The Best Gladiator Series Ever Made Slays Streaming Competition Ahead of Critically Acclaimed Spin-Off

The Best Gladiator Series Ever Made Slays Streaming Competition Ahead of Critically Acclaimed Spin-Off Andy Whitfield appears as Spartacus in Spartacus: Blood and Sand.Image via Starz By  Denis Kimathi Published 52 minutes ago Denis is a news writer for Collider. He has covered television for several years, starting with writing scripts for YouTube videos before transitioning to articles. He has reviewed shows across different genres. His favorite types of articles to write are exciting news updates about shows and episodic reviews of the same. He might say he doesn't have a favorite show, but he has watched The Wire, Shameless, The Big Bang Theory, and The Blacklist more than once. Find him on X tweeting about something random that occurred to him about a TV show or the industry. Sign in to your Collider account follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

Gory, raunchy, thrilling, exciting, and epic are some of the standout qualities of the 2010 series Spartacus. The Starz drama is regarded as one of the best gladiator series ever made, thanks to its engaging premise and outstanding performances across its four seasons. The series is getting an offshoot that premieres this Friday, December 5. Ahead of the new series, the predecessor is seeing a resurgence on streaming. On Apple TV, Starz, and Netflix, fans worldwide are revisiting the show and brushing up on Roman politics and culture ahead of Friday's anticipated comeback.

The series ran for four seasons between 2010 and 2013, chronicling the titular character's rise from enslavement to freedom as he and his followers terrorize Rome while seeking to end slavery. Steven S. DeKnight helmed all four seasons and returns as the creator of the upcoming offshoot. "I think I needed a decade to recuperate from the original experience, which was wonderful, but just grueling and emotionally gut-wrenching," he said when explaining why the new series took over a decade to make.

'Spartacus: House of Ashur' Is a Hit with Critics

The new series debuted with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics unanimously praising its quality storytelling, based on the alt-history narrative. Collider's Jeff Ewing lauded Spartacus: House of Ashur for its ability to recapture the magic of the original installments while elevating itself. "Spartacus: House of Ashur essentially pulls off the miraculous, leaning on the mythological extravagances of ancient Roman belief to rewrite history and give a character a new lease on life. It's clever, and it works; outside of the event that enables its premise, the series otherwise retains the gritty realpolitik realism that the original show often revolved around," Ewing wrote in his review. He added:

"Spartacus: House of Ashur also largely retains the original series' deep showcase of the ancient Roman Id, parading the empire's honorific culture alongside an unflinching orgy of sex and violence (though not always simultaneously). . . . . While the show essentially follows Ashur's attempts to rise in Roman society, there's room for rebellion to brew, leading to hopes that this element of the original will come to the forefront in the future. In the meantime, Spartacus: House of Ashur recaptures much of what made the original series great, and proves this franchise hasn't lost a beat in its 12-year hiatus."

Spartacus: House of Ashur premieres on Friday, December 5. The original series is available to watch on Starz in the US. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.

Spartacus

Like Follow Followed TV-MA Drama Action History Release Date 2010 - 2013 Network Starz Directors Jesse Warn, Michael Hurst, Rick Jacobson, Mark Beesley, T.J. Scott, Chris Martin-Jones, Brendan Maher, Glenn Standring, Grady Hall, John Fawcett Writers 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

Cast

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• Viva Bianca Ilithyia
• Peter Mensah Oenomaus / "Doctore"
• Manu Bennett Crixus
• Lucy Lawless Lucretia

Genres Drama, Action, History Powered by Expand Collapse

• TV News
• Thriller
• Spartacus

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