Relic Hunter

Infobox Television
show_name = Relic Hunter


caption =
format = Mystery/Fantasy/Action/Adventure
runtime = 45 mins
producer = Simon MacCorkindale
executive_producer = Simon MacCorkindale
starring = Tia Carrere, Christien Anholt
country = United States, Canada, France
language = English
network =
first_aired = 25 September1999
last_aired = 20 May2002
num_seasons = 3
num_episodes = 66
list_episodes =
website =
imdb_id = 0207919
tv_com_id = 2470

"Relic Hunter" was an American/Canadian/French television series, starring Tia Carrere and Christien Anholt. Actress Lindy Booth also starred for the first two seasons, and Tanja Reichert replaced her for the third. It ran for three seasons in the U.S. between 1999 and 2002. In the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, it is aired on Sky One and subsidiary channels, while in Canada, it is aired on Citytv and Space and recently CTV's sister network A-Channel.

Overview and themes

"Relic Hunter" follows the globe-trotting adventures of unorthodox American archaeologist Sydney Fox (Carrere) and her more reserved British assistant Nigel Bailey (Anholt). They are assisted at their 'home base,' a generic American university identified only as Trinity College, by ditzy student secretary Claudia (Booth), the spoiled and fashion-conscious daughter of one of the college's major donors. The character of Claudia was replaced in the third season by Karen Petrushky (Reichert), who is closer to the standard 'sexy secretary' stereotype but with a facility for predicaments of a bureaucratic nature.

At the start of each episode, there is a short flashback in which a relic or artifact is used or abused in its original time before being lost, stolen, or hidden. The show cuts to Trinity College in the present day, where Sydney and Nigel are asked to find the relic by some person or agency such as a museum, private collector, or government. Most episodes feature the duo travelling around the globe, hunting for clues in order to find the artifact. Complications abound, often with rival relic hunters getting involved, generally giving Sydney a chance to show off her martial arts prowess. It is then up to Sydney and Nigel to seize the relic and ensure it ends up in the proper hands (such as the rightful owners or a suitable museum). Each episode ends with a scene at Trinity College explaining what has happened to the relic.

The plots in "Relic Hunter" usually take a grain of historical information and are dramatised in order to fit in with the story. There are however historical errors on the show. For example, the episode "Devil Doll" mentioned Cuzco as an Aztec city, but Cuzco was an Inca city.

Many episodes feature comic moments interlaced with the action. Sydney also knows how to hold her own in a fight, and Carrere is often involved in many fights and stunts in the show. The shows also exploits the sexual tension between Sydney and Nigel, including one episode in which they went undercover in a nudist colony. Sydney is also frequently seen wearing skimpy clothing, with lots of cleavage and tight-fitting shorts. However, this is not a major aspect of the show.

Recurring characters

* Avery Ko: "Ho "Oyster" Chow" - A mercenary, terrorist and rival relic hunter.
* Cate Hemphill: "Nancy Anne Sakovich" - An Interpol agent and occasional romantic interest of Nigel.
* Dallas Carter: "John Schneider" - An ex-partner of Sydney and now rival relic hunter.
* Kurt Reiner: "Thomas Kretschmann" - Another ex-partner of Sydney turned rival
* Stewie Harper: "Tony Rosato" - Relic Hunter who has a love-hate relationship with Sydney.
* Derek Lloyd: "Louis Mandylor" - A CIA agent who requires Sydney's help, more than once.
* Allan: "Peter O'Brien" - Sydney's "soul mate" and relic hunter.
* Andres De Viega: "George Calil" - Sydney's enemy who has been a hiccup in several hunts.
* Preston Bailey: "Crispin Bonham-Carter" - Nigel's brother and worst enemy.
* Bruce Farrow: "Kevin Jubinville" - Sydney's relic hunter friend who is framed for robbery in Egypt for "stealing" Thutmose III's diamond.

Relics featured in the series

The following table lists the relics featured in each episode, together with the time and location of the flashback sequence and any other locations used in the episode.

Production

The "Trinity College" campus scenes were filmed at the St. George campus at the University of Toronto in Canada. Campus landmarks prominently featured throughout the series include Victoria College and the Soldier's Tower (directly adjacent to the Hart House).

The "Antianeiral" episode ship scenes were filmed aboard HMCS Haida, the last Tribal Class destroyer in the world, when she was berthed at Ontario Place, in Toronto, Canada. For instance, the scene where Sydney finds the belt was filmed in the forward mess deck. All signage onboard was covered with Russian words. Haida has a red maple leaf on one of her funnels, and this was covered with a "bird" design. Anything that would show the ship to be of Canadian, or "western" origin, was removed for the film shoot.

Art imitates life

Sydney Fox, like the actress who portrayed her, was born and raised in Hawaii. She was portrayed as Asian on her mother's side. Her mother died when the character was eleven, as mentioned in the episode "So Shall It Be". Her father appeared in one episode, played by football player-turned-actor Fred Dryer.

Broadcast

Relic Hunter in other languages and TV channels:
* Spain "Cazatesoros" (Telecinco)
** Galicia, Spain "Cazatesouros" (TVG)
* Brazil "Caçadora de Reliquias" (Rede Record)
* Germany "Relic Hunter - Die Schatzjägerin" (Pro7, AXN, Kabel Eins)
* Austria "Relic Hunter - Die Schatzjägerin" (ATV+)
* Italy "Relic Hunter" (Italia1)
* Sri Lanka "Relic Hunter" (ITN)
* France "Sydney Fox l'aventurière" (M6)
* Slovak "Lovkyňa Tajomstiev" (Markíza)(Joj)
* Hungary "Az elveszett ereklyék fosztogatói" (means: The Hunters Of The Lost Relics) (TV2 and now AXN)
* Latin America "Relic Hunter" (AXN)
* Sweden "Kultjägarna" (Kanal 5)
* Finland "Aarteenmetsästäjä" (Nelonen)
* India "Relic Hunter" (AXN)
* Czech Republic "Lovci pokladů" (Nova) (Prima) (AXN)
* Turkey "Gizem Avcısı" (tv8)
* Bulgaria "Търсач на реликви" (AXN)
* Serbia "Ловац на благо" (FOX)
* Bosnia & Herzegovina "Lovac na blago" (FTV)
* Croatia "Pustolovine Sydney Fox" (NOVA)
* Romania "Vanatorii de comori"(AXN, TVR 2)
* Norway "Skattejegerne" (The treasure hunters) (TV Norge)
* Poland "Łowcy skarbów" (The treasure hunters) (TV4)/"Zagadki z przeszłości" (The Mysteries of the Past) (AXN)
* Russia "Охотники за древностями" (CTC)

DVD releases

The series has been released in various incarnations in Region 1, 2 & 4.

Region 1

A best-of collection entitled Relic Hunter - The Best of Seasons 1 & 2 was released in North America on November 11, 2003. (9 selected episodes from Season 1 and 13 selected episodes from Season 2)

Region 2

In Europe, Season 2 is available .

Region 4

In Australia the complete first and second seasons have been released.

References

External links

*imdb title|0207919
* [http://www.tv.com/RelicHunter/show/2470/episode_guide.html Episode guide] (TV.com)