The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne

I am very pleased to say that there is a reason to watch television again. Say hello to The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne. The show follows the adventures of Jules Verne, Phileas Fogg, Rebecca Fogg, and Phileas' servant Pasportux(I hope I spelled his name right) as they face danger at every corner. The show is safe for children, and will still amuse their parents. I recommend The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne to everyone.

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.

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.

In the genre of science fiction television that is known for lack of well-developed characters, "The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne" is delightful exception to the rule. The four regular characters, Phileas and Rebecca Fogg, Jules Verne, and Passepartout, wander the world of the 1860's in Phileas' fantastic dirigible the Aurora. Phileas, played by Michael Praed, is an ex-British Secret Service agent, an adventurer and a gambler, out to enjoy his pleasures but forever being diverted to aid his friends. His distant cousin Rebecca, played by Francesca Hunt, is a nineteenth-century Mrs. Peel, an agent extraordinaire who mixes strength and daring with warmth and vulnerability. Chris Demetral's Jules Verne is a young visionary, a blend of innocence and insight that forges a link with these people who recognize his extraordinary gifts. And Michel Courtemanche brings a wonderful blend of humor and intelligence to the inventive valet. It has humor, it has adventure, it has mystery, it has sexual tension (everyone is attracted to Rebecca, including Phileas and Jules), it has angst (watch for Phileas' reasons for quitting the secret service). It is science fiction with a refreshing nineteenth-century twist. There is a weakness in the early episodes in plot lines, but plots get better quickly. Stick with the series and it's a real treat. And kudos to Francesca Hunt's Rebecca, the strongest and most appealing female character on television today.

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".