The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne

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".

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.

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.

This is a show I really wanted to succeed. I've been a fan of shows like The Wild Wild West, The Avengers and Doctor Who all my life. And since this show is, in essence, an amalgam of all three, I eagerly looked forward to seeing it. I really wanted it to work.

And most of it does.

The production design, photography and visual effects are very good, especially for a rather modestly budgeted production. And although Chris Demetral is a little wan as Jules Verne, the rest of the cast is top-notch, particularly Francesca Hunt as British secret agent Rebecca Fogg. Hunt's is one of the best-realized performances I have ever seen, an absolutely perfect match of actor and role. As good as they are, though, it's hard for them to get past the cliché-ridden, haphazardly plotted, predictable scripting (particularly by series creator Gavin Scott, who was, as I understand it, deposed halfway through the series' 22 episode run).

This is a show that would probably benefit from getting a few more episodes under its belt. But I wouldn't hold my breath. Despite initially getting a great timeslot on the Sci-Fi channel (right after their most popular show, Farscape) the show failed to garner much of an audience and is now banished to the middle of the night graveyard shift , where no one will see it.

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.