User Review

I was excited when I saw that Kevin Sorbo was to be in a Series based on his "Hercules" character which had been the subject of several of those Universal "Action Pack" TV-Moovies. I loufed those too, I totally dug that Heracle's Dad was Anthony Quinn. And his wife was Tawny Kitaen. But the Weekly Series could not include Quinn as Zeus, and they killed off Tawny Kitaen as Heracle's original wife Deianeira - Who according to the actual Myth of Hercules was killed by being sopped in a poison cloak by a Centaur... So Zeus, as he could change form often, could use several different actors to play him, and they did bring back Deianeira in several episodes where Hercules visited her in The Elysian Fields. I set aside "Hercules Time" for myself each week - As this show was syndicated, at first that was difficult because they moved the show around a little bit at first. Eventually, they showed it at relatively the same time on relatively the same channel each week, so I was able to eventually build a continuity for watching this show. And as the show itself ran, it built internal continuities for itself - And for Michael Hurst, Heracle's "Side Kick" Iaolus - And his Dad "Zeus" (Eventually played by Roy Dotrice for several Episodes)- and stepmother always in his "Hera" sometimes played by Meg Foster - And his Brother Iphicles, and Even later visits by Xena and Ares and Strife. And Sorbo's wife "The Golden Hind" (Played by Sorbo's Wife Sam Jenkins - They met while filming the Golden Hind Ep and got married, always thought that was cool)-I had a comfort with these characters. The Locations, all in New Zealand, were majestic - Whenever there was some Fort or Castle or Village, I was always convinced of Antiquity. Which was amazing considering the sheer amount of deliberate anachronisms they used to use as gags in the episodes - Especially with Robert Trevor's "Used Toga Salesman" character Salmoneus. I just think about this stuff, and have to giggle, I was amused and entertained by this show for several long years. Sorbo not only took us through Ancient Greece as if it were a walk through our own neighborhoods, but later in the series especially the last season, he actually visited several other Mythological Milieus - Asengard, Ireland, England, there were even visits by Angels from Christian Mythos. So Hercules basically visited not only all of the Grecian places that may have been associated with him, but also places in other Myths from other cultures. Of course, "historically" none of this was ever meant to be "accurate" - It was just meant to be fun. If was fun to watch, as it must have been fun to make. The Spin-off series, "Xena Warrior Princess" turned out to be even more popular - When they changed her from a crook to a Heroine. It took a while for the "Family" to develop, but most of the characters were beloved by the fans - Of which I was one. This was Kevin Sorbo's signature role - He'll always be Hercules to me, even while being Captain Dylan Hunt in "Andromeda" This show basically put Sam Raimi on the map of the world - And the Underworld - And all of the worlds Hercules visited. And producer Robert Tapert as well. From the moment these episodes started playing, until the end credits and the "Renniassance" logo - Suspiciously similar to Mel Gibson's "Icon" Logo- rolled, this series entranced and enthralled me for all the years it played.