Spartacus
Cast & Key People
▶
Our Review
Cast & Key People
▶
Our Review
Spartacus (2010) is a drama and action series from STARZ. Episodes run about 60 minutes. It premiered on January 22, 2010. Viewers rate it 8.5 out of 10. It is currently ended. It runs 3 seasons.
What Spartacus Is About
Betrayed by his country. Beaten into slavery. Reborn as a warrior. Spartacus is a graphic and visceral account of Rome’s most famous gladiator. When he is separated from the love of his life, Spartacus is forced into the gruesome and bloodthirsty arena, where a grisly death is primetime entertainment. Spartacus must fight for survival, befriend his enemies and play politics in this new world of corruption, violence, sex and fame. He will be seduced by power and tormented by vengeance. But his passion will give him the strength to prevail over every obstacle, in this modern and uninhibited tale of death, honour and endurance.
What to Expect When You Watch
Episodes run about 60 minutes, which keeps the pace tight, spread across 3 seasons and it leans into its drama/action roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.
Performance-wise the series leans on Manu Bennett, Liam McIntyre and Andy Whitfield to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.
Cast and Creative Team
Manu Bennett, Liam McIntyre, Andy Whitfield, Cynthia Addai Robinson, Daniel Feuerriegel and Lucy Lawless lead the cast.
Key roles include Manu Bennett as Crixus; Liam McIntyre as Spartacus; Andy Whitfield as Spartacus; Cynthia Addai Robinson as Naevia; Daniel Feuerriegel as Agron.
Why It Stands Out
Fans of drama, action and history have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside STARZ’s other originals, a 8.5/10 audience score puts it in steady company and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.
Released in 2010 and carried by STARZ with the series still ended, it lands hardest with drama and action viewers.
How Spartacus Compares
If Spartacus lands for you, the next stops are Breaking Bad, Firefly and The Wire, which share its drama/action lean.
Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.
Where to Stream
Spartacus comes from STARZ. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.
Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you sign up for a streaming service through links on this page. This helps support our independent reviews.
On the whole Spartacus is the kind of series that rewards a patient watch, with Manu Bennett and Liam McIntyre doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its drama/action roots, It has held up since 2010 and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.
The Bottom Line
Spartacus is a safe bet for anyone already inside the drama and action lane, the audience score holds around 8.5/10 and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.
Verdict: 8.5/10. Watch it if you want drama/action you can settle into.
