Spartacus: Blood and Sand is a Spectacular Visual Gore-fest with Lots of Sex

Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess) was recently interviewed on the "Today Show" with Kathy Lee Gifford and Hota Kotb. She was there to promote her new cable TV series on "Starz" called "Spartacus: Blood and Sand." It was unclear why she was on a family morning show to promote a TV series created for mature audiences. However, the fourth hour of "Today" covers everything from cooking recipes to couples relationships. They also talk about sex scandals and deep Hollywood gossip. Lucy Lawless did mention that "Spartacus" was made specifically for adults only.

According to the Internet movie database (IMDB) the tagline for this new cable TV series is, "Some legends are written in blood." That is an understatement. Blood "is" the main character splattered all over your TV screen. It could also be the sequel to the popular Spartan film "300." This TV series completely rips off that movie in every possible way from the male enhanced codpieces to the slow motion graphics throughout. Let us not forget the digitally blurred background sets. They are supposed to make Rome look dreamlike and cool.

We follow "Spartacus" (Andy Whitfield) who isn't given that name until he is a captured slave. He is married to "Sura" (Erin Cummings) who predicts his fate in a dream where she sees him bowing before "the red serpent" in the arena. She tells him to kill them all before she is kidnapped. That's where the story is lost to blood, nudity, sex and back again. Followed by Rome politics, nudity, sex and back again. There is an abundance of naked women, lesbian kisses, female slaves performing oral sex and male frontal nudity. It's just an orgy set in Rome covered in blood and more blood.

History shows us what happened to Spartacus. The ending is written by itself. His earlier life is a mystery when he turns up as a slave in Rome. He is an illiterate man who acts like an animal. Kirk Douglas portrays him as such in the 1960 film "Spartacus." He appears to be a man of no worth until he learns how to become a powerful fighting gladiator. His purpose reaches beyond just battling in the arena. He becomes a great leader of his people who seek freedom from slavery. He rises up to his destiny.

Here in "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" Andy Whitfield is convincing as a man who wants something good for his village people. You can see him thinking and planning. He is already a leader in fighting warfare. He relies on instinct as he fights gladiators in the arena. This saves his life. He is sent to gladiator school where he is taught nothing but follows his own instincts again. He passes the test. What drives him is the love for his wife and that's all he needs to fight anyone in Rome.

This new cable TV series is receiving some pretty harsh criticism from all the comments written on websites. Can we do without all the Blood? It looks stylish in the beginning, but wears thin after a while. We don't care about any of the supporting characters and we forget about "Lucretia" (Lucy Lawless) until "Llithyia" (Viva Bianca) gives her a surprisingly tender lesbian kiss in episode 2. Amidst all the blood, this new cable TV series will explore everything in Rome. I mean everything.