The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne

If you have given up on series television (I know I had), The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne has the power to draw you back to the small screen. It builds a Victorian Era universe that is a delight to the eye and populates it with characters that interact with each other and the world on many interesting levels. You must be prepared to suspend your disbelief upon entry as some of the gadgetry and plot devices will put a strain on it, but it is so much fun inside that you won't miss that silly old reality anyway.

The series is currently broadcast on the SciFi channel at the very peculiar time of 1:00 AM Eastern on Sunday mornings, but come this fall, it can be seen on the WB100+ group of stations, as well as many other syndicated stations. Watch for it. Watch it with your kids. Watch it with your friends. Drag strangers in off the street to show it to them. They will thank you for it.

There are 22 episodes at the moment, making the first season. How many more seasons there will/may be depends on ratings here and elsewhere. SF Channel started with episode #2- "Queen Victoria & the Giant Mole." The first episode is called "In The Beginning." I hope we get to see it. I am enjoying the show a lot. It's not the greatest, but it's getting better each week. It's sort of "Wild, Wild West" plus "The Avengers" with a little "Dr. Who" thrown in. There are four very engaging characters here, all doing fine work. Michael Praed is terrific as Phileas Fogg. Cris Demetral is good as Verne. Michel Courtemanche is funny and clever as Passepartout. However, the real standout in the cast is Francesca Hunt as Rebecca Fogg, Phileas' cousin. She has to be the most interesting woman on television since Mrs. Emma Peel. Sorry, Xena. Rebecca Fogg has all the class, sex appeal and moves of Mrs. Peel, but is a bit less aristocratic. This is not a knock on Emma, but it does make Rebecca a bit more earthy and enticing. I look forward to Miss Hunt having a long career. All in all, this show is better than just about everything currently on the big 3 networks. Let's just hope that it can build an audience and stick around for 5-6 seasons.

"The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne" is not a show ruled by conventions. It strays far from the formulaic scripts that seem to dominate network television. After all, when was the last time you saw a show that dealt with rocket-powered Victorian vampires, mechanical gunslingers, time travel and the Holy Grail? Is it science fiction? Is it fantasy? Is it action/adventure? Is it historical drama? Is it camp? All of the above? I don't know. What I do know is that it is refreshingly different.

Granted, Jules Verne ain't Shakespeare, and the first few episodes had more than a fair share of "cringe" and "wince" moments. However, the interesting plots, complex characters and fantastical gadgets kept me coming back. Thank goodness, as the show has done nothing but improve. The characters (and actors) really seem to be hitting their stride. What a combination: The angst-ridden Phileas Fogg; his daring, dynamic secret-agent cousin, Rebecca; the erratic genius/ funnyman, Passepartout and the young, idealistic and accident-prone, Jules Verne. Add escapades all over the globe (and through time) and you've got endless possibilities for adventure!

Furthermore, in a medium which too often relies on gratuitous violence and vulgar language for cheap thrills, "Jules Verne" is one television show the whole family can watch and enjoy without having to worry about R-rated content.

So, if you are seeking something outside the mainstream, something alternately brilliant and cheesy, something both humorous and tragic, something clever, cryptic and occasionally outrageous, this may be it!

This show more than deserves a second season… and a third… and a forth…

Keep the Aurora Flying!

The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne was a fine series that suffered from a lack of network support and a lack of budget. Despite those flaws, it was quite entertaining. Using a favorite steampunk premise, it imagined a world where Phileas Fogg and Passepartout are as real as their creator Jules Verne. In fact, they, along with Fogg's cousin Rebecca, are friends and companions. Together they work to stop the League of Darkness and other foul villains.

Michael Praed was outstanding as Fogg, now a retired secret agent and gentlemen. He is joined by valet and comic relief Passepartout, played with great aplomb by Michael Courtemanche. Courtemanche was adept with both physical and verbal comedy and made a decent adventurer. He gets a chance to shine in "Royalty" where he gets to perform a dual role as King Carl, ala the Prisoner of Zenda. Christopher Demetral is passable as Verne, but he lacks emotional depth and his performance could be wooden. The real standout was Fancesca Hunt as Rebecca Fogg. She was a sort of Victorian Emma Peel, and carried the role off with style and grace.

Despite the limited budget, the series matched the imagination of Verne. Many of the fantastic ideas from Verne's stories found themselves recreated; from the airship Aurora to the League of Darkness' aerial battleship Prometheus, inspired by Robur's Albatross, no doubt. The designs were inventive, while maintaining the Victorian feel.

Although I preferred the scientific plots to the supernatural; both were carried out quite well. Some of the history is a bit incorrect, such as Jesse and Frank James carrying Colt Peacemakers during the Civil War, but it is a fantasy series.

This is a series I wold have liked to have seen continued; but, I fear it was not commercial enough to be successful. It's a shame really, as the series would appeal to fans of the Wild, Wild West and lovers of the works of Jules Verne. Considering that Verne gave birth to speculative fiction (i.e. science fiction) I would think that the audience would be quite large. Definitely worth seeking out.

Some personal favorites from among the episodes: "In the Beginning", "The Cardinal's Design" and "The Cardinal's Revenge", "Lord of Air and Darkness", "Southern Comfort", "Let There Be Light" and "The Ballad of Steely Joe".

This is a show I really wanted to succeed. I've been a fan of shows like The Wild Wild West, The Avengers and Doctor Who all my life. And since this show is, in essence, an amalgam of all three, I eagerly looked forward to seeing it. I really wanted it to work.

And most of it does.

The production design, photography and visual effects are very good, especially for a rather modestly budgeted production. And although Chris Demetral is a little wan as Jules Verne, the rest of the cast is top-notch, particularly Francesca Hunt as British secret agent Rebecca Fogg. Hunt's is one of the best-realized performances I have ever seen, an absolutely perfect match of actor and role. As good as they are, though, it's hard for them to get past the cliché-ridden, haphazardly plotted, predictable scripting (particularly by series creator Gavin Scott, who was, as I understand it, deposed halfway through the series' 22 episode run).

This is a show that would probably benefit from getting a few more episodes under its belt. But I wouldn't hold my breath. Despite initially getting a great timeslot on the Sci-Fi channel (right after their most popular show, Farscape) the show failed to garner much of an audience and is now banished to the middle of the night graveyard shift , where no one will see it.