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Legend (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Legend was a science fiction Western
television show that ran on UPN
from April 18, 1995 until August 22, 1995, with one final re-airing of the pilot on July 3, 1996. It was Richard Dean Anderson
's first major role after the successful MacGyver
series, and also starred John de Lancie
, best known for his role as "Q" in Star Trek: The Next Generation
. All three series were produced by Paramount Network Television
.
s set in the untamed West. Because Pratt writes the novels in the first person and has posed as Legend for their cover art, many readers believe that Pratt is Nicodemus Legend.
In the pilot episode, when Pratt learns that Nicodemus Legend has been impersonated and a warrant issued for his arrest, he travels to the scene of the incident to clear the name of his protagonist.
Pratt meets up with the impersonator, a great admirer of his tales, the eccentric European scientist Janos Bartok — a Nikola Tesla
analogue who had been Thomas Edison
's research partner — and his brilliant assistant Huitzilopochtli Ramos, who has taken every single course Harvard University
had to offer. Bartok "borrowed" the Legend persona in order to help the townspeople of Sheridan, Colorado
.
They enlist the reluctant Pratt to their cause, and show him how their scientific expertise and outlandish inventions (frequently based on ideas from Pratt's books) can bolster the impression that Pratt really is Nicodemus Legend. Bartok says:
Suffering from writer's block, under pressure from his publishers, and inspired, in spite of himself, at the thought of doing real good, Pratt reluctantly agrees to assume the persona of his literary creation and to live as the image he created of an adventurous and heroic man. Together, they adventure throughout the West solving mysteries, capturing wrong-doers, and making scientific discoveries.
from January to June, 1995.
, broadcast on UPN.
Twelve episodes were aired, including the 2-hour pilot episode. Despite critical praise, this program aired during UPN's first year of existence and after a change in network management, along with lower than expected ratings, the show was canceled along with almost every other program aired on the UPN lineup.
appreciated the show's attempt to follow up The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
as another western with wry humor, but he ultimately didn't recommend it. Jarvis said that while the show is "cute" and that Anderson and de Lancie "click together", he called the show "dull" when it should be "exciting". David Bianculli of the Daily News received Legend more positively. He liked the two starring actors, and said the western science-fiction format of the show "provides far more fun, and sly intelligence, than viewers might initially suspect." Writing in the New York Post
, John Podhoretz called Legend "a gorgeous amalgam of science fiction and old-fashioned Western," noting it was "eerily similar" to The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. He said the pilot episode was "an engaging piece of work" which was "photographed with stunning care and taste."
Science fiction Western
A science fiction Western is a work of fiction which has elements of science fiction in a Western setting. It is different from a Space Western, which is a frontier story indicative of American Westerns, except transposed to a backdrop of space exploration and settlement.A science fiction Western...
television show that ran on UPN
UPN
United Paramount Network was a television network that was broadcast in over 200 markets in the United States from 1995 to 2006. UPN was originally owned by Viacom/Paramount and Chris-Craft Industries, the former of which, through the Paramount Television Group, produced most of the network's...
from April 18, 1995 until August 22, 1995, with one final re-airing of the pilot on July 3, 1996. It was Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson is an American television and film actor, producer and composer. He began his television career in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver...
's first major role after the successful MacGyver
MacGyver
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
series, and also starred John de Lancie
John de Lancie
John de Lancie is an American actor. He has been active in screen and television roles since 1977, though he is best known for his recurring role as Q on the various Star Trek series and as Frank Simmons in Stargate SG-1....
, best known for his role as "Q" in Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
. All three series were produced by Paramount Network Television
Paramount Television
Paramount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
.
Plot
Ernest Pratt, a gambling, womanizing, cowardly, hard-drinking writer has created a dashing literary hero, Nicodemus Legend, the main character in a series of wildly imaginative dime novelDime novel
Dime novel, though it has a specific meaning, has also become a catch-all term for several different forms of late 19th-century and early 20th-century U.S...
s set in the untamed West. Because Pratt writes the novels in the first person and has posed as Legend for their cover art, many readers believe that Pratt is Nicodemus Legend.
In the pilot episode, when Pratt learns that Nicodemus Legend has been impersonated and a warrant issued for his arrest, he travels to the scene of the incident to clear the name of his protagonist.
Pratt meets up with the impersonator, a great admirer of his tales, the eccentric European scientist Janos Bartok — a Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla
Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
analogue who had been Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison
Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
's research partner — and his brilliant assistant Huitzilopochtli Ramos, who has taken every single course Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
had to offer. Bartok "borrowed" the Legend persona in order to help the townspeople of Sheridan, Colorado
Sheridan, Colorado
Sheridan is a Home Rule Municipality in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The population was 5,600 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sheridan is located at ....
.
They enlist the reluctant Pratt to their cause, and show him how their scientific expertise and outlandish inventions (frequently based on ideas from Pratt's books) can bolster the impression that Pratt really is Nicodemus Legend. Bartok says:
Your celebrity has the power to give our enemies pause. My science can increase that reputation. And together, we will create the real Legend.
Suffering from writer's block, under pressure from his publishers, and inspired, in spite of himself, at the thought of doing real good, Pratt reluctantly agrees to assume the persona of his literary creation and to live as the image he created of an adventurous and heroic man. Together, they adventure throughout the West solving mysteries, capturing wrong-doers, and making scientific discoveries.
Cast
Main characters
- Ernest Pratt, played by Richard Dean AndersonRichard Dean AndersonRichard Dean Anderson is an American television and film actor, producer and composer. He began his television career in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver...
, was born into a good, conservative Boston family in 1836 and attended Harvard College for a short time, where he fell under the spell of the Romantic poets and Gothic literature. Defying his banker father, Pratt decided to pursue the life of a writer and headed west to San Francisco where he became an apprentice reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. A chance meeting with Mark TwainMark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
changed Pratt's life and inspired the young man to set to work on his first successful book, Solitary Knight of the High Plains, which introduced the dashing hero, Nicodemus Legend. Pratt's technique of writing in the first person helps give his readers the impression that Legend's exploits are real.
- Nicodemus Legend, also played by Anderson, is the fictional hero of numerous popular novels by Ernest Pratt. Legend is a champion of the underdog, a crusader for justice and truth. His perfect manners, good looks, courage and dedication, and beautiful hand-beaded buckskin outfits make him a dashing and romantic figure. Legend is tough and quick-witted with an impressive knowledge of science. He hates violence, preferring to use brains instead of a gun. In sharp contrast with Pratt, Legend does not drink, smoke, or indulge in sexual activity, although frequently approached by attractive women. Since Pratt's novels are written in the first person from Legend's point of view, many readers fail to realize that Legend is a fictitious character.
- Janos Bartok, played by John de LancieJohn de LancieJohn de Lancie is an American actor. He has been active in screen and television roles since 1977, though he is best known for his recurring role as Q on the various Star Trek series and as Frank Simmons in Stargate SG-1....
, was born in Hungary in 1840. He speaks five languages and is a prodigy in mathematics and electrical engineering. Bartok is fascinated with all aspects of life, from the discovery of new scientific advancements to spiritualism and extra-sensory perception and especially with the idea that man will one day fly. After winning a scholarship to the University of Budapest, Bartok came to New York to work at Western union where he met the young Thomas EdisonThomas EdisonThomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph, the motion picture camera, and a long-lasting, practical electric light bulb. In addition, he created the world’s first industrial...
. A bitter competition developed between these two brilliant scientists. Eventually, Edison destroyed Bartok's reputation by claiming that Bartok had stolen his ideas. Tiring of the scandal and the resulting media attention, Bartok left New York and headed West, settling in Colorado to continue his experiments. His financial backing comes from a wealthy widow in Denver with scientific interests and perhaps other interests in Bartok. In his leisure time he reads the humorous novels of Mark TwainMark TwainSamuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
and a series of dime novels which chronicle the adventures of Nicodemus Legend. Janos Bartok was inspired by SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n scientist Nikola TeslaNikola TeslaNikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
.
Recurring characters
- Huitzilopochtli Ramos, played by Mark Adair Rios, is Mexican, a descendant of Aztec kings who has inherited the great Aztec genius for mathematics. His first name - Huitzilopochtli - means "Hummingbird of the South" and was the name of the chief tribal God in the Aztec religion. Ramos' brilliance was recognized early in his life, and he eventually went to work for a Harvard archaeologist on a dig in Mexico. The archaeologist was so impressed by Ramos' intellect that he helped the young man get a scholarship to Harvard. As a running joke, Ramos was described in several different episodes as having a degree in a wide variety of different specialties. The character was a sharp distinction from the cliche image of the mad scientist's assistant, as Ramos is fiercely intelligent in his own right. Ramos is fiercely devoted to Bartok, whom he met when they were both working for Western Union. Bartok in turn is unstinting in his praise for Ramos.
- Skeeter, played by Jarrad PaulJarrad PaulJarrad Paul is an American actor and screenwriter.He moved to Los Angeles, CA after graduating from high school. During the 1990s, Paul had recurring roles on such shows as Legend and Home Improvement. In 1999, he co-starred with Jay Mohr in Action as screenwriter Adam Rafkin...
, is Legend’s version of the Artful Dodger who seems to come from nowhere and live nowhere, but who’s always around and into things.
- Harry Parver, played by Bob BalabanBob BalabanRobert Elmer "Bob" Balaban is an American actor, author and director.-Personal life:Balaban was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Eleanor and Elmer Balaban, who owned several movie theatres and later was a pioneer in cable television...
, is the representative of Pratt's publisher. He is an Easterner who is fascinated by the West but quite out of place in it. Parver is a businessman surrounded by geniuses, dreamers and lunatics. It is his job to be concerned with deadlines, re-writes and promotional stunts to keep the Legend books at the top of the best-seller lists.
Episode list
| Ep# | Title | Broadcast Date | Written by | Directed by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Birth of a Legend" | April 18, 1995 | Michael Piller Michael Piller Michael Piller was an American television scriptwriter and producer, who was most famous for his contributions to the Star Trek franchise.-Early life and career:Piller was born in Port Chester, New York... & Bill Dial |
Charles Correll Charles Correll Charles James Correll was an American radio comedian, best known for his work on the Amos 'n' Andy show with Freeman S. Gosden. Correll voiced the central character of Andy Brown, along with various supporting characters. Before teaming up with Gosden, Correll worked as a stenographer and a... |
| 2 | "Mr. Pratt goes to Sheridan" | April 25, 1995 | Michael Piller Michael Piller Michael Piller was an American television scriptwriter and producer, who was most famous for his contributions to the Star Trek franchise.-Early life and career:Piller was born in Port Chester, New York... & Bill Dial |
William Gereghty |
| 3 | "Legend on his President's Secret Service" | May 2, 1995 | Bob Wilcox | Michael Vejar |
| 4 | "Custer's Next to Last Stand" | May 9, 1995 | Bill Dial | William Gereghty |
| 5 | "The Life, Death, and Life of Wild Bill Hickok" | May 16, 1995 | Peter Allan Fields Peter Allan Fields Peter Allan Fields is a writer best known for many episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also wrote for The Six Million Dollar Man, including the acclaimed episode "The Seven Million Dollar Man."... |
Michael Caffey |
| 6 | "Knee-High Noon" | May 23, 1995 | Steve Stolier & Frederick Rappaport | James L. Conway James L. Conway James L. Conway is an American film and television director, producer and writer.- Director :* 90210* Charmed* Star Trek: Enterprise* Star Trek: Deep Space Nine... |
| 7 | "The Gospel According to Legend" | June 12, 1995 | John Considine John Considine This article is about the writer and actor. For his grandfather, the vaudeville pioneer, see John Considine . For the former Florida state representative, see John J... |
Michael Vejar |
| 8 | "Bone of Contention" | June 20, 1995 | George Geiger | Charles Correll Charles Correll Charles James Correll was an American radio comedian, best known for his work on the Amos 'n' Andy show with Freeman S. Gosden. Correll voiced the central character of Andy Brown, along with various supporting characters. Before teaming up with Gosden, Correll worked as a stenographer and a... |
| 9 | "Revenge of the Herd" | July 4, 1995 | Tim Burns | Bob Balaban Bob Balaban Robert Elmer "Bob" Balaban is an American actor, author and director.-Personal life:Balaban was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Eleanor and Elmer Balaban, who owned several movie theatres and later was a pioneer in cable television... |
| 10 | "Fall of a Legend" | July 18, 1995 | Bob Shane Bob Shane Bob Shane is an American singer and guitarist and, with Nick Reynolds' passing in October 2008, the only surviving founding member of The Kingston Trio. In that capacity, Shane became a seminal figure in the revival of folk and other acoustic music as a popular art form in the U.S... & Ron Friedman Ron Friedman Ron Friedman is a productive screenwriter most famous for his work on such successful television shows as G.I. Joe, Gilligan's Island, The Transformers and the Marvel Action Hour shows Iron Man and Fantastic Four.... |
Michael Vejar |
| 11 | "Clueless in San Francisco" | July 25, 1995 | Carol Caldwell & Marianne Clarkson | Charles Correll Charles Correll Charles James Correll was an American radio comedian, best known for his work on the Amos 'n' Andy show with Freeman S. Gosden. Correll voiced the central character of Andy Brown, along with various supporting characters. Before teaming up with Gosden, Correll worked as a stenographer and a... |
| 12 | "Skeletons in the Closet" | August 8, 1995 | David Rich | Steve Shaw |
Legend Novels
| Novel | Plot |
|---|---|
| Solitary Knight of the High Plains | The character of Legend is introduced to the reading public. |
| Land of the Orange Sky | Legend helps a school teacher lady in Colorado. |
| Legend and Cherokee Joe | Legend takes a bad fall. |
| Blood on the Texas Sands | Includes the quadrovelocipede. |
| The Chase Through the Booby-Trapped Arroyos | Also includes the quadrovelocipede. |
| Legend and the Ghost of the Chiricahuas | A novel that would worry a gunfighter. |
| Legend and the Massacre at Mesquite Flat | Disarmed and disabled five Apaches in this book. |
| Double Shadows | Legend helps out the Payson twins, who were accused of a crime they didn't commit. Set in Amarillo, Texas. |
| The Mystery of the Feathercreek Murder | Legend uses forensic science to solve a murder. |
| When Legend Came Marching Home | Legend is a Yankee cavalry hero, who was with the Michigan Fifth, coming home after the Civil War. |
| Blood on the Moonlit Prairie | Used a night vision device. |
| Legend and the Guns of Brothers | Legend versus the James gang. |
| Wheels Across Montana | Stage Robbers rob a coach by coming up from behind. |
| Dry Gulch | Crossing the desert. |
| Borderline | Takes place in El Paso Del Norte and features the colorful Mexican street Camino Real. |
| Legend's Lost Love | About Clementine, Legend's first love, whom the angels took from him. |
| Legend Meets Frontier Laddie | Legend teams up with a Collie dog. |
Conception and development
Legend was originally conceived as a TV movie before it was picked up as a series.Production design and filming
It was shot on location in Mescal and Tucson, ArizonaTucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
from January to June, 1995.
Production staff
- Created by: Michael PillerMichael PillerMichael Piller was an American television scriptwriter and producer, who was most famous for his contributions to the Star Trek franchise.-Early life and career:Piller was born in Port Chester, New York...
and Bill Dial - Executive Producers: Bill Dial, Michael Piller
- Executive Producers: Richard Dean Anderson, Michael GreenburgMichael GreenburgMichael Greenburg is an American writer, producer and director. He was born in Scarsdale, New York.-Biography:Michael Greenburg is presently the Executive Producer of Score Productions Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Score Media Inc. . Score Media’s main asset is The Score Television Network,...
- Music by: Ken Harrison
Broadcast history
The series was a Gekko Film Corp production in association with Bill & Mike Productions for Paramount TelevisionParamount Television
Paramount Television was an American television production/distribution company that was active from January 1, 1968 to August 27, 2006.Its successor is CBS Television Studios, formerly CBS Paramount Television...
, broadcast on UPN.
Twelve episodes were aired, including the 2-hour pilot episode. Despite critical praise, this program aired during UPN's first year of existence and after a change in network management, along with lower than expected ratings, the show was canceled along with almost every other program aired on the UPN lineup.
Reception
Jeff Jarvis of TV GuideTV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
appreciated the show's attempt to follow up The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr., often referred to as just Brisco or Brisco County,The series is referred to as just Brisco or by Brisco County by the creator and executive producer Carlton Cuse, actors involved with the show, and by many critics. Some examples include:* Cuse, Carlton, DVD extra...
as another western with wry humor, but he ultimately didn't recommend it. Jarvis said that while the show is "cute" and that Anderson and de Lancie "click together", he called the show "dull" when it should be "exciting". David Bianculli of the Daily News received Legend more positively. He liked the two starring actors, and said the western science-fiction format of the show "provides far more fun, and sly intelligence, than viewers might initially suspect." Writing in the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, John Podhoretz called Legend "a gorgeous amalgam of science fiction and old-fashioned Western," noting it was "eerily similar" to The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. He said the pilot episode was "an engaging piece of work" which was "photographed with stunning care and taste."