30 years after immortality

30 years after immortality, in the end there will only be one.

This phrase takes us first to 1986 to remember Highlander/Los Inmortales, a film that over the years would become a cult movie.

But here we will talk about its television spin-off, launched on October 3, 1992, and that in six seasons got its own followers.

After the first two Highlander movies, its producers, Peter Davis and Bill Panzer, wanted to make a series about this intellectual property.

Christopher Lambert, who played Connor MacLeod, arranged for Christian Charret, chairman of the leading French entertainment conglomerate Gaumont, to meet with the producers at the Cannes film festival in 1991.

Thus, Gaumont bought the rights to the series.

It was the first French production company to creatively participate in a show for the US market.

Highlander was co-produced in syndication by international partners including Gaumont, RTL Plus (Germany), Rysher Distribution (USA), Reteitalia Productions (Italy), Amuse Video (Japan) and TF1 (France).

The budget for the first season was $26.1 million.

The opening theme was Princes of the Universe, from the album A Kind of Magic (1986) by the rock band Queen, which had already been used in the first film; incidental music was composed by Roger Bellon.

READ ALSO

Robocop, 35 years of superpolice

30 years after immortality

Originally, a third Highlander movie (a TV movie) had been planned, but in the end it was decided to rewrite it to be the pilot episode.

At first it was believed that Connor MacLeod was going to be the protagonist and Christopher Lambert should play him, but he did not want to do TV because his film career was on the rise, although he agreed that there should be a series.

After Lambert refused, the search for who would be the immortal began.

Before Englishman Adrian Paul was cast, the production wanted Alastair Duncan to have the lead role.

Duncan later appeared as the immortal Terence Coventry in season five.

British actor and martial artist Gary Daniels was also one of the favorites and Alexis Denisoff, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, also auditioned.

Adrian Paul beat out 400 applicants for the part.

Originally, the actor was a difficult sell to investors because he was an unknown, his little known leading role was when he played John Kincaid in the series The War of the Worlds.

To some of the producers, Paul reminded them of a young Sean Connery (who coincidentally played Ramirez in the first two theatrical installments), would appeal to male and female fans of the franchise.

Adrian said in an interview that he was drawn to the series because it had so many layers: history, romance, adventure, spirituality.

Once Paul landed the role, he suggested to the production that the series focus on another MacLeod.

For the passing of the torch, Lambert was asked to appear in the pilot episode, reportedly paying him $500,000 for three days of filming.

Thus, in the chapter The Gathering, Duncan MacLeod, a disciple of Connor MacLeod, was introduced.

Fact

The other secondary roles went to Alexandra Vandernoot (as Tessa Noël), who was only in the first season, because starting the second she asked the producers to leave the series, so the writers killed her character in the episode The Darkness.

Stan Kirsch brought to life Richard H. ‘Richie’ Ryan, who as the seasons progressed became another immortal and disciple of Duncan.

As the series developed, characters like Amanda (Elizabeth Gracen) emerged, who would have her own series that would only last one season.

Methos (Peter Wingfield) considered the oldest immortal, and Joe Dawson (Jim Byrnes), a member of a vigilante group that investigates immortals.

A success on the part of the writers and the production was that different musicians are invited and appear in the series.

Like: Martin Kemp (Alfred Cahill), a member of the new wave band Spandau Ballet; Roland Gift (Xavier St. Cloud), singer of the band Fine Young Cannibals; Roger Daltrey (Hugh Fitzcairn), voice of The Who.

Joan Jett (Felicia Martins), lead singer of Joan Jett and the Blackhearts; Vanity (Rebecca Lord); Dee Dee Bridgewater (Carolyn Lamb).

Sheena Easton (Annie Devlin); Marcus Testory (Caspian), singer of MELT, a band that played three songs for The Modern Prometheus episodes: Steps, Follow My Voice and Alpha Et Omega.

The reception

Unlike the Highlander movie sequels, critical reaction to Highlander: The Series has been generally favorable.

Especially on an international scale: she was nominated three times for a Gemini Award and once for a Saturn Award.

Rob Lineberger of DVD Verdict noted, “The direction is sometimes uncertain, but Highlander: The Series offers viewers something unique and inspiring.

Each episode gives us a provocative look at the trials and tribulations of immortality, grand sword fights, elegant flashbacks to bygone eras, and the occasional evil immortal with jaw-dropping quickenings.”

Abbie Bernstein of Audio Video Revolution stated that “during the fifth season, (the show) was at the height of its creative glory.”

SCI FI’s Kathie Huddleston said, “Season four was arguably the best season of the series.

as the show said goodbye to the characters from the previous season and delved into what made the regulars and most notable recurring characters tick.”

Almost at the end of the series, different critics pointed out that the last seasons were bad, something that many fans did not think so, the problem was that it simply lasted too long.

beyond tv

While the series was very popular, 10 Highlander: The Series novels appeared.

Published from October 1995 to September 2000, which are canon.

Their events are included on the Watcher Chronicles CD-ROM, which contains an extensive database of the events and immortals from the television series.

At the end of the program, a spin-off titled Highlander: The Raven was considered, which tells the adventures of Amanda (Elizabeth Gracen), which did not have the expected response.

In 2001, The Methos Chronicles Flash animated web series (or webcast) based on Methos (Peter Wingfield), a 5,000-year-old immortal, appears.

In 2008, a decade after the series ended, a reunion special starring Peter Wingfield, Elizabeth Gracen and Jim Byrnes reprising their roles was filmed.

The 17-minute special was a low-budget project.

Filming took place at producer Peter Davis’s old beach house with the actors volunteering in their roles.

A year later, Big Finish released a series of four, hour-long, officially licensed audio adventures starring Adrian Paul as Duncan MacLeod.

The story was set years after what happens in the movie Highlander: Endgame. There is a new musical score and a new Highlander audio theme by Jamie Robertson.

In 2011, Big Finish released a box set containing a tie-in series of four audio adventures featuring the actors who portrayed the Four Horsemen in the television series.

The composer of the music of the series, Roger Bellon, along with Harlan Collins, premiered in 2010 Highlander: A Celtic Opera.

It follows Duncan’s banishment from his clan, his relationship with a mortal woman named Aurora, who becomes his first wife, and his encounters with an immortal Visigoth named Fritagern.

Between June 2006 and 2007, Dynamite Entertainment has published two comic book miniseries based on the Highlander franchise.

The first is a 13-issue series titled Highlander that was later released in a three-volume set.

The second series is a four issue prequel to the first Highlander movie called Highlander: Way of the Sword. Duncan makes an appearance for him beginning in issue #10.

30 years have passed and the series continues to have followers, although this type of genre is no longer so popular among young people, it can still be seen on platforms such as YouTube or Dailymotion.

Where are the episodes in different languages. Highlander: The Series is one of those products that is here to stay, as it has an army of loyal fans who are still waiting for the return of Connor or Duncan McLeod.

Because at the end of the day they are immortal and it is not known what can go through the head of a film or television executive or producer.