Spartacus: Blood and Sand
DVD | Blu-ray
CREATED BY: Steven S. DeKnight
DIRECTED BY: Rick Jacobson, Jesse Warn, Michael Hurst
STARRING: Andy Whitfield, John Hannah, Erin Cummings, Jai Courtney, Lucy Lawless, Manu Bennett, Katrina Law, Peter Mensah, Nick Tarabay, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Viva Bianca
Starz/Anchor Bay
RELEASE DATE: September 21, 2010

All men fall. It is but time and method that differ.

I’ll start things of with a personal admission of guilt: when it comes to anything set far, far back in time, especially those that involve swords and shields and horses and bloody chaotic battles, I’m usually a fan. Movies like Gladiator and Braveheart or TV shows like HBO’s Rome have all left me gleefully satisfied upon watching, and I’m always hungry for more of the same.

Because of this, you could say I might be a little biased towards a show like Starz’s Spartacus: Blood and Sand, and you could be right. The moment I saw that this new show was coming, I was filled with excitement and couldn’t wait to get my eyes on it.

But to be perfectly honest, things did not start off too well for me and this show. The pilot episode was a bit of a rocky start; it crossed me as a combination of Gladiator and 300, but the overpowering stylistic effects — though the intent was pure, and the plan was to give a real graphic novel feel to the show — didn’t feel nearly as fitting as they did with Zack Snyder’s ultra-fun tale of the 300 Spartans, and it all came off as a bit too cheesy at times. Even so, with my undying love of such things, I decided to solider on and see what happens.

Last week it was revealed that Starz was in the midst of making a very difficult decision regarding their hit show Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Their star, Andy Whitfield, has been battling non-Hodgkins lymphoma in an attempt to return for a second season of the show, but a recent setback has his doctors recommending another round of aggressive treatments. This forced the network to look at their tough options: delay longer, recast Whitfield, or cancel the show altogether.

It appears that Starz has made their decision, and though it seemed to be the most likely choice, it will take a while for fans to accept it. An official casting call has been sent out, looking for that all-important actor to fill the massive sandals that Whitfield created in the great first season. The notice details that they’re looking for someone in their mid to late 30s who can speak in an authentic British accent, can effectively portray the “smart, intense, and passionate” title role, and who’s able to sign a three-year contract.

Nothing about this story sounds like good news for fans of the hit Starz show, Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

It’s being reported that the network has begun reaching out to various casting directors in an attempt to see if they can find someone that could replace star Andy Whitfield on the show.

Whitfield, for those who don’t yet know, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma a while back, which delayed production on season 2, understandably. While waiting for their star to make a full recovery, Starz decided to make a 6-part prequel series this past summer, in which Whitfield, who seemed to be on the path to recovery, was set to make a small appearance. The prequel series is set to air in January, but it’s unclear whether said small appearance was still included or not.

Sadly, Mr. Whitfield has had an unexpected turn for the worst, and now requires a second aggressive treatment for his sickness, meaning even more of a delay. As much as every cast, crew, and executive involved in this show wants the actor to return, it’s also understandable that this is a business and the longer the delay is, the more damage it could do to the popularity of this, one of the network’s most successful series.

It’s no secret that Starz has a lot of faith in their original series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Before the show’s first season even began, a second season had already been ordered; but unfortunately, some difficult complications arose when the show’s star Andy Whitfield was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Whitfield is expected to make a full recovery, and he’ll even be able to play a small part in this prequel, but the show’s second season is in the midst of a significant delay due to the illness. Instead of wait their star’s return to health, Starz has decided that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to use the time to film a 6-part prequel series to the show. This prequel will begin filming this summer in New Zealand, and is expected to air in January.

These days, it feels like more people are diagnosed with cancer than people catch the common cold, and it’s about as depressing as anything can be. Just in this past few months, two stars of hugely-popular premium TV series announced that they were receiving treatment for the disease.

In January, star of the Showtime hit series Dexter, Michael C. Hall, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma; two months later, Andy Whitfield, who is the star of the successful new Starz series Spartacus: Blood and Sand was given a Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnoses.