August 2010 Archives

Starship is having a spring clean and it's got some Lucy goodies up for auction!

Xena outfit worn by Lucy Lawless in Legacy

Another authentic Xena Warrior Princess outfit worn in episode the episode Legacy (Season 6, 2000-2001) which featured Xena and companion Gabrielle visiting a desert tribe.

Generously donated by Starship ambassador Lucy Lawless.

Become your own desert princess in this beautifully decorated cotton coat, sheer gold harem pants, peach coloured wrap, turban and two belts to hold it all together.

Your purchase of this item will go directly to the kids at Starship!

Place a Bid

As many of you know this coming September (4 September 1995) will mark 15 years since our beloved show was born. Can you believe it's been 15 years! We have new fans coming in every year which is fantastic.

Tell me the first time you saw this show and what it meant to you and how it changed your life. I will be posting the responses on AUSXIP. Try not to write an epic novel <g>; one or two paragraphs on how this show had an impact on your life.

Submit It Here

Klippart has sent in this gorgeous new piece called Frenemies - Ilithyia and Lucretia!

Click here to view artwork

You can also view Klippart's artwork on the AUSXIP Spartacus Artwork by Klippart Gallery

The NZ Herald has a gorgeous photo of Lucy as part of a series on Aucklanders Who Have Made Their Mark

From sports to business to the arts, these are some of the most notable Aucklanders of our time.

Lucy's photo is #6 of 42. The photo was taken by Dean Purcell

Click here to view

Reported by Leetchi / AUSXIP Talking Xena Lucy Chat

Jamming in a West Auckland basement are international New Zealand stars (from left) Lucy Lawless, Sir Howard Morrison and Temuera Morrison preparing for their upcoming fundraising performance at SkyCity for the Starship Children's Foundation. 18 July 2001 New Zealand Herald Photograph by Kenny Rodger

[I wonder if there was a second performance because there was a SkyCity performance for Starship on 3 Feb 2001 with Lucy, Michael Hurst and also Kevin Smith - click here to view pics from that event and there wasn't another until January 2002).

Buy Image from Newspix

Buy Image from Newspix

Buy Image From Newspix

Reported by Barbara Davies

SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND
Season 1 Episode 3 Legends
(aka Spartacus: Play School Version)

Reviewed by MaryD

I'm the first one to admit I have railed against those who just want to see this show for the sex, the violence and the nudity and have thought that you could remove these elements and it would still be a great show but seriously, all those elements give the show it's soul ontop of the great writing, the characters, the acting and the plot! You can't remove one aspect without affecting the other. It's just not possible. Spartacus: Play School is what you get.

Read more of the review

The Boston Globe - 29 August 2010 - With “Centurion’’ slashing its way into select cinemas nationwide, now is as good a time as any to revisit some movies and TV shows set in ancient Rome and examine the recently energized, post-“Gladiator’’ wave.

SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND (Starz, 2010)

A Post-it-sized pitch (“Spartacus done like ‘300’ ’’) sold this cheerfully over-the-top, fictionalized reimagining of the Spartacus legend. As the rebel hero (a soldier turned gladiator in this version), Welsh-born Andy Whitfield has a Clint Eastwood squint, a slow-burning fuse, and a bad bargain with his hated owner, Batiatus (John Hannah). When he isn’t swearing a blue streak, Batiatus promises Spartacus a chance to be reunited with his wife, who also has been enslaved. The producers — including Sam Raimi — break new ground by focusing on how the anxious, striving middle class (Batiatus and his adoring, scheming wife, played by Lucy Lawless) lose sleep over debts, social status, and fertility issues, yet are thoughtlessly cruel to their slaves. And those slaves aren’t the faceless, nameless background players of previous epics; they’re the resentful, beaten-down, terrorized majority who finally realize that “the dream that was Rome’’ doesn’t include them. (Season 1 will be available on DVD and Blu-ray Sept. 21. A six-part prequel is expected to air in January.)

Source

Xena Warrior Princess Season 3 Episode 7
The Debt Part 2

View Episode Stills | Read Review

Xena (Lucy Lawless) narrowly escapes execution for attempting to kill the ruthless young Emperor Ming T'ien (Daniel Sing) and finally repays the debt she owes her spiritual mentor, Lao Ma (Jacqueline Kim).

This was, without a doubt, one of Lucy's best peformances. That one scene where she is facing off against Gabrielle, who betrayed her to Ming Tien and that single tear running down her face after Gabrielle slaps her, is just about near perfect. Lucy's acting blew me away. Superb. Just superb. Lucy can convey so much without uttering a single word.

Here is my artwork for the episode:

Now on IMDb is a video promo (it's very strange having another voice over guy utter the Xena intro with a slight twist...can you hear the difference in the first half of the intro?).

Click on the thumbnail below to view video!

Spartacus: Blood & Sand - O.S.T. [Soundtrack]

You can pre-order from Amazon.com

Composed by: Joseph LoDuca

# Audio CD (September 21, 2010)
# Number of Discs: 1
# Format: Soundtrack
# Label: Varese Sarabande

Betrayed by the Romans. Forced into slavery. Reborn as a Gladiator. The classic tale of the Republic’s most infamous rebel comes alive in the graphic and visceral new series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Torn from his homeland and the woman he loves, Spartacus is condemned to the brutal world of the arena where blood and death are primetime entertainment. But not all battles are fought upon the sands. Treachery, corruption, and the allure of sensual pleasures will constantly test Spartacus. To survive, he must become more than a man. More than a gladiator. He must become a legend.

Reported by Annie Smith

Philly.com Daily News has reviewed the NZ hit show Flight of the Conchords and came up with their top 5 episodes. Naturally Lucy's episode is in the top 5

In honor of the "Flight of the Conchords" complete seasons DVD, we run down the five funniest episodes.

Bret and Jemaine host the New Zealand prime minister, and Lucy Lawless.

Season 2: Episode 8: New Zealand Town
Role: New Zealand Travel Agent
Airdate: HBO 8 March 2009

For more about Lucy's role on Flight of the Conchords, go to AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Flight of the Conchords page

AUSXIP Spartacus Resources / Links Directory has been redesigned. Here you will find great resources related to Spartacus – Official Sites, Social Networking and Fan Related Resources.

Do you have a Spartacus related site? Would you like to submit your site for this directory? If so, please use the ADD URL form to submit your site. Your submission will be checked before it is added to the directory. A link back to AUSXIP Spartacus would be cool but not required for inclusion into this directory.

AUSXIP reserves the right not to post links to sites containing nudity or torrent sites with Spartacus episode downloads, illegal downloads or other media.

Click here for more info

Lots of happy fans around in Turkey as Spartacus will now be shown there starting on 15 and 19 September on two channels! Received the following news from Esra which is slightly overjoyed by the news:

Spartacus is coming to Turkey finally!! its coming to 2 channels: e2 on 15 Sept and Cnbc-e on 19 Sept! Im totally over the moon!!!! :))) There will be a Spartacus behind the cam airing on 8 Sept on channel e2..

Added 7 scans from various magazines promoting Xena magazines, comics and other Xena merchandise to the AUSXIP Promos & Adverts Gallery

Click here to view


Scans contributed by Adriana

The Daily Beast has a listing of TV's 10 Butt-Kickingest Babes list and guess who is on the list:

Xena (Lucy Lawless), Xena: Warrior Princess

You wouldn't want to find yourself on the wrong end of a broadsword wielded by warrior princess Xena (Lucy Lawless) in the cult series that ran for six seasons in syndication. Xena battled her way across ancient Greece, locking horns with Gods and all manner of mythical creatures.

Source

Aussies tune in to GO! for the next episode of Spartacus Blood and Sand

Season 1 Episode 3 Legends

Though Spartacus proved himself during training and now wears the attire of a gladiator, his coarse attitude and relentless quest to see his wife isolates him from his fellow gladiators and Doctore.

MULTIMEDIA:
Credits | Official Page | Episode Stills

PROMO VIDEO

More Promos on AUSXIP Video Spartacus Channel

Episode Promo #2 #3 #4 #5

New Zealanders are getting a double dose of Lucy this week with Spartacus and Lucy's Warrior Women documentary series. The following article is from the Dominion Post
24 Aug 2010

Swords, sandals and sex
A swords and sandals revival and a documentary bring Lucy Lawless back to television screens.

FANS of New Zealand’s most famous woman warrior are in for a treat this week with a Lucy Lawless double act....click on the thumbnail for the rest of the article

For more about Lucy's documentary series Warrior Women go to AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Warrior Women subsite

For more about Lucy's role on Spartacus go to AUSXIP Spartacus News & Multimedia

Updated the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Magazine Cover Galleries to include covers for 2010. All the magazine covers relate to Spartacus with one exception being the NZ TV Guide which features Lucy from the OK Magazine photoshoot from 2006 but the article is Spartacus related.

- Polish Magazine Telewizyjna Gazeta
- NZ TV Guide
- NZ Skywatch

View Magazine Covers

Xena Warrior Princess Season 3 Episode 6 The Debt Part 1

Xena (Lucy Lawless) is betrayed when she journeys to the Kingdom of Chin to settle a debt from her dark past.

View Episode Stills

This is one of my all time favourite episodes. Season 3, Episode 6: The Debt. Here are some of my artwork based on this episode. In my opinion this was one of Lucy's strongest performances. Exceptional.

The Debt Part 1
Xena (Lucy Lawless) is betrayed when she journeys to the Kingdom of Chin to settle a debt from her dark past.

The ratings from last night's Spartacus premiere (the unedited version unlike their Aussie cousins) are now available:

Most watched on the BOX

Spartacus Blood and Sand: 35,720 (9:30pm - 10:40pm)

Ratings for the Aussie premiere (which was episode 1 and 2) garnered 341,000 viewers

Source

The following clipping is from the New Zealand Sunday News newspaper for 22 August 2010.

On Thursday 26 August 2010 Lucy's documentary series "Warrior Women" will be shown.

It doesn't say which episode of the series is going to be shown first.

Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan

For more about Lucy's Warrior Women Documentary, you can go to AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Warrior Women subsite

Alrighty kiwis it's your turn to get Spartacus and I believe (according to Sky) that you are all getting the unedited version. I wonder if Australia is the only one with the edited version.

There is now an official NZ Spartacus site, much more snazzy than the Aussie version which is rather spartan.

Ep: 1.01

The Red Serpent A Thracian warrior, enlisted by the Romans to fight, has his destiny seized by an act of rebellious violence. As punishment, he faces death by being forced to battle in the gladitorial arena. Credits | Official Page | Episode Stills | MaryD Episode Preview | | Watch Episode Online | Episode Recap (SPOILERS)

As reported yesterday there will be an encore screening of Spartacus episode 1 and 2 on GO! on Saturday.

The time is at 11:00 pm to 1 am

Click here to read my review of Spartacus Episode 1 and 2

Brent Hartinger from AfterElton.com recently interviewed me as part of an article about Fans and fandom. The article is called Are Obsessive Fans Ruining the Internet?

It's a fascinating look at how fans can cross the line between being a fan and being a fanatic. This issue has been getting progressively worse and some sites won't cover certain shows because of the caustic response from fans of that show.

I truly believe that fandom in general can do amazing things but there are those who cross that line. Have a read of Brent's article which is very well written (and not because he interviewed me as part of the article!)

Click here to read article

As many of you know Spartacus: Blood and Sand was shown for the first time on Aussie TV on Wednesday and it was a very different Spartacus - the edited version - click here to read my review.

I sat down to watch Human Target which I taped before Spartacus (our tv stations have a knack of going over time they say the program will start and finish so the trick is to tape on either side of the desired program - thank goodness for Foxtel's PVR). Anyway, I caught the promo for Sparty which was cool. It was the same footage (albeit edited footage since we're not getting the uncut version) but as I watching this, up popped Lucy looking gorgeous. I don't recall this image (it may well have been in the promos and I don't remember)

Lucy made her broadway debut in Grease! on Broadway during September / October 1997. Saul Trabal took some great photos and he has just uncovered some photos that he hadn't posted before. Head on over to AUSXIP Talking Xena to find out what these pics are!

Click here to view

You can find out more about Lucy's performance in Grease by visiting the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Grease subsite where you will find the news, fan reports and pics from the 1997 event

The Cairns Post (Queensland newspaper) has a TV magazine TV Plus that features Andy, Erin, Lucy and the rest of the Spartacus cast. Freedom Fighter - Andy Whitfiled bares more than his knuckles in Spartacus: Blood and Sand

Mortal Combat: Beyond the flesh and blood, Spartacus: Blood and Sand offers a tough, compelling story. Guy Davies stepped into the arena.

View article scans by clicking on the thumbnails

Scott Kara from the New Zealand Herald reviews Spartacus in this very amusing article.

Forward Thinking: Naughty bits on the box
19 August 2010

With all this talk about the naughty bits in Spartacus: Blood and Sand, I was intrigued - as I'm sure you might be come Sunday night when it premieres on Sky's Box channel (9.30). So, in the name of research and to prepare your innocent eyes for what sauciness may lie ahead, I sat myself down ahead of time to watch the first two episodes, just for you...

...

I had also feared seeing Lucy Lawless in the buff might be a little like bursting in on your folks, especially since her on-screen hubbie is John Hannah (who played the lovely Matthew in Four Weddings and a Funeral, remember?).

However, prepare yourself, because it is our Lucy (as the beautiful Lucretia) and Hannah (as Batiatus) who might just have you spluttering your shortbread into your cup of tea one Sunday night very soon. And this particular scene doesn't even show boobs, bums, or willies. I'm not revealing details, because I advise witnessing it for yourself, but let's just say if you ever wondered where the word "handmaiden" came from, here's one possible explanation.

Read Full Article

NZ Herald 19 August 2010 - Blood, sweat and sex

Pick of the week SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND When: Sunday, 9.30pm Where: The Box What: Action on the bed and battlefield

Even before he gets his heroic nickname in the first episode of this much talked about New Zealand-filmed TV series, Spartacus shows his form both in bed and on the battlefield. He sure is a lover, a winner, and a fighter.

HEAVY-GOING: Wedged between the blood and guts of the battlefield are love scenes galore.

Based on the life of the Thracian warrior, slave, gladiator and revolutionary from the 1st century BC,

Blood and Sand, starts as Spartacus and his fellow Thracian fighters align with Rome to help protect their homelands. But when ruthless and obnoxious Roman army leader Gaius Claudius Glaber (Craig Parker) changes his battle plans, leaving Thracian villages vulnerable, Spartacus leads a rebellion and deserts the Roman army to return to his village and wife Sura.

But after a night of hot and heavy lovemaking Glaber and his cronies capture them and separate the pair. And so Spartacus’ fight for survival, and his desperate search for Sura, begins.

Welsh actor Andy Whitfield stars as Spartacus, who, while powerful, rebellious and charismatic, also looks a little bit of a batamweight beside some of the other beefier galdiators.

Shot in glamorous Mt Wellington using green-screen and CGI technology, it is visually similar to the graphic novel style of Zack Snyder’s 2006 film 300. So there’s lots of slow-motion whiplash, sprays of blood, gaping wounds and a mood that blends hyper-realism and epic fantasy.
As well as the much-publicised naughty bits and full frontal male and female nudity, there’s plenty of colourful language (had the ‘‘c’’ word even been invented back in the 1st century BC?).

Filming of a follow up series — prequel Spartacus: Gods of the Arena— was initially delayed as Whitfield was diagnosed with cancer but he has since been given a clean bill of health and production of the second season is under way.

The executive producers include Sam Raimi ( Spider-Man) and Rob Tapert (the creator of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena), the latter of whom happens to be married to Lucy Lawless who plays Lucretia (the wife of Batiatus (John Hannah) who owns a troop of gladiators). Lawless says Tappert told her: ‘‘Look, there is this role that might be right for you. But there is some nudity.’’ Told it was not gratuitous, Lawless agreed, saying: ‘‘I’m there.’’ She sure is, you can’t miss the 41-year-old who admits to not being used to ‘‘getting my kit off in front of all those people — and pretending to like it’’.

Lawless wanted to do the show because it heralds a new kind of television, bringing in the technology and scale of modern cinema, but on a budget and schedule that works for TV.

Okay the premiere of Spartacus Blood and Sand was on GO! last night. For Aussie fans who were expecting the same as the US fans, well you didn't get it. Andy did say a few months ago that Australia was getting the PG version and that is what we got.

What we got was the majorly edited version. Since it was eight months ago that I saw episode 1, I went back and compared it. The most obvious editing has been the nudity.

Read More

Lucy Lawless returned home to New Zealand to film her latest minisenes Spartacus: Blood And Sond. The show, which features plenty of sex and nudity, focuses on the historical figure of Spartacus (Andy Whitfield), a Thracian gladiator who from 73 BC to 71 BC led a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic..John Hannah (Four Weddings And A Funeral) plays Lentulus Batiatus. The owner of a gladiator-training school; who buys Spartacus when he is brought into Rome as a slave. Lucy plays his manipulative wife, Lucretia.

The 42-year-old actress. who rose to stardom in Xena:Warrior Princess has been married for 12 years to Xena and Spartacus producer Robert Tapert. They have two sons - Julius, 10, and Judah, eight, and Lucy also has a 22 year old daughter, Daisy from a previous marriage

Click on the the thumbnail for the larger scan

Aced Magazine recently interviewed John Hannah regarding Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. There are a couple of Lucy mentions in the article:

Will Batiatus' relationship with Lucretia be portrayed differently in the prequel?

JH: I don't know. They keep the scripts till the last minute, working on them. The producers don't like giving out the scripts too early; for one thing, everyone is always coming up with new ideas. As for me, I would say that in all 13 episodes, there may have been one thing that I thought wasn't quite right and they changed it right away.

What was it like working with Lucy?

JH: We got along really well together. She's a lovely woman and great to work with. She's a serious and professional actress well loved by millions of fans. In terms of the series, we were sort of under the radar last year. We had a great script that was unlike anything else out there. There were no cops, no lawyers, no car chases. The language and action was graphic. It's a very tough time for the TV and film industry and we all felt blessed that has something as unique and exciting as Spartacus. They showed the short trailer at last year's Comic-con and we hadn't seen the effects, and it gave us such a lift to be part of something this exciting. It was tough filming in the winter and we needed that boost. What I enjoyed about filming was that it was just a bunch of talented actors working on this exciting new project—with no egos, no 'stars.' We were all really grateful to be part of something that was so different.

Read full interview

I love the fact that channel 9 is going all out to promote Sparty! Here's the latest Official blog posting

And finally at 9:30pm it’s the big one. Spartacus: Blood and Sand. You’ve probably already heard us harp on about this one because, frankly, we can't wait! We get to follow the plight of legendary Roman gladiator Spartacus as he fights to regain his family and Freedom. Sex. Blood. Gore. Passion. Effects to die to for (and there is quite a bit of that that goes on). A cast made of up hotness after hotness (including sexy Australian actor Andy Whitfield and equally sexy Lucy Lawless). I'm talking a feast for the eyes from every possible angle (in fact, it feels like you’re watching a big screen epic like Gladiator or Alexander, except that you get to watch it every week, and with a lot more of that sex, blood, gore and passion we were talking about).

Oh Wednesday, you never looked so good. Epic, right? Hope you remembered that warning…

The NZ Media is now on Sparty alert with the premiere in a few days of the first season (Australia's premiere is on tomorrow night).

Here's a couple of articles:

The Press
Decadence, baseness the lure of Spartacus

Otago Daily News
Salacious Spartacus wins fans with blood and beauty

and of course this gem from twitter

CatherineHaines?: @SnarkyWench There's a giant sign I see on the way home. Says something like "It wouldn't be too bad to be Lucy Lawless's slave" Twitter - 3 hours ago

Those funny kiwis! :)

The San Diego County news has a gorgeous picture of Lucy Lawless, Peter Mensah and Erin Cummings from the 2009 Comic Con. I suspect this went under the radar with the Spartacus PR juggernaut as it was released on 4 January 2010.

The article is about Starz's decision to renew Spartacus before Season 1 even started.

Rob Tapert said:

“Steven S. DeKnight and his team of writers have created a rich narrative that lays the groundwork for more great stories,” added Executive Producer Rob Tapert. “The slave rebellion led by Spartacus and the oh-so-current political intrigue and personal dynamics laid out in the first season provide rich source material for the second season and beyond.”

Read the article

View the image

On the 7th August 2010 Lucy attended a special night for Starship at The Warehouse in NZ. This is a followup to that event.

Activist and charity supporter Lucy Lawless was at The Warehouse for charity.

Sir Stephen and Lady Tindall, Luke McAllistar, Kerre Woodham and Lawless were there to support the Starship Foundation, the beneficiary of the event.

Lucy Lawless and all the attendees helped raise more than $400 000.

Source

Added three new high resolution promo images of Lucy as Lucretia Batiatus from Spartacus Blood and Sand.

View Images

Lucy is featured on the site That's The Story. 'That's The Story' is a children's radio programme that airs every Sunday morning from 7 till 8 on the Classic Hits Network. 'That's The Story' is a New Zealand On Air funded programme that's made up of songs, stories and competitions ideal for kids aged zero to a hundred. This is the 'That's The Story' official website.

They are holding a competition to Guess The Mystery Voice telling the story
Be in the draw to win this iPod Shuffle by correctly guessing the Mystery Voice.

Have you been listening to That's the Story radio show for the mystery word? Enter it below, guess the voice of the storyteller correctly and you're in to win.

Click here to listen if you can pick the mystery reader <g>

You can listen to another story read by Lucy called Brooke's First Show (reported on 12 April 2010)

The following is a related note:

I Met Lucy Lawless

A Story From the Group I Am Obsessed With Lucy Lawless
Posted by thatsthestory

41-45 year old member
2 experience groups and 3 stories

I present a children's radio show in New Zealand. We have a story writing comp for kids, they write the story, i try and find some one famous to read it, my producer said some one was to come to my house, where my recording studio was, and record a story. it turned out to be lucy lawless, she was awsom, a really cool woman and totally in to it, so much so, she read four stories. Some of which can now be heard on our website, www.thatsthestory.co.nz click on stories, click on bext of thats the story. We'll be adding the rest of her stories over the next few weeks.

a very cool day indeed and a very cool person too, spun a good yarn and didn't turn her nose up at instant coffee, her sister is a very cool woman too and also, a very good actor.

Posted on September 9th, 2009 at 2:56PM

Reported by Barbara Davies

The Sunday Telegraph (Sydney) 15 August 2010

Swords, sandals and sex

Lucy Lawless faced an unexpected challenge in her latest role, writes Richard Clune

Lucy Lawless says her exploration of the Roman Empire meant checking her inhibitions at the studio door.

"Mate, you said it. It’s the first time I’ve had to do a sex scene and I just about had a stroke," Lawless, best remembered as Xena: Warrior Princess, says of her role in Spartacus: Blood And Sand.

The build-up for the scene was so stressful, she says, that when it was over, she went straight home to bed and slept, make-up still on, for 11 hours.

"You want to think you’re a modern woman and artistically able - an ‘ac-tor’ - but really you’re a middle-class girl from Mount Albert, New Zealand, who went to Catholic school. It has long tentacles, all that stuff; I’m certainly not the free spirit I think I am."

Lawless is not alone in having to overcome the inyour-face nature of the series.

A bloody ride, full of lithe, naked bodies, Spartacus was criticised in the US for the " gratuitous" nature of its history lesson.

"If you think Spartacus is soft porn, that simply tells me you’ve only watched the first two episodes," says Lawless.

"Even we go back and look at the first two and are like ‘ wow’ . . . but we’ve very quickly moved on from that, and sex scenes should always give up something else; they’re a power play - somebody always wants something."

Shot in New Zealand, Spartacus gave Lawless the chance to return home for the series.

"I was a little nervous about coming home because I felt like I was giving up my Hollywood dream a bit," she admits. " But it was great to have the family under one roof." (She and husband and series producer Robert Tapert have two sons Julius, 10, and Judah, 8, and Lawless has a daughter Daisy, 22.)

Lawless, 42, has worked solidly since her swordwielding Xena days of the late 1990s. She’s been in Battlestar Galactica, TV comedies Flight Of The Conchords and Curb Your Enthusiasm, blockbuster action flick Spider-Man and the Broadway production of Grease — but she still can’t escape her Xena role.

"If you’ve been at primetime for six years and lucky enough to have a character that was burnt into public consciousness, well, I guess it’s awfully hard to move people off that and evolve your career. It has taken me a long time to break that conception.

"But, no, she’s in no way annoying. I certainly can’t grumble because Xena gave me everything."

Spartacus: Blood And Sand begins Wednesday, 9.30pm, on GO

The Herald on Sunday newspaper in New Zealand has the following article regarding Spartacus Blood and Sand. Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan.

Read More Spartacus Articles in the AUSXIP Spartacus Press Page

Didn't have breasts, did she? Ah, come on, and even after you saw “Kick Ass.”

Before Sigourney Weaver fought off the last of the “Alien” monstrosities, there was superbad Pam “Foxy Brown” Grier. But prior to '70s blaxploitation and 1979's “Alien,” most tough women in film delivered lashes with a tongue, not a whip.

Maybe it's chauvinism; maybe biology. Men do tend — on the whole — to be larger and more muscular. Maybe it's that adventure audiences have typically been adolescent male. Which suggests that they might not be against seeing a strong woman in action. As long as she's hot, anyway. I don't see the female equivalent of Danny Trejo popping up anytime soon.

...

Some enjoy less-sporadic forays into violence.

Lucy Lawless may have been the first crossover female action hero on TV, wrapped in leather and rage for “Xena: Warrior Princess.” Guys watched that show. Girls watched that show. Lesbians really watched that show. She later became a key fuel in the mid-series boost for the re-imagined “Battlestar Galactica,” as a manipulative, charming Cylon.

Read More

Toronto Sun 13 August 2010
Spartacus Creator Loves Lucy

Beverly Hills, Calif. - We all knew Lucy Lawless was taking part in the prequel to Spartacus: Blood and Sand, titled Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.

But executive producer / creator / writer Steven S. DeKnight cracked up the room at the Television Critics Association tour when he was asked “what the hell he was thinking” regarding the fate of Lawless’ character at the end of the first season of Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

“I was thinking she was still twitching at the end of season 1, if you look,” deKnight said.

In other words, Lawless, who plays Lucretia Batiatus, also will be part of the second season of the sexy and savage Spartacus: Blood and Sand.

“Now, John Hannah (who plays Lentulus Batiatus) is a little harder to bring back, obviously,” said deKnight, prompting more laughter.“But we’re thrilled that Lucy will be back in season 2. Where the story goes with her is really Spartacus: Blood and Sand and the prequel Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, both of which originate on the cable network starz in the united states, will air in Canada on the Movie Network and Movie Central.

Received the following from PR promoting the release of Spartacus: Blood and Sand Season 1. Check out the great video!

Spartacus: Blood and Sand Season 1

Pre-Order DVD | Pre-Order Blu-Ray

Executive produced by Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Joshua Donen and Steven S. DeKnight, “SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND - The Complete First Season” on DVD and Blu-ray™ promises to take fans even deeper into the deadly brutality of gladiator games and the decadent machinations of Roman society with hours of bonus features delving behind the scenes into the making of a modern epic, including interviews and commentaries from the actors and filmmakers, augmented with rare production footage exploring the series’ ground-breaking visual effects, production and costume design.

Enhanced digital effects have been added to several of the episodes, and as a Blu-ray™ exclusive, four episodes have been personally selected as “Directors’ Cut Extended Episodes,” featuring content too risqué, even for cable TV!

The bonus features on “SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND - The Complete First Season” are anything but spartan. Hours of featurettes, behind-the-scenes footage, audio commentaries, interviews, and outtakes will get the “thumbs up” from the casual Thracian to the die-hard Roman!

DVD and Blu-ray™ bonus features:

• Featurettes: Gladiator Camp, History Rewritten, Make-up Effects, The Hole, And more!
• Audio Commentaries
• Episodes with Enhanced Digital Effects
• Behind-The-Scenes Footage
• Bloopers
• Trailers

Exclusive Blu-ray™ bonus feature:

• Four “Directors’ Cut Extended Episodes” personally selected by Executive Producer Rob Tapert

PROMO VIDEO

The following snippet is from AfterEllen.com on an article: 16 Lesbian and Bisexual Badasses We Love

Xena (Lucy Lawless) and Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) Xena: Warrior Princess

Badass credentials — Xena and Gabrielle are the standard bearers of lesbian badassery. Every other lesbian and bisexual badass in the world should aspire to their greatness. They should place Xena and Gabrielle's badass photos beside their beds and worship Xena and Gabrielle's badass DVDs on an alter each morning while eating Xena and Gabrielle's badass cereal for breakfast each morning out of Xena and Garbrielle's badass collectible bowls. Xena and Gabrielle will never be out-badassed. Ever.

Source

The Age Newspaper's (Melbourne, Australia) tv supplement "The Green Guide" on 12 August 2010 has a review of the first two Spartacus episodes which will go to air on 18 August 2010 at 9:30 pm.

In the same issue there is an article about Andy - click here to read

Click on the thumbnail to read the review

The lastest issue of the New Zealand TV Guide has an article on Lucy according to the latest tweet from NZ TV Guide:

New TV Guide on sale today! Lucy Lawless tells us about her raunchy Roman romp, Trinny and Susannah share style... http://fb.me/FdTsQDT0 about 6 hours ago via Facebook

The latest issue of the Starship Foundation newsletter Spring 2010 (which has been sent out to friends of Starship) is now online.
Click here to read the pdf

You can click on the thumbnail to view the larger image.

Reported by Barbara Davies

Updated the Cast Information page with character bio information on all the major characters of the prequel

• Quintus Batiatus
• Lucretia
• Titus Batiatus
• Oenoamaus
• Gannicus
• Crixus
• Ashur
• Naevia
• Solonius
• Tullius
• Melitta
• Barca
• Auctus
• Spartacus

Starz has not released any promo images yet. Once they do they will be posted in the Cast Gallery.

How cute is this! The Toon Series site has drawn some very cute Spartacus toons - this one is of Lucy as Lucretia!

Check out the larger version of the toon here

The other Sparty characters drawn can be found here

There are some new Lucy photos that you can purchase from the Sunday Star Times photographers from the Greenpeace Anti-Mining March

IMAGE DESCRIPTION 010510 NEWS CHRIS SKELTON/FAIRFAX AUCKLAND. Lucy Lawless was in amongst around 30,000 people that marched up Queens Street in Auckland, protesting against mining in New Zealand.

Click here to larger scan

IMAGE DESCRIPTION 010510 NEWS CHRIS SKELTON/FAIRFAX AUCKLAND. Robyn Malcolm and Lucy Lawless were in amongst around 30,000 people that marched up Queens Street in Auckland, protesting against mining in New Zealand.

Click here to larger scan

IMAGE DESCRIPTION 010510 NEWS CHRIS SKELTON/FAIRFAX AUCKLAND. Robyn Malcolm and Lucy Lawless were in amongst around 30,000 people that marched up Queens Street in Auckland, protesting against mining in New Zealand.

Click here to larger scan

IMAGE DESCRIPTION 010510 NEWS CHRIS SKELTON/FAIRFAX AUCKLAND. Robyn Malcolm and Lucy Lawless were in amongst around 30,000 people that marched up Queens Street in Auckland, protesting against mining in New Zealand.
Click here to larger scan

IMAGE DESCRIPTION 010510 NEWS CHRIS SKELTON/FAIRFAX AUCKLAND.Lucy Lawless were in amongst around 30,000 people that marched up Queens Street in Auckland, protesting against mining in New Zealand.

Click here to larger scan

Reported by Barbara Davies

Clio Historia Magazine - June 2010 has a four page article on Spartacus. Cris volunteered to translate the article from Spanish to English and the translation is now available.

HEADER: SPARTACUS / Antiquity's 'Che' Guevara?

SPARTACUS on TV: blood, sweat and...lots of sex

"Spartacus: blood and sand" premieres June 3 on Canal +. A Starz media production about the historical drama of the gladiator that became a threat to the Roman Republic, giving the famous myth a new twist.

"Spartacus: blood and sand" (airing in Canal + -www.plus.es-) tells the tale of a man betrayed by the Romans, taken from his homeland and parted from the woman he loves: he is forced to become a slave, and turned into a gladiator. In order to survive in a new world ruled by corruption, blood and violence, he will be forced to place the very Republic against the wall, becoming a legend.

Read Full Translated Article with Scans

Lucy attended The Warehouse special night for Starship on 7 August 2010 in Auckland, New Zealand. Lucy is on the board of Starship and one of their most high profile supporters.

The following was on flickr

Every year 'The Warehouse' holds a special night for a particular charity. Tonight's was for Starship Hospital which is our national children's hospital servicing the whole of our country. 903 people raised $402,000. Celebrities present were Lucy Lawless, Sir Stephen and Lady Tindall, Luke McAllistar, Kerre Woodham and the Clown Doctors. Another great effort by 'The Warehouse' and their suppliers!

From a tweet about the event:
Lucy Lawless just got a $4000 donation for Starship from Cadbury

Reported by Barbara Davies

Spartacus Live - Video Fan Chat July 23, 2010
From Comic-Con. John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Steven S. DeKnight, Andy Whitfield, Viva Bianca and surprise guest, Jai Courtney.

Watch Video

Highlights From 2010 Comic Con – Starz

Previews of new movies in theaters this week, lively interviews with top celebrities and the latest Hollywood buzz from Starz. This week: highlights from the 2010 Comic-Con in San Diego.

SPARTACUS cast interviews and Spartacus Comic Con round up at approx 8:15 minutes into the video.

Watch Video

Channel 9's GO! Channel has a blog post about the upcoming premiere of Spartacus Blood and Sand on Aussie TV on 18 August 2010 at 9:30 pm.

What's even cooler (despite the blog getting Lucretia and Sura mixed up) is the cool video they have online promoting the show! Have a look see!

Lawless and Hannah Talk Spartacus: Gods of the Arena - IGN talks to Steven at the TCA Spartacus Panel and to Lucy & John at Comic Con

Gods of the Arena
IGN spoke to both actors about returning for the new six-episode Starz prequel series. Plus, will Lawless actually be returning for Season 2?
US, August 7, 2010

"We're thrilled to be able to go back and tell a lot of the things that you hear about in Season 1," said Spartacus head writer, creator, and executive producer, Steven S. DeKnight at the TCA (Television Critics Association) Press Tour today. "Little one-liners like when Peter Mensah mentions his wife in one line, now we built an entire story around that." DeKnight was, of course, talking about the new six-episode prequel series, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena.

..

At Comic-Con, IGN had a chance to speak with both Lucy Lawless and John Hannah about their miraculous resurrection for the Gods of the Arena prequel series. "I, personally, am looking forward to seeing all of the characters as they were before they became a train wreck," Lawless told us. "To see them hopeful, idealistic and with plans. And the audience might feel smart because they know what's coming, but we're still going to surprise you. We're still going to twist it up. Nothing it going to be as you predict. I think it would be cool to see Asher before he got injured and made lame - when he's a young recruit. And Crixus when he starts in the business." She then added with a laugh, "And Lucretia and Batiatus, before they'd ever killed anybody."

Read Full Article

Reported by Barbara Davies

Lucretia lives! Lawless in ‘Spartacus’ season two

It turns out Lucy Lawless' character survived the bloodbath in the end of season one, reveals "Spartacus" showrunner Steven S. DeKnight.

Lawless had already been revived to some extent by reprising her role as the scheming Lucretia in the upcoming "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena" prequel, which takes place before the first season of "Spartacus."

But now she's also firmly in season two.

"Starz called, they wanted her to come back," DeKnight said. "I said 'absolutely not, she's gotta die, that's the way the story goes.'"

Then he realized, "she was still twitching at the end" of the finale and came up with an idea to continue her character into the season season.

"Where the story goes is really something special."

Source

Steven was at the TCA Spartacus Panel all on his lonesome while the actors are back in New Zealand filming Spartacus: Gods of the Arena. Who better to promote Sparty when the actors are not around but Steven DeKnight:

Here's a rundown of some of the news from the event:

At today's Starz TCA press session, SPARTACUS creator and executive producer Steven S. DeKnight spoke about why Lucy Lawless will return as Lucretiain Season Two, even though the plan was to kill her off.

"The original plan was to kill Lucy at the end of the season," says DeKnight. "We had John Hannah and Lucy for one season. Lucy was having such a great time, there was interest in bringing her back. I got a call from [producer] Rob Tapert saying Starz called and 'they would really like Lucy to come back' and she wants to come back. I said 'absolutely not, she has to die' and then I called him back saying 'I have an idea.' So Lucy will be back in Season Two. Where the story goes with her, is something special. I’m excited about that."
source: iF Magazine

The idea of a standalone two-hour show didn't go over that
well, but after some back-and-forth with Tapert and Starz, they settled on six hours -- "the bed was just right," as DeKnight puts it. "We're thrilled to be able to go back and tell a lot of the things you hear about in Season 1," he adds. "Little one-liners, like when Peter Mensah [Oenomaus] mentions his wife in one line -- now we've built an entire story around that."Season 2 of "Spartacus" is set to begin filming in November, pretty much right after "Gods of the Arena" wraps. Starz hasn't set an airdate yet.
Source: wonderwall

Lesley-Ann was at the gym when she spotted the magazine cover of Skywatch - Lucy promoting Spartacus!

SkyWatch
Spartacus Blood and Sand
Lucy Lawless As You Have Never Seen Her

Click on the thumbnail for the larger scan.

Sky will be showing Spartacus in New Zealand so PR for the show has commenced. Australia will see the show on 18 August.

Today is a great day for decency and human rights! That despised Prop8 has been ruled to be UNCONSTITUTIONAL!

Read the Judge's Ruling

On November 4, 2008, America had an election and to the joy of many, Senator Barrack Obama was voted in to become the 44th President of the US. That joy was tempered by the news that voters in several states voted for hate against their fellow citizens and gay couples will no longer be able to marry or adopt children (in one state). Lucy has come out in opposition to "Prop 8" and people are organising to protest and they have today in record numbers.

Read More about Lucy Protest Against Prop 8

Check out the gorgeous new photos now up on Lucy's IMDb page. These were taken by Tony Molina during the Starz Show Promo with the cast of Spartacus, Party Down and Gravity. Unfortunatley the video has been removed by Starz but you can see the screencaptures

There are two new photos - one colour and one black/white and one colour one that was seen previously on Tony Molina's Photography Site


Click here to view them

Australia's GO! (Channel 9's digital channel) has announced the airdate for the movie length screening of Episode 1 and 2 for 18th August 2010 at 9:30 pm.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand is rated MAV for its Strong Violence and Sex Scenes. To get everyone in the mood, GO! has decided to make Spartacus BaS part of a week of Gladiator-themed entertainment including the movies 300, Troy and Alexander.

Source

The Sunday Star 01 August 2010 from Malaysia features a two page article on breastfeeding and they included a pic of Lucy breastfeeding Judah

The following capttion is underneath the photo

This handout releaed in August 2002 shows New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless, the persona behind the popular international television series Xena Warrior Princess breastfeeding her three-month-old son, Judah, to promote World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7) on a poster in Auckland.

Mesh has found the Battlestar Galactica Mini Mates and took a photo...Ever since they left D'anna on Earth, she's put on some muscle! <g>
These are so cute!

Click on the image for the larger scan