ATV Choice: Spartacus: War of the Damned

Find out how the man becomes a legend in this closing chapter of the story as it airs on Sky 1 in the UK.The last-ever outing of the R-rated Roman thriller Spartacus: War of the Damned launches and has no intention of retiring quietly.

Leaning on the button labelled ‘Glorious Excess’, creator Steven DeKnight promises that, “this season is on a scale you just can’t even imagine”, quite the statement considering the toga-ripping, blood-splattered antics of series past. His sentiments are only echoed by leading man Liam McIntyre: “It ends with every piece of epic that you’d expect from the show”.

Having built on the defeat of Commander Gaius Claudius Glaber with a string of major victories, Spartacus (McIntyre) now leads an army of more than 30,000 rebel slaves, and he’s set his sights on Rome’s corrupt elite. Alongside returning favourites like Crixus (Manu Bennett) and Gannicus (Dustin Clare), look out for new cast members Simon Merrells (The Wolfman), Anna Hutchison (The Cabin in the Woods) and Todd Lasance (Cloudstreet), playing a young Julius Caesar.

The rebellion has swelled considerably in this opening episode as Spartacus and his generals, Crixus, Gannicus and Agron (Dan Feuerriegel), prepare for war. Panic is in the air and, feeling vulnerable, the Roman Senate seeks guidance from Marcus Crassus (Merrells), a wealthy politician who cooks up a plan involving an alliance with a certain Caesar.

The first episode of Spartacus: War of the Damned airs on Monday 11th February at 10pm on Sky 1. A Further nine episodes in the series will transmit in following weeks.