Peplum Paradise Part 7: Historical and Fantasy TV Dramas.
This is a list of historical (set pre-1800) or historical-fantasy Dramas made for television - including series and TV movies - produced Internationally from 1949 until the present day.
The list does NOT include TV Documentaries.
The list is alphabetical using the most common English titles (where applicable), so the IMDb titles may appear to be all over the place alphabetically.
This list is certainly incomplete and a work in progress, so I would welcome any suggestions of titles I may have omitted.
I have included a few additional titles at the end of the main list which bear some relevance to the subject.
I will be updating the list regularly with new and expanded reviews and any new titles that I may discover.
Latest Updates:
Review: Hercules (2005)
Review: Samson And Delilah (1984)
Review: Cyclops (2008)
This list is a companion piece to my other lists:
Peplum Paradise Part 1: Italian Historical and Fantasy films 1949-1969 [link]http://www.imdb.com/list/9zpI-Wdt6pU/[/link],
Peplum Paradise Part 2: Italian Historical and Fantasy films from 1970 onwards [link]http://www.imdb.com/list/ZRRuOUh_u_o/[/link]
Peplum Paradise Part 3: International Historical and Fantasy films 1949 onwards (http://www.imdb.com/list/R3yu3z-zETE/)
Peplum Paradise Part 4: Asian Historical and Fantasy films 1949 onwards [link]http://www.imdb.com/list/EzDXbxNzBXI/[/link]
Peplum Paradise Part 5: Animated Historical and Fantasy films 1949 onwards [link]http://www.imdb.com/list/XHCOctNtVqg/[/link]
Peplum Paradise Part 6: International Historical and Fantasy films Pre-1949 (http://www.imdb.com/list/R3yu3z-zETE/)
This list includes some titles and reviews which were formerly included in my other lists.
The list does NOT include TV Documentaries.
The list is alphabetical using the most common English titles (where applicable), so the IMDb titles may appear to be all over the place alphabetically.
This list is certainly incomplete and a work in progress, so I would welcome any suggestions of titles I may have omitted.
I have included a few additional titles at the end of the main list which bear some relevance to the subject.
I will be updating the list regularly with new and expanded reviews and any new titles that I may discover.
Latest Updates:
Review: Hercules (2005)
Review: Samson And Delilah (1984)
Review: Cyclops (2008)
This list is a companion piece to my other lists:
Peplum Paradise Part 1: Italian Historical and Fantasy films 1949-1969 [link]http://www.imdb.com/list/9zpI-Wdt6pU/[/link],
Peplum Paradise Part 2: Italian Historical and Fantasy films from 1970 onwards [link]http://www.imdb.com/list/ZRRuOUh_u_o/[/link]
Peplum Paradise Part 3: International Historical and Fantasy films 1949 onwards (http://www.imdb.com/list/R3yu3z-zETE/)
Peplum Paradise Part 4: Asian Historical and Fantasy films 1949 onwards [link]http://www.imdb.com/list/EzDXbxNzBXI/[/link]
Peplum Paradise Part 5: Animated Historical and Fantasy films 1949 onwards [link]http://www.imdb.com/list/XHCOctNtVqg/[/link]
Peplum Paradise Part 6: International Historical and Fantasy films Pre-1949 (http://www.imdb.com/list/R3yu3z-zETE/)
This list includes some titles and reviews which were formerly included in my other lists.
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- StarsAnthony AndrewsColleen DewhurstAva GardnerSet just after the death of Jesus Christ, this mini-series chronicles the life & adventures of Jesus's disciples, and events in Rome during the reigns of the Emperors Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero.
- StarsRichard HarrisBarbara HersheyMaximilian SchellAbram a tribal leader denies all the local deities and finds the true God. Through many trials and tribulations he strengthens his faith.
- StarsRichard GreeneVictor WoolfArchie DuncanRobin of Loxley, otherwise known as Robin Hood, and his band of Merry Men protect England from the evil machinations of Prince John while King Richard the Lionheart is away fighting in the Crusades.
- StarsJohn Murray ScottFrank WindsorDavid AndrewsA linking together of Shakespeare's history plays chronicling the rise and fall of monarchs over the eighty-six years between Richard II and Richard III.
- DirectorKevin ConnorStarsBryan BrownMatthias HuesArt MalikMarcus Didius Falco must solve a murder set in Ancient Rome.
- DirectorMario AzzopardiStarsDarren ShahlaviNoam JenkinsKandyse McClureAladdin and his friend Ali accidentally uncover a lamp that contains a genie - but instead of granting wishes...this genie has other plans.
- DirectorLawrence CarraStarsLynn RedgraveTimothy DaltonNichelle NicholsAfter the murder of her lover Caesar, Egypt's queen Cleopatra needs a new ally. She seduces his probable successor Mark Antony. This develops into real love and slowly leads to a war with the other possible successor: Octavius.
- DirectorRaffaele MertesStarsRichard HarrisVittoria BelvedereBenjamin SadlerIt is 90 A.D., and the Roman Empire is being run by the Emperor Domitian, who has declared himself to be God, and ruler over heaven and Earth. The Christians, who do not recognize his divinity, are a thorn in his side, and he is having them cruelly persecuted. The small village in Asia Minor, to which the aged apostle John has withdrawn, is also attacked by Roman soldiers. As if by a miracle, John is the only person to escape the slaughter, and he receives divine orders to write down the visions he will have, and communicate them to the Christian communities in the Roman provinces of Asia. The voice tells him that they should discover what is and what will happen thereafter. Among the Christians of Asia Minor, who believe that John is dead, everyone is deeply worried about being persecuted. Gaius, the community elder in Smyrna, is concerned that only a few believers still dare come to the ritual supper. Under these circumstances, Christianity can no longer exist. But at this point, the young Irene appears at the secret meeting. She is convinced that John, who could give the Christians back their courage, is still alive, because a certain Theophilus, who is being held captive by the Romans on the island of Patmos, is in contact with him, and had a letter sent to her. In it, John describes his vision of Heaven: And behold, a throne was set in Heaven, and one sat on the throne, and out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book that was sealed with seven seals. Neither Gaius, nor the other adult believers, understand what John means by this. Only a little child among them, also named John, grasps the sense of it: John realizes that the throne belongs to God, and sees the seven lamps of fire as the seven Christian communities of Asia Minor, together with the four elements and the book of seals with the mystery of faith that brings salvation. Yet the letter's mysterious origins make Gaius skeptical. He is only prepared to believe in the integrity of this vision, if John really is still alive. Old Theophilus, who in reality is John himself, has been sent to the prison island of Patmos, ruled by the corrupt Roman official Corvus, as a scribe, while the other prisoners have to do hard labor in the mines. Many of them hate Theophilus (John) because of the special treatment he is receiving, but above all, because he is a Christian. Nevertheless, he does succeed in converting some of his fellow prisoners to Christianity, such as the young scribe Demetrius, who is planning to escape along a secret tunnel. When the shaken John tells his companions about the crucifixion of the Savior, they realize that he was there at the time, and is actually John. He falls into a trance and experiences a new vision of Heaven: And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes. And he came and took the book. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. Meanwhile, in Smyrna, the young Irene has taken her leave of Valerius, whom she loves with a pure heart. She does not realize that he is not a Christian at all, but a spy working for the notoriously brutal Roman general Rufus, who has been ordered by Domitian to persecute Christians in Asia Minor. Valerius is a Roman soldier, born as a slave, he has his foster-father Rufus to thank for everything he has now become. He therefore has to obey when Rufus sends him to Patmos. Disguised as a prisoner, Valerius is told to find out whether John is still alive, because there are incessant rumors that he is, and they are leading to unwelcome solidarity among the Christians. Meanwhile Irene, with the help of her brother Jonicus, who visits Patmos regularly as a trader, gains access to the prison camp there. She recognizes Valerius from a distance and gets very worried about him. She embarked on all these dangers for the sake of John. However, her greatest desire is to see the last living Apostle, and to tell everyone about him. John trusts her, and confides in her under the seal of secrecy. She receives his visions in written form and promises to circulate the text among the Christians. Meanwhile on Patmos, Valerius tries to gain the trust of the Christian prisoners by defending the old Sostenes against the guards and suffering severe punishment as a result. Bound to a cross, he is left in the burning sunshine, but John is the only one who dares give him any water. And to Valerius' great surprise, he seems to know all about him and Rufus. In the hell of the prison camp, where violence and resentment reign, John often wonders about his mission: why has the Lord trapped him on this island, instead of sending him out into the world to spread the glad tidings? Then, surrounded by his companions, he falls into a trance, and again he sees himself in Heaven, with the Lamb on the throne. It is being threatened by a heavily armed knight on a red horse who is bringing hatred and war to humanity. Then a black horse appears whose rider is holding a pair of scales: he is the bringer of injustice and selfishness. Meanwhile, Rufus has ordered the island's governor Corvus to come and see him to tell him to show more severity, especially toward the Christians. Corvus is worried about losing his lucrative job, and so he tells his guards to be even more watchful than before. As a result, he notices that Irene has slipped into the camp again with Jonicus, to collect John's latest message. However, Jonicus cleverly manages to talk the guards out of searching either himself or his sister. John's visions become increasingly frequent and exhaust his strength. Nevertheless, Demetrius is still hoping to be able to get him off the island. The tunnel is ready, and the escape is planned for that evening. But when John supports the maltreated Sostenes, he incurs the wrath of the governor. He is imprisoned and the escape plans are scrapped. In his prison cell, John has a new vision: the Lamb breaks the fourth seal and again a horse appears, the pale horse that brings death into the world, plagues and famines, accidents and earthquakes. Only the love of God can defeat it. That night, numerous prisoners want to use the tunnel to escape, but it is discovered by the guards, and the fugitives are slaughtered. For Demetrius, all hope of rescue has now vanished. But John consoles him, telling him that it is God's will that they remain here on the island. Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven, Jesus announces to him in the vision. And then he sees a huge number of people in Heaven: They called in a loud voice: Salvation cometh from our God. The Christians of Asia Minor, all in very great danger, cling to this belief, for the Romans are murdering them all, women and men, young and old alike. Irene and Ionicus put their lives into very great danger and, with the help of a guard, manage to free John and the other Christians from the camp, the Roman spy Valerius among them. A ship is waiting at the harbor. But John is too old and weak to shake off the guards pursuing them. He takes his leave of his companions and hides in a cave together with Valerius, who is transformed by the old man's influence, and becomes his helper. In the cave, John goes into a prophetic trance and has his last vision: And when the Lamb had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. When the angels blew one after the other into the trumpets, hail, fire, and locusts destroyed the Earth, the sea turned to blood, darkness covered the Earth and the Day of Judgment arrived. And I saw a new heaven and a new Earth, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. Meanwhile Irene, Jonicus and Demetrius are arrested by Corvus and his men, and Valerius and John are found in their cave, their lives are forfeited. But at this point, Rufus arrives, and not only frees his foster son Valerius, but also the other captive Christians. It turns out that the Emperor Domitian is dead, and his successor has announced an amnesty. The persecution of the Christians is over. John, his companions, and the Christian communities all thank God for their salvation. Freed from his duty toward his foster-father, Valerius is finally free to embrace his beloved Irene.THE APOCALYPSE
Richard Harris, in his penultimate performance, plays John the Baptist in this Italian TV movie version of the biblical book of Revelations, and it must be said he does a very good job of playing an old man. The bulk of the action takes place in a remote Roman prison where John, in disguise being a do-gooder while writing his memoirs, is kept a prisoner, and where Roman Emperor Dometian (Bruce Payne) has sent Valerius (Benjamin Sadler) to spy on him. Unsurprisingly Valerius becomes a convert to the cause. The scenes in the mine and Rome are interspersed with John’s visions of heaven, all billowy white clouds and bloody lambs, and it’s here where the film really falls, using what, even for the time, are very dodgy unconvincing CGI effects. Overall it’s rather a slow watch, but bearable enough for this sort of religious nonsense – it should be noted that the Christian-orientated reviews I read seemed to find it quite satisfactory, and I’d guess they have to be the target audience. Watch out for 60’s peplum’s favourite child star Loris Loddi in a scene-stealing role as a vicious prison guard. - StarsMili AvitalAlan BatesJames FrainTo cure a Prince's murderous madness, Scheherezade tells him a series of wondrous stories.
- DirectorNicholas CoreaStarsLane CaudellBelinda BauerVictor CamposThe hero is given his mentor's bow (the Heartbow) which chooses its new owner when passed on. It fires arrows that blow up like grenades, but can only be wielded by the one chosen to wield her. The hero is a member of a nomadic tribe wiped out by the Draikian Empire's forces. He attempts to find the wizard Lazar-Sa who might be able to help him. He is joined by a thief looking for adventure and cash, and the daughter of a goddess, Estra, looking to revenger herself on Lazar-Sa for crimes against her mother.
- CreatorHoward OvermanJohnny CappsJulian MurphyStarsMark AddyJack DonnellyRobert EmmsFar from home, Jason washes up on the shores of the ancient and mysterious city of Atlantis.
- DirectorAndrew ProwseStarsJonathan LaPagliaLarry DrakeAmber BensonIn a mystical land torn apart by civil war, a warrior princess must team up with a rival warrior prince to hunt down an evil sorcerer who has summoned a giant flying demon which is terrorizing their land.ATTACK OF THE GRYPHON
Rival warrior prince and princess Jonathan LaPaglia and Amber Benson are forced to team up to defeat a dodgy giant CGI dog-eagle (or gryphon if you must, though it looks more like a four legged chicken) which has been summoned by evil sorcerer Armand (Larry Drake), which makes it sound like a far more exciting plot than it actually is. Armand and his “witches” could have livened up proceedings had they been given more screen time, but as it is it’s way too slow, serious and cheap. The gryphon, around which the film revolves, is really so bad it makes Ray Harryhausen’s creations look realistic, but then again the performances and script are no better. The Romanian locations are attractive, but that’s really the only recommendation I could come up with. - StarsPauline LynchSteven BerkoffAndrew PleavinIn 400 AD, the Roman Empire is the greatest power in the world. But to the east a fierce people arose: the Huns. They believe in a prophecy about a great king who will unite the tribes and challenge Rome for control of the world.ATTILA THE HUN
This has the look and feel of an expensive TV mini-series, which of course it originally was, but don’t let that and the epic length put you off. It’s intelligently scripted, well acted and steadily paced. In the title role you have a youthful and surprisingly effective Gerard Butler a good few years before he saved Sparta in 300. The supporting cast all prove to be uniformly good value for money too, quite unusual for one of these type of productions. Obviously overlong, but it never feels like there’s much in the way of filler, so if you’ve got the time give it a go, it’s certainly as effective as either of the 50’s versions (see Attila and Sign Of The Pagan). - DirectorMarco FerreriStarsLucas BelvauxJean BenguiguiMarc BermanAt house of Agathon get together many intellectuals and philosophers, including Socrates, to discuss the theme of love and sex: each of them intervenes to support its argument dialogical rules, within the context symposial.
- DirectorGabrielle BeaumontStarsMarc SingerTony ToddKeith CoulourisBefore he died, Dar's father gave a mysterious amulet to Tal, Dar's younger brother who is now king. Dar, while wandering with his animal companions, chances to meet and rescue a family who seek the help of King Tal against Lord Agon, a sorcerer who has conquered their land. Dar obtains an audience for them with Tal, who rallies his troops to march against Agon in the morning. Alas, the young king is captured by Agon's crimson warriors during the night. It is the amulet -- the Eye of the imprisoned god Braxus -- that Agon really wants. But Dar now carries half of it, and is nowhere to be found. Will he fall into Lord Agon's clutches when he comes to free his brother?BEASTMASTER III: THE EYE OF BRAXUS
- DirectorFielder CookStarsGeorge C. ScottTrish Van DevereVirginia McKennaA beautiful girl agrees to marry a hideous, deformed beast and live in his castle in order to save her father's life.
- StarsJoseph MorganStephen Campbell MooreEmily VanCampA young Jewish prince seeks revenge after an old friend wrongly imprisons him and his family.Surprisingly effective made-for-TV adaptation of the familiar story (originally broadcast as a two part mini series), which concentrates on the human and historical aspects of the story and less on the preachy religious angle favoured by the cinematic versions, and is more accessible as a result. It has something of the feeling of the series ‘Rome’, though with less sex and violence. Joseph Morgan is an effective choice in the title role, turning in a likeable and believable performance. It’s still overlong, though there’s very little difference between this and the 1959 version, but the naturalistic acting and settings make it bearable. Only the ending is a bit of a rushed affair, like they’d finished the story but felt obliged to include the final miracle so tacked it on.
- DirectorPeter DeLuiseStarsRobin DunneErica DuranceJulian SandsEngland 1174: King Richard is away fighting the Crusade, his brother Prince John has been left in charge. In order to further international diplomatic relations with Austria, the beautiful young Maid Marian is to be married off to a prince. A cursed girl who can change into a ferocious dragon is used to find and pacify Robin Hood.
- StarsKeith DavidRobert PowellJake CanusoA religious dramatic miniseries about God's creation and physical landmark events leading up to the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- CreatorRichard CurtisStarsRowan AtkinsonBrian BlessedElspet GrayIn the Middle Ages, Prince Edmund the Black Adder constantly schemes and endeavors to seize the crown from his father and brother.
- StarsRowan AtkinsonTony RobinsonTim McInnernyIn the Tudor court of Elizabeth I, Lord Edmund Blackadder strives to win Her Majesty's favour while attempting to avoid a grisly fate should he offend her.
- DirectorJohn HoughStarsBenedict TaylorGeorgia SloweOliver ReedIn 15th century England, a civil war called Wars of the Roses is being fought between two rival houses who want the throne. Fresh from battle, a knight finds his family dead. He joins the outlaws led by the Black Arrow to seek justice.
- CreatorRobert LevineJonathan E. SteinbergStarsJessica Parker KennedyToby StephensHannah NewFollows Captain Flint and his pirates twenty years prior to Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel "Treasure Island."
- StarsAngus MacfadyenMark UmbersRichard ChamberlainIn 1717, Royal Navy Lieutenant Robert Maynard is sent to the West Indies on a secret mission to destroy notorious pirate ship The Queen Anne's Revenge and its crew.BLACKBEARD
Enjoyable TV movie with a basis in reality but woven into an effective back story in the best pirate tradition which should keep fans of Pirates Of The Caribbean entertained until the next installment comes along. Angus Macfadyen is perfectly cast in the title role, displaying just the right mix of lunacy, authority and intimidation. Also surprisingly good is Richard Chamberlain as the corrupt governor of New Providence who is secretly in league with the pirates. The rest of the cast, including unknown factor Mark Umbers as the do-gooder British officer sent to bring the pirates to justice, are all effective, and Thailand makes a surprisingly good double for the Bahamas.