''Raven'' is an American

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

series that originally aired on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

from June 19, 1992 to April 30, 1993. This hour-long action drama featured

martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...

, adventure, humor, mystery and secret societies.

Overview

Jonathon Raven is a

ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...

-trained former

Special Forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

agent, retired in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

to search for his long-lost son. Avoiding assassins sent to kill him by his former associates in the Black Dragon Clan, he uses his skills to help those in need. He is assisted by his former military buddy turned eccentric private investigator, Herman Jablonski.

Plot

When Jonathon Raven was twelve years old, his parents were killed by the Black Dragon. He trained with them for many years in the deadly martial arts with the hopes of mastering their lethal skill and then using it against them for vengeance. Although he succeeded in infiltrating them, the Black Dragon are many in number, and are now bent on destroying Raven's bloodline. His one true love, a beautiful Japanese woman named Aki, becomes pregnant with their son at the same time the Black Dragon clan is after Raven's life. Aki unfortunately dies shortly after giving birth to their son, but before she passes away, she realizes that her son's life is in danger. Jonathon learns of his wife's plan of hiding their son from imperilment, but sadly never gets to see him or attain the knowledge of his location. Later on, he joins the U.S. Special Forces and becomes one of their top assassins under a man named Nick Henderson. After many complications and regrets, Raven leaves the Special Forces and continues his search for his long-lost son. His search eventually leads him to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he believes his son may be. Raven is on a lifelong journey in search of his son, and is willing to risk his life along the way to find him and ensure the safety of his life, with the aid of his old military buddy - a private investigator named Herman "Ski" Jablonski.

Cast

Jeffrey Meek Jeffrey William Meek (born February 11, 1959) is an American actor. Meek and his family moved often; as a child, Meek lived in Zweibrücken (Germany), Michigan, and San Francisco. Meek graduated from Arlington High School in Riverside, Califor ...

as Jonathon Raven *

Lee Majors Lee Majors (born Harvey Lee Yeary; April 23, 1939) is an American actor. Majors portrayed the characters of Heath Barkley in the American television Western series ''The Big Valley'' (1965–1969), Colonel Steve Austin in the American television ...

as Herman "Ski" Jablonski * Andy Bumatai as The Big Kahuna

Episodes

Original Pilot

#Raven: Return of the Black Dragons - 90 minutes (without commercials)

Season 1: 1992

Season 2: 1993

Home media

The complete series as originally broadcast on

(including the abbreviated 70 minute pilot) was released as a manufacture-on-demand DVD by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on April 5, 2016. Mill Creek Entertainment announced the re-releasing of the series on DVD.

References

External links

* * {{discogs release, 180177 Soundtrack recording Ninja fiction Television series by Sony Pictures Television CBS original programming Martial arts television series English-language television shows 1990s American drama television series 1990s American mystery television series 1992 American television series debuts 1993 American television series endings American action adventure television series Television shows set in Hawaii Television shows filmed in Hawaii Television series created by Frank Lupo Japan in non-Japanese culture