March 2011 Archives   29 March 2011 AUSXIP Charity Auction has Ended! The 2011 AUSXIP Charity Auction has ended for another year and I've been crunching the numbers and I have to say it's been an incredible effort by everyone. I'm totally gobsmacked by the numbers. We live in such hard economic times and I know it's so difficult for many people but you guys have come through yet again. The tentative figures so far for Starship and the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation is: Starship: $7219 USD = $9,601 NZD (when converted). Isn't that an amazing figure! Alisa Ann Burn Foundation (ROC Outreach): $2,258.50! Again thank you so much to everyone who participated. That is a grand total of $11,859.50 For those who won, you would have received an email with directions on how to pay. If you haven't (and it's lurking in your spam folder), there is an online FAQ on how to pay. Please go here for directions. If you want to donate and would like to know how, please go to here and it will give you the details on how to donate! With your support AUSXIP has raised $49,946 since 2006 for Starship! That just blows my mind. Since 2006 (Starship + other charities) AUSXIP has raised $85,777.00! That is all YOUR doing. You all contributed to this figure, you have dug deep. Thank you thank you thank you to everyone! You guys are simply amazing. One of my favourite quotes is from Helen Keller: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” -Helen Keller This fandom has quite a heart! On behalf of the AUSXIP Charity Auction team (myself, Christa and Roger), we all want to say how much we appreciate your support.     25 March 2011 Photos of Liam McIntyre and Sparty Cast at Bare For Christchurch Lucy perforemd in Bare for Christchurch - a fundraiser to raise money for the Christchurch earthquake. Bare for Christchurch Photos from the Afterparty - Here they are - photos hot off Jo's camera! Of note is the first photos we have seen of Liam since he has been cast as Spartacus. What a cutie! Lucille looked gorgeous as ever, Viva looked great, Dan, Liam, Michael and Rob were all adorable! All photos are Copyrighted to Jo for AUSXIP Lucy Lawless. Awesome job by Jo tonight in reporting and photos! Check out all the photos on AUSXIP Lucy Lawless     25 March 2011 Starz tightens Netflix windows - 90 Day Delay For Spartacus Season 2 Starz will impose a 90-day delay for the availability of original series Spartacus S2 on Netflix according to the following article on the Variety site: In another sign that Hollywood's wary of Netflix's rapid growth, Starz on Thursday said it intends to tighten the availability of pics and TV series on the service. Starz's move to restrict its programming comes after similar retrenchment by Showtime (Daily Variety, March 23). Both shifts reflect the concern among showbiz congloms that Netflix is building a formidable business on the back of Hollywood content and fueling the cord-cutting that will hurt showbiz's most important distribution partners, cable and satellite operators. Cable programmers are looking to steer their streaming rights to their own proprietary services that fall under the authentication business model, aka TV Everywhere. Starz said it will impose a 90-day delay for the availability of original series that will begin with its April 1 launch of "Camelot." Starz's firstrun movies, including the titles it runs through its output deals with Disney and Sony, "will follow suit," according to a statement from Starz. Continue reading Starz tightens Netflix windows - 90 Day Delay For Spartacus Season 2.     20 March 2011 Good Citizens of The World...Lucretia Beckons All To The 2011 AUSXIP Charity Auction! With the 2011 AUSXIP Charity Auction just days away (21 March), Olansamuelle came up with a brilliant idea to promote the auction! I just cracked up with this artwork and the Xena themed one as well - click here to view that one. Click the thumbnail for the larger version of this great piece We have Lucretia announcing AUSXP's Charity Auction with a special appearance by Xena and Gabrielle! Check out the very funny artwork and remember if you haven't registered for the auction yet...click here to do so - If you have registered before, your username and password will remain the same. If you have forgotten your username and password, you can retrieve it by going here Click here for a look at the Starship Items     20 March 2011 John Hannah on Graham Norton’s BBC Radio 2 Show John Hannah was a guest on Graham Norton's BBC Radio 2 show this morning talking about GotA, amongst other things. He mentioned receiving an email from Andy yesterday ('so far, fingers crossed, everything's looking positive'.) No mention of Lucy or the other actors though. The program is available on the BBC iPlayer for a week. It's a 3 hour show, and John came on about 2hrs 31 mins in:  Http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zh2ms     19 March 2011 2011 AUSXIP Charity Auction - Starship Items List AUSXIP.com is holding it's annaul Charity Auction to raise money for the Starship Foundation. Starship Hospital provides leading health care to nearly 150,000 children each year from around New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. But in addition to government funding they need your help to raise more than $5 million annually to keep the hospital at the forefront of paediatric care. As a charitable organisation, Starship Foundation exists through the generosity of those who lovingly donate money and/or time to assist in making Starship a world-class medical facility. Here is the Starship list for all items listed to be auctioned for Starship. These items will be in the following categories - CD / DVD - Collectables - Apparel - Photos and Posters - Magazines & Books Register to bid here | Read FAQ The auction will go live on 21 March! Read the full list of Starship Items     18 March 2011 2011 AUSXIP Charity Auction Update Hi folks, Well the 2011 AUSXIP Charity Auction is nearly here and there are lots and lots of goodies that I've now added to the auction site in time for the 21 March start. A complete list will be available in the next day or so so you can see what's coming up! This year's Starship auction takes on an urgency to generate funds for Starship because they are dealing with the normal day to day funding needs of the Starship Hospital but also they are helping the kids from Christchurch's earthquake. For Renee's portion of the auction (the ROC Outreach Fund) the money this year will go to The Alissa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, a charity near and dear to Renee's heart. Renee participates in the Burn Relays every year which raises money for the foundation. We have alot of great stuff on hand - autographed and donated for the auction by Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, Adrienne Wilkinson, Hudson Leick, Katherine Fugate, Michael Hurst, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Katrina Law, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Erin Cummings (Spartacus, Bitch Slap, Detroit 187), Rick Jacobson and a few more surprises. If you haven't registered for the auction please go to http://charity.ausxip.com/register.php#ed46d442233d If you have registered for last year's auction, your login name and password will work once again. The auction starts on 21 March till 28 March 2011! Thanks for your support - please spread the word to your mailing lists, forums and other social networks!     16 March 2011 TV Choice Interviews John Hannah - 15 March 2011 TV Choice talks to John Hannah about Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. With GotA about to be shown on UK TV, Spartacus PR is picking up: John Hannah returns as Batiatus in a prequel to the racy swords and sandals drama Spartacus: Blood And Sand. The six-part series came about largely because Andy Whitfield, who played Spartacus, is fighting cancer. But it promises to be just as shocking with scenes of graphic sex, violence -- and a bit more sex and violence. John Hannah shares his thoughts on his character with TV Choice, and the headlines generated by the first series... Read Interview (Reported by Barbara Davies)     16 March 2011 Lucy and GotA on 15 Must Watch Series of 2011 The pressdemocrat.com site has TV's 15 Must-Watch Series of 2011. Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and Lucy come in at #10. I agree with this reviewer who said that it's Lucy's best work. Lucy is just on fire as Lucretia; it IS her best work and she looks like she is enjoying it. Lucy Mention: 10. “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” (Starz). I tried it out for the cartoonish violence and gratuitous sex. I stayed for the surprisingly compelling story and well-developed characters. Lucy Lawless put out the best performance of her career in this recently completed miniseries. Source     14 March 2011 Jessica Grace Smith's Official Facebook Fan Page Jessica Grace Smith (Diona from Gods of the Arena) has now got her official Facebook Fan Page.     Click here to follow Jessica     14 March 2011 Spartacus PR Interviews - Lucy Lawless on Valder Beebe Show Jan 2011 Lucy Interview with The Valder Beebe Show January 2011 Posted on: 14th March 2011 Lucy is interviewed on the The Valder Beebe Show during her Spartacus: Gods of the Arena PR in January 2011. For more about Lucy's role as Lucretia on Spartacus: Gods of the Arena go to the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Spartacus Subsite For more about Spartacus Gods of the Arena go to the AUSXIP Spartacus News and Multimedia -- AUSXIP Reporter: Klippart     12 March 2011 Michael Hurst Producing and Directing in Season 2 Michael has posted the following on his official site about Spartacus: Season 2 (which may or may not be called Spartacus: Vengeance). The exciting news other than Michael directing some episodes, is that he will also be a producer for the show! I'm excited about that because Michael is my favourite director and I'm sure he will be fab at the producing side. 2011:  Spartacus, season 2 Michael is a producer for the new season and directing some episodes; check back for details. Source     12 March 2011 Lucy Lawless Gods Of The Arena Video Promos for Turkey, Hungary and Poland Lucy Lawless Gods of the Arena Turkey Promo #1 Posted on: 12th March 2011 Lucy filmed a promo advert in Turkey where Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. For more about Lucy's role as Lucretia on Spartacus: Gods of the Arena go to the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Spartacus Subsite For more about Spartacus Gods of the Arena go to the AUSXIP Spartacus News & Multimedia site Lucy Lawless Gods of the Arena Promo for HBO Poland #1 Posted on: 12th March 2011 Lucy filmed a promo advert for HBO Poland where Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is now playing. This is the second promo For more about Lucy's role as Lucretia on Spartacus: Gods of the Arena go to the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Spartacus Subsite For more about Spartacus Gods of the Arena go to the AUSXIP [...] Lucy Lawless Gods of the Arena Promo for HBO Hungary #1 Posted on: 12th March 2011 Lucy filmed a promo advert for HBO Hungary where Spartacus: Gods of the Arena is now playing. For more about Lucy's role as Lucretia on Spartacus: Gods of the Arena go to the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Spartacus Subsite For more about Spartacus Gods of the Arena go to the AUSXIP Spartacus News & Multimedia site     12 March 2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Promo for Turkey Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Promo for Turkey with Manu, Lucy, Peter, Lesley-Ann and John.       9 March 2011 New Artist Caitlin Dikos and Gorgeous New Art I'm very pleased to welcome Caitlin Dikos to the AUSXIP Spartacus Art Gallery. Check out these gorgeous pieces! Click here to view     8 March 2011 Steven Interview with Assignment X - Part 2 on Spartacus Season 2 Steven's interview with Assignment X is now online. It's the second part of his interview series with Assignment X. Some interesting tidbits that we find out are: Is the show going to be called Spartacus: Vengeance? (Gods of the Arena had a working title of House of Batiatus before they changed it to Gods of the Arena). We also find out how many episodes there will be in Season 2. On Lucy's return as the former Domina of the Ludus - she is going to be spitting mad at the world; she's lost her beloved Quintas, her baby and her position, not to mention that poke in the belly that wouldn't make anyone happy. The great thing for Lucy fans is that she will have a MAJOR role in the show! YES! As it should be because Lucy is INCREDIBLE as Lucretia. In my opinion this is Lucy's best work and she truly SHINES. My favourite director, Michael Hurst, is back! He is such a phenomenal actor and director. I'm stoked about that! Viva Bianca is back! Oh heavens she is SO bad and SO good :)   Check out the interview on Assignment X (thanks to Klippart for the link) Exclusive Interview: SPARTACUS creator Steven S. DeKnight gives the scoop Season 2 – Part 2 More on season two, GODS OF THE ARENA and action figures! SPARTACUS GODS OF THE ARENA and SPARTACUS BLOOD AND SAND are two of the most popular genre series that have been on television in recent years. Both were immense hits for Starz, and in 2012 there will be a new second season picking up where BLOOD AND SAND left off. Steven S. DeKnight, one of the series creators and writers loved giving back story for the prequel, and is looking forward to all of the challenges in the works for the next season of the Starz original. and more interesting info from Steven who is always a great interviewee! Read Interview     7 March 2011 Olansamuelle's Draw Them All Spartacus Comic Strip - Episode 6 Olansameulle has sent in the last two comic strips for Spartacus: Gods of the Arena episode 6: The Bitter End "A Brother." and "Always Look On the Bright Side of Life"   That ends the Draw Them All comic strip for Gods of the Arena! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! Many thanks to Olansamuelle for all her hard work! Click here to view     6 March 2011 Interview with Nick Tarabay and Fan Q&A Now Online Roland from The Bringer of Rain site has a great interview with Nick. Find out more about Nick Tarabay and his character of Ashur from Spartacus: Blood and Sand & Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.   Click here to view     5 March 2011 Who is Coming Back for Spartacus: Vengeance? Now that Gods of the Arena is over and we are settling down for an extended period with no Spartacus, our thoughts turn to who will be back for Season 2. As we all know, Andy will not be back in his role as Spartacus. That role will now be in the hands of Liam McIntyre. We also know that Lesley-Ann Brandt will not be back as Naevia. The role of Naevia will be recast and we will get to see Crixus search for his love. New Cast Members -  Spartacus II (Liam McIntyre) -  Naevia II (Unknown at the moment) Regular Cast - Will be back: -  Lucretia (Lucy Lawless) -  Doctore / Oenomaus (Peter Mensah) -  Gannicus (Dustin Clare) -  Crixus (Manu Bennett) -  Ashur (Nick Tarabay) -  Mira (Katrina Law) -  Ilithyia (Viva Bianca) -  Glaber (Craig Parker) May be Back? -  Aurellia (Brook Williams) Will NOT be back -  Spartacus I (Andy Whitfield) -  Quintus Batiatus (John Hannah) -  Barca (Antonio Te Maioho) -  Naevia I (Lesley-Ann Brandt) Lesley-Ann has posted the following on her Official Facebook Fan Page - Lesley-Ann Brandt hey guys, won't be coming back to the next season of Spartacus...we could not get the dates to work but I'm wishing the show, it's producers, writers and my friends in the cast another fantastic season. Long live Spartacus!x Filming for Spartacus: Vengeance is due to start in April and will go to air on the Starz Network in late January 2012. I'm looking forward to seeing pics of our new Spartacus and Naevia.     5 March 2011 Steven DeKnight Reflects On Gods of the Arena – Part 1 Steven DeKnight is interviewed by Assignment X: Exclusive Interview: SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA creator Steven S. DeKnight reflects on the mini-series – Part 1 SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA has ended a trifle happier than one would guess from the previous season of BLOOD AND SAND. True the six episode series was bookended with death, but that doesn’t mean the story within didn’t have a bit of a happy ending. Steven S. DeKnight, series creator and executive producer,  has had a blast writing within the world of SPARTACUS and was more than happy to  re-visit favorite characters and the Ludus of Batiatus once more. ASSIGNMENT X got to chat this week with DeKnight now that the second season has ended and we picked his brain about some of the origins of GODS OF THE ARENA,  his favorite moments that were part of the series, and even some things that weren’t. Read Full Interview -- AUSXIP Reporter Klippart     2 March 2011 Spartacus Gods of the Arena in Turkey March 6! Received a note from Esra telling me that Gods of the Arena will be shown in Turkey on 6 March! Wanted to inform you that Spartacus: Gods of the Arena will be premiering on March 6 on our widely available national channel Cnbc-e. Also on another note; Spartacus: Blood and Sand is very well received and Turkey absolutely loves Spartacus! Many thanks to Esra for the news!     1 March 2011 Gods of the Arena Episode 6: The Bitter End Ratings The ratings for Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Episode 6: The Bitter End have been released. TVbythenumbers is reporting: Spartacus: Gods of the Arena averaged  1.72 million viewers and a 0.8 in adults 18-49, up 0.2 from last week.   EPISODE # and Name Rating Ep 1: Past Transgressions 1.1 Million Ep 2: Missio Ep 3: Paterfamilias Ep 4: Beneath The Mask Ep 5: Reckoning Ep 6: The Bitter End 1.1 Million 1.264 Million 1.112 million 1.38 million 1.72 million     1 March 2011 Marisa Ramirez Video Interview 27 February 2011 Marissa was interviewed at the Abbey/APLA Oscar Party 2011 - AIDS Project Los Angeles by Jim Halterman. RED CARPET: SPARTACUS death scenes and what's next for star MARISA RAMIREZ! Last night, the premier nightclub in West Hollywood, The Abbey, hosted the APLA Oscar viewing party for the 10th time and the stars turned out to support the cause, talk equal rights and raise some money for APLA along the way. One of the hosts of the night's events was actress Marisa Ramirez, whose role as Lucy Lawless's body slave Melitta was one of the more captivating ones in the recently completed Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. Marisa told me about dying on-screen and which next big TV project she is heading off to do next. Source -- AUSXIP Reporter: Barbara Davies     Read More Archives