Spartacus Season 1

This action-adventure spectacle may be bloody entertaining, but it is also somewhat bloody. The body count for the cable series, which tips its helmet to the big-screen gorefest that was 2007's "300," appears to approach that number for most episodes. It's violent, but it is also captivating and compelling, as it regales with the tale of a heroic Thracian warrior (Andy Whitfield) turned Roman slave turned gladiator. He battles to save his life and reunite with his wife (Erin Cummings), who was also condemned to slavery. Early on, the warrior slave is purchased by the Roman Batiatus (John Hannah), who trains gladiators, and thrust into brutal and painful training. Spartacus soon makes an enemy of the accomplished, successful gladiator Crixus (Manu Bennett), but before long Spartacus is able to convince Crixus to aide in a rebellion that will hopefully free the gladiators and exact revenge on the conniving, duplicitous Romans. Whitfield, unfortunately, died from complications of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2011, and was replaced by Liam McIntyre in subsequent incarnations of the Spartacus saga.