Why I Prefer “Spartacus” To “Boss”
“Boss,” the new series on Starz with Kelsey Grammer as “the ruthless mayor of Chicago” (are there any other kind?), is racking up some excellent reviews. Hollywood Reporter says: ‘You can look back at the history of any number of storied cable channels and pick the series that truly set them on the right course — the series that made them players. For HBO, it was “The Sopranos”; for Showtime, it was “Dexter”; for FX, it was “The Shield”; and for AMC, it was “Mad Men.” And now Starz has its channel-defining series in “Boss,” a wholly impressive new drama that comes out of the gate with gravitas, swagger, originality and intrigue.’ Well, excuse me, but a lot of us already found the series that made us DVR something on Starz, a channel previously notable for second-rate movie airings. It was called “Spartacus: Blood and Sand.” I’d rather watch Andy Whitfield look tough than Kelsey Grammer look tough. Sadly, Whitfield died last month; the next full season of “Spartacus,” however, is on the way.
