Liam McIntyre as Spartacus in “Spartacus: Vengeance”

Over the last few years, premium television networks such as HBO and Starz have begun to showcase some of the best programs on TV. Generally, these programs are more cinematic than what we tend to see on basic cable, and tend to have hour-long episodes teeming with well-orchestrated drama. For most people, all it takes is interest in one or two of these shows to encourage a visit to their cable provider in order to upgrade their cable packages to enjoy the full range of material on these shows. And if you’ve been waiting for a reason to upgrade, look no further than Spartacus: Vengeance, a show that will begin airing January 27, 2012.

In 2010, Starz released the ultra-ambitious 13-episode series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, which was based on the gladiator revolt led by a slave named Spartacus in ancient Rome. The show quickly garnered a cult-like following among fans of historical fiction and action. Full of blood, sex, and violence, the show was both astonishing and revolutionary, somewhat in the vein of films like 300, but also very unique in the limits it pushed. It seemed, indeed, that each moment of the show was more visually stunning than the last, and fans became attached to the point that a sequel was planned.

Unfortunately, the second season was put on hold due to lead actor Andy Whitfield’s battle with lymphoma (Whitfield played Spartacus). However, in order to keep fans happy and not break stride, Starz quickly altered its course and produced instead a six-episode prequel series, Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena, which provided intriguing background stories for a number of the characters fans had come to love in the original season.

In January of this year, the originally intended second season is finally set to air, though it has already been marred by tragedy. Whitfield was cleared to act, which led the studio to proceed with filming the second season; however, only a short time later Whitfield’s illness relapsed, and sadly, he passed away on September 11, 2011. There is some satisfaction to take, however, in knowing that Whitfield wanted the show to continue, as he gave his blessing for Starz to replace him with Liam McIntyre, who went on to take over the role of Spartacus for the new season, which has been named Spartacus: Vengeance. It will certainly be tough for fans to see past the loss of such a lively and impressive young star as Whitfield, and the show will always be marked with a certain sadness; however, with all of the other elements of the series remaining the same, fans can at least be excited for more of the same spectacular action and drama in the new season. It’s going to be a wild ride.

Photo © 2012 Starz Entertainment, LLC. All Rights Reserved.