Tue 3 Nov 2015
A Forgotten TV Series Review by Michael Shonk: THE WANDERER (1994).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV Science Fiction & Fantasy[12] Comments
by Michael Shonk
THE WANDERER. Fingertip Film Production for Yorkshire Television, ZDF, and Antena 3, UK, 1994. Thirteen 60m episodes. Cast: Bryan Brown as Adam/Zachary, Tony Haygarth as Godbold, Kim Thomson as Princess Beatrice, Otto Tausig as Mathias and Deborah Moore as Clare. Created by Roy Clarke from an idea by Tom Gabbay. Executive Producers: Keith Richardson and Tom Gabby.
This obscure fantasy with supernatural elements clothed in a road drama format lasted thirteen episodes. It was a European production (Yorkshire TV – British, ZDF – German, and Antena 3 – French) that was offered in U.S. syndication at least twice (according to Broadcasting & Cable) in 1995, but it may never have sold.
The series starred Bryan Brown as twin brothers – good Adam and evil Zachary. The two brothers lived in the 10th Century during the first Millennium where they were locked in a battle between good and evil. Adam won the battle and killed Zachary.
As the second millennium approaches, the brothers are back for a rematch. Adam’s memory of his past life is incomplete while Zachary remembers everything and demands Adam takes him to his grave. Adam can’t remember where the grave is so he wanders around searching for it, stopping to help others and frustrating the impatient Zachary.
Each brother has allies. Adam’s most important ally is former 10th century Monk turn modern-day plumber Godbold. Mathis is rich Adam’s personal assistant who has no connection to Adam’s past. Along the way Adam saves Claire who is really his true love from the 10th century. Fearing for her life Adam continues to push her away, ordering her to leave him and live her new life without him. A modern day woman, she refuses to listen.
Zachary also has an ally the magically gifted Princess Beatrice who a thousand years later remains upset that Adam had rejected her. The cliché over-the-top medieval Princess/witch spends much of her time keeping Zachary focused on the plan to kill Adam and take over the World.
The Wanderer is flawed but watchable in a fun stupid TV sort of way. The acting is not a plus. Brown plays Adam as dull and clueless and Zachary as if he was comedy relief. The writing was at times lazy (sudden visions often guided our travelers). Nor did anyone seem to take the story seriously (Zachary is distracted from taking over the World by his desire to write and star in a musical for the stage). Writer Roy Clarke is best know for his comedy writing in such British series as Open All Hours and Keeping Up Appearance.
YouTube currently has all thirteen episodes except for episode 1 and 6. Below are two examples: Episode 2 “Mind Games†and the series last episode “Knight Time.â€
“Mind Games.†Witten by Roy Clarke. Directed by Terry Marcel. GUEST CAST: Alexander Strobele, Ann Kathrin Kramer, and August Schmolzer. *** As Adam wanders searching for where he buried Zachary, he helps a young woman accused of murder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDFW7GofScw
“Knight Time.†Written by Roy Clarke. Directed by Alan Grint. GUEST CAST: Big Mick, Kenny Baker, and David J. Nicholls. *** The brothers fight at the site of Zachary’s grave. An incredibly annoying stupid ending that disappoints even those with the lowest expectations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6lAEG5z_Xs
The series has never been and unlikely ever to be released on DVD.
November 3rd, 2015 at 11:43 pm
Is it possible this is even worse than it sounds?
November 4th, 2015 at 12:30 am
David, it is watchable which makes it better than some other TV series I have seen… but it is bad, a train wreck for sure. You think LOST made it up as it went along this did that and more.
I wish the first episode was available to at least learn how these guys are back. The show claimed that with the second Millennium mankind would turn more to magic and Adam and Zachary would fight for which side would rule the World. Why them? Who knows? Zachary’s plan to rule the World made less sense than his attempt to create a stage music about Jack the Ripper.
Episode 2 linked above could be just another TV murder mystery but the true “that makes no sense” scenes fill the last episode (see link).
November 4th, 2015 at 7:40 am
Years ago I was greatly impressed by a comedy-drama Roy Clarke wrote, FLICKERS (1980). This dealt with the earliest days of the British film industry circa 1910.
But no one else seems especially interested in this miniseries.
November 4th, 2015 at 3:01 pm
Mike, FLICKERS aired on PBS MASTERPIECE THEATRE and apparently is remembered by some as a brilliant farce.
I don’t remember ever watching FLICKERS but the word farce could fit parts of THE WANDERER.
The British comedy world is more complex than Americans give it credit for. I am not a fan of Clarke’s work in comedies but see the talent.
One of the problems I had was trying to understand what this series was. It appeared to be a straight road drama set in the real world with characters having supernatural powers (see episode 2). But too often it was over the top farce. The evil side was told like the series was a comedy farce while the good side was told in straight supernatural drama.
November 4th, 2015 at 7:16 pm
FLICKERS has remarkably well-developed characters, both at the script and acting levels.
November 5th, 2015 at 2:16 am
Clarke is possibly best known for LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE, which started off well, but ended up as an example of how keeping comedies running beyond their natural life-span is not a good idea (it ran for over 30 years, to the point that the cast began to die of old age).
Some of Clarke’s stuff is wonderfully strange. Anyone who has ever seen some of the episodes of the espionage show SPYDER’S WEB that he wrote will know what I mean. Barking mad…
November 5th, 2015 at 12:44 pm
BRADSTREET, you’re right about LAST OF THE SUMMER WINE. I picked the examples I used because they show up on PBS often and each had fewer words to type.
I have seen one episode of SPYDER’S WEB (Romance on Wheels). I liked the episode and it made me want to see more. And at least it had a premise that made sense.
I know THE WANDERER played in Europe (Yorkshire TV in England) and was originally scheduled to be 26 episodes long (which may have something to do with the cheat at the end). Did you ever see it or ever hear of it?
November 6th, 2015 at 8:00 pm
I never saw a single episode. It’s quite conceivable that the show was never syndicated, or else it was show at some ultra-prime time spot at three in the morning. Kim Thomson’s not a bad actress, but she had a talent for picking the wrong shows to join at the time. Round about the same time this was made she was doing a show for the BBC called VIRTUAL MURDER. The makers claimed that it was ‘THE AVENGERS for the ’90s, but it only managed about half a dozen episodes.
November 6th, 2015 at 11:17 pm
Thomson probably was the best of a bad lot. But Clarke was not kind to her to create and over the top character – spoiled jealous Princess and witch – then make her the one that has to nag Zachary to stop having fun and get back to the plan.
Oh, thanks for mentioning VIRTUAL MURDER – just found it on YouTube.
June 3rd, 2016 at 3:26 pm
I am from the US and can say for sure that it was at least briefly picked up in syndication. It was on my local PBS station around 1995 or 1996 at a god awful hour. As far as I know it only ran once as, I watched a few episodes and never got to see the whole series.
June 3rd, 2016 at 6:13 pm
Thanks for the input, David, much appreciated!
PS. If you leave another comment, and I hope you do, we already have a David, David A and a David P who already do so on occasion, it would be helpful if you could do what you can to make yourself stand out from the others…!
September 13th, 2020 at 4:34 am
Was shown on UK SKY, paid television via satellite.
There are far worse series nowadays, too violent, over the top, hedonistic, etc.