"Spartacus" bucking cable ratings trend

Audience for Starz series is growing
By James Hibberd
April 6, 2010

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 it's the ratings for Starz's "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" that buck the trend. Though the drama has a modest audience base compared to other cable hits, "Spartacus" has grown nearly substantially since its January debut.



"Spartacus" opened at a mere 659,000 viewers and has since expanded its army of viewers to recently hit 1.3 million -- a 97% increase during the course of its season.

This is particularly impressive since Starz, unlike its grown-up rivals HBO and Showtime, is a fledgling entrant into scripted programming.



A second season of "Spartacus" has been ordered, though the show's production is on hiatus as star Andy Whitfield is undergoing treatment for cancer.

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