TV|Shark 007: Hercules and Xena

[Neon Ignition]

Beginning with the murder of his wife and children by his step-mother Goddess Hera, the show launched Hercules tale of revenge in the same style it and its shared programmes would stay true to till the end, massive cheese. Hercules and his friend Iolas saved villagers from a range of mythical creatures with much of that Raimi-Tapert humour sewn into the fabric of the show before it launched an arguably more successful spin-off in Xena. Xena followed the tale of the warrior princess turned from evil to good on a tale of redemption with her own sidekick Gabrielle. Then, there's the Ryan Gosling one.




Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Ran: 6 Seasons (1995 till 1999)
Episodes: 5 TV Movie and 111 Episodes
In ancient Greece the half human son of Zeus lives a quiet life having given up his adventuring days until his family is murdered by his step-mother Hera. Setting out for revenge the show follows his journeys. Despite that set up a tongue was firmly in cheek as a low budget slapstick tone was hit, the show regularly aiming light in its delivery. The main storyline tweaked as Hercules moved on from villain to villain but the formula was broadly the same throughout. The show never received a proper send off as it was cancelled after Sorbo played hardball over a contract that would have seen him continue in the role for Season 7, 8 and 9. Instead, the network pulled the plug just eight episodes in to the sixth season and the journey ended.

Xena: Warrior Princess
Ran: 6 Seasons (1995 till 2001)
Episodes: 134 Episodes
Though the show maintained the same cheesy style as Hercules, it at times wasn't afraid to delve into darker territory to show the trials Xena would face in her road to redemption. Over the course of its run the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle became more central whilst the overall arc became more and more like a televised God of War without the violence and she took on God after God. In time it proved more successful and popular than the show that had born it.

Young Hercules
Ran: 1 Season (1998 till 1999)
Episodes: 51 Episodes
Following a young Ryan Gosling as Hercules during his training days, the shows main aim focused around Ares attempts to thwart his half-brother. Despite its quick cancellation the show was able to create a large volume of episodes very quickly to suit the needs of Fox Kids, the channel it was intended for.

Share your thoughts and memories of Hercules and Xena!

[Neon Ignition]

I only ever saw an episode or two of Young Hercules and wasn't keen on what I saw of it but the main show was Saturday tea time fodder on Channel 5 during the stations early days so I initially saw most of that way. Kevin Sorbo was alright, he's much himself in anything I've ever seen him in and never seemed to throw himself into it the same way Lucy Lawless did with Xena. It was a reasonable, if cheap show.

Xena though, was undoubtedly the best part of the overall franchise. Despite the tone of the show it did help that they were happy to use darker elements that meant they were still able to sell Calisto as a credible threat, to torture the characters or follow through on some foreboding such as the strand that see's Xena being crucified. There's one season later on that ends feeling like it was the proper ending of the show, a finale where she barely survives facing off against several Gods that was probably the peak of the show. I think it was after that they did the whole China strand and it lost momentum but it was another show not afraid to end of a bit of a bum note too which considering the tongue in cheek nature of the programme was commendable.

[Asura]

This just makes me think of how I smiled during God of War 3 when Hercules showed up and Kevin Sorbo was his voice actor.

[Neon Ignition]

Whoever thought of that and bagged him to do it deserved a bonus

[Neon Ignition]

As these go we're definitely starting to pain a picture of what appeals against what doesn't

Clue for the eighth Shark: Butt naked, sat on a rock

[QualityChimp]

I liked Xena at the start, but lost track of it. I think the times changed.

I really rate Lucy Lawless as an actor, though.
I think she was particularly brilliant in the various Spartacus series.
She changed her character to fit who she was talking to, but at all times she was in control, right until the very end.

Hercules failed to interest, as I found his character dull.

This ticked a lot of boxes for me, like Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell being involved, but I could take it or leave it and found I chose the latter.

[Dogg Thang]

I loved both shows. Just haven't had time to post about them, as usual. Xena really went places that I didn't expect such a goofy show to go. So it was fun, silly but also gained a lot of drama and heart. Hercules felt lighter and, at the time, that was exactly what I needed. Sometimes TV gets too heavy. These shows had a good balance.