Viking Quest
{{Short description|Fictional television show}}
Viking Quest is a fictional TV show within a show in the TV series Entourage. It is referred to both by fictional characters and celebrities playing versions of themselves as a real show.
Within the show's fictional universe, Viking Quest is presented as a cult science fiction{{cite web|author= Dalton Ross Entertainment Weekly |url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Movies/05/09/ew.dvd.entourage/index.html |title=EW review: 'Entourage' is a star - May 11, 2005 |publisher=CNN |date=2005-05-11 |access-date=2009-07-19}} and fantasy{{cite web|last=Strauss |first=Gary |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-04-04-entourage-main_N.htm |title='Entourage' men hug it out in a manly way |work=USA Today |date=2007-04-05 |access-date=2009-07-19}} show. The show's relative lack of success and critical reception next to its fictional spin-off, Angel Quest, is a play on the same dynamic between the real-life shows Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess.
The conceit that Viking Quest is a real show was extended to promotional videos and a Flash game involving its star, Johnny Drama, outside of the show.
Fictional portrayal
The show featured Johnny "Drama" Chase as the lead character, Tarvold. Tarvold has a signature exclamation, "VICTORY!!!".Episode "I Love You Too"{{cite magazine|last=Curtis |first=Charles |url=https://ew.com/recap/entourage-johnny-finds-love-geekland/|title=Entourage: Johnny finds love in geekland |magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=2005-07-28 |access-date=2019-11-05}} Tarvold hails from Northumbria. His ship is called the Gokstad (a reference to the Gokstad ship).Johnny refers to this in the episode "I Love You Too". Set during the mid-10th century AD in the Orkney Islands, Viking Quest follows the exploits of Viking hero, Tarvold, as he and his clan sail the high seas. A legend in the making, Tarvold had become one of the most feared and notorious Vikings scarcely a year after he had grown his beard. It was then that he dared to steal the gold of Vali, Norse God of Revenge. His childhood friend and nemesis, Thorfinn Skull-Splitter, betrayed him and Tarvold was caught stealing the gold. As retribution for his deed, Tarvold was forced to loot and plunder in Vali's name. As he sailed the high seas doing Vali's bidding, Tarvold had to stay one step ahead of Thorfinn who constantly attempted to thwart Tarvold's progress and steal the treasure that he needed to repay his debt to Vali.
In the show, Viking Quest aired in 1997 on the Sci-Fi channel.[http://www.givememyremote.com/remote/resume-of-entourages-johnny-drama-chase/ Resume of Entourage's Johnny "Drama" Chase] The complete series was later released on DVD.[http://www.vikingquestgame.com/dvd/ Viking Quest - The DVD Box Set][http://www.vikingquestgame.com/dvd/notreal.aspx Viking Quest - The Most Incredible Show That Never Existed] Viking Quest ran for one season of 22 episodes.In the episode "The Review", Johnny mentions that Viking Quest ran for a "full 22". The show is portrayed as having developed something of a cult following,{{cite web|url=http://www.offthetelly.co.uk/?p=2209 |title=Entourage |publisher=Off The Telly |date=2006-11-19 |access-date=2009-07-19}} and is especially popular in France.Mentioned in "The Cannes Kids"{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/1114479/Kevin_Dillon|title=Kevin Dillon | Biography, Photos, Movies, TV, Credits|work=Hollywood.com|access-date=2009-07-19|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125182506/http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/1114479/Kevin_Dillon|archive-date=2013-01-25|url-status=live}} In 2008, Viking Quest was re-released as a Special Edition DVD and promoted with a video game.[http://www.hbo.com/scripts/video/vidplayer.html?movie=/av/entourage/season5/entourage_viking_quest+section=entourage+num=1220391523468+title=Entourage:%20Drama%20vents%20about%20the%20new%20%27Viking%20Quest%27%20video%20game.+tunein=Sundays%20at%2010pm Entourage - Drama vents about the new 'Viking Quest' video game]
Vanessa Angel appeared as Angel in three episodes of Viking Quest. She then went on to star in a spin-off series called Angel Quest, which ran "5 times longer" than Viking Quest.Eric mentions this in the episode "I Love You Too". This is a sly reference to the fact that in real life Vanessa Angel was originally cast as Xena in a three-episode arc for the television show Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. She dropped out; the part of Xena went to Lucy Lawless; and the subsequent spin-off series Xena: Warrior Princess went on to significantly eclipse its predecessor, both critically and commercially.
Real-life promotion
In September 2008, HBO and Fuel Industries[http://www.fuelindustries.com/casestudies/vikingquest Fuel Industries: Viking Quest Case Study] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128011525/http://www.fuelindustries.com/casestudies/vikingquest |date=January 28, 2010 }}. Retrieved 2009-10-10. produced a Viking Quest game website as part of a marketing campaign for the 5th season of Entourage.{{ cite magazine | last = Fritz | first = Ben | title = HBO launches 'Viking Quest' game | magazine = Variety | url = https://www.variety.com/article/VR1117991686.html | date = 2008-09-05 | access-date = 2008-09-08 }} The site featured a Flash game, and claimed that a Viking Quest game is coming soon to consoles. It also claimed that the show is being re-released on DVD.[http://www.vikingquestgame.com Viking Quest Game]
References
{{refs}}
{{Entourage}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Viking Quest}}
Category:Fictional television shows