Liberty or death

There's bound to be a surplus of fake blood in the TV industry now that "Spartacus: War of the Damned" (8 p.m. Friday, Starz), perhaps the most violent series in history, has reached the end. In this finale, Spartacus and his rebels take one more stab at freedom from the Romans.

He raises us up

Josh Groban, the anti-Justin Bieber, showcases his sixth studio album in "Josh Groban: All That Echoes" (8 p.m. Friday, TPT, Ch. 2) a new concert special for "Live From Lincoln Center." Please check your pet monkeys at the door.

The Lowe-down on the '80s

Rob Lowe taps into his inner Brat Packer to narrate "The '80s: The Decade That Made Us" (8 p.m. Sunday, NGC) a fast-paced, three-night history lesson that covers everything from the Ronald Reagan assassination attempt to Jane Fonda's workout tapes.

Political animal

Julia Louis-Dreyfus is currently the funniest actress on TV, which should come as no surprise since she's been in contention ever since she started pushing the guys around on "Seinfeld." She's reached the pinnacle with "Veep" (9 p.m. Sunday, HBO), the super-sharp mockumentary that spoofs Washington politics with the help of Louis-Dreyfus' fidgety, fantastic performance.

Neal Justin