Legend of the Seeker
Encyclopedia
Legend of the Seeker is a television series based on The Sword of Truth
novels by Terry Goodkind
. Distributed in U.S. by Disney-ABC Domestic Television, ABC Studios produced the series, which was its first foray into broadcast syndication, with Sam Raimi
, Robert Tapert
, Joshua Donen, Ned Nalle and Kenneth Biller
serving as executive producers. The show premiered on November 1, 2008 and ran for two seasons before its cancellation in 2010.
The series follows the epic journeys of a young woods guide named Richard Cypher (Craig Horner
), a mysterious woman named Kahlan Amnell (Bridget Regan
), a wizard named Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander (Bruce Spence
), and a warrior named Cara (Tabrett Bethell
) as they defend against tyranny and destruction.
created in his The Sword of Truth
fantasy novel series. The three main provinces are Westland, the Midlands and D'Hara. Westland is separated from the Midlands by a magical boundary, which was created to prevent any magic from entering Westland. On the other side of the Midlands is D'Hara, which is ruled by Darken Rahl. An ancient order of women known as Confessors oversee the welfare of the people of the Midlands.
The first season is loosely based on the first book of The Sword of Truth series Wizard's First Rule
. Some of the stories feature events and characters not encountered in the books, while others loosely adapt events from the book. The story begins after the invasion of Darken Rahl's army into the Midlands. Kahlan Amnell, a Confessor, ventures into Westland in search of a wizard and the Seeker, who has been prophesied to defeat Rahl. Kahlan finds the wizard, Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander , and the Seeker, Richard Cypher, who is forced to accept his destiny. Together, they set off on a journey to seek out Darken Rahl and his minions. They soon discover that in the process of defeating Darken Rahl, they unintentionally helped the Keeper of the underworld create tears between the veil of the underworld and the world of the living. Richard's quest in the second season is to find the 'Stone of Tears' to seal the rifts between the worlds and defeat the Keeper.
and the official website for United States residents, but most of the episodes were removed from both just prior to the DVD release.
Filming of the second season started in July 2009.It was based on the sequel to Wizard's First Rule,Stone of Tears.The first episode aired on November 7, 2009. The season consisted of 22 episodes.Streamable episodes appeared on both the show's official website, HuluPlus, and Netflix
.
became interested in adapting The Sword of Truth
novels after his business partner Joshua Donen encouraged him to read the books, and he in turn gave the books to Robert Tapert
to read. Raimi considered adapting the first book into a movie or a five-part miniseries, but later settled on making a weekly television series after speaking to the books' author Terry Goodkind
. A weekly television program would allow them to include most of the stories and important aspects of the series. Goodkind had resisted selling the rights of his books on multiple occasions before he met Raimi because he was not confident that other producers would maintain the integrity of his stories and characters. Raimi, who had produced Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
and Xena: Warrior Princess
with Tapert and Ned Nalle, saw this as an opportunity to return to the first-run syndicated television business. However, the syndicated television business had diminished after the loss of crucial foreign markets and a gradual conversion of independent stations to UPN
and WB
programming that left little room for other syndicated dramas.
ABC Studios agreed to fund the project, making it its first venture into broadcast syndication, and greenlit the production for 22 episodes, after it was cleared for broadcast to stations representing 84% of the United States, with Tribune Company
being the primary launch group. The show, which is heavily action-oriented and requires visual effects, was given a "network-sized" production budget of US$1.5 million per episode.
Originally named Wizard's First Rule
(after the first book in The Sword of Truth series), the show was retitled to Legend of the Seeker at Goodkind's suggestion since the producers wanted to differentiate the show from the books, and it would have been too restrictive for them to only include plotlines from the first book as well as having the opportunity to cover the story within all the books in the series.
With show's production based in New Zealand and a writing staff based in Los Angeles, one of the biggest challenges has been dealing with the time differences and the communication issues. Kenneth Biller
noted that the biggest challenges the writing staff faced were to create standalone episodes while integrating the storylines and mythology created by Terry Goodkind, and to "honor the books without literally translating them". As such, the series contains some stories from the books and new stories and events created by the series' writers. Raimi's reason for the changes is that the structure of a novel differs from a weekly one-hour television program. Tapert and Raimi maintain that while the writers have had to create events that were not portrayed in the books, they have remained faithful to the characters, themes and overarching story of the books:
Goodkind released a message to his readers on his official website prior to the show's production saying:
However, after production started Goodkind released another press statement in response to questions posed to him by fans:
For the role of Kahlan Amnell, Raimi credits Tapert for finding Bridget Regan, whom he saw on one of the audition tapes they received. Raimi thought that she grounded the fantastical situations by being "very human and real", and recalled, "I was moved by her and I believed her and I thought we couldn't ask for anything more." Like Horner, Regan had not read the books prior to the audition. Horner and Regan were brought together for a "chemistry reading" in Los Angeles, upon which the producers concurred that they had found their two lead actors.
, filming has taken place in various places in and outside of the city: at Henderson Valley Studios
, in the city's outskirts and in the mountainous region around Queenstown
.
, the major distributor of the series, decided not to renew the series on March 4, 2010, but according to a statement from ABC Studios, this was not a deciding factor of its cancellation. After an apparent deal with Syfy
fell through, on April 26 Ausiello Files
reported that Legend of the Seeker had been cancelled and would not return for a third season. Fans of the series responded by launching an ongoing renewal campaign titled "Save Our Seeker". Terry Goodkind has expressed his support for the campaign.
among 54 metered markets with a 1.4/3 rating on Saturday and a 1.7/3 rating on Sunday. In addition to improving its broadcast time periods in several top markets, Legend also improved the audience numbers in the key 18 to 49 year old demographic in all airings. Over its first month of airing, the show averaged more than 3.6 million viewers. It was renewed for a second season after obtaining a 2.0 household rating average for its first ten episodes.
. It was criticized for not being as "fun" as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
and Xena: Warrior Princess
(also produced by Robert Tapert
and Sam Raimi
), and not having enough excitement. Another major complaint about the show was its lack of distinguishing features and that it was "too derivative of other works" like Star Wars
, The Matrix, and The Wheel of Time
, with the "300
-style" slow-motion action sequences often cited as an example. Brian Lowry from Variety
called the show "a hodgepodge of better sci-fi/fantasy fare", while Ray Richmond from The Hollywood Reporter
described it as "[b]ig on style but more challenged in terms of substance" with "too little provocative/evocative interaction aside from the ultra-violent kind".
Legend was praised for its high production value and the use of New Zealand exteriors, with Robert Lloyd from Los Angeles Times
commenting that the show is basically "good-looking fun". Although both Lloyd and Diane Steenbergen from IGN commended the performances of the lead actors Craig Horner and Bridget Regan , they were not pleased with the supporting performances. Steenbergen thought that the series' third episode was "far more entertaining than the previous two that were weighed down with too much exposition."
.
In 2010, the series was nominated for an Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music Emmy.
In 2011, Costume Designer Jane Holland, Cinematographer Kevin Riley, and Sound Designer Chris Burt all won awards at the Aotearoa Film & Television Awards for their outstanding work in Legend of the Seeker.
on March 15, 2009. In New Zealand, it premiered on March 29, 2009 on Prime
and airs weekly in the Monday 7:30 pm timeslot. In the UK & Ireland, SyFy Channel
picked up the rights for Season 1 and Season 2 with the air time slot of 8:00pm starting on August 13, 2009 Irish Broadcaster RTE1 aired the show on August 19. In French Canada, the first season aired in 2009 and the second season in 2010 on Ztélé
under the French title L'Épée de vérité.
In South Africa
the show was picked up by pay TV operator M-Net
, broadcasting on Saturday nights since July 2009. In Germany, it premiered on October 11, 2009 on ProSieben and airs Sundays around 5:00pm. In Singapore, it premiered October 15, airing on Thursdays at 2030hrs.In Poland it premiered September 4, 2009 on TVP1 and airs on Fridays around 10:00pm. In Australia, it will premiere on Fox8
on November 29. In Italy, the show will premiere on SKY Uno on December 8. In Sweden, the series will premiere on TV6 5 February at 20.00 local time. In Ukraine, the series will air on 1+1 channel 14 November at 12.30 local time
In Norway, the first episode aired 28 December 2009 on Tv2 Zebra Sundays at 20.00 (Norwegian time).
The Sword of Truth
The Sword of Truth is a series of thirteen epic fantasy novels written by Terry Goodkind. The books follow the protagonists Richard Cypher, Kahlan Amnell and Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander on their quest to defeat oppressors who seek to control the world and those who wish to unleash evil upon the world of...
novels by Terry Goodkind
Terry Goodkind
Terry Goodkind is an American writer and author of the epic fantasy The Sword of Truth series as well as the contemporary suspense novel The Law of Nines, which has ties to his fantasy series, and The Omen Machine, which is a direct sequel thereof. Before his success as an author Goodkind worked...
. Distributed in U.S. by Disney-ABC Domestic Television, ABC Studios produced the series, which was its first foray into broadcast syndication, with Sam Raimi
Sam Raimi
Samuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
, Robert Tapert
Robert Tapert
Robert Gerard Tapert , sometimes credited as Rob Tapert, Robert G. Tapert, or Rip Tapert, is an American film producer, best known for his co-founding of, and his subsequent work with, the Renaissance Pictures company....
, Joshua Donen, Ned Nalle and Kenneth Biller
Kenneth Biller
Kenneth Biller is a television producer, television writer, television director as well as television editor, best known for his work in Star Trek: Voyager.- Producer :* E-Ring* North Shore* Legend of the Seeker* Smallville...
serving as executive producers. The show premiered on November 1, 2008 and ran for two seasons before its cancellation in 2010.
The series follows the epic journeys of a young woods guide named Richard Cypher (Craig Horner
Craig Horner
Craig Horner is an Australian actor who first appeared in the Australian television program Cybergirl. He is best known for his role as Richard Cypher on the television series Legend of the Seeker.-Biography:...
), a mysterious woman named Kahlan Amnell (Bridget Regan
Bridget Regan
Bridget Catherine Regan is an American film, television and theater actress, best known for her portrayal of Kahlan Amnell in the television series Legend of the Seeker.-Career:...
), a wizard named Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander (Bruce Spence
Bruce Spence
Bruce Spence, born September 17, 1945 is an actor, having spent most of his career performing in Australia. Bruce attended Henderson High School in West Auckland....
), and a warrior named Cara (Tabrett Bethell
Tabrett Bethell
Tabrett Bethell is an Australian film, television and theater actress, best known for portraying the character Cara in the television series Legend of the Seeker...
) as they defend against tyranny and destruction.
Plot
The story takes place in the world author Terry GoodkindTerry Goodkind
Terry Goodkind is an American writer and author of the epic fantasy The Sword of Truth series as well as the contemporary suspense novel The Law of Nines, which has ties to his fantasy series, and The Omen Machine, which is a direct sequel thereof. Before his success as an author Goodkind worked...
created in his The Sword of Truth
The Sword of Truth
The Sword of Truth is a series of thirteen epic fantasy novels written by Terry Goodkind. The books follow the protagonists Richard Cypher, Kahlan Amnell and Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander on their quest to defeat oppressors who seek to control the world and those who wish to unleash evil upon the world of...
fantasy novel series. The three main provinces are Westland, the Midlands and D'Hara. Westland is separated from the Midlands by a magical boundary, which was created to prevent any magic from entering Westland. On the other side of the Midlands is D'Hara, which is ruled by Darken Rahl. An ancient order of women known as Confessors oversee the welfare of the people of the Midlands.
The first season is loosely based on the first book of The Sword of Truth series Wizard's First Rule
Wizard's First Rule
Wizard's First Rule, written by Terry Goodkind, is the bestselling first book in the epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth. Published by Tor Books, it was released on August 15, 1994 in hardcover, and in paperback on July 15, 1997. The book also was re-released with new cover artwork by Keith...
. Some of the stories feature events and characters not encountered in the books, while others loosely adapt events from the book. The story begins after the invasion of Darken Rahl's army into the Midlands. Kahlan Amnell, a Confessor, ventures into Westland in search of a wizard and the Seeker, who has been prophesied to defeat Rahl. Kahlan finds the wizard, Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander , and the Seeker, Richard Cypher, who is forced to accept his destiny. Together, they set off on a journey to seek out Darken Rahl and his minions. They soon discover that in the process of defeating Darken Rahl, they unintentionally helped the Keeper of the underworld create tears between the veil of the underworld and the world of the living. Richard's quest in the second season is to find the 'Stone of Tears' to seal the rifts between the worlds and defeat the Keeper.
Main characters
- Craig HornerCraig HornerCraig Horner is an Australian actor who first appeared in the Australian television program Cybergirl. He is best known for his role as Richard Cypher on the television series Legend of the Seeker.-Biography:...
as Richard Cypher or Richard Rahl (Season 1 and 2) - The Seeker of Truth. When Darken Rahl sent his soldiers to kill every first born son in Brennidon, Zedd helped Richard by bringing him into Hartland and giving him to George and Mary Cypher. In 1x01 "Prophecy", Kahlan arrives in Hartland to find Richard and Zedd and Zedd tells Richard who he really is. Together they stand to defeat Darken Rahl but when they defeat Rahl,they caused a tear in the veil which separates the World of the Living from the Underworld and they have to find the Stone of Tears to seal the rift.
- Bridget ReganBridget ReganBridget Catherine Regan is an American film, television and theater actress, best known for her portrayal of Kahlan Amnell in the television series Legend of the Seeker.-Career:...
as Kahlan Amnell (Season 1 and 2) - The Mother Confessor. (Only named Mother Confessor in 1x10 "Sacrifice"). After Richard is named, she has sworn to protect Richard with her life and proves worthy to the team because, during battles, when she gets the chance, she confesses people so that they can find out information and add someone to their team.
- Bruce SpenceBruce SpenceBruce Spence, born September 17, 1945 is an actor, having spent most of his career performing in Australia. Bruce attended Henderson High School in West Auckland....
as Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander (Season 1 and 2) - The first wizard and a Wizard of the First Order. After Richard was named, he swore to protect Richard with his life. He proves worthy to the team because, when there are things involving magic or there's no one Kahlan can confess, he normally finds out the right answer. He never rushes and always looks ahead to what has been done.
- Tabrett BethellTabrett BethellTabrett Bethell is an Australian film, television and theater actress, best known for portraying the character Cara in the television series Legend of the Seeker...
as Cara Mason (Season 2) - A Mord-Sith. She was the one who helped Richard kill Darken Rahl and in 2x01 "Marked" when her Sisters of the Agiel betrayed her, Richard saved her. Because of that, both protect each other with their lives. Cara is always fiesty and sharped - tongued and has the stomach to kill good people when none of the rest can.
Recurring Characters
- David de LautourDavid de LautourDavid Hugh de Lautour is a New Zealand television actor and musician. He was born in Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand and attended King's College, then The American Musical and Dramatic Academy to which he received a $50,000 scholarship.-Television and film work:He has appeared in the...
as Michael Cypher (Season 1) - Richard's stepbrother and First Counciler of Hartland. Michael always looked down on Richard and never told him his origin. In 1x14 "Hartland", Michael is killed while trying to help Richard and Kahlan.
- Brooke WilliamsBrooke WilliamsBrooke Williams is a New Zealand actress, best known for playing Jennsen Rahl in Legend of the Seeker and Aurelia in Spartacus: Blood and Sand.-Career:...
as Jennsen Rahl (Season 1 and 2) - Richard's sister and a Pristinely Ungifted. As a Pristinely Ungifted, Jennsen can't be harmed by magic nor can she use magic. In 2x21 "Unbroken", the Keeper sends the Sisters of the Dark to drink her blood and they kill her.
- Craig ParkerCraig ParkerCraig Parker is a New Zealand actor who was based in the United Kingdom for some time, but now resides in New Zealand. His grandfather moved from Edinburgh, Scotland to Fiji when he was stationed during his years of service in the British Army...
as Darken Rahl (Season 1 and 2) - Richard's brother and the emperor of D'Hara. Darken Rahl once sent his assassins to kill every first - born child in Brennidon so they will kill the seeker but Zedd escaped with Richard and raised him in Hartland. After that, Darken Rahl has tried everything he can to kill Richard. In Season 2, Darken Rahl forces Richard to resurrect him and Rahl returned to the World of the Living.
- Tania NolanTania NolanTania Nolan is a New Zealand actress from Rakaia, Canterbury, New Zealand.Nolan is best known for her roles as Isobel Jones in the New Zealand television series The Hothouse and Angelina Caulfield in the comedy/drama series Go Girls .-Career:Graduated from Toi Whakaari Drama School in 2005.As...
as Dennee Amnell (Season 1 and 2) - Kahlan's sister and a confessor. From young, Dennee has always looked up to Kahlan. In 1x10 "Sacrifice", Dennee and the remaining confessors (except Kahlan) flee to Valeria but the Mord-Sith kill them all. In 2x07 "Resurrection", Denna and a wizard resurrect her but she flees Denna and lives with the child of the woman whose body her spirit had been put in.
- Jon Braizer as Thaddicus Zorander (Season 1 (cameo) and 2) - Zedd's brother. From young, Thaddicus has never done anything good but has always seized every opportunity to kill Panis Rahl, the man who murdered his and Zedd's father.
- Jay Laga'aiaJay Laga'aiaJay Laga'aia is an actor and singer. He is best known internationally for his role as Captain Typho in the films Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.-Career:...
as Dell "Chase" Brandstone (Season 1) - The boundary warden of Hartland. Chase has always done everything he can to help Richard.
- Danielle CormackDanielle CormackDanielle Cormack is a stage and screen actress from New Zealand. She was one of the original core cast of the long-running soap opera Shortland Street, though she is also known for her role as the Amazon Ephiny in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, Cynthia Ross in The Cult, and Shota in...
as ShotaShotaThe word/name "Shota" may mean:* Shota, a traditional Albanian dance* Shōta, a Japanese given name* Shotacon, artwork or manga often depicting a sexual relationship between young boys or between a young boy and an adult...
- The witch woman of Agaden Reach. In Season 1, Shota tries to help the team with her knowledge of prophecy and witch woman skills. In Season 2, Shota tries to kill Richard and name a new Seeker because of the prophecy saying that the seeker will deliver the Stone of Tears to the Keeper.
- Kevin J. WilsonKevin J. WilsonKevin J. Wilson is an Australian actor. He is best known for his performance as executive producer Sam Murphy on the satirical Frontline and as Sir Malcolm on erotic soap opera Chances.-References:...
as General Egremont - Lord Rahl's most trusted advisor. General Egremont has never double - crossed Rahl and will even lay down his life for Rahl.
- Jessica MaraisJessica MaraisJessica Dominique Marais is an Australian actress who hails from Perth, Western Australia. She is best known for her role as Rachel Rafter in the television series Packed to the Rafters.-Early Life:...
as Denna - A Mord-Sith. When she failed to break Richard Rahl gave her a second chance but when she failed again, Richard allowed her to flee to escape Rahl's wrath. In 2x07 "Resurrection", she kills Richard and puts a trained D'Haran general's spirit in his body but Kahlan kills the general and a wizard and Cara resurrect Richard. In 2x08 "Light" Cara shoots her through the chest with an arrow and she falls of a cliff and dies.
- Elizabeth HawthorneElizabeth HawthorneElizabeth Hawthorne, ONZM, is a New Zealand-born actress who is best known for her role as Mrs. Macready in the 2005 film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the Peter Jackson supernatural comedy The Frighteners. She played Judge Harriet Caldwell in the 2004 TV...
as Annalina Aldurren - The prelate of the Sisters of the Light.Ann will do anything to fulfill "the Creator's will". First, she trapped Richard in the Palace of the Prophets then, she left him to die in the Valley of Perdition, then she sent a false Creator to execute him but he escapes every time.
- Jolene BlalockJolene BlalockJolene K. Blalock is an American film and television actress and model, perhaps best known for playing the Vulcan T'Pol on the UPN science fiction series Star Trek: Enterprise. The star of several feature films, she is a regular guest star in television films and series.- Early career :A popular...
and Emily Foxler as Nicci - The former leader of the Sisters of the Dark. When Nicci fulfilled a promise by the Keeper that if she served him he will protect her, she became one of his most loyal and deadly serveants until Richard convinces her that her strength is hers and hers alone and that she doesn't need to serve the Creator, Keeper or him. From then on, Nicci serves her own self and exits service of the Keeper.
- Elizabeth Blackmore as Marriana - The leader of the Sisters of the Dark. After Nicci left, Marriana took over leadership. Marriana has never betrayed the Keeper and is very loyal to him. She appears as a recurring villain from episodes 39 to 44. In 2x22 "Tears", Richard kills her by stabbing her with the Sword of Truth through her.
Episodes
The series premiered on November 1, 2008 in the United States and is broadcast weekly on Saturday or Sunday, depending on the local television station.It is based on the novel Wizard's First Rule.In addition to the 22 episodes of the first season, the series was renewed by Disney for a second season. All aired episodes were previously available online at HuluHulu
Hulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...
and the official website for United States residents, but most of the episodes were removed from both just prior to the DVD release.
Filming of the second season started in July 2009.It was based on the sequel to Wizard's First Rule,Stone of Tears.The first episode aired on November 7, 2009. The season consisted of 22 episodes.Streamable episodes appeared on both the show's official website, HuluPlus, and Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
.
Development
Sam RaimiSam Raimi
Samuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
became interested in adapting The Sword of Truth
The Sword of Truth
The Sword of Truth is a series of thirteen epic fantasy novels written by Terry Goodkind. The books follow the protagonists Richard Cypher, Kahlan Amnell and Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander on their quest to defeat oppressors who seek to control the world and those who wish to unleash evil upon the world of...
novels after his business partner Joshua Donen encouraged him to read the books, and he in turn gave the books to Robert Tapert
Robert Tapert
Robert Gerard Tapert , sometimes credited as Rob Tapert, Robert G. Tapert, or Rip Tapert, is an American film producer, best known for his co-founding of, and his subsequent work with, the Renaissance Pictures company....
to read. Raimi considered adapting the first book into a movie or a five-part miniseries, but later settled on making a weekly television series after speaking to the books' author Terry Goodkind
Terry Goodkind
Terry Goodkind is an American writer and author of the epic fantasy The Sword of Truth series as well as the contemporary suspense novel The Law of Nines, which has ties to his fantasy series, and The Omen Machine, which is a direct sequel thereof. Before his success as an author Goodkind worked...
. A weekly television program would allow them to include most of the stories and important aspects of the series. Goodkind had resisted selling the rights of his books on multiple occasions before he met Raimi because he was not confident that other producers would maintain the integrity of his stories and characters. Raimi, who had produced Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is a television series, filmed in New Zealand and the United States. It was produced from 1995, and was very loosely based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles...
and Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
with Tapert and Ned Nalle, saw this as an opportunity to return to the first-run syndicated television business. However, the syndicated television business had diminished after the loss of crucial foreign markets and a gradual conversion of independent stations to 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...
and WB
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
programming that left little room for other syndicated dramas.
ABC Studios agreed to fund the project, making it its first venture into broadcast syndication, and greenlit the production for 22 episodes, after it was cleared for broadcast to stations representing 84% of the United States, with Tribune Company
Tribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
being the primary launch group. The show, which is heavily action-oriented and requires visual effects, was given a "network-sized" production budget of US$1.5 million per episode.
Originally named Wizard's First Rule
Wizard's First Rule
Wizard's First Rule, written by Terry Goodkind, is the bestselling first book in the epic fantasy series The Sword of Truth. Published by Tor Books, it was released on August 15, 1994 in hardcover, and in paperback on July 15, 1997. The book also was re-released with new cover artwork by Keith...
(after the first book in The Sword of Truth series), the show was retitled to Legend of the Seeker at Goodkind's suggestion since the producers wanted to differentiate the show from the books, and it would have been too restrictive for them to only include plotlines from the first book as well as having the opportunity to cover the story within all the books in the series.
Writing
Executive producers Raimi and Tapert intended Legend of the Seeker to be "just about telling the stories of these characters and the sacrifices they make for each other. Sometimes it's about the meaning of real friendship. And always, it's the stories of the hero's journey." Tapert added, "We didn't want to have the '90s postmodern attitude where the audience is in on the joke. Seeker is much more serious than Hercules and Xena."With show's production based in New Zealand and a writing staff based in Los Angeles, one of the biggest challenges has been dealing with the time differences and the communication issues. Kenneth Biller
Kenneth Biller
Kenneth Biller is a television producer, television writer, television director as well as television editor, best known for his work in Star Trek: Voyager.- Producer :* E-Ring* North Shore* Legend of the Seeker* Smallville...
noted that the biggest challenges the writing staff faced were to create standalone episodes while integrating the storylines and mythology created by Terry Goodkind, and to "honor the books without literally translating them". As such, the series contains some stories from the books and new stories and events created by the series' writers. Raimi's reason for the changes is that the structure of a novel differs from a weekly one-hour television program. Tapert and Raimi maintain that while the writers have had to create events that were not portrayed in the books, they have remained faithful to the characters, themes and overarching story of the books:
Goodkind released a message to his readers on his official website prior to the show's production saying:
However, after production started Goodkind released another press statement in response to questions posed to him by fans:
Casting
In casting the role of Richard Cypher, Tapert recalled that when he saw Craig Horner's audition tape, he "absolutely thought he was the guy, instantly". Raimi thought that although Horner is older than the character he plays (even though he really isn't), he was "very believable" and that "he's got enough good qualities in him, in real life, and he will probably make the audience believe that he's taking that ride towards making a responsible person and that growth of character that's so important for me in the stories of Terry Goodkind." Horner had not heard of the books prior to the audition, and was convinced by a friend to read the books and try out for the role.For the role of Kahlan Amnell, Raimi credits Tapert for finding Bridget Regan, whom he saw on one of the audition tapes they received. Raimi thought that she grounded the fantastical situations by being "very human and real", and recalled, "I was moved by her and I believed her and I thought we couldn't ask for anything more." Like Horner, Regan had not read the books prior to the audition. Horner and Regan were brought together for a "chemistry reading" in Los Angeles, upon which the producers concurred that they had found their two lead actors.
Filming
Production was set to begin in May 2008 but was delayed by six weeks. The series is shot entirely in New Zealand in high-definition. Though based in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, filming has taken place in various places in and outside of the city: at Henderson Valley Studios
Henderson Valley Studios
Henderson Valley Studios is New Zealand's largest film studio complex, located in Henderson, West Auckland. Entrances to the complex are on on Hickory Ave, Henderson Valley Road and Rabone Street, Henderson....
, in the city's outskirts and in the mountainous region around Queenstown
Queenstown, New Zealand
Queenstown is a resort town in Otago in the south-west of New Zealand's South Island. It is built around an inlet called Queenstown Bay on Lake Wakatipu, a long thin Z-shaped lake formed by glacial processes, and has spectacular views of nearby mountains....
.
Cancellation
TribuneTribune Company
The Tribune Company is a large American multimedia corporation based in Chicago, Illinois. It is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with ten daily newspapers and commuter tabloids including Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Hartford Courant, Orlando Sentinel, South Florida...
, the major distributor of the series, decided not to renew the series on March 4, 2010, but according to a statement from ABC Studios, this was not a deciding factor of its cancellation. After an apparent deal with Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
fell through, on April 26 Ausiello Files
Michael Ausiello
Michael Ausiello is an American television industry journalist and actor. He was a Senior Writer at TV Guide and its companion website, TVGuide.com. On May 28, 2008, Ausiello left TV Guide for Entertainment Weekly and posted his first blog for Entertainment Weekly on July 2, 2008...
reported that Legend of the Seeker had been cancelled and would not return for a third season. Fans of the series responded by launching an ongoing renewal campaign titled "Save Our Seeker". Terry Goodkind has expressed his support for the campaign.
Ratings
Legend of the Seeker premiered on the weekend of November 1–2, 2008 in the United States and attracted more than 4.1 million viewers over the two days. The first two episodes obtained an average of 1.5/3 Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
among 54 metered markets with a 1.4/3 rating on Saturday and a 1.7/3 rating on Sunday. In addition to improving its broadcast time periods in several top markets, Legend also improved the audience numbers in the key 18 to 49 year old demographic in all airings. Over its first month of airing, the show averaged more than 3.6 million viewers. It was renewed for a second season after obtaining a 2.0 household rating average for its first ten episodes.
Critical reception
The premiere of Legend of the Seeker, which included its first two episodes, received generally mixed reviews from critics earning a 53 out of 100 average rating as calculated by MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. It was criticized for not being as "fun" as Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys is a television series, filmed in New Zealand and the United States. It was produced from 1995, and was very loosely based on the tales of the classical Greek culture hero Heracles...
and Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American–New Zealand supernatural fantasy adventure series that aired in syndication from September 4, 1995 until June 18, 2001....
(also produced by Robert Tapert
Robert Tapert
Robert Gerard Tapert , sometimes credited as Rob Tapert, Robert G. Tapert, or Rip Tapert, is an American film producer, best known for his co-founding of, and his subsequent work with, the Renaissance Pictures company....
and Sam Raimi
Sam Raimi
Samuel Marshall "Sam" Raimi is an American film director, producer, actor and writer. He is best known for directing cult horror films like the Evil Dead series, Darkman and Drag Me to Hell, as well as the blockbuster Spider-Man films and the producer of the successful TV series Hercules: The...
), and not having enough excitement. Another major complaint about the show was its lack of distinguishing features and that it was "too derivative of other works" like Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, The Matrix, and The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time
The Wheel of Time is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American author James Oliver Rigney, Jr., under the pen name Robert Jordan. Originally planned as a six-book series, the length was increased by increments; at the time of Rigney's death, he expected it to be 12, but it will actually...
, with the "300
300 (film)
300 is a 2007 American fantasy action film based on the 1998 comic series of the same name by Frank Miller. It is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae. The film was directed by Zack Snyder, while Miller served as executive producer and consultant...
-style" slow-motion action sequences often cited as an example. Brian Lowry from Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
called the show "a hodgepodge of better sci-fi/fantasy fare", while Ray Richmond from The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
described it as "[b]ig on style but more challenged in terms of substance" with "too little provocative/evocative interaction aside from the ultra-violent kind".
Legend was praised for its high production value and the use of New Zealand exteriors, with Robert Lloyd from Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
commenting that the show is basically "good-looking fun". Although both Lloyd and Diane Steenbergen from IGN commended the performances of the lead actors Craig Horner and Bridget Regan , they were not pleased with the supporting performances. Steenbergen thought that the series' third episode was "far more entertaining than the previous two that were weighed down with too much exposition."
Awards
In 2009, the series won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a SeriesPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series
This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series.-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-Total Awards:* CBS - 10* ABC - 7* NBC - 6* FOX - 3* Syndicated - 3* Discovery Channel - 2...
.
In 2010, the series was nominated for an Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music Emmy.
In 2011, Costume Designer Jane Holland, Cinematographer Kevin Riley, and Sound Designer Chris Burt all won awards at the Aotearoa Film & Television Awards for their outstanding work in Legend of the Seeker.
International broadcast
In addition to the United States, broadcast rights for Legend of the Seeker have been picked up in more than 60 international markets. In Spain, the show began airing on TelecincoTelecinco
Telecinco is a Spanish commercial television channel operated by Mediaset España. Launched in 1990 as Tele 5, it was the fifth of the national terrestrial television channels. In 1997, Tele 5 was rebranded as Telecinco, dropping the flower logo seen in other Mediaset channel...
on March 15, 2009. In New Zealand, it premiered on March 29, 2009 on Prime
Prime Television New Zealand
Prime is the seventh national free-to-air television station in New Zealand. The station airs a mixed group of programmes, largely imported from Australia, the UK and the United States, as well as free-to-air rugby union, cricket and rugby league matches....
and airs weekly in the Monday 7:30 pm timeslot. In the UK & Ireland, SyFy Channel
Sci Fi channel (United Kingdom)
Syfy is a television channel service specialising in science fiction, fantasy and horror shows and movies. It is available via digital cable, IPTV, satellite television and Top Up TV platforms. The channel launched in 1995 in the UK a sister channel to the US Sci Fi Channel , with a similar...
picked up the rights for Season 1 and Season 2 with the air time slot of 8:00pm starting on August 13, 2009 Irish Broadcaster RTE1 aired the show on August 19. In French Canada, the first season aired in 2009 and the second season in 2010 on Ztélé
Ztélé
Ztélé is a Canadian French language Category A specialty channel owned by Astral Media. Ztélé focuses on programming primarily from the science fiction, fantasy, and technology genres consisting of dramas, films, documentaries, and more.-History:...
under the French title L'Épée de vérité.
In South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
the show was picked up by pay TV operator M-Net
M-Net
M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....
, broadcasting on Saturday nights since July 2009. In Germany, it premiered on October 11, 2009 on ProSieben and airs Sundays around 5:00pm. In Singapore, it premiered October 15, airing on Thursdays at 2030hrs.In Poland it premiered September 4, 2009 on TVP1 and airs on Fridays around 10:00pm. In Australia, it will premiere on Fox8
FOX8
Fox8 is an Australian cable and satellite channel available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television's subscription platforms...
on November 29. In Italy, the show will premiere on SKY Uno on December 8. In Sweden, the series will premiere on TV6 5 February at 20.00 local time. In Ukraine, the series will air on 1+1 channel 14 November at 12.30 local time
In Norway, the first episode aired 28 December 2009 on Tv2 Zebra Sundays at 20.00 (Norwegian time).
DVD releases
| DVD Name | Release dates | Ep # | Additional Information | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
Region 2 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
Region 4 DVD region code DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region... |
|||
| The Complete First Season | October 13, 2009 | TBA | January 5, 2011 | 22 | The five disc box set includes all 22 episodes. Extras include "Forging the Sword: Crafting a Legend", "Words of Truth: A Conversation with Terry Goodkind", deleted scenes, and audio commentaries. Running Time: 950 minutes. |
| The Complete Second and Final Season | September 28, 2010 | TBA | TBA 2011 | 22 | The five disc box set includes all 22 episodes. Extras include extended scenes, "Under the Underworld", and "Redemption of a Mord'Sith: Meet Cara". Running Time: 946 minutes. |
External links
- Official Legend of the Seeker website
- Terry Goodkind's official website
- Legend of the Seeker at HuluHuluHulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...
- Legend of the Seeker at TV GuideTV GuideTV 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...