the Gladiators TV Squad - 09 January 2011 There are a "couple of very strong candidates" for the role of Spartacus, and season 2 should begin production in New Zealand in April, creator Steven S. DeKnight said in a Friday interview. But DeKnight added that the 'Spartacus' producers and Starz executives weren't always sure they'd go forward without Whitfield, who brought gravity and heart to the role of the famous warrior. "It's unheard of to recast your titular character in a television show, and we did a lot of soul searching about whether we even wanted to try," DeKnight said. "And then Andy said, 'I really think the show should go forward without me. I give you the blessing. I want this story told.'" "We're not trying to find an Andy clone," DeKnight noted. "We're trying to find someone who embodies everything that we think the character needs, which is that feeling of manliness and authority, but also deep compassion and sympathy. That's what we're looking for, and it's a tall order to fill. I'm sure it's going to take the audience a few episodes to get behind anybody we cast." Read the full article News submitted by Klippart     9 January 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Unleashes Hell! - IGN Spartacus Preview Matt Fowler from IGN has an article from the TCA Spartacus panel Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Unleashes Hell! John Hannah & Lucy Lawless jump back into the sandals of Batiatus and Lucretia for a new prequel series. Plus, will Lucretia be back for Season 2? US, January 8, 2011 January 8, 2011 Click here to read     9 January 2011 Spartacus Press Package - TCA Winter 2011 Starz has released the Spartacus Press package given to journalists at the TCA Spartacus panel These includes: - Series Synopsis - Character Descriptions - Cast Bios - Production Bios - Digital Press Kit The Digital Press Kit is interesting. There are a couple of new pics in there and some episode stills. Source AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies / MaryD     9 January 2011 Nick Tarabay To Guest Star on Detroit 187 Nick Tarabay (Ashur) has booked a guest role on the tv show Detroit 187. Detroit 187 is the new home for Erin Cummings as well so it's going to be a reuniting of the two Spartacus Blood and Sand stars. The following was posted on Twitter by friend Keith Andreen Congratulations to Nick E Tarabay for his recent booking. Can't wait to see you tear it up with @ErinLCummings on Detroit 187! 1 hour ago via web Favorite Undo Retweet Reply     8 January 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Trailer 2 Spartacus Gods of the Arena Trailer 2 Posted on: 8th January 2011 Before Spartacus struck down his first opponent in the arena, there were many gladiators who passed though the gates onto the sand. “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena,” the highly anticipated prequel to Starz’ hit series “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” tells the story of the original Champion of the House of Batiatus: Gannicus (Dustin Clare) in [...]     8 January 2011 More TCA Spartacus Panel Pics + Event Page Now Online Here's some more pics! (I'll have some high res pics up soon). These pics are from the Zimbio site. I've also created an Event page for the TCA Spartacus Panel and you can find that here I wonder if this look is directed at the journalist who asked about the gay gladiator! LOL! Lucy's response (if you missed the tweet was:"There was a gay gladiator last season. You're not paying attention" - Lucy Lawless to a critic who probably doesn't watch the show #TCA Here's the pics - Lucy Lawless - Dustin Clare - Peter Mensah - John Hannah - Steven DeKnight - Rob Tapert News submitted by Klippart     8 January 2011 Photos from the TCA Spartacus Panel Photos are coming through now from the TCA Spartacus Panel. I'll update the links as they come through: Life Magazine Getty Images More Links will be added as they come through...     8 January 2011 AfterEllen Interviews Lucy Lawless 07 January 2011 Lucy is interviewed for AfterEllen about Gods of the Arena and in particular about Lucretia's love scene with Gaia and other interesting bits :) It's a great interview An interview with Lucy Lawless Posted by Lesley Goldberg on January 7, 2011 There’s only one word that comes to mind when you think of Lucy Lawless: Xena. The actress best known for her campy ’90s series Xena: Warrior Princess is back — not just in the six-part Spartacus prequel (Spartacus: Gods of the Arena) set to bow on Starz this month but also in the freshly announced second season of the flagship series. After Season 1 ended with her character Lucretia’s life up in the air, Lawless is excited about the opportunity to return to the character in the series’ prequel — a role she says rates as one of the best and most complicated that she’s had to play in her career. Read Interview News submitted by Klippart     8 January 2011 Spartacus Season 2 News from TCA Spartacus Panel - No Spoilers The following are tweets from the TCA Panel about Season 2 (aka Spartacus Vengeance). You can read the entire Spartacus panel tweet list here There are no major spoilers - we all know Lucy is coming back so that's not really a spoiler. Season 2 News from TCA Spartacus Panel Lucy Lawless will be back Season 2 - Lucretia is very much alive and will be even more evil. Makes her "pale just thinking about it." #TCA DeKnight says that what Lucretia does in Season 2 will make Season 1 pale by comparison. In other news..LAWLESS WILL RETURN! #Spartacus #TCA Lucy Lawless on how she will survive her "wounds" to return to season 2 of Spartacus: "It was just a little poke in the tummy." #tca #starz What is coming down the pike for Lucretia in S2 makes her pale just thinking about it since she already went through so much in S1. #TCA "It was just a little poke in the tummy," says Lucy Lawless. Her accent makes everything great. #tca S2 is the same as what was planned for #Spartacus before Andy Whitfield had to bow out permanently. #TCA #CTAM     8 January 2011 Live Tweeting From Spartacus TCA Panel 07 January 2011 - No Major Spoilers Live Tweeting from Spartacus_Starz at TCA - these appeared on Twitter about the prequel and Season 2. No major spoilers. The panelists were: Rob Tapert, Steven DeKnight, Lucy Lawless, John Hannah, Dustin Clare Date: 07 January 2011 Location: Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour (TCA) Starz Panel for Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, Los Angeles, CA, USA At times the prequel is described as Season 2 (which it isn't) so I've listed it under Prequel PREQUEL Steven S. DeKnight Exec Prod. says that we have great new ways to kill the gladiators this coming season. We just keep raising the bar. #TCA RT @JasonDKing: "Who doesn't like backstabbing an intrique," says Steven DeKnight discussing appeal of "Spartacus" at #TCA #CTAM The most surprising fan of #Spartacus? A minister. Don't know why. Steven S DeKnight isn't pandering to mass market but response is great. S2 of #Spartacus will be a more expensive show for utilizing "all of the technology out there" (blue screen etc). Visual range expanded #TCA EP Tapert: Spartacus prequel season "similar to season 1 but the engine is going faster." Rob Tapert promises only MORE digital sets as they move forward. #spartacus #tca Someone says he heard show will have gay gladiator. Lucy Lawless says so did last season. Asks if he wasn't paying attn. Ha! #spartacus #TCA "There was a gay gladiator last season. You're not paying attention" - Lucy Lawless to a critic who probably doesn't watch the show #TCA #Spartacus Lucy Lawless says season 2 will show Peter Mensah's range as an actor. John Hannah adds 'and naked.' #TCA #STARZ "We basically cut out all the boring parts; we hit the ground running" - Steven S DeKnight on the exciting evolution of #Spartacus #TCA More gay gladiators this season on #Spartacus, confirms EP Steven S DeKnight. #Starz #TCA #CTAM #LucyLawless says S2 will show #PeterMensah's range as an actor. #JohnHannah adds 'and naked.' #Spartacus #TCA #CTAM #SPARTACUS Lucy Lawless: doing prequel was great- got to learn about how her character evolved. Batiatus and Lucretia early in love. #TCA John Hannah says we're going to see Peter Mensah naked and growls seductively. Wants to know why everyone laughs. #spartacus #T We'll get to see the honeymoon phase for Batiatus and Lucretia in S2 of #Spartacus #Starz #TCA #CTAM Lucy shares that it was a thrill to be able to go back and fill in bits about her character, like the honeymoon stage of her life #TCA #CTAM SEASON 2 Lucy Lawless will be back Season 2 - Lucretia is very much alive and will be even more evil. Makes her "pale just thinking about it." #TCA DeKnight says that what Lucretia does in Season 2 will make Season 1 pale by comparison. In other news..LAWLESS WILL RETURN! #Spartacus #TCA Lucy Lawless on how she will survive her "wounds" to return to season 2 of Spartacus: "It was just a little poke in the tummy." #tca #starz What is coming down the pike for Lucretia in S2 makes her pale just thinking about it since she already went through so much in S1. #TCA "It was just a little poke in the tummy," says Lucy Lawless. Her accent makes everything great. #tca Someone asking if Lucy Lawless or John Hannah will be back in Spartacus Season 2. Someone not remembering last Spratacus panel... "Nothing good came from losing Andy in terms of the guy for that role." - Rob Tapert on #Spartacus S2 #TCA #CTAM "I don't think there's much hope for John. That's a head in a jar." "It's just a flesh wound!" Lucy jokes #Spartacus #TCA #CTAM S2 is the same as what was planned for #Spartacus before Andy Whitfield had to bow out permanently. #TCA #CTAM CASTING NEWS RT @TVTango: No casting news on #SPARTACUS for replacing Andy Whitfield #TCA RT @afterelton: Starz announces that they are moving ahead with a new season of Spartacus after Gods of the Arena. #spartacus #TCA     8 January 2011 Liam McIntyre To Be Confirmed as New Spartacus? Well well well it never rains but it pours! We have waited months to hear this news and now it's not a trickle of news but a flood. Firstly Ausiello reported on 5 January that Liam McIntyre was back in the race for become Spartacus Ausiello now reports that Liam "The Aussie actor has been undergoing intensive training in the past month to prepare for the physically demanding role." Wow. We will have to wait for the TCA panel to find out more! Read Ausiello's Report     8 January 2011 NEWSFLASH! Spartacus Season 2 Lives! & TCA Spartacus Live Tweeting At long last we are finally getting some great news! Season 2 WILL happen. EW reports that Starz is set to announce this at the TCA Spartacus panel (3 pm LA time). EW says that "Sources close to the production say Spartacus season two will start shooting this spring, with an eye toward a 2012 premiere" We still don't know WHO the new Spartacus is (Ausiello reported a few days ago that Liam McIntyre is back in the running for the role). I guess we will find that out soon (hopefully very soon). Over at Twitter, @spartacus_starz is all set to tweet live from the TCA Spartacus Panel. You can follow them on twitter and I'll be posting their tweets as they become available. Read more of the EW article here AUSXIP Reporter: Lori Boyles / MaryD     8 January 2011 Spartacus Cast Nominated in SciFi Guy Awards - Vote Now! Katrina Law, Lucy Lawless, Andy Whitfield and Spartacus nominated at Scifi Guys Shirty Awards 2010. Nominations: Best Actor Andy Whitfield Best Actress Lucy Lawless Best Show Spartacus One To Watch Andy Whitfield Best Supporting Actress Katrina Law To vote in the 2010 SCifi Guys Redshirt awards, you need a login code. To request a code, please enter your email address into the following box, and a code will be created and emailed to you. To keep the voting as fair as possible, please note that only one code will be provided per email address, and that each code can only be used once. After you click the "vote" button your code will no longer let you log in. While your email address will be stored in a database, the primary intended reason for doing this is to try to keep the voting process as fair as is realistically possible. There are no current plans to use these email addresses for any purpose other than that, but if you would prefer us NOT to keep your email address after the Shirties have been announced, please tick the box labelled "Please make sure my email address is deleted after the awards". Click here for more     8 January 2011 GotA Episode Guide Updated Updated the Spartacus: Gods of the Arena episode guide to include episode names for all of the episodes in the series. If you are keeping SUPER SPOILER FREE - don't click on the link. View Episode Guide     7 January 2011 Spartacus Cast at TCA Winter Press Tour Day Three Spartacus Day at the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour (TCA) is on tomorrow (07 January 2011) and Lucy, John and other cast members will be on the panel although the cast list hasn't been officially announced as yet (Lucy has been doing interviews in LA. There was a mention from the tweet by Matt Fowler from IGN that he will be interviewing Lucy and John. Matt has been at the TCA event so it's safe to assume that Lucy and John will be there) The following information is from the Cablefax site And now we give you our preview of the 3rd and final day of cable TCA in sunny Pasadena. Friday – Jan. 7 Starz Then Starz will bring out the cast of “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” (premieres Jan. 21), a prequel to Starz’s critically acclaimed 2010 series that stopped production on Season 2 after star Andy Whitfield began cancer treatment. In the meantime, fans will be able to chew on the prequel, which covers the period before Spartacus arrived at the ludus. AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     7 January 2011 Spartacus Episode 3 Paterfamilias Directed by Michael Hurst The following was posted on Michael Hurst's Official Site. Michael directed the 3rd episode called "Paterfamilias" 4 February 2011, 9:30 p.m.: Spartacus: Gods of the Arena ep. 3 "Paterfamilias" Airing in the US on Starz; Michael directed the episode.     7 January 2011 Spartacus PR - Lucy and John Interview on IGN Tomorrow The following tweet was sent out about an upcoming interview with Lucy and John. Both will be at the TCA Spartacus Panel tomorrow as well from the looks of it since Matt Fowler is reporting from there for IGN: Fowler_IGN Matt Fowler : Talking to the incomparable Lucy Lawless and John Hannah tomorrow. Tweet me all your burning #Spartacus Gods of the Arena questions, yo. http://twitter.com/#!/Fowler_IGN/status/23231005900939265     7 January 2011 Lucy Interviews on KTLA and Access Hollywood Live - Videos Now Online Lucy was interviewed on US TV this morning for Access Hollywood Live and KTLA Morning Show. The video has been now been posted: KTLA Morning Show 06 January 2011 Lucy Lawless Posted on: 7th January 2011 KTLA morning show in Los Angeles talks to Lucy about her saucy role on Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. Interview date: 06 January 2011 Location: Los Angeles, CA, USA Access Hollywood Lucy Lawless 06 January 2011 Posted on: 7th January 2011 Lucy Lawless jokes with Billy Bush and Kit Hoover why she has a “miserable†time filming the sex scenes on Starz’ “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.†Also, how does her husband (executive producer) Rob Tapert feel about her racy scenes in the show?     6 January 2011 Spartacus PR - Lucy on Access Hollywood on 06 Jan 2011 More Spartacus PR from Lucy: blacklow1: Attention lesbian friends -- Lucy Lawless is on Access Hollywood Live tomorrow! Tune in! #fb http://twitter.com/#!/blacklow1/status/22795778095321088 Snoodit: Interviewing #Xena and @spartacus_starz star Lucy Lawless this month. Have questions? Send 'em my way http://twitter.com/#!/Snoodit/status/22085865475940352 News submitted by: Klippart     6 January 2011 Spartacus Update - Liam McIntyre Back in the Running! Just an update to Ausiello's Q&A on Spartacus and whether there is a new Sparty on the way... Question: Any decision on the new lead for Spartacus: Blood and Sand? —Charles Ausiello: Not yet. Aussie actor Liam McIntyre was firmly in the running as of a few weeks ago, but ultimately producers decided that he wasn’t their guy. So it’s back to the drawing board. THIS JUST IN: A little birdie tells me that McIntyre may be back in the running! Source     6 January 2011 Spartacus PR - Lucy on KTLA Morning Show 06 Jan 2011 Spartacus PR is just staring to stir and here comes news from Christine about Lucy's upcoming interview tomorrow on the KTLA Morning Show: I just heard at end of KTLA Morning News show here in L.A. California, that Lucy Lawless will be their morning guest tomorrow Jan. 6, 2011 (our date & time). News submitted by Christine     5 January 2011 Are We Closer To Getting A New Sparty? Ausiello Reports It's on every Sparty fan's lips. When are we getting a new Spartacus so we can get Season 2. Yes we have Gods of the Arena being screened in the US on 21 January but when is Season 2 going to happen. Well Ausiello has been asked as well and here is his reply and basically we are nowhere nearer to finding out.We are a just a tad closer with Ausiello's update to his original post! Question: Any decision on the new lead for Spartacus: Blood and Sand? --Charles Ausiello: Not yet. Aussie actor Liam McIntyre was firmly in the running as of a few weeks ago, but ultimately producers decided that he wasn't their guy. So it's back to the drawing board. ****THIS JUST IN: A little birdie tells me that McIntyre may be back in the running! Source AUSXIP Reporter: Lori Boyles     5 January 2011 Spartacus Enter The Arena Design Your Avatar Starz has updated their Official Spartacus Site with a new game - YOU become the gladiator, a noble or a slave! This is cute. Really cute and you can dress your avatar and then download the wallpaper you just created or share it on Facebook. Very clever. Click here to design your own     4 January 2011 Starz Press Release - Facebook Social Game + Spartacus iPad Script App News Release Issued: January 4, 2011 12:01 AM EST Starz Digital Media Preps for Return of 'Spartacus' with New Facebook Social Game, Multimedia iPad Script App Prepare to Fight for Glory in the Starz 'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' Facebook Social Media Game, Limited Beta Open to Public January 6 Multimedia iPad Script App Offers Individual 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand' and 'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' Episodes with Video and Exclusive Commentaries, Launches in Starz iTunes Store January 17 ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Jan. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Starz Digital Media, the digital and on-demand licensing arm of Starz, announced today the upcoming launches of its first social media game, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, and iPad multimedia script app for the "Spartacus" Starz original series. The Spartacus: Gods of the Arena social media game is free to play and brings players into a world of fame, fortune, glory and (of course) blood, all via a Facebook social gaming experience. The Beta for the social game will be opened up on January 6 to the first 10,000 "Spartacus" fans who register on Facebook (www.facebook.com/spartacus.starz). A full public launch of the Spartacus: Gods of the Arena social media game is planned for January 20, prior to the exclusive debut of "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" on Starz, January 21 at 10pm et/pt. Starz Digital Media has partnered with social media gaming publisher 6waves to launch the Spartacus: Gods of the Arena social game. With more than 75 million monthly active users, 6waves is one of the largest social gaming publishers worldwide. Its published games include Mall World, Kingdoms of Camelot and Ravenwood Fair. "Given its powerful characters and larger-than-life storylines, few television properties have as much potential for innovative social game play as does 'Spartacus,'" said Marc DeBevoise, senior vice president, digital media, business development and strategy for Starz Media. "We are excited to make our social media gaming debut and be one of the early networks to bring a branded TV property to the social gaming universe." "Starz designed the Spartacus: Gods of the Arena game for current and prospective 'Spartacus' fans and expect a great response," DeBevoise said. "We are very pleased that gaming publisher 6waves, distributor of many popular social games shares our enthusiasm for the project and has agreed to help launch the property. There is tremendous anticipation for the return of the 'Spartacus' series this January, and we believe gamers and fans alike will seek to immerse themselves in the unique social gaming concept and try to become the next Batiatus." "Spartacus" iPad Script App Leveraging its success with the first-of-its-kind multimedia iPad app for the original event series, "The Pillars of the Earth," Starz Digital Media announced plans for a groundbreaking iPad script application for its "Spartacus" franchise. Scheduled to be launched January 17 in the iTunes Starz storefront (www.itunes.com/starz), the "Spartacus" iPad script app provides a robust viewing experience with electronic screenplays from the Starz original series augmented by exclusive multimedia video segments, director's notes, cast photos, historical background information, and more. The "Spartacus" iPad script application is a free download for iPad users, with the first episode of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" ("The Red Serpent") included as part of the app download. Additional "Spartacus" multimedia iPad episode scripts will be available for individual purchase for $0.99 each, with the entire 13-part "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" series of multimedia iPad scripts available for $4.99. The first iPad electronic script for "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" ("Past Transgressions") will be pushed out as a free update to "Spartacus" iPad script app users on January 22. Each additional multimedia episode script from the six-part series will be available individually for $0.99 the day after debuting on Starz. The entire six-part "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" multimedia series script set will be available for $2.99. Beginning January 22, iPad script app downloads will include both of the multimedia iPad screenplays from the first episode of each "Spartacus" series preinstalled with the app download. "Building on our success with the iPad to complement and promote our original series was a logical progression after our successful 'Pillars' app earlier this year,'" said DeBevoise. "This application will be a true must-have for 'Spartacus' fans with collectors loving the scripts from the series and the seamless integration of the stunning video imagery and enlightening historical background information." . Continue reading Starz Press Release - Facebook Social Game + Spartacus iPad Script App.     4 January 2011 Spartacus Featured in Comcast Cable Channel Guide January 2011 The following article and promo poster was in the January Channel Guide for Comcast Cable Co. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena was the feature on the back cover. It was also selected as one of the 10 of the best of the best in new series premieres this month. Click on the smaller image for the larger scan. Scan contributed by: Karen     4 January 2011 TCA Winter Press Tour 2011 - Spartacus Panel TCA Winter Press Tour 2011: Cable Schedule via Broadcastingcable.com Friday, January 7 7:30 am Breakfast Buffet opens/Viennese 8:00-10:00 am AMC/WE tv/IFC/Working Breakfast/Viennese 10:15-11:45 am A&E Network/Lifetime/Huntington 12:00-12:45 pm Hallmark Channel/Viennese 12:45-1:30 pm Lunch/Ballroom Foyer 1:30-3:00 pm Starz/Viennese 3:15-6:15 pm HBO/Huntington AUSXIP Reporter: Lori Boyles     3 January 2011 This Week's Draw Them All Spartacus Comic Strip - An Epifannish Wish This week's Draw Them All Spartacus Comic Strip by Olansamuelle is called An Epifannish Wish - writing letters to the biblical magi. VERY funny! Click here to view Click here to view othe other comic strips in the Draw Them All series     3 January 2011 UK Sky Home to Bravo Shows like Spartacus Sky Becomes Home to Bravo Shows News: Sat 1 Jan, 2011 Never Miss your favourite Bravo shows on Sky. As of Saturday 1 January 2011 Bravo is no longer available on any TV platform - including Sky and Virgin Media – but you can still watch your favourite Bravo shows on Sky. Fans of Bravo's most popular programmes, including Spartacus: Blood and Sand and Leverage, will be able to continue to enjoy these shows on other Sky channels. Other great programmes which will find a new home on Sky include Dog the Bounty Hunter, Star Trek, TNA Wrestling, Sun, Sea and A & E, Motorway Patrol, Highway Patrol and Caribbean Cops. Spartacus: Blood and Sand will be broadcast on Sky1 HD in the New Year, and more information on where to find other Bravo shows will be available very soon. In the meantime, viewers can use Sky's Never Miss service to sign up for a reminder of when shows are returning, and on which channel. Source Reported by Barbara Davies     1 January 2011 Spartacus: Blood and Sand in Italy by February 2011 Spartacus: Blood and Sand will finally arrive in Italy from February 17, 2011 on Sky(Pay TV). There will be two versions: The edited version will air every tuesday at 10 pm while the full version will be shown every sunday evening at 11 pm. If you can read Italian there is an article about the show on the nuovasocieta.it site. News contributed by: Barbara Bruno     Read More Archives