''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' is an American television series filmed in New Zealand, based on the tales of the classical
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
culture hero Heracles
Heracles ( ; grc-gre, Ἡρακλῆς, , glory/fame of Hera), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptiv ...
(
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the ...
was his Roman analogue). Starring
Kevin Sorbo
Kevin David Sorbo (born September 24, 1958) is an American actor. He had starring roles in two television series: as Hercules in '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', and as Captain Dylan Hunt in '' Andromeda''. Sorbo is also known for actin ...
as Hercules and
Michael Hurst
Michael Eric Hurst ONZM (born 20 September 1957) is a British-born New Zealand actor, director and writer. He is known internationally for acting in the television programs '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and companion series '' Xena: ...
as
Iolaus
In Greek mythology, Iolaus (; Ancient Greek: Ἰόλαος ''Iólaos'') was a Theban divine hero. He was famed for being Heracles' nephew and for helping with some of his Labors, and also for being one of the Argonauts.
Family
Iolaus was ...
, it was produced from January 16, 1995, to November 22, 1999. It ran for six seasons, producing action figures and other memorabilia as it became one of the highest-rated
syndicated television shows in the world at that time. It has aired on
Once Channel,
Sky1,
five/5,
Heroes & Icons
Heroes & Icons (H&I) is an American digital broadcast television network owned by Weigel Broadcasting. Usually carried on the digital subchannels of its affiliated television station in most markets, the network airs classic television series fr ...
, and
Horror.
It was preceded by several TV movies with the same major characters in 1994 as part of
Universal Media Studios
Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a prede ...
's
Action Pack in order of appearance: ''
Hercules and the Amazon Women'', ''
Hercules and the Lost Kingdom'', ''
Hercules and the Circle of Fire'', ''
Hercules in the Underworld
''Hercules in the Underworld'' is the fourth television movie in the syndicated fantasy series ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys''.
In the film, Hercules is finally a happy family man with his wife Deianeira, two young sons Aeson and Clonus, d ...
'', and ''
Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur
''Hercules in the Maze of the Minotaur'' is the fifth and final television movie in the syndicated fantasy series ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys''.
In the film, Hercules has given up his days of traveling and has settled down to spend some ...
'', the last of which served mostly as a "
clip show
A clip show is an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows feature the format of a frame story in which cast members recall past events from past installments of the show, depicte ...
" of the previous movies as a lead up to the series. The show was cancelled midway through filming of the sixth season, and only a total of eight episodes were produced after Sorbo initially declined to renew a three-year extension contract to continue his role as Hercules.
Plot
The series is set in a
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
version of
ancient Greece
Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of Classical Antiquity, classical antiquity ( AD 600), th ...
not precisely located in historical time. The show also has a mixture of
Oriental,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
ian and
Medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
elements in various episodes. The show stars
Kevin Sorbo
Kevin David Sorbo (born September 24, 1958) is an American actor. He had starring roles in two television series: as Hercules in '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', and as Captain Dylan Hunt in '' Andromeda''. Sorbo is also known for actin ...
as Hercules and regularly features
Michael Hurst
Michael Eric Hurst ONZM (born 20 September 1957) is a British-born New Zealand actor, director and writer. He is known internationally for acting in the television programs '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and companion series '' Xena: ...
as his sidekick
Iolaus
In Greek mythology, Iolaus (; Ancient Greek: Ἰόλαος ''Iólaos'') was a Theban divine hero. He was famed for being Heracles' nephew and for helping with some of his Labors, and also for being one of the Argonauts.
Family
Iolaus was ...
. Rotating as Hercules' other regular companion, particularly in earlier seasons, is Salmoneus (
Robert Trebor
Robert Trebor (born June 7, 1953) is an American character actor, perhaps best known for starring as Salmoneus on the cult hits ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and '' Xena: Warrior Princess''. The surname of his stage name (Trebor) is an ana ...
), a wheeler-dealer ever looking to make a quick drachma.
Typical plot lines involve Hercules and Iolaus saving rustic villagers from monsters, evil warlords, or the often selfish whims of the gods. There was also comedy and episodes often had "in-jokes" about modern themes.
In the earlier episodes as mentioned in the show's opening title, Hercules' main nemesis is his
evil
Evil, in a general sense, is defined as the opposite or absence of good. It can be an extremely broad concept, although in everyday usage it is often more narrowly used to talk about profound wickedness and against common good. It is general ...
stepmother
Hera, the powerful queen of the gods who seeks to destroy Hercules using various monsters and helping her various followers because he is a reminder of her husband Zeus' infidelity. As the series progressed, a wider range of enemies was used; notably Hercules' half-brother, the malicious god of war
Ares replaced Hera as the show's primary
antagonist. Towards the end of the series, Ares is himself replaced by the evil god
Dahak who is the main villain in the show's fifth season and sets off a story arc that has Hercules traveling to
Sumeria,
Norseland and
Éire
() is Irish for "Ireland", the name of both an island in the North Atlantic and the sovereign state of the Republic of Ireland which governs 84% of the island's landmass. The latter is distinct from Northern Ireland, which covers the remaind ...
. Although
Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek reli ...
, Hercules' father, is frequently cited by Hercules as a neglectful father, Zeus' love for Hercules is well documented in the show. Indeed, Hercules is often referred to as "the favorite son of Zeus". Zeus makes several appearances on the show, even saving his son's life and restoring his superhuman strength on one occasion when he needs it the most. Hercules, for his own part, is always there for Zeus when his father needs him, and in the end, Hercules reconciles with his father and buries whatever issues he has with the father he has come to understand and love.
Cast
Main cast
*
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the ...
(
Kevin Sorbo
Kevin David Sorbo (born September 24, 1958) is an American actor. He had starring roles in two television series: as Hercules in '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', and as Captain Dylan Hunt in '' Andromeda''. Sorbo is also known for actin ...
)
*
Iolaus
In Greek mythology, Iolaus (; Ancient Greek: Ἰόλαος ''Iólaos'') was a Theban divine hero. He was famed for being Heracles' nephew and for helping with some of his Labors, and also for being one of the Argonauts.
Family
Iolaus was ...
(
Michael Hurst
Michael Eric Hurst ONZM (born 20 September 1957) is a British-born New Zealand actor, director and writer. He is known internationally for acting in the television programs '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and companion series '' Xena: ...
)
Recurring cast
*
Alcmene
In Greek mythology, Alcmene () or Alcmena (; Ancient Greek: Ἀλκμήνη or Doric Greek: Ἀλκμάνα, Latin: Alcumena means "strong in wrath") was the wife of Amphitryon by whom she bore two children, Iphicles and Laonome. She is best kn ...
(
Elizabeth Hawthorne,
Liddy Holloway, Kim Michalis)
*
Aphrodite
Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols inclu ...
(
Alexandra Tydings
Alexandra Huntingdon Tydings is an American actress, director, writer, producer, and activist, best known for her role as Greek goddess Aphrodite on the television series ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and its spin-off, '' Xena: Warrior ...
)
*
Apollo
Apollo, grc, Ἀπόλλωνος, Apóllōnos, label=genitive , ; , grc-dor, Ἀπέλλων, Apéllōn, ; grc, Ἀπείλων, Apeílōn, label= Arcadocypriot Greek, ; grc-aeo, Ἄπλουν, Áploun, la, Apollō, la, Apollinis, label ...
(
Scott Michaelson
Scott Michaelson is an Australian retired actor and talent manager who is most famous for playing Brad Willis in ''Neighbours''. He took over the role from Benjamin Grant Mitchell, who had been a guest character and later played Brad's cousin ...
)
*
Ares (
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...
)
*
Artemis
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Artemis (; grc-gre, Ἄρτεμις) is the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, nature, vegetation, childbirth, care of children, and chastity. She was heavily identified wit ...
(Rhonda McHardy)
*
Atalanta
Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology.
There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia (region), Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene (mythology ...
(
Cory Everson
Corinna "Cory" Everson (née Kneuer; born January 4, 1958) is an American female bodybuilding champion and actress. Everson won the Ms. Olympia contest six years in a row from 1984 to 1989.
Education
Corinna Kneuer was born in Racine, Wisconsin ...
)
*
Autolycus (
Bruce Campbell)
*
Callisto Callisto most commonly refers to:
*Callisto (mythology), a nymph
*Callisto (moon), a moon of Jupiter
Callisto may also refer to:
Art and entertainment
*''Callisto series'', a sequence of novels by Lin Carter
*''Callisto'', a novel by Torsten Kro ...
(
Hudson Leick
Heidi Hudson Leick (born May 9, 1969) is an American actress, known for her role as villainess Callisto in the television series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. She is also a certified Yoga instructor and intui ...
)
*
Cassandra
Cassandra or Kassandra (; Ancient Greek: Κασσάνδρα, , also , and sometimes referred to as Alexandra) in Greek mythology was a Trojan priestess dedicated to the god Apollo and fated by him to utter true prophecies but never to be belie ...
(
Claudia Black
Claudia Lee Black (born 11 October 1972) is an Australian actress, best known for her portrayals of Aeryn Sun in ''Farscape'', Vala Mal Doran in ''Stargate SG-1'' and Sharon "Shazza" Montgomery in the film '' Pitch Black''. She has had promin ...
)
*
Charon (
Michael Hurst
Michael Eric Hurst ONZM (born 20 September 1957) is a British-born New Zealand actor, director and writer. He is known internationally for acting in the television programs '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and companion series '' Xena: ...
)
*
Cupid (
Karl Urban
Karl-Heinz Urban (born 7 June 1972) is a New Zealand actor. His career began with appearances in New Zealand films and TV series such as '' Xena: Warrior Princess''. His first Hollywood role was in the 2002 horror film '' Ghost Ship''. Since ...
)
*
Dahak (
Michael Hurst
Michael Eric Hurst ONZM (born 20 September 1957) is a British-born New Zealand actor, director and writer. He is known internationally for acting in the television programs '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and companion series '' Xena: ...
, Mark Newnham)
*
Deianeira
Deianira, Deïanira, or Deianeira (; Ancient Greek: Δηϊάνειρα, ''Dēiáneira'', or , ''Dēáneira'', ), also known as Dejanira, is a Calydonian princess in Greek mythology whose name translates as "man-destroyer" or "destroyer of her hu ...
(
Tawny Kitaen
Julie Ellen "Tawny" Kitaen (August 5, 1961 – May 7, 2021) was an American actress, model, and media personality. She began her career as a television actress, appearing in the television films '' Malibu'' (1983) and ''California Girls'' (1985) ...
)
*
Deimos (
Joel Tobeck)
*
Dirce
Dirce (; , , modern Greek , meaning "double" or "cleft") was a queen of Thebes as the wife of Lycus in Greek mythology.
Family
Dirce was a daughter of the river-gods Achelous or Ismenus, or of Helios.
Mythology
After Zeus impregnated Dir ...
(
Lisa Chappell
Lisa Irene Chappell (born 18 October 1968) is a New Zealand actress and musician. She is known for her roles as Chelsea Redfern in '' Gloss'' (1987–90), her acting debut, and as Claire McLeod in ''McLeod's Daughters'' (2001–03), a performanc ...
)
*
Discord
Discord is a VoIP and instant messaging social platform. Users have the ability to communicate with voice calls, video calls, text messaging, media and files in private chats or as part of communities called "servers".The developer documenta ...
(
Meighan Desmond)
* Falafel (
Paul Norell
Paul may refer to:
*Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name)
*Paul (surname), a list of people
People
Christianity
* Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...
)
*
Gabrielle (
Renee O'Connor
Evelyn Renee O'Connor (born February 15, 1971) is an American actress, producer, and director, known for the role of Gabrielle on the television series '' Xena: Warrior Princess''.
Early life
Born in Houston, and raised in suburban Katy, Texas, ...
)
*
Hades (
Erik Thomson
Erik Thomson is a Scottish-born New Zealand-Australian actor. He is known for playing Hades in the television series ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', ''Xena Warrior Princess'' and '' Young Hercules'', Dr. Mitch Stevens in '' All Saints'' a ...
,
Mark Ferguson
Mark Ferguson (born 28 February 1961) is a New Zealand-based Australian actor and television presenter.
Biography
Born in Sydney, Australia, Ferguson attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and graduated in 1981. In 1982, he p ...
)
*
Hera (
Meg Foster
Margaret Foster is an American film and television actress. Some of her many roles were in the 1979 TV miniseries version of ''The Scarlet Letter'', and the films ''Ticket to Heaven'', ''The Osterman Weekend'', and '' They Live''.
Early years
F ...
)
*
Iphicles In Greek mythology, Iphicles ( or ; grc, Ἰφικλῆς ''Iphikles''), also called Iphiclus, was the maternal half-brother of Heracles and one of the Calydonian boar hunters.
Family
Iphicles was the son of Alcmene and her human husband Am ...
(
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...
)
*
Jason
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He ...
(
Jeffrey Thomas,
Chris Conrad)
*
Joxer
This is a list of significant characters from the television programs ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', its prequel '' Young Hercules'', and '' Xena: Warrior Princess''.
Main characters
* Hercules (portrayed by Kevin Sorbo as an adult, Ian B ...
(
Ted Raimi
Theodore "Ted" Raimi (born December 14, 1965) is an American character actor, director, comedian, and writer. He is known for his roles in the works of his brother Sam Raimi, including a fake Shemp in ''The Evil Dead'', possessed Henrietta in ...
)
*
Kernunnos (
Stuart Devenie)
*
Morrígan (
Tamara Gorski)
* Nebula (
Gina Torres
Gina Torres (born April 25, 1969) is an American actress. She is known for her starring roles as Zoe Washburne in the science fiction series ''Firefly'' (2002–2003) and its feature film sequel '' Serenity'' (2005), and as Jessica Pearson in th ...
)
*
Nemesis (
Karen Witter,
Teresa Hill
Teresa (also Theresa, Therese; french: Thérèse) is a feminine given name.
It originates in the Iberian Peninsula in late antiquity. Its derivation is uncertain, it may be derived from Greek θερίζω (''therízō'') "to harvest or re ...
,
Kimberley Joseph
Kimberley Joseph (born August 30, 1973) is a Canadian Australian actress who is based in the United States. Joseph was born in Canada, brought up on the Gold Coast in Australia and educated in Switzerland. After returning to Australia, she beg ...
)
*
Odin (
Peter McCauley
Peter McCauley (born 8 March 1950) is an actor from New Zealand who has appeared in many television series and movies, mainly in his home country.
Career
McCauley graduated from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School in 1973 with a Certific ...
)
*
Persephone
In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Persephone ( ; gr, Περσεφόνη, Persephónē), also called Kore or Cora ( ; gr, Κόρη, Kórē, the maiden), is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the underworld after ...
(Andrea Croton)
*
Salmoneus
In Greek mythology, Salmoneus (; Ancient Greek: Σαλμωνεύς) was 'the wicked'Hesiod, '' Ehoiai'' fr. 4 as cited in Plutarch, ''Moralia'' p. 747; Scholia on Pindar, ''Pythian Ode'' 4.263 eponymous king and founder of Salmone in Pisatis.
...
(
Robert Trebor
Robert Trebor (born June 7, 1953) is an American character actor, perhaps best known for starring as Salmoneus on the cult hits ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and '' Xena: Warrior Princess''. The surname of his stage name (Trebor) is an ana ...
)
* Serena (
Sam Jenkins,
Kara Zediker
Kara Zediker is an American actress born in Kankakee, Illinois. She guest starred on ''Star Trek: Enterprise'' as the young T'Pau in the fourth-season episodes " Awakening" and "Kir'Shara". She has also guest-starred on such shows as '' Charmed ...
)
* Strife (
Joel Tobeck)
*
Xena
Xena is a fictional character from Robert Tapert's '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' franchise. Co-created by Tapert and John Schulian, she first appeared in the 1995–1999 television series ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', before going on to ...
(
Lucy Lawless
Lucille Frances Lawless (; born 29 March 1968) is a New Zealand actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Xena in the television series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'', as D'Anna Biers on the re-imagined ''Battlestar Galactica'' seri ...
)
*
Zeus
Zeus or , , ; grc, Δῐός, ''Diós'', label= genitive Boeotian Aeolic and Laconian grc-dor, Δεύς, Deús ; grc, Δέος, ''Déos'', label= genitive el, Δίας, ''Días'' () is the sky and thunder god in ancient Greek reli ...
(
Roy Dotrice
Roy Dotrice (26 May 1923 – 16 October 2017) was a British actor famed for his portrayal of the antiquarian John Aubrey in the record-breaking solo play '' Brief Lives''.
Abroad, he won a Tony Award for his performance in the 2000 Broadway r ...
, Peter Vere-Jones,
Charles Keating
Charles Humphrey Keating Jr. (December 4, 1923 – March 31, 2014) was an American sportsman, lawyer, real estate developer, banker, financier, conservative activist, and convicted felon best known for his role in the savings and loan sca ...
,
Anthony Quinn
Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known professionally as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican-American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental v ...
).
Episodes
Spin-offs
The show had two
spin-offs
Spin-off may refer to:
*Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work
*Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity
* Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...
, ''
Xena: Warrior Princess'' and ''
Young Hercules
''Young Hercules'' is a prequel series to the television series ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' the originally aired on Fox Kids Network. It premiered on September 12, 1998 and ended on May 14, 1999, with a total of 50 episodes over the co ...
'', with which it shared recurring characters such as Ares (
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...
),
Autolycus (
Bruce Campbell), Salmoneus (
Robert Trebor
Robert Trebor (born June 7, 1953) is an American character actor, perhaps best known for starring as Salmoneus on the cult hits ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and '' Xena: Warrior Princess''. The surname of his stage name (Trebor) is an ana ...
),
Aphrodite
Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols inclu ...
(
Alexandra Tydings
Alexandra Huntingdon Tydings is an American actress, director, writer, producer, and activist, best known for her role as Greek goddess Aphrodite on the television series ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and its spin-off, '' Xena: Warrior ...
),
Deimos/Strife (
Joel Tobeck) and
Callisto Callisto most commonly refers to:
*Callisto (mythology), a nymph
*Callisto (moon), a moon of Jupiter
Callisto may also refer to:
Art and entertainment
*''Callisto series'', a sequence of novels by Lin Carter
*''Callisto'', a novel by Torsten Kro ...
(
Hudson Leick
Heidi Hudson Leick (born May 9, 1969) is an American actress, known for her role as villainess Callisto in the television series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. She is also a certified Yoga instructor and intui ...
). Both shows, although produced in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
with mostly local actors using American accents, were syndicated worldwide.
Home media
Anchor Bay Entertainment
Anchor Bay Entertainment (formerly Video Treasures and Starmaker Entertainment) was an American home entertainment and production company. It was a subsidiary of Starz Inc. Anchor Bay Entertainment marketed and sold feature films, television se ...
released all six seasons of ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
in Region 1 for the first time between 2003 and 2005. As of 2010, these releases have now been discontinued.
On January 12, 2010,
Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (formerly Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Universal Studios Home Video, MCA/Universal Home Video, MCA Home Video, MCA Videodisc and MCA Videocassette, Inc.) is the home video distribution division of Am ...
announced that they planned on re-releasing ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' on DVD. They have subsequently re-released all six seasons.
In Region 4,
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, is an Australian distribution and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising in feature films, documentaries and television series across theatr ...
has released all six seasons on DVD in Australia.
* NOTE: The Season 1 release in both regions 1 & 4 includes the 5 tele-films preceding the series. The region 1 re-release does not include the TV movies.
In other media
Video game
''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' is an action adventure video game with
beat 'em up
The beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, ...
elements that was released on the
Nintendo 64
The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...
and
Game Boy Color, developed by
Player 1 and published by
, based on the television series.
Animation
''
Hercules and Xena – The Animated Movie: The Battle for Mount Olympus'' is a 1998 American animated
action-adventure
The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres.
Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...
film starring the voices of
Kevin Sorbo
Kevin David Sorbo (born September 24, 1958) is an American actor. He had starring roles in two television series: as Hercules in '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', and as Captain Dylan Hunt in '' Andromeda''. Sorbo is also known for actin ...
,
Lucy Lawless
Lucille Frances Lawless (; born 29 March 1968) is a New Zealand actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Xena in the television series '' Xena: Warrior Princess'', as D'Anna Biers on the re-imagined ''Battlestar Galactica'' seri ...
,
Michael Hurst
Michael Eric Hurst ONZM (born 20 September 1957) is a British-born New Zealand actor, director and writer. He is known internationally for acting in the television programs '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and companion series '' Xena: ...
,
Renee O'Connor
Evelyn Renee O'Connor (born February 15, 1971) is an American actress, producer, and director, known for the role of Gabrielle on the television series '' Xena: Warrior Princess''.
Early life
Born in Houston, and raised in suburban Katy, Texas, ...
,
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American filmmaker, actor, comedian, comic book writer, author, YouTuber, and podcaster. He came to prominence with the low-budget comedy buddy film '' Clerks'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, ...
, and
Alexandra Tydings
Alexandra Huntingdon Tydings is an American actress, director, writer, producer, and activist, best known for her role as Greek goddess Aphrodite on the television series ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and its spin-off, '' Xena: Warrior ...
, all reprising their roles from ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and ''
Xena: Warrior Princess''. It was directed by
Lynne Naylor and written by John Loy. It later received a television airing on
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
's
Fox Kids block. The movie's plot involved Hercules and Xena joining forces to save the
Gods of Olympus from the
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Gai ...
.
Legacy
The success of the show led to the commissioning of several similar series, also set in the ancient world, including ''
The Adventures of Sinbad
''The Adventures of Sinbad'' is a Canadian Action/Adventure Fantasy television series which aired from 1996 to 1998. It follows on the story from the pilot of the same name. It revolves around the series' protagonist, Sinbad. The series is a r ...
'', ''
Conan the Adventurer'', ''
The New Adventures of Robin Hood
''The New Adventures of Robin Hood'' is an action adventure television series that premiered on January 13, 1997, on TNT. The show was based on the legend of Robin Hood, the English folk hero, and was filmed in Vilnius, Lithuania. It was produce ...
'', ''
BeastMaster'', ''
Tarzan: The Epic Adventures'', and ''
Jack of All Trades''. A sci-fi series, ''
Cleopatra 2525
''Cleopatra 2525'' is an American science fiction television series that aired in syndication for two seasons, from January 2000 to March 2001. Produced by Renaissance Pictures and distributed by Studios USA, many stations aired it as part of th ...
'', was also produced as a result of the series' influence. Thirteen years later, ''
Legend of the Seeker
''Legend of the Seeker'' is an American television series created by Sam Raimi, based on the fantasy novel series ''The Sword of Truth'' by Terry Goodkind. Distributed in U.S. by Disney-ABC Domestic Television, ABC Studios produced the series f ...
'' was produced by the same team.
See also
*
List of Hercules and Xena characters
*
Greek mythology in popular culture
Elements of Greek mythology appear many times in culture, including pop culture. The Greek myths spread beyond the Hellenistic world when adopted (for example) into the culture of ancient Rome, and Western cultural movements have frequently i ...
*
Hercules in popular culture
References
External links
*
*
{{Hercules media
1990s American drama television series
1990s New Zealand television series
1995 American television series debuts
1999 American television series endings
1995 New Zealand television series debuts
1999 New Zealand television series endings
Action Pack (TV programming block)
American action adventure television series
American fantasy drama television series
American fantasy television series
Depictions of Julius Caesar on television
English-language television shows
First-run syndicated television programs in the United States
New Zealand drama television series
New Zealand science fiction television series
Television shows filmed in New Zealand
Television series by Universal Television
Television series set in ancient history
Television series about Heracles
Television shows set in Greece
Works by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci
Classical mythology in popular culture
Television shows adapted into films
Television shows adapted into comics
Television shows adapted into video games
Television series set in ancient Greece
Television series based on classical mythology
Television series created by Sam Raimi
Video games based on Greek mythology