Starz's "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" Keeping It's Viewers If you haven't seen this show then you are missing out on one of the best shows on TV right now. The series focuses on the historical figure of Spartacus (played by Andy Whitfield), a Thracian gladiator who from 73 to 71 BC led a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Executive producers Steven S. DeKnight and Robert Tapert focused on structuring the events of Spartacus' obscure early life leading to the records of history. Several of cable's big-ticket midseason shows are getting a lukewarm response from viewers, but there's at least one new series demonstrating growth potential. Among the current field of major scripted projects on cable -- including Syfy's "Caprica," AMC's "Breaking Bad" and TNT's "SouthlandSouthland" -- it's the ratings for Starz's "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" that buck the trend. Though the drama has