''Roar'' is a

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

television series created by

Shaun Cassidy Shaun Paul Cassidy (born September 27, 1958) is an American singer, actor, writer and producer. He has created and/or produced a number of television series including ''American Gothic (1995 TV series), American Gothic'', ''Roar (1997 TV series ...

and

Ron Koslow Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in '' Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe ...

. The series originally aired on the

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

network from July 14 until September 1, 1997. It is set in the year 400 AD, following a young Irish man, Conor (

Heath Ledger Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, he moved to the United States in 1998 to further develop his film care ...

), as he sets out to rid his land of the invading Romans, but in order to accomplish this, he must first unite the

Celt The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...

ic clans. The series also starred

Vera Farmiga Vera Ann Farmiga ( ; born August 6, 1973) is an American actress. Farmiga began her professional acting career on stage in the original Broadway production of '' Taking Sides'' (1996). After expanding to television and film, her breakthrough ...

Lisa Zane Lisa Zane (born April 5, 1961)Skin, Mr. Skin (2005). Mr. Skin's Skincyclopedia: The A-to-Z Guide to Finding Your Favorite Actresses naked'. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. p. 612. . is an American actress, singer, and songwriter. Early lif ...

, John Saint Ryan, and

Sebastian Roché Sebastian Roché (born 4 August 1964) is a French-American actor. He is known for his roles as Kurt Mendel in '' Odyssey 5'', Jerry Jacks in ''General Hospital'', Thomas Jerome Newton in '' Fringe'', Balthazar in ''Supernatural'', Mikael in bo ...

. ''Roar'' was cancelled after 8 episodes due to low ratings, and the final 5 episodes were not broadcast by the network until 2000.

Plot

''Roar'' chronicles the life of Conor (Ledger), a 20-year-old orphaned prince who must rise above tragedy to lead his people to freedom. Conor takes on a band of ragtag allies that include Tully (Greer), a teenage apprentice magician; Catlin (Farmiga), a beautiful former slave; and Fergus (Ryan), Conor's big-hearted, ebullient protector. Their primary struggle is against

Longinus Longinus (Greek: Λογγίνος) is the name of the Roman soldier who pierced the side of Jesus with a lance, who in apostolic and some modern Christian traditions is described as a convert to Christianity. His name first appeared in the apoc ...

(Roché), a supernatural creature whose true essence is that of a 400-year-old Roman centurion ready to do the bidding of evil Queen Diana (Zane), who is an emissary of the Romans. In this fight for freedom, what is most important for Conor and his people is the Roar – the roar of the land, the roar of the people – a voice that echoes through every living creature and is the power of life.

Production

Development

The show was created by

on the heels of the success of the syndicated programs '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and '' Xena: Warrior Princess''. However, ''Roar'' was not very well received in the United States and lasted for only one season (8 of the 13 episodes were aired in 1997, with the last 5 not broadcast until 2000).

Alignment with Christian tradition

One of the major villains in the program was

, played by

, an immortal cursed by God for interfering with his plans. By

Christian tradition Christian tradition is a collection of traditions consisting of practices or beliefs associated with Christianity. Many churches have traditional practices, such as particular patterns of worship or rites, that developed over time. Deviations from ...

, Longinus was the

centurion In the Roman army during classical antiquity, a centurion (; , . ; , or ), was a commander, nominally of a century (), a military unit originally consisting of 100 legionaries. The size of the century changed over time; from the 1st century BC ...

who stabbed

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

with his spear during the Crucifixion. This spear, the

Spear of Destiny A spear is a polearm consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to t ...

, was supposedly the only weapon that could release Longinus from his curse. The show freely mixed

Christian mythology Christian mythology is the body of myths associated with Christianity. The term encompasses a broad variety of legends and narratives, especially those considered sacred narratives. Mythological themes and elements occur throughout Christian l ...

Celtic mythology Celtic mythology is the body of myths belonging to the Celtic peoples.Cunliffe, Barry, (1997) ''The Ancient Celts''. Oxford, Oxford University Press , pp. 183 (religion), 202, 204–8. Like other Iron Age Europeans, Celtic peoples followed ...

Druidism A druid was a member of the high-ranking priestly class in ancient Celtic cultures. The druids were religious leaders as well as legal authorities, adjudicators, lorekeepers, medical professionals and political advisors. Druids left no writ ...

, and smatterings of history.

Show notes

* While the original airing of the show in North America did not broadcast all of the episodes, when syndicated to Australia, Canada and the UK, all episodes were aired. * ''Roar: The Complete Series'' was released on DVD on September 19, 2006. The 3-disc set includes all thirteen episodes. * According to Sebastian Roché, the show was cancelled because it was up against ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...

Cast

Main

as Conor *

as Queen Diana *

Gaius Cassius Longinus Gaius Cassius Longinus (; – 3 October 42 BC) was a Roman senator and general best known as a leading instigator of the plot to assassinate Julius Caesar on 15 March 44 BC. He was the brother-in-law of Brutus, another leader of the conspir ...

as Catlin * John Saint Ryan as Fergus * Alonzo Greer as Tully

Recurring

* Michael Roughan as The Slavemaster *

Melissa George Melissa Suzanne George (born 6 August 1976) is an Australian and American actress. She began her career playing Angel Parrish on the Australian soap opera ''Home and Away'' between 1993–1996. After moving to the United States, George made her ...

as Molly * Carl Snell as Glas (The Father) *

Keri Russell Keri Lynn Russell (born March 23, 1976) is an American actress. She played the title role in the drama series '' Felicity'' (1998–2002), which won her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, and later portrayed El ...

as Claire * Daniel Gecic as King Derek *

Peter McCauley Peter McCauley is an actor from New Zealand who has appeared in many television series and movies, mainly in his home country. Career McCauley graduated from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School in 1973 with a Certificate in Acting. He h ...

as Culann / Brach

Guests

* Barry McEvoy as Dunn (1 episode) *

Bec Hewitt Rebecca June Hewitt ( Cartwright; born 23 July 1983) is an Australian actress, television presenter and singer. From 1998 to 2005, Hewitt played Hayley Smith Lawson on the soap opera ''Home and Away''. As Bec Cartwright, Hewitt released an ep ...

as Young Caitlin (1 episode) *

Brigid Brannagh Brigid Brannagh (born August 3, 1972) is an American actress. She has been credited as Brigid Brannagh, Brigid Brannah, Brigid Brannaugh, Brigid Walsh, and Brigid Conley Walsh. Early life and education Born in San Francisco, California, Brann ...

as Shannon (1 episode) * Brooke Harman as Amalia (1 episode) *

Deborra-Lee Furness Deborra-Lee Furness Jackman, (born 30 November 1955) is an Australian actress and producer. Early life Furness was born in Annandale, a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, and raised in Melbourne, Victoria. At the age of 18, Furness attended ...

as Agrona (1 episode) *

Desmond Kelly Desmond Anthony Carl Kelly (2 July 1936 - 29 April 2023) was a Sri-Lankan-born Australian musician and actor who has entertained in Sri Lanka and in Australia. Songs on Radio Ceylon Kelly was one of a group of musicians who were discovered by R ...

as Furbaide (1 episode) *

Don McManus Don McManus (sometimes credited as Don R. McManus) is an American actor. Born in San Diego, California, he is a graduate of Yale University. Career McManus's film credits include ''Vice'', ''Grand Piano'', '' Under the Silver Lake'', '' The Ma ...

as Doyle (1 episode) *

Gabrielle Fitzpatrick Gabrielle Fitzpatrick (born 1 February 1967) is an Australian film and television actress. Early life Fitzpatrick was born in 1 February 1966, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Her background is Irish, English and German. She started her ca ...

as Vorgeen (1 episode) *

Grant Dodwell Grant Radnor Dodwell is an Australian actor, producer, writer, director, voice artist, and drama teacher. He is best known for his roles in television soap operas including as an original cast member in ''A Country Practice'', '' Willing and Ab ...

as Cormac (1 episode) * Jason Carter as Pasolinus (1 episode) *

Justin Monjo Justin Monjo (born 1963, New York City, New York) is an American screenwriter, television producer, and actor, best known for his work on ''Farscape''. Early life Monjo is the son of children's author F. N. Monjo III and the great-great-grandson ...

as Julian (1 episode) * Michela Noonan as Edain (1 episode) *

Norman Kaye Norman James Kaye (17 January 1927 – 28 May 2007) was an Australian actor. He was best known for his roles in the films of director Paul Cox. Early life and education Kaye was born into a tough childhood in Depression Era Melbourne, as one ...

as Galen (1 episode) *

Perry Anzilotti Perry Anzilotti (born December 11, 1959) is an American television and film actor. He is best known for playing the advertising character "The Cookie Man" in television commercials for Nabisco's SnackWell's campaign with 23 commercial episodes. ...

as Malachy (1 episode) *

as Culann / Brach (2 episodes) *

Rob Carlton Rob Carlton (born 4 May 1971) is a Logie Award winning Australian actor and writer. He is best known for writing and starring in the comedy series '' Chandon Pictures''. He also had starring roles in the comedy satire '' The Hollowmen'' and Netfl ...

as Morvern (1 episode, as Robert Carlton) *

Simon Lyndon Simon Lyndon is an Australian actor and director. Early life and education Simon Lyndon was born in Lewisham, London in 1971 and migrated to Australia with his family in 1981. He grew up in Fremantle, Western Australia. Simon attended John ...

as Colm (1 episode) *

Susanna Thompson Susanna Thompson (born January 27, 1958) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in films ''Little Giants'' (1994), ''Ghosts of Mississippi'' (1996), ''Random Hearts'' (1999) and ''Dragonfly (2002 film), Dragonfly'' (2002). On televisi ...

as Gweneth (1 episode) *

Tiriel Mora Tiriel Mora (born 19 October 1958) is an Australian television and film actor. Early life Tiriel Mora's parents were French-born visual artist Mirka Mora and German-born entrepreneur, art dealer and restauranteur Georges Mora. His older brot ...

as Brigg (1 episode) *

Wayne Pygram Wayne Pigram , better known by his stage name Wayne Pygram, is an Australian actor. He is known for his role as Scorpius in the science fiction series ''Farscape'' (2000–2003) and the miniseries that followed, '' Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars ...

as Goll (1 episode)

Episodes

Reception

Reviews

Ray Richmond, a television critic for ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'', gave the series a lukewarm review, "Even 1,500 years ago, it turns out that the Celtics were in need of a decent shooting guard and a big man in the middle. At least, that's what we're told in this adventure drama set in 5th century Europe that follows a ragtag band of Celtic warriors (is there another kind?) and their bloody battles with a group of nasty, oppressive Romans. Think of the Carringtons vs. the Colbys with a lot more leather... and fewer showers. ''Roar'' boasts deliciously elaborate costumes (from designer Jean Turnbull) and impeccable period detail. Yet unlike the divertingly cheesy '' Xena: Warrior Princess'' and '' Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'', this summertime spectacle takes itself relatively seriously – a mistake when your chief female evildoer has a taste for bathing in cow dung." Hal Boedeker for the ''

Orlando Sentinel The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is the primary newspaper of Orlando, Florida, and the Central Florida region, in the United States. It was founded in 1876 and is currently owned by Tribune Publishing Company. The ''Orlando Sentinel'' is owned by pare ...

'' gave a positive review, writing, "The young stars are attractive, the action rarely flags, and the show is a rare fresh offering on broadcast television this summer. It is also more rousing than many new hour series this fall."

Awards and nominations

Other media

Two books were written based on the ''Roar'' universe. Published in 1998, by William T. Quick writing as "Sean Kiernan," ''Roar: A Novel'' () gives a backstory leading up to the pilot episode, and ''Roar: The Cauldron'' () tells the story of Conor's quest to find the legendary

Cauldron A cauldron (or caldron) is a large cookware and bakeware, pot (kettle) for cooking or boiling over an open fire, with a lid and frequently with an arc-shaped hanger and/or integral handles or feet. There is a rich history of cauldron lore in r ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Roar 1997 American television series debuts 1997 American television series endings Australian science fiction television series American English-language television shows American fantasy drama television series Fox Broadcasting Company television dramas Period television series Television series by Universal Television Television series created by Shaun Cassidy Television series set in the Roman Empire Television series set in the 5th century Television shows set in Ireland Australian fantasy drama television series American adventure drama television series Fantasy adventure television series