''Maddigan's Quest'' is a fantasy-based television series set in a

post-apocalyptic future Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astro ...

. It was based on an original concept by Margaret Mahy and was developed for television by Rachel Lang and Gavin Strawhan. The show originally screened on BBC1 in the UK, and was also aired on

TV3 Channel 3 or TV 3 may refer to: Television *Canal 3 (Burkina Faso), a commercial television channel in Burkina Faso *Canal 3 (Guatemala), a commercial television channel in Guatemala *Channel 3 (Algeria), a public Algerian TV channel owned by EPTV ...

in New Zealand and the

Nine Network The Nine Network (stylised 9Network, commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is an Australian commercial free-to-air television network. It is owned by parent company Nine Entertainment and is one of five main free-to-air television netw ...

in Australia in early 2006.

Storyline

Early in the 22nd century, the world underwent a vast and rapid change. The tectonic plates of the Earth began to shift and rapidly changed the face of the planet. Since then, the events of this time have grown to be known as the time of the ''Great Shift'' or the ''Great Chaos''- and have become myth and legend. As a result of these events, the population of Earth severely dropped and little remained of the old ways. While some forms of old technology exist, the ways of man have receded. Slavery is not uncommon, bandits roam the highways. ''Maddigan's Quest'' follows the circus troupe 'Maddigan's Fantasia', who come from the city of Solis, a beacon of freedom and peace for the desolate world. Each year, the Fantasia leave Solis to perform and earn a living, but this year is different: they have been set the task of obtaining a new Solar Converter to replace the existing converter–the only power source in Solis–which is failing. At the centre of this quest is 14-year-old Garland, the last member of the Maddigan family line. Near the beginning of the Fantasia's journey, just after Ferdy Maddigan, the group's leader and Garland's father, is killed, two boys and their baby sister appear from the future. But while the younger brother, Eden, seems to be a blessing to the performers with his illusionary skills, his older brother Timon is hiding a dark secret which threatens the Fantasia, their mission, and the future of Solis itself.

Cast and characters

Main

* Rose McIver as Garland *

Jordan Metcalfe Jordan Metcalfe (born 24 May 1986) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Adil in the sitcom Genie in the House. Metcalfe has appeared as Jake in ''The Queen's Nose'' in 2003. He has played the roles of Chris Travis in '' Heartb ...

as Timon * Zac Fox as Eden *

Olivia Tennet Olivia Tennet (born 4 January 1991) is a New Zealand actress and dancer best known in her home country for her role as Tuesday Warner on the nightly medical drama ''Shortland Street'', along with several roles in television and theatre. Outside ...

as Lilith * Rawiri Pene as Boomer * Danielle Cormack as Maddie, Garland's mother * Tim Balme as Yves * Rachel House as Goneril * Hori Ahipene as Tane * Mark Nua as Bannister *

Peter Daube Peter Daube (born 1964) is a New Zealand film, television, stage and voice actor. Daube graduated from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School in 1992 with a Diploma in Acting, and upgraded it to a Bachelor of Performing Arts (Acting) in 2010. Two ...

as Ozul * Michael Hurst as Maska * Ben Cooper as Nye * Bronwyn Baker as Byrna * Grace Brannigan as Jewel

Recurring

Fleur Saville Fleur Saville (born 14 July 1984) is a New Zealand television actress best known for her roles in the television sitcoms '' Being Eve'' and '' The Tribe'' in which she became known to international audiences for her portrayal of Ruby. Saville p ...

as Silver Girl *

Jack Campbell Jack Campbell may refer to: * Jack Campbell (author) (born 1956), pseudonym of American science fiction author John G. Hemry * Jack M. Campbell (1916–1999), American politician * Jackie Campbell (born 1946), Scottish footballer for Partick Thist ...

as Ferdy Maddigan, Garland's father * Ross Duncan as The Nennog

Guest

Geraldine Brophy Geraldine Brophy (born 1961) is a New Zealand television, film and stage actress, theatre director and playwright. Biography Brophy was born in Birmingham, England to Irish parents. She and her family emigrated to New Zealand in 1972, when she ...

as Ida * Tandi Wright as Timon's mother * Shane Cortese as Timon's father * Patrick Wilson as Mayor of Gramth * Alison Bruce as Witch finder *

Milo Cawthorne Milo Cawthorne (born 13 January 1989) is a New Zealand actor who played Ziggy Grover from the television series ''Power Rangers RPM''. Career Cawthorne began acting as a teenager with a role on the TV show ''P.E.T. Detectives''. After gradua ...

as Bolek * Sara Wiseman as Morag *

Ilona Rodgers Ilona Jeannette Rodgers (born 28 April 1942) is an actress of stage, television and film. Born in Harrogate, West Riding of Yorkshire, where she started her career, she later went on to appear in New Zealand and Australian productions. Rodger ...

as Gabrielle * John Leigh as Harold *

Reuben de Jong Reuben de Jong is a New Zealand heavyweight kickboxer, mixed martial artist, strongman and professional wrestler of Dutch descent. He is a two-time professional strongman champion of New Zealand and competed in the K-1 Kings of Oceania in 2006 ...

as Edgar * Tom Hern as Birdboy leader

Episodes

Home releases

Awards and nominations

Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand

Screen Directors Guild of New Zealand

Book

''Maddigan's Fantasia'', later re-released under the title ''Maddigan's Quest'', is a novel written by Margaret Mahy as a tie-in for the TV series (based on her concept). The circus troupe ''Maddigan's Fantasia'' are on a mission to get a new solar converter from Newton for their hometown Solis. But on the way there, the Fantasia meet two strange boys, Timon and Eden. They are from the future and have come to help the Fantasia change history: in their timeline, when the Fantasia did not get back to Solis in time, the council gave up on them and took a new path, a radiation path. Timon and Eden's parents were killed because an evil monster called the Nennog rules Solis in the future and their parents tried to work out a way to change the past. They created a time slider, but they were killed for it, so Timon and Eden did the job for them and then they saved the Fantasia and Solis was saved.

References

External links

* at South Pacific Pictures * at Burberry Productions * * {{IMDb title, id=0456104 2000s British children's television series 2006 Australian television series debuts 2006 Australian television series endings 2006 British television series debuts 2006 British television series endings 2006 New Zealand television series debuts 2006 New Zealand television series endings Australian children's fantasy television series BBC children's television shows English-language television shows New Zealand children's television series New Zealand fantasy television series Post-apocalyptic television series Television shows funded by NZ on Air Television series by South Pacific Pictures Three (TV channel) original programming Television series by All3Media