Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

RogerBorg I've been dipping in and out of this as a guilty pleasure. It's more guilt than pleasure though, especially the later series.The pleasures mostly come from ogling the collection of beach bunnies (both genders) jiggling around in various states of undress. As far as I can determine, this world operates an exclusive access policy: no fuglies, no kids, no geezers. Fine with me.Series one makes a very brave attempt to stick to the stone age - or rather, bone age - idiom, with a few fairly understandable lapses in costume and set dressing (say: what are they shaving with?). It's a fresh and interesting divergence from the usual generic "Early Olden Days" Swords and Sandals setting, which makes the later seasons all the more disappointing when they apparently just forget what sort of milieu they're supposed to be portraying, and loot the Xena props department.There's an attempt to weave some backstory exposition into the weekly "Run, jump, rescue boy/girl hostage from the Growling Menace" plots, but the uniformly bland and un-nuanced delivery of all of the actors - including and especially the leads - robs it of any lasting appeal. Season 3 plots devolve into a tiresome grind of "Seek this / fetch that" - perhaps the writers had been playing a lot of Ultima? Whether Beastmaster holds any deep appeal for you probably largely depends on whether you buy into the hippy premise that animals are, like our friends, and so, like, totally full of ancient wisdom and stuff. Hmm. No. Nature is struggle, not co-operation. I'm not sure why being able to talk to a carnivore would make any difference to it devouring you or not. Presumably Dar sells them on the health benefits of eating leaves and bark.

jallanh Why was Monika Schnarre replaced briefly by another actress that looked like Uma Thurman with a long blonde ponytail and a lot of eye shadow/makeup. However, I'm not complaining since I liked this sorceress also. I just thought it was the same one and they got another actress to play her. Originally, I missed some episodes and when I tuned in all of sudden there she was-a new sorceress! Later in reruns, I saw Monika's sorceress character encased in amber and apparently trapped there. But did Monika's contract only run for the 1st season and the the first few episodes of the 2nd season and that's why she had to be replaced or it was definitely part of the storyline. Apparently the second sorceress didn't work out and her run was limited and Monika returned. Maybe the producers sensed that Monika was more popular with the fans since she was the original sorceress. Anyways, I watched the show mainly because of Daniel Goddard with his bulging biceps and his tush in that skimpy loin cloth costume. He was just pure eye candy-so move over Monika Schnarre and second sorceress and all of the other sorceresses- jeez, I will never want to type that word ever again! I'd like to eventually buy the the whole series but has anyone noticed how expensive they are- what's up with that? There are sellers on an online DVD site selling Season 3 alone for over $100!

andros12 After having watched the show in re-runs for a couple of years, I recently purchased "Season One." This series possesses many wonderful qualities that appear to set it apart from Hercules and Zena and similar epics. Some of the uniqueness lies in the very ethereal quality present in the beautiful rain forest settings that play a very prominent role in almost every episode. This feature is sometimes juxtaposed against the human characters in very original and highly effective visual presentations. A wonderful example being the opening sequence to the episode "A simple truth" wherein a wolf is being pursued by a hunter who in turn is being pursued by Dar. There is a multitude of mini-shots of the three characters moving in unison toward a common destination in the heart of the rain forest setting. The combined effect of the photographic sequencing provides a stunning pictogram depicting the the show's essential theme of one man's struggle against another to save the animal kingdom.The story lines encapsulate a wide variety of mythologies and legends from around the world; nymphs, minotaurs, chameleons, amazons, elves and unicorns are but a few examples of the characters used to illustrate the individual productions. These characters often come to life through a remarkable collection of highly entertaining, exotic personages. A prime example is Grace Jones' portrayal as a solo animal hunter in "The Umpatra." Displaying an innate sense of cunning and ferocious fighting spirit, both humans and immortals are on guard as she finally begins hand to hand combat with Dar. The eventual revelation of the Umpatra's erroneous perception and subsequent disclosure of the "truth" culminates with her own self imposed demise. This is a common lesson throughout the series as many of the "unenlightened" eventually gain a greater understanding and respect for the inherent balance between man and nature.Another unusual quality is the slow, deliberate phrasing evident in the many heart to heart philosophical discussions, especially between Dar and those closest to him and also the Sorceress and the astute Ancient One. The unique phrasing combined with the slow and deliberate eye contact adds a sensual and highly effective edge to the communication between the characters who lived long ago in "an age when nature and magic ruled the world."In every episode the viewer is presented with another example of Dar's untiring devotion and loyalty to the animals and their welfare. A devotion that is very effectively portrayed. Daniel Goddard plays the character as a somewhat more serious, intense Beastmaster than Marc Singer did in the original feature film and this new persona seems very effective and well suited for the television version. The actors' various styles are at times interestingly comparable because of Marc Singer's occasional guest appearances as Dartanus, Dar's spirit guide.The show's simple but poignant message of good-will to earth's creatures, philosophical story lines and stunning photography make it a beautiful and uplifting television series.

MichaelM24 THE BEASTMASTER (the original 1982 film) was and still remains a childhood favorite of mine. When I heard of a series, I was naturally excited. Then I saw the premiere, and had to laugh. Though supposedly produced by one of the guys involved with the film, the show itself isn't much like the film at all, with the only similarity being a guy named Dar who can communicate with animals. Even the backstory of Dar was changed. Also, thanks to the type of fantasy shows produced in the wake of the HERCULES and XENIA series, THE BEASTMASTER became just another typical, corny, lame, lackluster series that could never be found because of its ever-changing schedule, which is just as well. Dar, a muscular tough guy in the films, becomes a slim beach-blonde surfer dude from Malibu (no disrespect to the actor, since it was the producers who made the character like this) who encounters everything from jungle woman to creatures who looks like (and, knowing this type of show, probably are) from space or another dimension. The dark, brooding aspect of the film is instead replaced with a "hip" sensibility meant to attract a young audience, which has probably never even heard of the film. I can't believe the show is still on, though I really couldn't care any less. It's a terrible show, but at least it can never take away my fondness for the original (and much superior) film.