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Relic Hunter

{{Short description|Canadian television series}}

{{about|the TV show|the type of person and activity|tomb raiding|and|treasure hunting|and|antiquarian|and|antiquing|and|archaeology}}

{{Infobox television

| image = RelicHunterTitle.JPG

| caption = Title card

| genre = Mystery
Fantasy
Action
Adventure

| creator = Gil Grant

| runtime = 42–43 minutes

| producer = John Ryan
Gerard Crocé
Ken Gord
Jonathan Hackett

| executive_producer = Jay Firestone
Adam Haight
Jeff F. King

| starring = Tia Carrere
Christien Anholt
Lindy Booth
Tanja Reichert

| composer = Donald Quan

| country = Canada/France (co-production, seasons 1-2)
Canada/United Kingdom (co-production, season 3)

| language = English

| network = First-run syndication (1999-2002)

| company = CHUM Television
ProSieben Media AG
M6
Gaumont Télévision
(1999-2000)
(season 1)
Fireworks Entertainment
Paramount Domestic Television
Amy International Productions
(2001-2002)
(season 3)
Farrier Ltd.
(2001-2002)
(season 3)

| first_aired = {{start date|1999|9|20}}

| last_aired = {{end date|2002|5|20}}

| num_seasons = 3

| num_episodes = 66

| list_episodes = List of Relic Hunter episodes

}}

Relic Hunter is a Canadian adventure television series, starring Tia Carrere and Christien Anholt.{{cite web |last=Linan |first=Steven |date=September 25, 1999 |title=Indiana Jones Meets 'V.I.P.' in Adventure-Seeking 'Relic Hunter' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-sep-25-ca-14081-story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306170354/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/sep/25/entertainment/ca-14081 |archive-date=March 6, 2016 |url-status=live |work=The Los Angeles Times}}

It centers on Sydney Fox, a professor who is also a globe-trotting "relic hunter" who looks for ancient artifacts to return to museums and/or the descendants of the original owner. She is aided by her linguistic assistant Nigel and occasionally by her secretary Claudia (Seasons 1 and 2) or Karen (Season 3). She often ends up battling rival hunters seeking out artifacts for monetary gain. The series includes fantasy and science fiction elements, with many of the relics featured having supposed supernatural powers or being pieces of unusually advanced technology.

It ran for three seasons in the United States between 1999 and 2002, fulfilling its initial three-season, 66-episode contract, which was not renewed. In both Ireland and the United Kingdom, it aired on Sky1 and subsidiary channels, while in Canada, it aired on CityTV and Space, CTV's sister network A-Channel and Showcase. The series was shot in the Toronto area, and includes many familiar local landmarks among its locations. As of July 2023, the series airs on the Heroes and Icons cable network.

Overview

Relic Hunter follows the globe-trotting adventures of unorthodox American archaeologist Sydney Fox (Tia Carrere), and her more reserved British assistant Nigel Bailey (Christien Anholt). They are assisted at their "home base", a generic American university identified only as Trinity College, by ditzy student secretary Claudia (Lindy 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 Petrusky (Tanja Reichert), who is more talented than Claudia at dealing with predicaments of a bureaucratic nature.

At the beginning 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 (in disguise) or government. Most episodes feature the duo traveling 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.

Image:Relichunter1.jpg

Cast and characters

=Main=

  • Tia Carrere as Sydney Fox: The main protagonist and titular relic hunter of the series, Sydney is a Professor of Ancient Studies at Trinity College, and on the rare occasions she actually teaches, has been seen lecturing on anthropology, archaeology, and history. She is skilled in martial arts and self-defense. She has many contacts all over the world, in the archaeological fields and otherwise, and is very protective of both her assistants, as well as her students and colleagues.
  • Christien Anholt as Nigel Bailey: Sydney's more reserved British teaching assistant who accompanies her on her travels whilst searching for the relics. Nigel often finds himself in situations that are uncomfortable and needs Sydney's help to get out of them. The producers describe Nigel as a "younger Hugh Grant". Anholt describes his character as a complete role reversal with Sydney as the female Indiana Jones and his character as the English sidekick.
  • Lindy Booth as Claudia (Also starring season 1; Starring season 2): Sydney's somewhat ditzy, fashion-forward and boy-crazy office assistant who helps out Sydney and Nigel from the campus back home whilst they are abroad. She is the daughter of one of the school's prominent donors.{{Cite web|url=http://www.littlereview.com/getcritical/interviews/booth.htm|title=Lindy Booth: Relic-Hunting Superhero | first=Michelle Erica | last=Green | work=The Little Review / Get Critical }} She sometimes possesses a savant-like ability for organizing unorthodox and creative solutions to travel difficulties that Sydney and Nigel face, in one case arranging for them to sneak over the Angolan border disguised as Catholic missionaries. Claudia occasionally joins Sydney and Nigel in the field, most notably during their quests for Ariadne's ball of twine and Cleopatra's necklace.
  • Tanja Reichert as Karen Petrusky (Season 3): Claudia's replacement who is portrayed as being more serious but also willing to use her attractiveness to get the job done.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_ZxODwAAQBAJ&dq=Karen+relic+hunter&pg=PA160 | title=Television Series of the 1990s: Essential Facts and Quirky Details | first=Vincent | last=Terrace | year=2018 | publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers | isbn=9781538103784 | page=160 }}

=Recurring=

  • Tony Rosato as Stewie Harper (Episodes 1, 8, 21): Relic hunter who has a love-hate relationship with Sydney.
  • Louis Mandylor as Derek Lloyd (Episodes 7, 26, 46): A CIA agent who requires Sydney's help on several occasions.
  • Nancy Anne Sakovich as Cate Hemphill (Episodes 25, 34, 53; mentioned in 47, 54, 59, 66): An Interpol agent and occasional romantic interest of Nigel.
  • Simon MacCorkindale as Fabrice De Viega (Episodes 47, 58, 66): Sydney's sworn enemy who killed her mentor Alistair Newell when she was ten. MacCorkindale was also the co-executive producer for the third season.{{cite magazine|title=Simon MacCorkindale, back on television as Casualty's new consultant, has been delivering foals rather than lines of late...|magazine=Radio Times|last=Gillard | first=David|date=8 June 2002}}{{cite news|title=How Simon dived into an acting career|work=Coventry Evening Telegraph|date=16 July 2005}}
  • Lori Gordon as Lynette (Episodes 8, 10), a temp who filed in for Claudia on two occasions.
  • Crispin Bonham-Carter as Preston Bailey (Episodes 42, 65): Nigel's older brother.

List of episodes, relics, and locations

{{Main|List of Relic Hunter episodes}}

class="sortable wikitable"
No.

!style="text-align:left;"| Title

!style="text-align:left;"| Relic

!style="text-align:right;"| Flashback

!style="text-align:left;"| Flashback location

!style="text-align:left;"| Other locations

1

| “Buddha’s Bowl”

| Buddha’s alms bowl

|align=right data-sort-value="-523"|523 BC

| Nepal

| Hong Kong

2

| “Smoking Gun”

| Al Capone’s diamond-encrusted gun

|align=right|1930

| Chicago

| United States

3

|data-sort-value="“Headless"| “The Headless Nun”

| Remains of Sister Evangeline

|align=right data-sort-value="1650"|17th C.

| Nova Scotia

| Canada

4

| “Flag Day”

| Pioneer's Bear Flag of California

|align=right|1846

| California

| United States

5

| “Thank You Very Much”

| Lost guitar of Elvis Presley

|align=right|1960

| Germany

| Germany

6

| “Diamond in the Rough”

| Magical glove of former baseball great Jimmy Jonesboro

|align=right|1946

| Fenway Park, Boston

| United States

7

| “Transformation”

| Paracelsus scrolls

|align=right|1946

| Salzburg, Austria

| Peru

8

| “Etched in Stone”

| Treasure of legendary Viking Jann the Bold

|align=right|935

| Northumbrian Coast

| Sweden

9

|data-sort-value="“Book"| “The Book of Love”

| Casanova’s Book of Love

|align=right|1749

| Casanova’s Hideaway, Italy

| Italy

10

|data-sort-value="“Myth"| “The Myth of the Maze”

| Minotaur’s maze

|align=right data-sort-value="-3000"|3000 BC

| Athens

| Greece

11

| “Irish Crown Affair”

| Lost crown of the last King of Ireland

|align=right|1000

| Ireland

| Dublin

12

|data-sort-value="“Emperor"| “The Emperor’s Bride”

| Coffin of the bride of a Chinese Emperor

|align=right data-sort-value="-1000"|1000 BC

| Huang River, China

| Alaska

13

| “Afterlife and Death”

| Diamond of Thutmose III

|align=right data-sort-value="-1425"|1425 BC

| Egypt

| Amsterdam

14

| “Nine Lives”

| Statue of the cat goddess Mafdet

|align=right|1895

| Egypt

| New York

15

| “Affaire de Coeur”

| Rings that belonged to lovers, Callum and Elena

|align=right|1430

| Scotland

| Scotland

16

| “A Vanishing Art”

| Scepter of the Kingdom of Hungary

|align=right|1897

| Budapest

| Atlantic City

17

| “A Good Year”

| Crown jewels of France

|align=right|1792

| Paris

| France

18

|data-sort-value="“Last Knight"| “The Last Knight”

| Templar Grand Master's sword of Jacques de Molay

|align=right|1300

| Paris, circa

| France

19

| “Love Letter”

| Records proving a secret marriage on the eve of the French Revolution

|align=right|1789

| Village South of Paris

| France

20

| “Possessed”

| Zeus’ sacred sundial

|align=right data-sort-value="1350"|14th C.

| Libya

| Brussels

21

| “Nothing but the Truth”

| Ruby Chalice of Truth

|align=right|1534

|data-sort-value="Barbary"| The Barbary Coast

| Paris

22

| “Memories of Montmartre”

| A tiara known as the Heart of Europe

|align=right data-sort-value="1935"|1930s

| Moulin Rouge

| France

23

|data-sort-value="“Put"| “The Put Back”

| Idol from the Temple of Woot

|align=right|100

| Kuba, Africa

| Democratic Republic of the Congo

24

| “Dagger of Death”

| Dagger of Kali

|align=right|500

| Temple of Kali, India

| Calcutta and Kashmir

25

| “Last of the Mochicas”

| Vessel believed to contain the Great Warrior Spirit of the Mochicas

|align=right|662

| South America

| Peruvian jungle

26

|data-sort-value="“Legend"| “The Legend of the Lost”

|data-sort-value="Kai"| The Kai Nomata (lost tribe)

|align=right data-sort-value="-4800"|4800 BC

| Vanuatu Islands

| New Guinea

27

| “Fertile Ground”

| Idol of Lono

|align=right|1779

| Hawaii

| Madagascar

28

| “Gypsy Jigsaw”

| Crown of the Romani people

|align=right|1830

| Romania

| Bucharest, Romania

29

| “Three Rivers to Cross”

| Jade Empress

|align=right|1245

| Three Rivers, China

| Hong Kong and Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan, China

30

| “Roman Holiday”

| Caesar’s breastplate

|align=right data-sort-value="-44"|44 BC

| Rome

| Italy

31

| “Cross of Voodoo”

| Haitian Cross of Utu

|align=right data-sort-value="1775"|late 18th C.

| Haiti

| New Orleans

32

| “Lost Contact”

| Sacrificial bowl

|align=right|1824

| Burma

| Myanmar

33

|data-sort-value="“Reel"| “The Reel Thing”

| Relics of Egyptian Pharaoh Amun II

|align=right data-sort-value="-1516"|1516 BC

| Egypt

| England

34

| “M.I.A.”

| Faberge egg

|align=right|1886

| St. Petersburg, Russia

| New York City, several clips from other episodes

35

| “Out of the Past”

| Cleopatra’s necklace

|align=right data-sort-value="-30"|30 BC

| Egypt

| Alexandria, Egypt

36

| “Eyes of Toklamanee”

| Eyes of Toklamanee

|align=right|1605

| Mississippi Valley

| St Louis

37

| “Run Sydney Run”

| Sword of Ateas

|align=right data-sort-value="-339"|339 BC

| Ural Steppes

| Russia

38

| “French Connection”

| Prophecy of Nostradamus

|align=right|1600

| Church Of Cordiers Salon

| France

39

| “Don’t Go Into the Woods”

| Golden Falcon of Maribor

|align=right|1711

| Carpathian Mountains

| Ljubljana, Slovenia

40

| “Midnight Flight”

| Ruby-encrusted scepter of Gunther the Brave

|align=right|Circa 400

| Germania

| Luxembourg and Paris

41

|data-sort-value="“Executioner"| “The Executioner’s Mask”

| Executioner's Mask

|align=right|1789

| Bourg, France

| Paris

42

|data-sort-value="“Royal"| “The Royal Ring”

| Ring of Anne Boleyn

|align=right|1536

| Tower of London

| London, Leeds Castle in Kent, England

43

| “Set in Stone”

| Magical sword of St. Gabriel

|align=right|1595

| Balaton, Hungary

| Balaton, Hungary

44

| “Deadline”

| First Christian Tau cross

|align=right|1099

| Jerusalem

| Paris

45

| “Wages of Sydney”

| Chinese dragon’s egg

|align=right|1359

| Quan Shu Fortress, Manchuria

| New York, USA and Quan Shu, China

46

| “Mr. Right”

| Bowl of Parvati

|align=right|1459

| Bali, Indonesia

| Singapore

47

| “Sydney at Ten”

| Egyptian necklace of Tutankhamun

|align=right data-sort-value="1981"|1981{{efn|name="20years"|In the episode "Sydney at Ten", the flashback is listed as "20 years ago"}}

| St. Beatrice's School

| Turkey

48

|data-sort-value="“Light"| “The Light of Truth”

| Light of Truth lamp

|align=right|843

| Arabia

| Morocco

49

| “Treasure Island”

|data-sort-value="treasure"| The treasure of Treasure Island

|align=right|1790

|data-sort-value="Spanish"| The Spanish Main

| South Seas

50

| “Star of Nadir”

| Star of Nadir jewel

|align=right|1423

| Palace of the Talibs, Endostan

| The ruins of Azir, Endostan

51

| “Vampire’s Kiss”

| Vampire chalice

|align=right|1720

| Czechoslovakia

| Prague, Czech Republic and Târgovişte, Romania

52

| “Devil Doll”

| Cursed Aztec Devil doll

|align=right|1488

| Meso-America

| Central America

53

| “Incognito”

| Lancet which causes anyone cut with it to gain incredible strength

|align=right|1522

| New Guinea

| Papua New Guinea, Lisbon, Portugal and Valletta, Malta

54

| “All Choked Up”

| Statue of Athena

|align=right data-sort-value="-800"|800 BC

| Greece

| Skyros Island, Greece

55

| “Warlock of Nu Theta Phi”

| Wicca amulet

|align=right|1692

| New England Colonies

| Harper's Wood (near Trinity College)

56

| “Women Want to Know”

| Statue of Ganesha

|align=right|1075

| Southeast Asia

| Gamoran Heights

57

| “Fire in the Sky”

| Extraterrestrial artifact

|align=right|1398

| Pacific Northwest

| Okanagan Mountains (Washington state)

58

| “Hunting with the Enemy”

| Urn containing the ashes of Confucius

|align=right|1952

| Cambodia

| Rayong Province, Thailand

59

| “Antianeirai”

| Belt of Hippolyte

|align=right data-sort-value="-1200"|1200 BC

| Asia Minor

| Istanbul, Turkey

60

| “Under the Ice”

| Anasazi mummy

|align=right|1355

| Arctic Circle

| Ikaulat Airfield, Arctic Station Peary

61

| “Arthur’s Cross”

| Cross of King Arthur

|align=right|455

| England

| Tintern Abbey and Chepstow Castle, Chepstow, Wales

62

| “Faux Fox”

| Crown jewels of Charles IV of Spain

|align=right|1808

| Royal Palace, Madrid

| Seville, Spain

63

| “Pandora’s Box”

| Pandora's box

|align=right|422

| An-Najaf, Persia

| {{efn|In "Pandora's Box", there is a will reading for Mac Hollingsworth but the location is not disclosed.}}

64

| “The Warlord”

| Kahina's Saddle

|align=right|1401

| Bekkastan

| Bekka-la Sherideen Valley

65

| “Fountain of Youth”

| Water from the Fountain of Youth

|align=right|1521

| Pascus Florida, West Indies

| Seville, Spain and Cotswolds, England

66

| “So Shall it Be”

| Keys to Stonehenge

|align=right|121

| Stonehenge, England

| Bristol, England

Production

The show and character was designed around Carrere, her skills and interests. It was intended to be a light-hearted adventure series. The episodes were filmed mainly in and around the Toronto area where there were lots of places that could stand in for locations around the world. The final six episodes of the first season was filmed at various locations in France.{{Cite web|url=https://scifiandtvtalk.typepad.com/scifiandtvtalk/2011/03/sci-fi-blast-from-the-past-christien-anholt-relic-hunter.html|title=Sci-Fi Blast From The Past - Christien Anholt (Relic Hunter) | work=SciFiAndTvTalk | first=Steve | last=Eramo | date=March 14, 2011 }}

Many of the relics were related to some tidbit of historical fact, and a story developed around how it was used, abused, and lost, and how Sydney and Nigel are able to recover it after going through adventures where they have to solve puzzles, evade traps and confront rival hunters and enemies. Carrere would often do her own martial arts stunts.{{cite video | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38Z0b0qsuFM | title=The Making of Relic Hunter | year=1999 | publisher=Space: The Imagination Station | location=Toronto, Ontario, Canada | via=Raremedia | medium=YouTube }}

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 Soldiers' Tower (directly adjacent to Hart House). The "Antianeirai" 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 onboard signage 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.

All seasons were filmed in widescreen 16:9 but mainly shown in pan and scan 4/3 as are most of Fireworks Entertainment productions from 2000. The widescreen versions of all seasons are available for viewing at Netflix in Nordics as of 2012.

International distribution

Relic Hunter was broadcast in many countries around the world including:

Home media

Alliance Home Entertainment has released all three seasons of Relic Hunter on DVD in Region 1 (Canada only).

In Region 4, Warner Home Video released season 1 on DVD in Australia in two volume sets in 2005. Madman Entertainment subsequently acquired the rights and released the second season on DVD in 2006 and the third season in 2010. A complete Season 1 box set was released by Madman on February 2, 2011.

class="wikitable"
rowspan="2"|DVD Name

!rowspan="2"|Ep#

!colspan="2"|Release Dates

Region 1 (CAN)

! Region 4

Season 1

| style="text-align:center;"|22

| April 20, 2010

| February 2, 2011

Season 2

| style="text-align:center;"|22

| May 18, 2010

| June 21, 2006

Season 3

| style="text-align:center;"|22

| June 8, 2010

| June 2, 2010

See also

Notes

{{notelist}}

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • {{IMDb title|0207919}}

Category:1999 Canadian television series debuts

Category:2002 Canadian television series endings

Category:1990s Canadian drama television series

Category:2000s Canadian drama television series

Category:1990s mystery television series

Category:2000s mystery television series

Category:Television series about treasure hunting

Category:Television shows filmed in Toronto

Category:First-run syndicated television programs in the United States

Category:Television series by CBS Studios

Category:Canadian action adventure television series

Category:Canadian mystery television series

Category:Canadian fantasy drama television series

Category:Archaeology in popular culture