Spartacus: Blood and Sand

Yeah, I know, I'm late to this party as this Starz TV series originally aired at the beginning of this year. Having just recently obtained Starz I had an opportunity to catch up via OnDemand, watching all thirteen episodes in the space of a week, despite Comcast mucking with the HD. It wasn't that I was really that bored or had lots of time on my hands, the series was really that compelling.

Now period pieces of this type I am usually all in or all out. I'm not a sword and sandal guy, and I don't really dig gladiator movies. They seem just a bit too gay bathhouse for me. Reality check - I haven't even seen all of Kirk Douglas' 1960 Spartacus by genius Stanley Kubrick. I guess I should fix that. On the other hand, I am a big fan of movies and programs about Rome and the history of that time. I loved "I Claudius" and HBO's "Rome" for instance. "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" falls solidly into the latter category. I loved it.

At first glance, I didn't think I was going to like it though. There is a lot of the slow motion blue screen CGI effects that made things like 300, Sin City and The Spirit so visually unique. While the comparison to 300 is obvious because of the time period and the violent content, I did not mean to compare "Spartacus" to the others. This has nothing to do with Frank Miller, because this TV series is actually good.

"Spartacus: Blood and Sand" is visually thrilling and something we haven't ever seen on television before, and that alone makes it must-see, but there is also a compelling story, addictive characters and performances that are better than most on TV. In all aspects, this is must-see-TV.

Just one of those performances you will only be able to see in this thirteen episode series unfortunately. Title actor Andy Whitfield was stricken with cancer and will not be returning to the series in its second season, but will make a brief appearance in the prequel series, "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" that begins in January on Starz. He will be hard to replace, but rest assured I will be on hand for whatever comes next. This is truly great television.