Gina Gershon
Photo: Marc Stamas/Getty Images
Having already covered (or uncovered) the greased-up warriors of ancient Rome with Spartacus, Starz is now developing Harem, a mini-series about the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire, told through characters that will undoubtedly be lacking in pants. The six-hour series, based on an idea by Gina Gershon, will revolve around Roxelana, an ambitious slave girl whose marriage to Sultan Suleyman results in the period known as “The Reign of Women.†While Harem may do up its feminist bent, it may also just be a Playboy Club-like attempt to hide behind supposed empowerment in order to justify actual T&A. It’s up to Gina Gershon (and Starz, and writer Ann Peacock) to decide.