Starz has been finding some success with period dramas over the last few years, and now Anchor Bay has targeted a September home video release for the network's two latest outings. Both Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and Camelot: The Complete First Season will hit Blu-ray and DVD on September 13th.
Gods of the Arena was a great example of turning a tragedy into creativity. Showrunner Steven S. DeKnight faced a tough decision after Andy Whitfield, who played the lead in Starz's hit series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, had to bow out of the series to focus on his fight against cancer. The show eventually decided to recast, handing the lead role off to Liam McIntyre, but the network was still in a quandary of what to air to keep Spartacus fans interested. The rather brilliant idea they came up with was Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, a prequel series that used standing sets and cast members to take a look at the events leading up to Spartacus' arrival at the gladiatorial school. It was a gamble, but it paid off: Gods of the Arena was just as addictive as its predecessor. The box set will be a perfect excuse to get fans excited again as we approach Spartacus' return in 2012.
Camelot was more of a mixed bag. While the gritty retelling of the King Arthur legend featured a solid cast, including Joseph Fiennes as Merlin and Eva Green as the evil Morgan, it suffered from a lead (Jamie Campbell Bower) that I was never sold on. Largely because he looks like he's about twelve years old. Despite a not-particularly-kingly-king at the helm, Camelot put several interesting spins on the age-old legend, and rallied nicely for the season finale. There's still no word on whether the show will return for a second season, but presumably we'll know one way or the other by the time Camelot: The Complete First Season releases in September.
Anchor Bay hasn't provided any details as far as bonus features, but hopefully Gods of the Arena, at least, will follow the example set by the Blood and Sand set and provide lots of goodies. You can check out large cover art for both releases in our gallery below.
