HIGHLANDER: ON THE TV SCREEN…

Highlander: The Series ran from 1992-1998.

The series was one of the first projects developed by Gaumont‘s television branch opened in 1992 and filmed entirely in English so as to make a significant impact on international markets. The original idea was to feature Connor MacLeod as the main character, though the timing of the show, its budget and the availability of the original film’s star Christopher Lambert led to the show branching off and featuring a new character. Technically, an alternative timeline to the original feature film (which – spoiler alert – left Connor MacLeod as the last of the Immortals), the series featured Duncan Macleod (Adrian Paul) who is described as ‘same clan – different vintage’ and the idea that ‘The Gathering’ was still taking place, with plenty of old Immortals looking to claim the Prize and some ‘newer’ Immortals’ being born.

Adrian Paul was a trained martial artist and dancer and had previously appeared in the likes of Dynasty spin-off, The Colbys, Beauty and the Beast, War of the Worlds, Dark Shadows and Love Potion No.9 (alongside Sandra Bullock). Though the supporting cast would change over time, initial regulars also included acclaimed French actress Alexandra Vandernoot as Duncan’s love Tessa and rising young actor Stan Kirsch as Richie Ryan, a petty thief that the couple take under their wing to keep him out of trouble (though it rarely works out that way). Later characters who became members of the core cast included actor and legendary blues guitarist Jim Byrnes as the ‘Watcher’ Joe Dawson, Peter Wingfield as the enigmatic Methos and Elizabeth Gracen as Amanda.

In the first episode, guest-starring Christopher Lambert, the two MacLeods meet up and face down a fellow immortal, Slan Quince, played by veteran actor Richard Moll.

Production needs, stories (and costs) were divided between Vancouver, Canada and Paris, France with local production crews, a ground-breaking move for a syndicated show. Both locations would often double for other worldly places – and the US location was deemed ‘Seacouver’ by fans given it’s supposed location somewhere between Vancouver and Seattle – but with so many well-known attractions and locations in the French capital, centuries-old and gorgeous scenery was never far away.

The show won (and was nominated for) many awards, especially in the genre award categories and ultimately ran for six seasons.

Syndicated shows always reached a time when the competitive market and rising costs meant that their sustainability was in question. The sixth and final season – which was not a foregone conclusion when the ending of Season Five was lensed – saw Adrian Paul appearing in only a handful of episodes and had a shorter run.

Though Highlander: The Series was the first successful attempt to bring the Highlander themes to the tv screen, it would not be the last. In fact, the sixth season was largely given the remit of finding a female lead for a proposed spin-off which would eventually become known as Highlander: The Raven.