alt.tv.hercules FAQ (2/3) About HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS & About Kevin Sorbo's Movies
Julian Buczek
Posting-Frequency: Bi-weekly
Last-modified: 1999/07/24
Version: 2.10
Copyright (c) 1999-1999 Julian Buczek
Copyright (c) 1997-1998 Michael L. Martinez
Maintainer: Julian Buczek <buc...@iname.com>
URL: http://www.xenite.org/faqs/hercfaq.htm
http://202.61.202.20/~buczek/faqs/alt.tv.hercules/
e-mail: herc...@xenite.org
buc...@iname.com
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Section II. About HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What is HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS?
1. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS (henceforth referred to as
H:TLJ) is a syndicated action/adventure series starring
Kevin Sorbo as Hercules, the legendary son of Zeus. Kevin
originated the role in five Action Pack movies which aired in
1994. The series was started in 1995 with a short first
season consisting of 13 episodes.
H:TLJ follows Hercules around the ancient (and mythical) world
of the Greeks and their neighbors circa 1200 BC. A few of the
stories are based on Greek myths, but many of them simply
involve mythical creatures and characters, and in some cases
the plot lines and characters are completely independent of
Greek mythology.
In the fifth season (1998-9) Hercules is travelling beyond
ancient Greece.
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2. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
So who besides Kevin Sorbo stars in the show?
2. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Michael Hurst, who plays Herc's friend Iolaus, is the only
other actor to have star billing (from the third season on).
Other actors have recurring roles in the series, however.
Hurst, btw, has played more than one role. He's also appeared
as Charon, the ferryman on the river Styx, and as King Orestes,
Iolaus' cousin. He has also played a Jester Iolaus from an
alternate dimension.
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3. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
And who are the semi-regular actors?
3. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
This is an incomplete list. Take a look at
<a href="http://msmoo.simplenet.com/guide/bethcr.htm">
BethD's Cast Index</a>
for the most complete listing of actors.
Grant Bridger has played three characters: King
Augeus ("Reign of Terror"), Carris ("The
Power"), and a character in "Hercules and
the Underworld". He has also appeared as
Sinteres in X:WP.
Bruce Campbell plays Autolycus, The King of Thieves. To
date he has appeared in only one episode of H:TLJ but he
reprised the role in two episodes of X:WP and will be
appearing in H:TLJ a second time later in the
third season.
Brad Carpenter has appeared as Amphion in at least
two episodes.
Lisa Chappell has appeared in at least four roles but
is best known as Dirce, a princess who defended Iolaus
in "The King of Thieves" and who showed up as a guest
in "Alcmene's Wedding". In two of the roles she was sort
of a love interest for Iolaus. She also played one of
the daughters of Thespeus, a man from Athens, in the
movie "Hercules And The Circle Of Fire".
Andrea Croton plays Persephone, wife of Hades, in several
episodes.
Corey Everson has appeared three times as Atalanta, a
character based on the athletic princess of Greek myth.
Lisa Ann Hadley plays Niobe, wife of King Orestes,
and another (more serious) love interest for
Iolaus.
Teresa Hill plays Nemesis in two of three episodes,
but the role was originated by Karen Witter, and
lately Nemesis has been played by Kimberly Joseph.
Bridget Hoffman plays Echidna, the mother of all monsters.
She has appeared in three episodes so far.
Liddy Holloway plays Alcmene, although the role was
originated by Elizabeth Hawthorne in the first
season. Kim Michalis and Jennifer Ludlum have
also played Alcmene.
Sam Jenkins has appeared in two roles in H:TLJ,
most recently in the three-part love story where
Hercules met and married Serena, last of the Golden
Hinds. The character was killed in "Judgement Day",
the third part of the story. Kara Zedeker played
Serena in a later episode, "The End of the Beginning",
in which Herc saved Serena but lost her to another
man completely.
Simone Kessel has played Rena, Iphicles' wife, in at least
two episodes and had roles in three of the Action Pack
movies.
Tawny Kitaen plays Deianeira, Herc's (now) dead wife. She
co-starred in two of the Action Pack movies, but her
character was killed in "The Wrong Path", the series opener.
Lucy Lawless has played several roles in Hercules so
far: Lysia, an Amazon enforcer in "Hercules And The
Amazon Women"; Lyla in two series episodes; and
Xena in several series episodes.
Rose McIver has played Hercules' daughter Ilaya in
two of the Action Pack movies and in the episode
"When A Man Loves A Woman".
Paul McIver has played Hercules' son Aeson in two
of the Action Pack movies and in the episode
"When A Man Loves A Woman".
Kim Michalis has played Leah (the wife of Amphion)
in at least two episodes, the young Alcmene in one
of the Action Pack movies and two episodes of the
series, and a couple of other roles.
Peter Muller has appeared as Deric the Centaur in three
episodes. Deric married a woman named Lyla, played by
Lucy Lawless, who went on to star in X:WP. Although
Deric first tried to kill Hercules, he grew to respect
the hero and became his friend.
Mark Newnham has played three monsters: the giant
Antaeus in "Hercules and the Circle of Fire",
Ares in the first season episode "Ares",
and the mummy in the third season episode "Mummy
Dearest".
Paul Norell plays Falafel, the first (and worst) of the
fast food kings, although he can bake cakes and speak
true French. He has appeared in at least three episodes
of H:TLJ and at least one episode of X:WP.
Willa O'Neill plays Phoebe, the daughter of Lycinas -- one
of the Argonauts -- and has appeared in two episodes. She
also plays Lila, Gabrielle's sister on X:WP, and appeared
as Althea, a wannabe dancer, in another episode.
Anthony Quinn played Zeus in the five movies, but Peter
Vere Jones plays Zeus on the series (beginning with the
third season).
Tim Raby plays Archivus the Argonaut. He has appeared in
at least two episodes.
Ted Raimi plays Joxer the Mighty. He's a semi-regular
on X:WP who has appeared so far in one H:TLJ episode.
Glenn Shadix plays Typhon, a titan who was imprisoned
by Hera for a hundred years and freed by Hercules.
He is Echidna's husband and has appeared in two
episodes. In the fourth season opener, "Beanstalks
and Bad Eggs", Glenn plays Typhoon, Typhon's
twin brother.
Karen Sheperd played the first Enforcer in two episodes.
She was sent by Hera to replace Nemesis and destroy
Hercules. After Hercules destroyed her, she appeared
in Hades' realm and languished there until Herc helped
her win a reprieve.
Kevin Smith plays two of Hercules' half-brothers: Iphicles,
Herc's mortal half-brother, and Ares, God of War. Iphicles
was introduced in the first season episode "What Is In A
Name?". The role of Ares was handled by different actors
or special effects (computer animation) in the first season
of H:TLJ, but Kevin became the definitive Arean actor
through his work on XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS, a spinoff
series (henceforth referred to as X:WP).
John Sumner plays Domesticles the Argonaut in at least two
episodes and a couple of other roles.
Jeffrey Thomas plays Jason, leader of the Argonauts,
and King of Corinth (until he marries Alcmene). He
has appeared in several episodes.
Erik Thomson plays Hades, God of the other side. He has
appeared in several episodes of both H:TLJ and X:WP. He
also played King Daulin in the first season episode,
"The Vanishing Dead".
Gina Torres plays Nebula, a Sumerian princess and
adventurer (pirate) with whom Hercules and Iolaus
have occasionally joined forces.
Robert Trebor plays Salmoneus, an enterprising businessman
well ahead of his time. Salmoneus was introduced in the
first season of the series. Robert has also played
a French rogue, Francois, of the 18th century in a third
season clips episode. He almost played Salmoneus' sister,
Galmoneus, but the idea apparently was squashed.
Alexandra Tydings plays Herc's beachy half-sister,
Aphrodite, in a role that has appeared in both H:TLJ and
X:WP.
Karl Urban has played Cupid, son of Aphrodite, in
one episode of H:TLJ and two episodes of X:WP. He also
plays Julius Caesar on both series.
Susan Ward played Psyche, the girl Cupid fell in love
with and married. She has appeared only once so far
as I know but is a regular on the NBC daytime drama,
SUNSET BEACH. Psyche's voice has been heard on an
episode of XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS.
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4. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Where in Hercules' life do the shows take up?
4. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Well, you can't judge by Greek myth. There is so little
correlation between the television series and what was
recorded about the mythical Heracles of the Greeks.
However, based on Kevin Sorbo's age, Herc appears to be
in his mid-30s. This observation is borne out by numerous
references to Herc's earlier adventures (prior to the
movies). It appears that the Twelve Labors are behind
Hercules (this was implied in the third season episode
"Reign of Terror"). See also Question 17.
In YOUNG HERCULES, he is still young enough that he has
not had to perform the Twelve Labors yet.
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5. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
The Iolaus of Greek myth was Hercules' nephew (the son of
Iphicles, in fact). Is the series' Iolaus related to Herc?
5. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Not that I've seen so far. We've met Iolaus' father and
grandmother and neither have had any connection to Herc's
family. They even lived in a different area than Thebes,
where Herc's family comes from.
Iolaus' father was named Skouros. Skouros' mother was
Leandra. Skouros became a great general and died fighting
in a war somewhere.
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6. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Who, besides Iphicles and Alcmene, have we met of Hercules'
relatives?
6. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Hercules' cousin Ilorin from Parthis appeared in "The Gauntlet",
the episode in which Xena lost her army and joined Hercules in
fighting her former comrades. Ilorin's mother (Herc's aunt)
was mentioned but did not appear. They lived in a village which
was some distance from Thebes.
On the Olympian side, we've met Zeus, Hera, Ares, Aphrodite,
Hades, Persephone (Herc's aunt-by-marriage), Cupid (Aphrodite's
son), Athena, and Hephaestus (Aphrodite's husband).
In the fourth season episode, "Two Men And A Baby", the
question of whether Hercules is the father of Nemesis'
baby arises.
Other relatives include:
-- the Minotaur, one of Zeus' many other children, killed by
Hercules
-- Jason, Herc's stepfather (he married Alcmene)
-- Demeter, mother of Persephone, is Zeus' sister
-- Psyche, Cupid's wife
-- Athena
-- Hephaestus
-- Aphrodite also has a human son, Deon, who was introduced in
the episode titled, "The Power"
-- Iphicles' wife is named Rena, and they have at least one child
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7. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
There seem to be a lot of Centaurs in H:TLJ. Why?
7. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
One of the elements taken from Greek myth is Hercules' close
association with Centaurs. He was taught by a Centaur named
Chiron and accepts their friendship easily.
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8. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
How are the Centaurs done?
8. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
>From what I've been told, the centaur "effects" are achieved
through a combination of prosthetic attachments the actors
wear (usually you can tell when they wear these devices by
the jerky movements they force the actors to make), careful
shots of horse legs and rear ends, and computer technology.
For what it's worth, the prosthetic attachment worn by Sam
Jenkins when she played the Golden Hind was more convincing
than the Centaur prosthetics because the Hind's stature was
better suited to a human than a Centaur's.
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9. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Is H:TLJ aimed toward a younger, less mature audience than X:WP?
9. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Many people feel this is so. Some of the episodes have had a
childlike perspective (especially third season eps like
"Monster Child In The Promised Land" and "The Lady and The
Dragon"). But H:TLJ has also taken on some pretty mature
themes, including murder, justice (as opposed to vengeance),
racial conflicts (metaphorically, through Centaur-Human
conflicts, and less metaphorically), respect for individuals,
self-esteem issues, and the consequences of uncontrolled
power. All of these themes can be presented in either a
mature or less-mature fashion.
In an interview published in late 1997, Robert Bielak, one
of the Renaissance producers, admitted the show had veered
away from the mature audience and that the fourth season
would be darker in an attempt to keep that portion of the
viewing audience interested.
The fifth season definitely has started out on a much
darker note and is exploring Hercules' darker side.
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10. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
So what are the primary differences between H:TLJ and X:WP?
10. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
You'll get as many answers to that question as you'll find
people to discuss it. However, two key elements are present
in X:WP which are not present in H:TLJ, and at least one
key element is present in H:TLJ which is not present in
X:WP.
Hercules, being the son of a god, has a peculiar insight
into the gods and the ways they act. He can see them
when mortals don't, and he is able to confront them and
their servants regularly. Even Xena tries not to get
involved with gods if she can avoid it.
Xena, on the other hand, is undertaking a redemptive
journey which does not necessarily promise to deliver
her to an eternal reward of peace and beauty. Her
dark past comes back to haunt her in various ways.
And Xena has a unique relationship with Gabrielle. The
bi-sexual subtext (acknowledged by the show's producers
and actors) of X:WP is simply not present in H:TLJ. You
do not have to believe that Xena and Gabrielle are lovers,
but there is no reason to believe that Hercules and
Iolaus are more than just friends.
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11. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
What differences are there between H:TLJ and YOUNG HERCULES?
11. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
This author is not well-versed with YOUNG HERCULES, but it appears
that general consistency between the two series is not to be
looked for. In one episode of YOUNG HERCULES, Hephaestus falls
from the sky and meets Hercules, who eventually recognizes him
as a god. This Hephaestus is much too young to be the same
Hephaestus who fell in love with Leandra, the grandmother of
Iolaus, and sentenced her village to fifty years of
non-existence.
Perhaps the most notable discrepancy is that Jason, who appears
to be so much older than Hercules on H:TLJ, is not much older
than him in YOUNG HERCULES.
Other discrepancies have been noticed by fans who watch both
shows regularly.
On the other hand, some characters, such as Ares, Discord, and
Strife, are played by the same actors on both series. The young
Jason is played by Chris Conrad and the young Iolaus is played
by Dean O'Gorman on both series.
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12. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where is the show filmed?
12. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
Auckland, New Zealand on a tract of 70 acres of land.
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13. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where is the show being broadcast?
13. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
I don't know all the markets in which Hercules is being shown,
but presently I can confirm that it is, has been, or will be
distributed in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany,
the Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Poland.
News reports indicate the show is distributed to more than 60
countries now.
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14. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is it true that a network is broadcasting the series?
14. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
The USA Cable Network airs HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS
at 6:00 PM Eastern Time from Monday through Friday. YOUNG
HERCULES airs on Fox Family Network from Tuesday through
Saturday in a morning time slot.
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15. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
What do you know about the actresses who play the Enforcers?
15. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
This is a summary of an article posted to alt.tv.xena by
Sean <gal...@erols.com> on March 16, 1997:
Karen Sheperd (the "Water Enforcer") and Cynthia Rothrock
(the "Fire Enforcer") are both championship winning martial
artists who have appeared in several films. Rothrock
actually has appeared in numerous films and is a more
accomplished martial artist.
Sheperd appeared in H:TLJ first, and reprised her role in
the episode which introduced Rothrock as the second
Enforcer. The Fire Enforcer appears to be more powerful
than the Water Enforcer.
You can find out more about Cynthia Rothrock at:
<a href="http://www.infi.net/~dhopkins/rothrock.html">
this Web site</a>.
You can read an interview with Karen Sheperd at:
<a href="http://www.blackbeltmag.com:80/bbkids/wiwya/wiwya5.html">
this Web site</a>.
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16. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is YOUNG HERCULES?
16. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
In early 1997 Kevin Sorbo mentioned in an interview with TV
GUIDE magazine that a television movie, "Young Hercules", was
being filmed or scheduled. If the movie proved successful,
plans for a new series based on the movie would follow.
In September, 1997, Universal Television Enterprises, Inc.
issued a press release indicating that YOUNG HERCULES is
being released direct to video in January 1998. A more
recent press release indicates a February 17 release date.
Fox Family Network (formerly Fox Kids Network) has
contracted for 50 episodes of YOUNG HERCULES, the
television series. The show is a half-hour live-action
format. Ryan Gosling plays Hercules, Dean O'Gorman plays
Iolaus, and Chris Conrad plays Jason.
Young Hercules is studying in Chiron's academy in or near
the city of Corinth, where Jason is now the king.
There is also a warrior girl named Yvenaa who has
a mysterious past she wishes to put behind her.
The 3rd episode of the 4th H:TLJ season, "Regrets I've Had
A Few", introduces a young Hercules and Iolaus. The young
Hercules is played by Ian Bohen and the young Iolaus is played
by Dean O'Gorman. Ian Bohen starred as Hercueles in the
movie but decided not to play the role in the series.
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17. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Which is Herc's home town: Thebes or Corinth?
17. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
Beats me. Sometimes it seems to be Thebes and sometimes it
seems to be Corinth. Jason was king of Argos in one episode
and King of Corinth in another. In "Atlantis", Herc says
"I don't think I'm in Corinth any more." Corinth seems to
be the city Hercules is now most closely associated with.
He must have been off performing the Twelve Labors when Xena
attacked Corinth, and one must wonder why Herc didn't recognize
her name when he met Xena in "The Warrior Princess".
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18. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
How close to the original stories does the series come?
18. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
Not very close but there are numerous connections between
the movies, the series and Greek mythology. Some events
are revisited in one way or another, or retold in more than
one way.
There have been references to the fifty daughters of King
Thespius at least four times: once in "Hercules and the Circle
of Fire" when a rich man from Athens named Thespias and his
three daughters stayed in the same inn with Herc -- the daughters
climbed into bed with him; once each in two first seasons
episodes, although it was Salmoneus who took care of all fifty
daughters' needs; and they appeared again in "Alcmene's
Wedding", apparently dissatisfied with Salmoneus' attentions.
The Argonauts have appeared more than once. The first episode,
"Once A Hero", reunites them ten years after the voyage of the
Argo. Most of the survivors die in this episode.
With respect to the Twelve Labors, the following references
occur. Note that no mention of Megara and the children
she bore Hercules in the legends is made either in the
movies or the series. In fact, we don't know WHY the Hercules
of television had to perform the labors:
LABOR 2: In "Hercules and the Amazon Women", he and Iolaus
find the hydra and kill it (using fire). However, this
Hydra did not have an immortal head. And Iolaus ran into
another Hydra in "Pride Cometh Before A Brawl".
LABOR 3: Hercules was sent to bring bag a stag with golden
horns, sometimes referred to as the golden hind (the pelt
of which figured in subsequent Greek legends). The closest
connection is the "Serena Trilogy" of the third season, in
which Hercules goes to Ceronea to help save the last of the
golden hinds -- immortal creatures whose blood can kill
even the Olympian gods. Zeus killed all but Serena so their
blood could not be used against him.
LABOR 4: In the third season episode "The End of the Beginning",
Hercules travels back in time to the day when Zeus kills the
golden hinds. Ares meets him and comments that the Hercules
of that time is off hunting the boar of Mount Erymanthus.
LABOR 5: In the third season episode "Reign of Terror" Hercules
and Salmoneus go to Elis to visit Palamedes, the stableman
for King Augeus. Salmoneus wants to sell manure from the
stabled Hercules cleaned with two rivers.
LABOR 6: In the first season episode "The Road To Calydon",
Hercules confronts the Stymphalian Bird -- the connection
appears to be only in the name.
LABOR 9: Hercules met and fell in love with Hippolyta, the
Amazon queen, in "Hercules and the Amazon Women" but her
girdle was not mentioned and this was not described as one
of the labors. Hera did incite the Amazons to attack him.
LABOR 11: No mention is made of Atlas and the Hesperides, but
golden apples are apparently the fruit of the Tree of Life,
which grows in the Labyrinth of the Gods, where Hercules
trapped Callisto in the third season episode "Surprise".
LABOR 12: In "Hercules and the Underworld", Hercules meets
Hades and must help recover Cerberus. This does not appear
to be one of the labors. Hercules meets Cerberus again in
a first season episode, "The Other Side", when he goes to
rescue Persephone.
In "Hercules and the Circle of Fire" he fights the giant
Antaeus, son of Gaia, and kills him in a manner similar to
that in the myth.
In "Hercules and the Lost Kingdom" he rescues a girl named
Deianeira from a sea serpent, killing the creature, and
taking her to her city of Troy (or Troi). The movie does
not end quite the way the story does, and Hera is said to
be the motivating god, not Poseidon.
Hercules freed Prometheus in "Hercules and the Circle of
Fire" and in the X:WP episode "Prometheus". Neither
portrayal was very close to the original story, but the
X:WP episode did have Prometheus chained to a peak.
In "Hercules and the Underworld" a beautiful maiden, Iole,
comes seeking his help. There is no mention of King
Eurytis or Hercules' conquest of Eurytis city (from which
the Iole of myth was taken captive). However, Deianeira,
encouraged by the lies of the lustful centaur Nessus,
followed Hercules and Iole. When Nessus tried to take her,
she cried out and Hercules killed Nessus. As he lay dying
he told Deianeira to soak her cloak in his blood, much as
in the myth. Hercules took the cloak at he urging and
Deianeira returned home. When he finally put it on, the
cloak burned Hercules and he leaped into the pit leading
to the underworld. Deianeira ended up killing herself,
but Hercules brought her back from the dead (unlike in
the myth -- he burned himself and so became a god).
The Hercules of Greek myth is portrayed as rageful and not
very clever, but this seems to be an error of judgement
since he resolved the Twelve Labors (which were deemed
impossible). The Hercules portrayed by Kevin Sorbo seldom
loses his temper, rarely kills, and is constantly using
his wits to defeat his enemies. There are distinct
differences between the two Hercules, but Sorbo's rendition
is not entirely unfaithful to the Greek legends.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
19. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is Iolaus really dead?
19. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
Iolaus dies in the fifth season opening episode, "Faith".
He appears again as a spirit in the third episode, "Resurrection".
Long range plans include having Michael Hurst continue to appear
in the series. And it is a long running joke that death doesn't
mean anything in the Hercules/Xenaverse.
It has lately been reported that Michael Hurst has confessed that
Iolaus has given himself to Dahak. Long range plans apparently
are to have Iolaus' soul redeemed so he can go to the Elysian
Fields. Michael continues to direct and occasionally appear
in episodes and will play the "jester" Iolaus from the alternate
world, who will become Hercules' new friend and sidekick.
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Section III. About Kevin Sorbo's Movies
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1. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
How many of the original Action Pack movies were there?
1. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Five. Their titles were:
"Hercules And The Amazon Women"
"Hercules And The Lost Kingdom"
"Hercules And The Circle of Fire"
"Hercules And The Underworld"
"Hercules And The Maze of the Minotaur"
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2. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Other than Deianeira, did anyone else appear in the movies who
also appears in the series?
2. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Michael Hurst played Iolaus in "Hercules and the Amazon Women"
and "Hercules and the Maze of the Minotaur".
Renee O'Connor who plays Gabrielle in X:WP, played a
princess Deianeira (not the Deianeira Herc married)
in "Hercules And The Lost Kingdom".
Robert Trebor played a slave named Weylin in
"Lost Kingdom" as well.
Lisa Chappell played a woman who snuck into bed with Hercules
in "Hercules And The Circle of Fire".
Lucy Lawless appeared in "Hercules And the Amazon Women" as an
Amazon.
Numerous secondary actors had bit parts in various movies and
have reappeared in the series.
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3. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Is there any connection between the Action Pack movies
and earlier Hercules movies?
3. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
No. The Action Pack movies pretty much started out on
their own. However, Steve Reeves will be guest-starring
in a fourth season episode of H:TLJ if that can be arranged.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
4. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Where can I get the movies on tape?
4. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
The first four movies have been released on video tape by
Universal Home Video. The last movie had many clips from
the first four in it and probably will not be released. In the
United States you should be able to buy them just about anywhere.
I've seen them on sale at Wal-Mart, for instance.
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5. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Will the movies be shown on the USA Network?
5. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
I don't know.
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6. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
I heard another movie was being made. Is this the Disney movie?
6. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
No. The Disney movie is completely separate from the Renaissance
Pictures production. The animated movie that is connected with
the Kevin Sorbo series is called "Hercules And Xena: The Animated
Movie -- The Battle For Mount Olympus" and was originally due out
on HOME VIDEO the Fall of 1997.
Universal Home Video is producing this full-length feature film.
It stars Kevin Sorbo and Lucy Lawless. The target audience is
children up to 9 years of age. Universal Home Video also produces
the highly successful "Land Before Time" videos, so you may be
able to judge the quality of animation (and perhaps the maturity
of the story) by those videos -- but these movies are aimed at
a much younger audience.
The movie is scheduled for release on January 6, 1998.
Some of the other actors in H:TLJ and X:WP also have roles in
the movie. Kevin Smith reprises the role of Ares, Alexandra
Tydings plays Aphrodite, Ted Raimi plays a titan, Lucy Lawless
plays Xena, Renee O'Connor plays Gabrielle, and Michael
Hurst plays Iolaus.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
7. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What can you tell me about "Kull the Conqueror"?
7. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
This movie was produced by Raffaela de Laurentiis, the daughter
of Dino de Laurentiis, who produced the movies "Conan the
Barbarian", "Conan the Destroyer", and "Red Sonja". Conan and
Kull are pulp fiction characters created by Robert E. Howard
(1900-36) and popularized in the 1960s - 80s by a series
of books containing original story reprints, pastiches, and
new stories by authors such as L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter,
Robert Jordan, and others. Marvel comics published several
series based on these characters, and Red Sonja was invented
by Marvel to be a female Conan counterpart.
The movie "Kull the Conqueror" was originally intended to
be a third Conan movie, but Arnold Schwarzeneggar (who
starred in the Conan movies and played a Conan-like
character in "Red Sonja") apparently did not want to do
it. Eventually it was adapted for Kull with technical
advice from L. Sprague de Camp.
The story is loosely based on the only full-length Conan
novel Howard ever wrote, originally titled THE HOUR OF
THE DRAGON, retitled CONAN THE CONQUEROR. The movie was
originally to be called "Conan the Conqueror".
Tia Carrere plays a 3,000 year old sorceress (a man in
the book) who is revived by dissidents seeking to dethrone
Kull. This much is derived from the Conan story. The rest
of the movie plot is a pastiche of several Kull stories
and some new material introducing a love interest for Kull.
The movie was filmed in Austria and parts of the Balkans
in 1996 while Kevin was on hiatus from H:TLJ.
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8. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What can you tell me about "Black Dog"?
8. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Kevin Sorbo was to star in this movie, which was produced in
1997. However, prior to the start of filming Kevin fell ill
with an aneurysm. Although he was released in time to work
on the movie when shooting began in late September, 1997,
Kevin was hospitalized after only two days of filming.
He apparently decided that five years of working non-stop
was too much and elected to withdraw from the
movie so that he could rest and concentrate on H:TLJ.
Patrick Swayze took over the role and the movie was released
in 1998. However, it appears to have been a dud and it may
be that Kevin's career would not have been well-served by
his staying with the role.
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9. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Has Kevin appeared in any other movies?
9. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
He's been around for quite a while, but so far I've only
heard of the movies "Aspen" starring Sam Elliot and Perry
King and "Slaughter of the Innocents" (Kevin plays John
Wilson).
In a press release, Universal Television Enterprises indicates
Kevin also appeared in a pilot for "Critical Condition" for
the NBC Television network.
He has had guest roles in other television series such as
"Cybil", "Murder, She Wrote", and "The Commish". Kevin
has also appeared in numerous television commercials around
the world for products like Budweiser, Diet Coke, Lexus,
BMW, and Jim Beam.
He tried out for the starring role of "Lois and Clark" but
Dean Cain was picked over Kevin. Reference was made to
this in the episode "...And Fancy Free."
----------------------------END OF PART 2------------------------
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____ Julian Buczek|buc...@dns.au.com
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