Ahead of its eagerly anticipated new spin-off/sequel series, one of the most violent and raunchiest TV shows ever made is making a comeback on digital streaming. TV, and visual art in general, likes to push boundaries, and 2010’s Spartacus certainly did that, by pushing the sanity of the TV ratings boards to the limits with its graphic and uncensored content. The Starz original series was a fan favorite upon its debut, and remains the subject of constant re-watches from fans some 15 years later. But with the newest addition to the Spartacus franchise, House of Ashur, set to release soon, many long-time fans are going back to enjoy Spartacus’ journey from the beginning one more time.
As well as streaming on Starz, Spartacus is also available to purchase digitally on iTunes and other online stores. It’s through that digital store that Spartacus has gained a second lease on life. Spartacus is currently the second most popular series on iTunes, with the PBS documentary The American Revolution in first (that would make for a very weird double-binge-watch).
Created by Steven S. DeKnight (who was also the showrunner on the original Daredevil series), the series originally starred Andy Whitfield as, you guessed it, Spartacus, before his unfortunate passing in 2011. Australian actor Liam McIntyre was recast as Spartacus for the remaining two seasons. Whitfield/McIntyre were joined by a phenomenal supporting cast, including Xena: Warrior Princess herself, Lucy Lawless, alongside Manu Bennett, Peter Mensah, Nick E. Taraby, Daniel Feuerriegel, Dustin Clare, Viva Bianca, and John Hannah. The official synopsis reads:
“Torn from his homeland and separated from the woman he loves, Spartacus is forced into slavery and condemned to the bloody gladiator’s arena in Rome. As he navigates the violent and brutal world, he realizes that not all battles are fought in the arena, and that he must overcome treachery and temptation to survive. This retelling of the story of Spartacus is rife with blood, violence, and sex, set to the sounds of jarring guitars, so it’s definitely not for the younger crowd.”
‘Spartacus’ New Spin-Off Is Already Divisive
Fans were ecstatic to learn that the next chapter in the Spartacus story will be released this December. However, the series has drawn the ire of fans for many reasons. Firstly, there’s the plot itself; House of Ashur will unsurprisingly put Nick E. Tarabay’s Ashur front and center. Those who liked the original series will remember that Ashur wasn’t exactly the most beloved character.
Secondly, the anti-woke brigade came after the show for featuring female Gladiators. Without doing a simple bit of research to learn that Gladiatrixes were a thing in Ancient Rome, many people cried “woke” and “DEI” from their parents’ basements at any new promo for the show. MovieWeb recently spoke to House of Ashur‘s new Gladiatrix, Tenika Davis, who addressed the online hate and backlash, saying:
“I looked, and I saw some of the comments, and literally the way that I felt was, ‘Wow, it’s important for people to comment. It’s important for them to have a visceral reaction. It’s important for them to express the fact that they don’t want this character.’ Because that’s exactly how the Romans felt in this world and in society, which means they’re already clued into the story that we’re telling. So all of those reactions are valid and warranted, because those are the same things that the characters and the people in this world are feeling.”
Spartacus: House of Ashur premieres on Starz on December 5.
- Release Date
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2010 – 2013
- Network
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Starz
- Directors
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Jesse Warn, Michael Hurst, Rick Jacobson, Mark Beesley, T.J. Scott, Chris Martin-Jones, Brendan Maher, Glenn Standring, Grady Hall, John Fawcett
- Writers
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Allison Miller, Seamus Kevin Fahey, Miranda Kwok, Tracy Bellomo, Brent Fletcher, aaron helbing, Daniel Knauf, Jed Whedon, jeffrey bell, Andrew Chambliss, Misha Green, David Kob