or


[12/21/09 - 11:13 AM]
Starz Returns to the Arena with More 'Spartacus'
The newcomer has been picked up for a 13-episode second season, a month ahead of its series premiere.

[via press release from Starz]

STARZ RETURNS TO THE ARENA WITH MORE 'SPARTACUS'

Second Season of Highly Anticipated Action Adventure Series Gets Green Light Prior To January 22 Premiere

Burbank, Calif. - December 21, 2009 - In a bold vote of confidence, Starz executives announced plans today to order a second season of the ground-breaking new original series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," set to premiere Friday, January 22nd at 10 pm ET/PT. The unusual timing of the renewal, more than one month prior to the debut of the highly anticipated program, gives returning executive producers Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Joshua Donen and Steven S. DeKnight (who is also the head writer on the show) the green light to start production in New Zealand on 13 new episodes in the first quarter of 2010.

"We couldn't be happier with the first season. Spartacus delivers on all levels - action, characters, intrigue, romance and excitement," said Starz Entertainment EVP, Programming, Stephan Shelanski. "Spartacus is the most ambitious original project we've ever undertaken, and speaks to the commitment to our subscribers to provide truly original programming along with our unmatched lineup of theatrical features."

"Steven S. DeKnight and his team of writers have created a rich narrative that lays the groundwork for more great stories," added Executive Producer Rob Tapert. "The slave rebellion led by Spartacus and the oh-so-current political intrigue and personal dynamics laid out in the first season provide rich source material for the second season and beyond."

The title of the second season is expected to be "Spartacus: Vengeance," but other details are being kept under wraps, so as not to spoil any of the sure-to-shock plot twists the first season promises to deliver.

Nearly 4 million moviegoers saw the new "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" trailer in theaters over the weekend and it is expected to hit wide online today.

"Spartacus: Blood and Sand" features Australian newcomer Andy Whitfield as the title character, a Thracian fighting to return to his wife after being sold into slavery at a gladiatorial school. He is joined by Lucy Lawless ("Xena: Warrior Princess," "Battlestar: Galactica") as the deceptive Lucretia, John Hannah (The Mummy movies) as her power-hungry husband Batiatus, Peter Mensah (300) as the head of the gladiatorial school, Doctore, along with a cast of familiar as well as fresh faces.

The series is shot utilizing virtual environments in the graphic novel style of such successful features as 300 and Sin City. The process gives the show a fresh narrative approach and a hyper-realistic look that is unlike anything yet seen on TV. It's an entirely new vision of the ancient legend.

Debuting exclusively on Starz, "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" is produced by Starz Media with Executive Producers Rob Tapert (The Grudge, "Xena: Warrior Princess" and "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"), Sam Raimi (Spider-Man and The Evil Dead), Joshua Donen (The Quick and the Dead) and Steven S. DeKnight ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer").

About Starz Media

Starz Media, LLC, is a programming production and distribution company operating worldwide. It includes the Film Roman, Anchor Bay Entertainment, and Manga Entertainment brands. Its units create animated and live-action programming -- including theatrical films -- and programming created under contract for other media companies. It distributes that programming, and programming acquired from outside producers, through home video retailers, theaters, broadcasters, ad supported and premium television channels, and Internet and wireless video distributors in the US and internationally. Starz Media ( www.starzmedia.com ) is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation attributed to the Liberty Capital Group.

About Starz Entertainment

Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie service provider operating in the United States. It offers 16 movie channels including the flagship Starz� and Encore� brands with approximately 17.3 million and 30.7 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs more than 1,000 movies per month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HD, Encore HD, Starz On Demand, Encore On Demand, MoviePlex On Demand, Starz HD On Demand, Encore HD On Demand, MoviePlex HD On Demand, and Starz Play. Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, and is attributed to Liberty Starz (NASDAQ: LSTZA), a tracking stock group of Liberty Media Corporation.





  [december 2009]  
S
M
T
W
T
F
S
  


· SPARTACUS (STARZ)





[04/18/24 - 09:00 AM]
Stephen Colbert Is Taking His Show on the Road!
Announced during last night's episode of "The Late Show," Colbert revealed the show would broadcast from Chicago's storied Auditorium Theater during the week of this year's Democratic National Convention.

[04/18/24 - 08:31 AM]
"The Witcher" Season 4 Begins Production in the U.K. and Netflix Announces Fifth and Final Season of "The Witcher"
Seasons 4 and 5 will adapt the remaining of Andrzej Sapkowski's books, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow and Lady of the Lake, promising to offer an epic and satisfying conclusion to Netflix's hit fantasy drama.

[04/18/24 - 07:21 AM]
Peacock Announces May 30 Premiere Date, First Look Images and New Guest Stars for Second Season of Critically-Acclaimed Comedy Series "We Are Lady Parts"
Season two sees the band return with a renewed artistic mission after the high of their first UK tour, only to find a rival band threatens their delicate status quo.

[04/18/24 - 07:02 AM]
Apple TV+ Sets July 10 Global Premiere for "Sunny," The New Mystery Thriller with a Darkly Comic Bent, Starring and Executive Produced by Rashida Jones
"Sunny" stars Jones as Suzie, an American woman living in Kyoto, Japan, whose life is upended when her husband and son disappear in a mysterious plane crash.

[04/18/24 - 07:01 AM]
Video: "Hit Man" - Official Trailer - Netflix
Inspired by the unbelievable true story, a strait-laced professor (Glen Powell) uncovers his hidden talent as a fake hit man in undercover police stings.

[04/18/24 - 06:01 AM]
Netflix Follows Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in Latest Series
"America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders," which will premiere this summer, follows the 2023-24 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad from start to finish - kicking off at auditions and training camp and continuing all the way through the NFL season.

[04/18/24 - 02:01 AM]
Video: It's The Pig One! Prime Video Reveals New Trailer and Key Art for Third Series of UK Original "Clarkson's Farm"
Part 1 (episodes 1-4) will launch May 3, followed by Part 2 (episodes 5-8) launching on May 10.

[04/17/24 - 08:31 PM]
Chinese-Language Revenge Thriller Series "The Resurrected" Marks International Film Stars Shu Qi and Sinje Lee's Debut on Netflix
Co-directed by Leste Chen and Hsu Chao-jen, this dark and suspenseful series follows the journey of two desperate mothers as they resurrect a deceased ringleader of a telecommunication fraud scheme to avenge their kidnapped daughters.

[04/17/24 - 01:03 PM]
Sunday Night's "Billy Joel: The 100th - Live at Madison Square Garden" Wins Its Time Period and Hits a High Note Scoring 5.73 Million Viewers
It originally aired Sunday, April 14 and due to the overwhelming demand from his legion of fans, will have a special encore airing this Friday, April 19 and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

[04/17/24 - 12:16 PM]
Season Three of Musical Game Show "Don't Forget the Lyrics" Hosted by Emmy Award-Winner Niecy Nash Premieres Thursday, May 23 at 9/8c on FOX and the Next Day on Hulu
Additionally, the season finale of "Farmer Wants a Wife," previously announced as airing on Thursday, May 9, is now scheduled to air on Thursday, May 16 following the return of "I Can See Your Voice."

[04/17/24 - 12:10 PM]
Great American Family Announces Production Wrap on "A Christmas Less Traveled," Starring Candace Cameron Bure and Eric Johnson, Part of Great American Christmas 2024
In the film, "The Dine and Dash" diner has a stack of mounting unpaid bills, forcing its owner, Desi (Bure) to sell her beloved, mint condition, cherry red 1964 Ford F-100, a gift from her deceased father.

[04/17/24 - 11:00 AM]
National Geographic Honors WW2 Soldiers of Color with Two New Specials
Continuing National Geographic's 136-year record of giving viewers access to pivotal historical moments with new breadth and insight, the network will honor the contributions and sacrifices of overlooked Allied soldiers of color with two new specials on Monday, June 3.

[04/17/24 - 10:02 AM]
Paramount+ Announces New Episodes of "Behind the Music" to Premiere May 1
The new episodes profile Bell Biv DeVoe, Trace Adkins and Wolfgang Van Halen and remastered episodes feature 50 Cent, Bobby Brown, Ice-T, Milli Vanilli, The Notorious B.I.G. and Sinead O'Connor.

[04/17/24 - 10:00 AM]
National Geographic Unravels the Culture-Defining Stanford Prison Experiment and Its Controversial Legacy in "The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth" (w.t.)
From director Juliette Eisner, executive producer Alex Braverman and Muck Media, the three-part series unravels the layers of intrigue and controversy surrounding one of psychology's most debated studies from the past 50 years.

[04/17/24 - 09:59 AM]
Iliza Shlesinger Heads to Prime Video for Next Stand-Up Comedy Special
The taping will take place at the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City on November 2, and the premiere date for the one-hour special will be announced at a later date.