Mon 14 Sep 2015
A Sci-Fi TV Series Review: CLEOPATRA 2525 (2000).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV Science Fiction & Fantasy[23] Comments
CLEOPATRA 2525. Syndicated. Episode #1 “Quest for Firepower” and episode #2 “Creegan.” January 17 & 24, 2000. Jennifer Sky (Cleopatra), Gina Torres (Hel), Victoria Pratt (Sarge), Patrick Kake (Mauser), Elizabeth Hawthorne (The Voice), Joel Tobeck (Creegan). Executive Producer: Sam Raimi. Created by R. J. Stewart and Robert G. Tapert.
I’ve watched only the first two episodes, so far, and I’ve surprised myself by how much I enjoyed it. I can’t imagine the budget was all that large, but the sets are colorful and flashy, the special effects so-so or better, and who knows where the story line is going, but so far, so good.
Cleopatra 2525 appeared as the first part of the “Back2Back Action Hour,” followed by Jack of All Trades, starring Bruce Campbell. Thirty-minute live action TV series have been scarce for quite a while, but for some reason I don’t recall, they came into vogue again in the early 2000’s.
In the year 2525 (based on the song, I assume), the human race has been driven underground in a series of caverns connected by huge shafts by monstrous machines called Baileys. Fighting these new overloads are Hel and Sarge, both female, joined by Cleopatra, an exotic dancer from our era who was put into suspended animation after breast augmentation surgery that went badly.
Of course the women who star in this show wear skimpy clothing. There’s no denying that. That’s part of the appeal. But they are decent actors, and they look good flying through the shafts that connect one part of their underground living quarters to another. Cleopatra — very blonde — is a bit of a ditz, but that’s part of the design, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
She’s still learning her way around in episode two, which also features Creegan, an evil scientist whom I assume will be the women’s main adversary through the rest of the series. Creegan may also be a mad scientist, since his clown makeup outdoes The Joker of Batman fame by a country mile.
I probably won’t report back on future viewings, but so far the two 22 minute episodes I have seen (after the commercials have been deleted) have done their job and drawn me in very well.
September 15th, 2015 at 10:57 am
This was the era of fun cheesy TV syndicated series. Cable was growing and in need of programming. Baywatch had given us Pamela Anderson and she would star in the mindless hit VIP. This lead to many fun shows such as this one.
Cleopatra 2525 is available on DVD. Cult TV-films fans of the period will noticed the names of Sam Raimi (EVIL DEAD, SPIDER-MAN) and Gina Torres (FIREFLY).
I enjoyed it when it was on as a mindless Saturday afternoon diversion.
September 15th, 2015 at 1:46 pm
Michael, you’re wrong to this extent: this wasn’t mindless cheese, but intentionally goofy fun that was very much aware of reaching for that, and so were the better episodes of VIP (the worse were pretty mindless). Mindless is the kind of 1970s crap this was so much better than…it was from the period that even the utter bubblegum, such as this, would’ve shone like diamonds among the typical network offerings of 1979 or 1981.
September 15th, 2015 at 1:49 pm
AMAZON was an example of mindless syndicated adventure tripe from the same period, alas. Though it and the cobbled-together TARZAN package from the late 1990s were easily among the worst of that period…while most were at least as mildly enjoyable as RELIC HUNTER or POLTERGEIST: THE LEGACY (among all the X-FILES clones).
September 15th, 2015 at 2:40 pm
I’m wondering out loud. Is there a list of syndicated shows from this era (late 90s and early 00s) that someone else has put together? Todd has mentioned some, but I can think of a few others without working too hard at it:
BeastMaster
The Lost World
Earth: Final Conflict
Andromeda
Hercules
Xena
And there must be more.
September 15th, 2015 at 5:10 pm
Three syndicated series from that period I remember are:
War of the Worlds (1988-90)
The Untouchables (1992-94; with William
Forsythe as Al Capone)
Conan: The Television Series (1997-98)
I also recall a short-lived series with a heroine who was basically a female Zorro, but its title escapes me.
September 15th, 2015 at 6:13 pm
Just remembered that the series with the distaff Zorro was called Queen of Swords. According to a reference, it was on in 2000-2001 and lasted 22 episodes.
September 15th, 2015 at 6:27 pm
Gary
You remembered QUEEN OF SWORDS with your comment above just as I was about to reply. I remember looking for the series on DVD at one time, but as I recall, I could find only a non-USA release. It must be available to collectors by other means.
Add to SHEENA to the list of such series. I watched many of these by recording them on my DVR and fast-forwarding through the commercials, of which there were many.
September 15th, 2015 at 6:29 pm
2. Todd, CLEOPATRA 2525 was thirty minutes of half naked beautiful women running from the bad guys. It was pure leave your brain at the door and enjoy.
Sam Raimi and J.T. Lawton were the modern versions of Irwin Allen and Aaron Spelling who knew how to do great fun entertainment. I think we agree, just use different words.
September 15th, 2015 at 6:42 pm
I have been spending a lot of time in this era lately trying to organize a review of the era.
Much of the syndicated series came from Canada. SF was popular as was fantasy. HERCULES, XENA, BAYWATCH, ACAPULCO H.E.A.T, ADVENTURES INC, BABYLON 5, MUTANT X, SHE SPIES, SPY GAME, YOUNG BLADES, TEK WAR, SWAMP THING, SPACE PRECINCT, and endless more.
QUEEN OF SWORDS is on my to review list.
September 15th, 2015 at 7:30 pm
This one was a bit more brainless than most. Some went by so fast I barely remember seeing them, including one that featured ex porn star Traci Lords at first and Roger Moore.
The second half of this from Raimi with Bruce Campbell as an 18th Century American agent was funny and a bit sexy and far and away the better half of this. CLEO never really got started, bare flesh or not it was hard to follow week to week but might work better when you could binge.
Whatever its flaws TARZAN THE EPIC ADVENTURES did adapt actual Edgar Rice Burroughs material and at least attempted to do the books although the one before that filmed in Germany was really lame. HERCULES, XENA, TEK WAR, BABYLON 5, DEEP SPACE NINE, and RELIC HUNTER were actually better than much of the network fare, certainly better written and thought out and more inventive.
There was also RENEGADE with Lorenzo Lamas among the others mentioned.
It beat the hell out of reality series is all I can say about even the worst of them.
September 15th, 2015 at 8:19 pm
Well, Michael, we aren’t quite agreeing–I agree more with David at the moment. While what Aaron Spelling and Irwin Allen dished up was intentionally idiotic and boring except when enervating and in Allen’s case leadenly campy, I’ll reiterate that the Raimi series were simply intentionally goofy, and had a modicum of wit about them. Likewise the better episodes of VIP.
September 15th, 2015 at 8:24 pm
Aside from the references TOTAL TV and the Marsh guide in hardcopy, there are some online means to distinguish the first-run syndication in the US from the heyday of Fox, UPN and WB establishment, encouraging a lot of formerly strictly indie stations to consider programming their open nights (and the remarkable success of Paramount syndication particularly in the latter ’80s (ST: TNG, THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW. FRIDAY THE 13th THE SERIES, ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT). WIKIPEDIA can help in its haphazard way…I’ll check to see what else might be good online (IMDb not the best for this kind of search).
September 15th, 2015 at 9:12 pm
Among those not yet mentioned:
WITCHBLADE
PSI FACTOR
THE OUTER LIMITS (albeit that was initially cablecast on Showtime)
TOTAL RECALL 2070 (likewise in the States, following Canadian broadcast)
ONCE A THIEF
SUPERBOY
VANISHING SON
KUNG FU: THE LEGEND CONTINUES
POINTMAN
TIME TRAX
LEXX (expurgated version)
LONESOME DOVE: THE OUTLAW YEARS…and three were more…
September 15th, 2015 at 9:21 pm
or, even, there were more, such as…
PENSACOLA, WINGS OF GOLD
FOREVER KNIGHT
FAME, sadly, was an early shot across the syndie bow in the ’80s
LEGEND OF THE SEEKER was a late entry from the Raimi group
BAYWATCH NIGHTS, of course, remans one of the best punchlines ever.
September 15th, 2015 at 9:25 pm
FREDDY’S NIGHTMARES was particularly dull.
TALES FROM THE CRYPT got some late, expurgated broadcast syndication. Also sad.
The third version of TWILIGHT ZONE, TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE and MONSTERS had made their not-too-shabby way through the ’80s as half-hours (TZ after CBS cancellation as a network project).
September 15th, 2015 at 9:32 pm
SHE-WOLF OF LONDON/LOVE AND CURSES was an early entrant in the ’90s, as well. Along with its more obscure companion series SHADES OF LA and THEY CAME FROM OUTER SPACE.
September 15th, 2015 at 10:00 pm
Raimi and Lawton remain the best at this silly fun style, even taking it to the movies with EVIL DEAD and the underrated CANNIBAL WOMEN IN THE AVOCADO JUNGLE OF DEATH. I actually saw PIZZA MAN in a Los Angeles movie theatre.
Most of the syndicated stuff avoided the style of series such as CLEOPATRA 2525. And went more straight drama such as DA VINCI’S INQUEST. Today such series as THE PINKERTONS, and MURDOCH’S MYSTERIES survive.
Fans of this style should look forward to the new Starz cable TV series due out this fall, ASH VS EVIL DEAD with Bruce Campbell.
Many of these syndicated TV series can be found on YouTube.
September 15th, 2015 at 11:06 pm
Well, DA VINCI’S INQUEST is also a series that would’ve happened with no US support…kind of like THE AVENGERS or DANGER MAN, though clearly US support was welcome. There was a fair amount of light-heartedness, then (as with RELIC HUNTER) and now (REPUBLIC OF DOYLE)…efouh absurdism flourishes more on Adult Swim and to some extent FX/FXX than broadcast…except where they share with Fox Broadcasting/FBC.
September 15th, 2015 at 11:07 pm
Even if absurdism…time for bed.
September 15th, 2015 at 11:18 pm
Thanks, Todd. You deserve a rest. You came up with more shows I’d never heard of in one evening than I think I’ve watched since almost ever. Somebody has to write a book about this particular niche in TV history, but it isn’t going to be me. If I were younger, then maybe.
Anyway, I just watched two more episodes of CLEO 2525, and it’s enjoyable, mindless or not. It really is. I’ll start investigating some of the other shows that have been mentioned. Some I have on DVD, others are brand new to me. There’s always more to learn and find out about.
September 16th, 2015 at 11:31 am
TV syndication has existed from TV’s regional beginning. It tends to peak when the networks are unable to supply enough programming for a growing number of stations such as the fifties TV station boom, the prime time access rule of the 70s, and the success of cable in the 80s.
My interest has always been in the forgotten TV series. When we hear the word syndication we think of network reruns but syndication is a source for an endless number of forgotten first run TV series. I have covered many from the fifties, am searching for some from the 70s (such as MONTY NASH – based on the spy novels of Richard Telfair), and have a growing to do list with QUEENS OF HEARTS, BORDERTOWN, etc.
I hope Todd has the time to further explore and share about the era of cable syndication on his blog Sweet Freedom (http://socialistjazz.blogspot.com) or here.
Today networks – free and cable – produce over 400 first run series a season. Shows such as CLEOPATRA 2525 now air as cable network programs such as the return of Ash and the Evil Dead on Starz. Yet syndication of first run fiction still survives.
September 22nd, 2015 at 1:08 pm
Thanks, Michael, for the plug…I’ve certainly explored some of it, and such (barely) up from syndication matters as the early small commercial networks…beyond DuMont, which wasn’t Too small at its height, I’ve had articles on the 1950s Paramount Television Network and the NTA Film Network (of the late ’50s into the ’60s)…which were the two most elaborate attempts before Fox Broadcasting…and the rather limited attempts to make a network of Kaiser Broadcasting Co. But, yeah, Ziv TV was the most obvious syndicator to early tv (having carried over from radio), and among the biggest hits that weren’t theirs were SUPERMAN and MR. ED…back when the commercial networks left gaps in their weeknight schedules for local programming, the network programming usually starting at 7:30p ET/PT, but whole half-hours and sometimes hours left open in prime-time to sweeten the deal to affiliates…and certainly the syndicators were ready to fill the holes. These days, almost all syndicated broadcast first-run drama, on commercial tv, is Canadian programming, some of it first appearing on US cable (or simultaneously with Canadian cable or broadcast). You’re doing good work, Michael…I always try to pick up on it for Tuesday’s A/V!
September 22nd, 2015 at 9:03 pm
Thanks, Todd. I just wish I had the energy to attack my to do wish more often. So many forgotten series that deserve a better fate.