With much hoopla and some mixed reviews, Starz debuted their new original series, Spartacus, over the weekend. Did many watch? Will it survive?
The first season of the series, titled Spartacus: Blood and Sand, follows the legendary Roman gladiator with newcomer Andy Whitfield in the title role. The gritty series features the talents of Lucy Lawless, John Hannah, Peter Mensah, Manu Bennett, Viva Bianca, Craig Parker, Jai Courtney, Erin Cummings, Nick E. Tarabay, and Antonio Te Maioho.
According to THR, the series premiere of Spartacus drew 553,000 viewers on Starz and another 460,000 on Encore.
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While those figures aren’t very big, they do represent Starz’s best performance in the pay-per-view channel’s short history of producing original series.
Starz estimates that viewership for the first episode, once re-showings and DVR viewing are added in, will surpass two million total viewers. It’s unknown if that number includes official online viewing via outlets like Netflix. The real test, of course, will be to see if viewership grows or falls in the coming weeks.
The series has already been renewed for a second season of 13 episodes so there’s no doubt that it’ll be back for season two.
But, what do you think? Is it worth watching or is the show finished in your house? Cancel or keep it?
Image courtesy Starz.
I think the show is great. I got the Starz premium package with Time Warner a few months ago, and didn’t know what to expect. This show certainly makes it worth while. If the writers and producers take the show through a successful season two, I hope to see a season three that follows the real history of Spartacus’ and Crixus’ life after the revolt, through the Third Servile War.
I heard rumors that Spartacus will be cancelled soon. I enjoy this program on HBO, and hope it is not cancelled. I never miss a program.
Please advise.
@Anonymous: It’s already been renewed for season two (see above) but Whitfield has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Hopefully he’ll be fine and the show will continue.
i think its bloody… and cool… it looks like god of war…
i love the series i hope it gets a second season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
an incredible epic adventure. showing the corruption and utter decadence of Rome. How Great !!! Please continue with the series.
I love this show. It is truly amazing. We record it and watch it on Sundays because of my husbands work schedule. I have to admit it’s a little hard to wait for him sometimes. All the actors are wonderful. It’s great to see Lucy Lawless on a show again and John Hannah is always stealing the show. He’s so crazy and unpredictable, so you know each episode will be better than the last. Adam is beautiful and very intense. There are sexual situations from time to time, so if you are a little bit prude, you may blush. Just… Read more »
the best show, story line, acting, and portraying of the roman times. I would rate this 10/10! Definitely should stay on air! Since the first episode, i have not hesitated to watch the next episode. Funny how they always talk about *****. Great show!
friggin killer. i love anything with ancient eras ad mystical or mythical stories. they better keep making these. Another favorite show of mine was “DEADWOOD” on HBO. after 3 seasons they just stopped making more. loss of money, not the show. they had more viewers than ever, just stopped production though. that pissed me off. i am still hoping someday they will make more. its a adrenaline feast. also TRUE BLOOD is like this for me, i love it. the fight and blood scenes are mindblowing and the raciness of the sex and nudity really make it over the top… Read more »
One of the best action-drama tv-shows i ever got to watch!
There not an episode that leaves me ordinary.
I Looooooove it!!!!!!!!
I didn’t start watching weekly until 2 weeks ago because I hadn’t been watching starz so I hadn’t seen it advertised. When I was flipping through on demand I gave it a try and couldn’t stop watching, I watched all 7 that were out at that time in a row and then the 8th that friday. I’ve since watched them all again and caught the last 2 at show time. This is a fantastic series and it will be such a shame if anything bad comes from the cancer the main actor has come down with. Get well soon Spartacus,… Read more »
This show is absolutely amazing, I know a lot of Rome fans criticize this show for being inaccurate, but this show is meant for entertainment purpose only, not a history lesson. If you just happened to finish the weekdays and about to start the weekend this is the show to watch, amazing fight scenes and drama, the drama is so bizarre that you cant predict it, and you end up loving it!
If I were to rate this It would be rated 9.7/10 -3 because Ilithyia is ruining the show!
I have been watching this show since the beginning. I waited a year for it to premiere after seeing the amazing trailer. I have to say that I am blown away by the series as a whole. It is everything I could have hoped for and more. The acting is superb, the story is enthralling, the characters are very deep, and the overall look and feel of the show is revolutionary. I get really excited for Friday’s now just because of Spartacus!! HBO’s Rome lacked something that this show seems to have, and despite the fact that everything (with only… Read more »
I LOVE this series.I can’t wait for fridays to roll around so I can see what will happen next. The plots, writig and fights scenes are all fantastic. I hope they renew for a couple of more seasons. It would be a shame to take away my friday nights with the boys
Glad to hear season 2 will happen. Now I just hope this show doesn’t go the way of the series “Rome” and be too expensive to keep being produced! This show is Rome & 300 mashed together, mix in a great cheese factor and tada… wicked series! 🙂