There is no shortage of historical fiction. Peacock is the one with the newest, with Those About to Die dropping on Thursday, July 18.
Before you jump into a series, you’ll want to know more about it. The most important thing is what it’s about. After all “historical fiction” is a huge genre, covering multiple centuries of the past. When does this show take place, and what type of content should we expect?
What Those About to Die is about
The Peacock series follows the life and times of the gladiators in Ancient Rome. It covers the stories of those about to fight in the pits, and we all know that those fights would end in death.
The series is filmed at Cinecittà in Rome, bringing a sense of authenticity to the location.
Little is known about the characters and the storylines for Those About to Die, though. It will heavily feature sword battles considering the topic, but it’s not clear how much of the gladiators we’ll follow and how much is based on Emperor Vespasian, played by Anthony Hopkins, and other people who would act as jailers and gamers.
There are 10 episodes in total, and all drop at once on Peacock. This is something for those who love the likes of Game of Thrones.
Those About to Die is based on a book
The series itself is a book adaptation. It’s based on the novel of the same name by Daniel P. Mannix. The novel takes place toward the end of the Empire, with death and torture as the only spectacles to satisfy the Roman people.
However, it wasn’t just Christians and gladiators who would die in the games. The book goes into more detail of the time, including animals fighting people and other animals, the use of boiling oil and alligators, and the many other atrocities of the time. It all seems insane looking back on it, but it was all for show and entertainment in the past.
Those About to Die is available to stream on Thursday, July 18 on Peacock.