I've been hearing about this little show called Legend of the Seeker since it debuted last year. Season one was just released on DVD, so I checked it out for Jane After Dark this week. It's a great show. In my neck of the woods, it airs Saturday afternoon at 4 PM, which is a perfect time. If it aired during the regular primetime schedule, I'm afraid it would be eaten up by other shows, but the weekends are a nice home for it.
I've heard that Legend of the Seeker, based on The Sword of Truth novels by Terry Goodkind, is similar to Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. As with Legend, both of these shows were produced by Sam Raimi and Robert G. Tapert.
I've seen episodes of those shows here and there, but not enough to offer an opinion on the similarities. What I can say is this: Legend of the Seeker is entertaining, romantic, tells an intriguing story, and features some great characters who can be both funny and dramatic.
The story takes place in a fantasy world where the three main provinces are Westland, the Midlands and D'Hara. Westland is separated from the Midlands by a magical boundary, created to prevent any magic from entering Westland. On the other side of the Midlands is D'Hara, which is ruled by the evil tyrant Darken Rahl (Craig Parker).
Craig Horner plays Richard Cypher, a young woodsman living in Hartland, a town in Westland where no magic exists. However, he soon learns that he is a "Seeker," a hero rises up in times of trouble and seeks out evil. Richard isn't exactly happy about this, but he soon grows into his destiny.
Bridget Regan plays Kahlan Amnell, a female Confessor who has the power to magnify the love a person has for her, which allows her to control them. Her role is to protect the Seeker, and she's also a kick-ass action hero.
Bruce Spence plays Zeddicus "Zedd" Zu'l Zorander, a wizard who knew Richard's destiny, and thus brought him as a baby into Westland to protect him from the aforementioned Darken Rahl, the emperor of D'Hara and the Seeker's enemy. He wants to capture the Midlands and Westland into his empire by enslaving the people living there.
Horner and Regan have great chemistry, intensified by the fact that their characters can never be together; otherwise their powers would get messed up (or so says the prophesy). Bruce Spence has done too many movies and TV shows to name, but he came into my consciousness as the crazy pilot in Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. Big fan ever since those roles.
Season two of Legend of the Seeker premieres Nov. 7, 2009, and I highly recommend you grab season one between now and then. It's mild enough to be a family show, and it's filmed in the gorgeous land of New Zealand, so has a little bit of a Lord of the Rings feel to it.
You can also watch clips and episodes of Legend of the Seeker at SlashControl. Here's a little recap of season one:
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-18-2009 @ 3:27PM
hobo1964 said...
Legend of the Seeker is on DVD in stores everywhere.
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10-18-2009 @ 1:17PM
JR said...
I'm glad others have discovered this little gem. It's entertainment, pure and simple, and the overall story arc is decent. It airs on days when there isn't much else on, and by November I've already dropped new shows that stink, or networks drop them, and am looking for something fun to watch.
It has action, adventure, romance, fun, and Regan and Horner are easy on the eyes. Two thumbs up :)
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10-18-2009 @ 2:01PM
Heather said...
It's definitely one of those shows that is much better than expected. Once you get over the slight campiness of the premise, it's actually a pretty good show. I wonder what the second season is going to be about. So excited.
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10-18-2009 @ 2:10PM
hugeliver said...
You have GOT to be kidding! I have NEVER seen more wooden acting and it is just a disgrace how far they have strayed from the actual books. It is completely unwatchable!!
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10-18-2009 @ 3:09PM
chuck said...
yep! give us the real stuff, including wild sex and bdsm, not this family-friendly crap.
p.s. books were also crap, plagiarized from the wheel of time.
10-18-2009 @ 3:25PM
Anita said...
After watching the first episode, I initially agreed with hung liver, but the acting and writing improved as the show continued. TVSquad covered the pilot, but after negative comments probably dropped it. So, I hope TVS will continue to cover it, even sporadically.
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10-18-2009 @ 4:52PM
Will said...
I really enjoy this show. It's not like the books, but that's ok.
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10-18-2009 @ 5:06PM
punksrus said...
I really, really wanted to like this show. Love the books and hoped the show would capture the complexities and the depth of the books. What I saw (watched 4 episodes) was just terrible acting, bad casting, and bad writing. I could deal with straying from the books to an extent if the show was actually good, but it's just not.
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10-18-2009 @ 7:22PM
TR said...
You've got to be kidding me. It's Unwatchable??
We've watched this show since it came out despite some of the negative comments it's gotten and we really enjoy it. It's got an interesting story (don't care how much it strays from the books) , humor, drama and believable characters. AND it's good clean family entertainment.
Is it an NCIS or CSI no!
But it's certainly more enjoyable than half the rubbish that's on tv these days.
But then again we also enjoy Sanctuary, Robin Hood and the new Merlin.
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10-18-2009 @ 8:04PM
Kim said...
I was a big fan of The Sword of Truth novels. Although much is changed in the tv series, the premise and the spirit of the novels still remains the same. I haven't missed an episode. There is no way the torture/rape/murder/more torture/more rape in the novels could ever be portrayed on television.
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10-19-2009 @ 12:29AM
La-Di-Dah said...
The books are so intense and engaging, the show is like babycakes in comparison, but I still enjoy watching.
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10-19-2009 @ 9:41AM
rick cokely said...
Bruce Spence and Bridget Reagan are great actors and are really good in their roles. Craig Horner, well he seems a bit out of place which is sad considering he's the "main character." Though I am willing to look past that (he does get better) and just sit back and watch a great story unfold. I know a lot of people are going to be disappointed by the deviation from the books, but I'm glad it's a departure from what we already know. They kept several ideas but are really stretching this Rhal thing out.
I'm glad TVS is finally giving this show some attention, it's so rare now-a-days to have a television show that is actually imaginative and creative. I miss the old days of the syndicated fantasy/sci-fi shows like Xena, TNG, Cleopatra, etc and I couldn't be more ecstatic that Rami and Tapert are back together. All that is left now is for a special guest start by Lucy Lawless and this will be one of the best syndicated shows on TV. :)
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10-22-2009 @ 3:41PM
Lucy said...
This is the best show on TV! We love everything from the actors, scenery, music, plots, props -- just amazing!!
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