BeastMaster

BeastMaster is a Canadian television series that aired from 1999 to 2002. It was loosely based on characters created by Andre Norton in her seminal science fiction novel The Beast Master (which itself spawned a 1982 MGM movie).

The series aired for three complete seasons (66 episodes). Much of the series was filmed in New Zealand, and the series was noted for its beautiful natural scenery, its animal cast, innovative photography, attention to archaeological detail, excellent character writing and acting, and its plethora of beautiful women. The series theme song is also unique and recognizable.

The series was nominated for the Open Craft Award in the category of cinematography by the Australian Film Institute in 2000, and for the Saturn Award for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films, USA, in 2001. BeastMaster is currently running in syndication on Sci-Fi Channel in the USA, but not in any prime-time slots.

Dar (Daniel Goddard) is the last survivor of his tribe. He wanders the lands seeking his lost loved one, Kyra (Natalie Jackson Mendoza), protecting the oppressed and the animals. His friend Tao (Jackson Raine), a fearful, psychology-attracted young man, helps him in his quest. Tao is the scholar and the medicine man; Dar also meets another orphaned warrior named Arina (the athletic Marjean Holden) who first joins his quest for her own reasons, but eventually becomes a faithful companion. The world of the Beastmaster is full of lost tribes, genocide appears to be common, and all three of these characters are the survivors or last survivors of lost tribes.

The series also featured Monika Schnarre as the Sorceress, apprentice to the Ancient One, played by Grahame Bond. The regular human enemy of Dar, King Zad, was played by Steven Grives, and Marc Singer, the original Beastmaster, appears in the third season as Dartanus, the Spirit Warrior who helps Dar on his quest. The series also included many memorable guest appearances, such as the appearance of Grace Jones as the Impatra Warrior, Keith Hamilton Cobb as a Terron defector who is also in love with Kyra, and King Voden, played by Dai Paterson throughout the second season.

Some people apparently found the series confusing, but the general story arc of the series is that the world is changing, civilization is advancing, technology is gaining ground slowly, the old orders of magic and sorcery are fading, and the world is threatened by the supernatural being Balcifer, the Dark One, played by Jeremy Callaghan. Dar is the son of King Eldar, who was destroyed by Balcifer, and must locate and reunite his entire family, who have been turned into animals to hide them from Balcifer, in the Crystal Arc, to defeat Balcifer. It's never quite clear exactly how or why this would defeat such a powerful evil being, but it's central premise of the story in the third season.

Balcifer's agent on Earth is King Zad, who is first King of the Terrons, a savage tribe that enslaves and pillages at will, and later, when the tribe is destroyed by King Voden leading a group of Viking-like northerners, Zad re-emerges as the King of Xincha, the city at the center of the world (and Tao's former home), after deposing Voden, who fled into the wilderness at the end of the second season. There is a wonderful contrast there between the crude savage badness of King Zad and the refined, insane evil genius of King Voden, and King Zad emerges from the contest a more civilized, but still savage character.

The first episodes were violent and featured some very intense combat scenes, but as the first season wore on, the series began to take on a pacifist and naturalist tone. The series story arc should not be viewed strictly as a good vs. evil story, but rather a nature vs. technology, and nature vs. the unnatural story.

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BeastMaster Episodes

BeastMaster Feature Movie

F- 2 30 Aug 91 Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time
F- 3 20 Aug 82 The Beastmaster

BeastMaster Season 1

1. 1- 1 101 9 Oct 99 The Legend Continues
2. 1- 2 102 16 Oct 99 Obsession
3. 1- 3 103 23 Oct 99 The Island
4. 1- 4 104 30 Oct 99 A Simple Truth
5. 1- 5 105 6 Nov 99 Amazons
6. 1- 6 106 13 Nov 99 The Demon Curupira
7. 1- 7 107 20 Nov 99 The Umpatra
8. 1- 8 108 27 Nov 99 The Last Unicorns
9. 1- 9 109 4 Dec 99 Circle of Life
10. 1-10 110 15 Jan 00 Riddle of the Nymph
11. 1-11 111 22 Jan 00 Valhalla
12. 1-12 112 29 Jan 00 The Slayer
13. 1-13 113 5 Feb 00 The Minotaur
14. 1-14 114 12 Feb 00 The Guardian
15. 1-15 115 19 Feb 00 The Chameleon
16. 1-16 116 26 Feb 00 A Devil's Deal
17. 1-17 117 4 Mar 00 Tears of the Sea
18. 1-18 118 22 Apr 00 The Burning Forest
19. 1-19 119 29 Apr 00 The Golden Phoenix
20. 1-20 120 6 May 00 Gemini
21. 1-21 121 13 May 00 Rescue
22. 1-22 122 20 May 00 Revelations

BeastMaster Season 2

23. 2- 1 201 7 Oct 00 Manlinks
24. 2- 2 202 14 Oct 00 Iara
25. 2- 3 203 21 Oct 00 Seer
26. 2- 4 204 28 Oct 00 Orpheo
27. 2- 5 205 4 Nov 00 Xinca
28. 2- 6 206 11 Nov 00 Ghosts of the Forest
29. 2- 7 207 18 Nov 00 Rage
30. 2- 8 208 25 Nov 00 White Tiger
31. 2- 9 209 2 Dec 00 Heart Like a Lion
32. 2-10 210 20 Jan 01 Gone
33. 2-11 211 27 Jan 01 Golgotha
34. 2-12 212 3 Feb 01 Tao's Brother
35. 2-13 213 10 Feb 01 Wild Child
36. 2-14 214 17 Feb 01 Mate for Life
37. 2-15 215 24 Feb 01 Centaurs
38. 2-16 216 3 Mar 01 Fifth Element
39. 2-17 217 14 Apr 01 A Terrible Silence
40. 2-18 218 21 Apr 01 Birds
41. 2-19 219 28 Apr 01 Mydoro
42. 2-20 220 5 May 01 Game of Death
43. 2-21 221 12 May 01 Regeneration
44. 2-22 222 19 May 01 Clash of the Titans

BeastMaster Season 3

45. 3- 1 301 1 Oct 01 Legend Reborn
46. 3- 2 302 8 Oct 01 Crystal Ark
47. 3- 3 303 15 Oct 01 Chosen One
48. 3- 4 304 22 Oct 01 Veil of Death
49. 3- 5 305 29 Oct 01 Prize
50. 3- 6 306 5 Nov 01 Tiger Tiger
51. 3- 7 307 12 Nov 01 Slayer's Return
52. 3- 8 308 19 Nov 01 Destiny
53. 3- 9 309 26 Nov 01 Serpent's Kiss
54. 3-10 310 14 Jan 02 Dispossessed
55. 3-11 311 21 Jan 02 Turning Point
56. 3-12 312 28 Jan 02 The Hunter
57. 3-13 313 4 Feb 02 Turned To Stone
58. 3-14 314 11 Feb 02 The Choice
59. 3-15 315 18 Feb 02 Sisters
60. 3-16 316 25 Feb 02 The Alliance
61. 3-17 317 8 Apr 02 The Trial
62. 3-18 318 15 Apr 02 The Devil You Know
63. 3-19 319 22 Apr 02 Double Edged
64. 3-20 320 29 Apr 02 Rites of Passage
65. 3-21 321 6 May 02 End Game
66. 3-22 322 13 May 02 A New Dawn

BeastMaster Season 4

67. 4- 1 7 Apr 03 Rededication

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