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The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne

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The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne
Created byGavin Scott
StarringMichael Praed
Michel Courtemanche
Chris Demetral
Opening theme"The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne Theme" by Nick Glennie-Smith
Country of originCanada
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes22
Production
Executive producersNicolas Clermont
Pierre de Lespinois
Neil Dunn
Michael Huffington
Richard Jackson
Gavin Scott
ProducerMichael Mullally
Running time60 min.
Original release
NetworkCBC
Release18 June (2000-06-18) –
16 December 2000 (2000-12-16)

The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne is a Canadian science fiction television series that aired on CBC in Canada from June to December 2000, lasting for one season. The show is a fictionalized telling of the life of French author Jules Verne, placing him into the settings of the stories he wrote such as Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas and Around the World in Eighty Days. In the United States, the show aired on the Sci-Fi Channel, premiering in early 2001. The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne was the first television series to be filmed in high-definition video, which made the series expensive to produce.

Plot

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The show features a fictionalized portrayal of French author Jules Verne (Chris Demetral), along with portrayals of the characters Jean Passepartout (Michel Courtemanche) and Phileas Fogg (Michael Praed), both originating from Verne's 1873 work Around the World in Eighty Days.[1] A new character is also created for the show: Phileas Fogg's cousin Rebecca (Francesca Hunt).[2] The show's premise is of a young Verne being placed into scenarios similar to those of his stories prior to his having written them. Many of the show's settings are portrayed via special effects and computer-generated imagery.[1] Publicity for the show described its imagery as being steampunk.[2]

Production

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The pitch package for the show was developed by a USA based team that included a small VFX company called digital phenomena. As the team geared up, the Canadian government made the show producers an offer they couldn't refuse. Canada would subsidize a majority of the CGI production costs.

As a result the show was filmed in Montreal, Quebec at an estimated cost of $30,000,000 CAD. According to the Montreal Gazette, it was the most expensive television series ever shot in the city. English screenwriter Gavin Scott, who created the series, worked with producer Michael Mullally and production company Talisman Films to create the show. Executive producer Pierre de Lespinois chose to film in Montreal due to the city's architecture.[1] The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne was the first television series to be recorded entirely in high-definition video;[3] specifically, it used the HDCAM, a digital camera manufactured by Sony.[4][5]

Broadcast

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The show first aired on CBC in Canada in 2000.[citation needed] It was then broadcast in the United States on the Sci-Fi Channel, premiering in early 2001.[2]

Episodes

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Episode Title Notable guest stars
1. In the Beginning David Warner and Rick Overton
2. Queen Victoria and the Giant Mole Tracy Scoggins
3. Rockets of the Dead Patrick Duffy
4. The Cardinal's Design John Rhys-Davies and René Auberjonois
5. The Cardinal's Revenge John Rhys-Davies and René Auberjonois
6. The Eyes of Lazarus Michael Moriarty and Margot Kidder
7. Lord of Air and Darkness Sonia Vigneault and Rick Overton
8. Southern Comfort Larissa Laskin, Sonia Vigneault and Rick Overton
9. Let There Be Light Michael Yarmush
10. The Ballad of Steeley Joe
11. The Black Glove of Melchizedek Kim Chan and Nigel Bennett
12. Dust to Dust Pascale Bussieres
13. The Golem Caroline Dhavernas
14. Crusader in the Crypt
15. The Strange Death of Professor Marechal Polly Draper
16. The Rocket's Red Glare Rick Overton
17. Rocket to the Moon R. H. Thomson
18. The Inquisitor Mako
19. Royalty Geordie Johnson
20. Secret of the Realm Rick Overton
21. The Victorian Candidate Bill Paterson and Keir Cutler
22. The Book of Knowledge David Warner and Michael McManus

Critical reception

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An uncredited review in the Times-Picayune rated the show 2.5 out of 4 stars, stating that "With its dark humor, odd machines of the Industrial Revolution, campy derring-do and attractive stars, The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne holds promise."[6] Tom Shales of The Washington Post was less favorable, describing the show's premise as "silly" while also criticizing the directing, script, and characterization of Verne.[2]

Soundtrack

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The series' main theme and incidental music was composed by Nick Glennie-Smith. In April 2011, Perseverance Records released a 2-CD soundtrack of the series' music. The soundtrack included the main theme, closing theme, "bumpers" (played at commercial breaks), and suites from every episode of the series apart from "The Book of Knowledge", for which the composer and the recording studio were unable to locate the original tapes.[7]

CD 1
No. Title Length
1 Opening Titles 0:53
2 In the Beginning 2:34
3 Queen Victoria and the Giant Mole 13:25
4 Bumper #1 0:09
5 Rockets of the Dead 11:31
6 The Cardinal's Design 2:04
7 The Cardinal's Revenge 2:33
8 The Eyes of Lazarus 2:00
9 Bumper #2 0:11
10 Lord of Air and Darkness 1:56
11 Southern Comfort 19:05
12 Let There Be Light 7:56
13 The Ballad of Steeley Joe 6:51
14 Bumper #3 0:09
CD 2
No. Title Length
1 Bumper #4 0:09
2 The Black Glove of Melchizedek 9:02
3 Dust to Dust 6:17
4 The Golem 3:51
5 Crusader in the Crypt 1:53
6 The Strange Death of Professor Marechal 4:32
7 The Rocket's Red Glare 5:53
8 Rocket to the Moon 3:55
9 Bumper #5 0:09
10 The Inquisitor 5:25
11 Royalty 12:38
12 Secret of the Realm 6:00
13 The Victorian Candidate 7:27
14 End Credits 0:42

References

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  1. ^ a b c Brendan Kelly (31 March 1998). "Around the city in 22 episodes". Montreal Gazette. pp. A1, A2. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "'Jules Verne': Way Out Of His League". The Washington Post. 5 January 2001. ProQuest 409078250. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Gordon Brockhouse talks to Pierre de Lespinois, producer of the first TV series shot entirely on high-definition video". Andrew Marshall's Audio Ideas Guide. 2000. ProQuest 194542049. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Talisman Crest Limited Credits Multi-Million Dollar Savings in Production of the Secret Adventures of Jules Verne to Sony's HDCAM Format". Business Wire. 30 August 1999. ProQuest 446017679. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  5. ^ Mark Collings (8 February 1999). "A producer's guide to advanced TV". Playback. Retrieved 20 March 2023. In Canada, The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne is being shot on a Sony HDW-700 hdcam in Montreal. Post-production is being done by Voodoo Arts on a hybrid system using Avid ds systems with Sony HDW-500 hdcam vtrs.
  6. ^ "The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne". Times Picayune. 31 December 2000. ProQuest 415344494. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Interview with album editor Gergely Hubai at hans-zimmer.com". Retrieved 29 March 2011.
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