Musketeer TV

[Pathos]

I'm not sure if anyone's aware of this (I only stumbled on it as I was flipping channels during halftime of the Patriots game last night) but the PAX network just launched a new show called Young Blades. You COULD call it "Three Musketeers: The Next Generation" and I didn't see enough of it to form a serious opinion...but it LOOKED like it might have potential...albeit in a silly, syndicated way.

Based on what I saw the premise is this: The son of D'Artagnan (also named D'Artagnan) is enrolled in a sort of "Musketeer Academy" along with 2 friends, a young Spanish nobleman disowned by his family and a 3rd guy I failed to get background on. Along comes a 4th student named Jacques who just happens to be a girl disguised as a man who wants to be a Musketeer to avenge her fathers murder (the very first thing you see in the show). Those 4 are all played by young actors I've never heard of but there ARE a few familiar faces in the cast. Bruce Boxleitner is a Musketeer Captain in charge of the Academy and Michael Ironside (one of the best under-rated actors IMHO) plays the wicked Cardinal Mazarin.

Based on a few web sites I've just checked out they made 22 episodes so I think I'll give it a chance and see what they do with it. In the few brief minutes I saw there WERE some good looking swordfights so at least it's got that.

Just figured I'd mention it since lots of people in our guilds love period drama and adventure of that sort (and I personally love ANYTHING based on Dumas). They'll be re-playing the debut episode tomorrow (Tuesday) night at 8 pm. I may follow this up with more comments once I see the whole episode and look forward to other opinions on it!

Good watching,
Pathos
(Musketeer)

[*Gremco]

Sounds interesting. I might have try and catch it.

[Mistress Kath the Innkeep]

Based on what I saw the premise is this: The son of D'Artagnan (also named D'Artagnan) is enrolled in a sort of "Musketeer Academy" along with 2 friends, a young Spanish nobleman disowned by his family and a 3rd guy I failed to get background on. Along comes a 4th student named Jacques who just happens to be a girl disguised as a man who wants to be a Musketeer to avenge her fathers murder (the very first thing you see in the show).



Wasn't there a rather cheese-y, technicolor-y movie about the sons of the musketeers that had a girl dressed up as a guy?

Kath

[Pathos]

Wasn't there a rather cheese-y, technicolor-y movie about the sons of the musketeers that had a girl dressed up as a guy?

Kath

Can't say I remember that. I remember a b-movie from the 80's about the descendants of the Musketeers meeting in modern day L.A. and turning into modern Musketeers. One of them was a girl but she didn't pretend to be a guy.

[Pathos]

Oooooookay. Now I've seen the full episode and...I dunno. They had me for awhile. I was watching it with a serious degree of leniency. Yes...it's a modern show (after D'Artagnan's face is driven into a wenchs' cleavage during a bar fight...the "inventor" character says "Bags of air could save lives." ha ha get it? Boobs. Bags of air? Air bags. Like in cars? ha ha). Yes...the target audience is young (the "gang" looks like a boy band). Yes...it's low-budgeted (every sword...and I mean EVERY sword...looks JUST like some shit I got hanging on my wall right now!). Suspension of disbelief was crucial here.

I cringed when they threw in the "secret society" and all the magical shit. I have no problem with fantasy but the great thing about Dumas' world is it's rooted in real history. Then they lost me with the stupid flying machine bullshit.

It MIGHT have worked if it was a short sequence but they dwelt on it WAY too long. It's supposed to be mid-to-late 17th century France and they have the 2 main characters ZOOMING around in a wooden airplane with wings they both have to keep flapping by continuely pulling on ropes. But of course when they need to have a dramatic moment...they stop flapping and talk to each other...FOR EXTENDED PERIODS...WHILE THEY'RE 100 FEET IN THE AIR...WITH SOLDIERS ON THE GROUND SHOOTING AT THEM!

Soooo...I dunno. Previews of next weeks episode show them all in a frikin' SUBMARINE! It looks like they're trying to be part "Wild Wild West" and part "Adventures of Jules Verne" where they have this mix of period AND high tech. Not sure if it's gonna' work. I'll still give it a chance though but I'm not sure how long my patience will last...!!!

[Alianne]

I caught about the last 15 minutes of it.

My initial reactions were:

1) That's one nice group of pretty boys. :)

2) Didn't buy the 'girl pretending to be a guy' thing for one nano-second. She looked like a girl, walked like a girl, talked like a girl.

3) Flying machines? Puh-leeze.

But that's one nice group of pretty boys...... ;)

[Nitestar]

I got it!! They met up the Flintstones and are using the "Flintstone Flyer" from the cartoon!!! That was Stone Age Musketeers!! LOL :lol:

Some things really shouldn't be attempted.... at least not unless they are serious about it... The clothing looked like they were Civil War uniforms turned inside out with adaptations. Too sad to watch. :P