CAMPAIGNERS are fighting to prevent a sexually explicit American TV series about the Roman Empire from hitting Britain, it emerged yesterday.

Spartacus: Blood And Sand has featured full-frontal nudity, extreme violence and explicit scenes of orgies since it first aired in the US in January.

The show, which stars Scottish actor John Hannah and pulled in more than a million viewers this week, is looking for a post-watershed UK home.

But MediaWatch UK, the lobby group which campaigns for higher standards in broadcasting, says the programme should not be allowed in Britain, even late at night.

“We can no longer ignore the fact that what viewers see on television has an impact on society,” said outraged director Vivienne Pattison. “Even the Government is asking the producers of soap operas to include safe-sex messages in their programmes now. There are numerous studies linking exposure to violence on TV with violent behaviour at large and if there is the slightest possibility that explicit sex and violence on screen can cause this harm, is it worth the risk in the interests of entertainment?”

The lobby group – which was set up in 1965 by Mary Whitehouse – also said it was concerned that children might eventually find the programme online. “Once this programme is shown on television it will be much easier for children to access – particularly via video-on-demand online services,” she added.

“Ofcom research shows that fewer than a third of parents use the password-protected services available to screen what their children can access.” The controversial TV show focuses loosely on the historical figure of Spartacus – a Thracian gladiator who led a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic in 73BC.

In the drama, renegade slave Spartacus, played by actor Andy Whitfield, is purchased by ruthless Batiatus and his wife Lucretia and forced to fight in the gladiatorial arena. In some of the most explicit scenes seen on TV, the cast often appear fully naked acting out graphic sexual scenes.

The violence of some of the gladiatorial scenes is stomach-churning. In the latest episode, Hannah – who starred in Four Weddings And A Funeral – and actress Lucy Lawless stripped off in a bathing scene. Lawless plays Lucretia and Hannah is Batiatus.

The episode notched more than a million viewers and the series is steadily picking up fans across America. Episode nine, to be screened next week, is simply entitled “Whore” in the TV listings. “I think a lot of people are going to be shocked and they are going to shut off their televisions,” said Lawless.

The Netherlands, which has a more relaxed attitude to censoring, has already snapped up the steamy drama with many independent UK broadcasters said to be keen to follow. In Australia the Seven Network has bought the rights and will likely air it on channel 7two.

The show is currently broadcast US cable network Starz.

My vote- Stop being a [LIFTED] nanny state and show us the [LIFTED] program.

It's C word city man.

One thing that is annoying though is the constant Lord of the Rings style fake antique syntax. That should be banned.

I have to say Lucy Lawless still looks pretty damned fit. I'd love to see more of her, even though she's over 40

*Makes Xena style wob-wob-wob noise*

Do they use the C word in it? I can't see that working in the context

Why not? It is latin.