Maddigan's Quest
Encyclopedia
Maddigan's Quest was a fantasy-based television series set in a post-apocalyptic future
. It was based on an original concept by Margaret Mahy
and was developed for television by Gavin Strawhan and Rachel Lang. The show originally screened on CBBC
in the UK, and was also aired on TV3
in New Zealand
, Family Room HD from Voom
Networks HD (USA) and Nine Network
(Australia) in early 2006
.
of the Earth
began to shift and rapidly changed the face of the planet. Since then, the events of this time have grown to be known as the time of the Great Shift or the Great Chaos- and have become myth and legend. As a result of these events, the population of Earth severely dropped and little remained of the old ways. While some forms of old technology exist, the ways of man have receded. Slavery is not uncommon, bandits roam the highways.
Maddigan’s Quest follows the circus troupe ‘Maddigan’s Fantasia’, who come from the city of Solis. Each year, the Fantasia leave Solis to perform and earn a living, but this year is different: they have been set the task of obtaining a new Solar Converter to replace the existing converter–the only power source in Solis–which is failing. At the centre of this quest is 14-year-old Garland, the final member of the Maddigan family line.
During the Fantasia's journey, two boys and their baby sister appear from the future. But while the younger brother, Eden, seems to be a blessing to the performers with his illusionary skills, his older brother Timon is hiding a dark secret which threatens the Fantasia, their mission, and the future of Solis itself.
Screen Awards on August 1, 2007, Maddigan's Quest won four awards:
It also won the Best Dramatic Presentation — Long Form Award at the 2007 Sir Julius Vogel Award
s for New Zealand science fiction and fantasy.
as a tie-in for the BBC
show Maddigan's Quest (based on her concept).
The circus troupe Maddigan's Fantasia are on a mission to get a new solar converter from Newton for their hometown Solis. But on the way there, the Fantasia meet two strange boys, Timon and Eden. They are from the future and have come to help the Fantasia change history: in their timeline, when the Fantasia did not get back to Solis in time, the council gave up on them and took a new path, a radiation path. Timon and Eden's parents were killed because an evil monster called the Nennog rules Solis in the future and their parents tried to work out a way to change the past. They created a time slider, but they were killed for it, so Timon and Eden did the job for them and then they saved the Fantasia and Solis was saved.
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction
Apocalyptic fiction is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of civilization due to a potentially existential catastrophe such as nuclear warfare, pandemic, extraterrestrial attack, impact event, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, supernatural...
. It was based on an original concept by Margaret Mahy
Margaret Mahy
Margaret Mahy ONZ is a well-known New Zealand author of children's and young adult books. While the plots of many of her books have strong supernatural elements, her writing concentrates on the themes of human relationships and growing up.Her books The Haunting and The Changeover: A Supernatural...
and was developed for television by Gavin Strawhan and Rachel Lang. The show originally screened on CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
in the UK, and was also aired on TV3
TV3 (New Zealand)
TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, Family Room HD from Voom
Voom
Voom HD Networks was a group of 15 original high-definition television channels owned by Rainbow Media, a subsidiary of Cablevision. The channels were produced in true High Definition with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and were the largest suite of HD channels in the world...
Networks HD (USA) and Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
(Australia) in early 2006
2006 in television
2006 in television may refer to:*2006 in American television*2006 in Australian television*2006 in British television*2006 in Canadian television*2006 in Japanese television...
.
Storyline
Early in the 22nd century, the world underwent a vast and rapid change. The tectonic platesTectonic Plates
Tectonic Plates is a 1992 independent Canadian film directed by Peter Mettler. Mettler also wrote the screenplay based on the play by Robert Lepage. The film stars Marie Gignac, Céline Bonnier and Robert Lepage.-Plot summary:...
of the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
began to shift and rapidly changed the face of the planet. Since then, the events of this time have grown to be known as the time of the Great Shift or the Great Chaos- and have become myth and legend. As a result of these events, the population of Earth severely dropped and little remained of the old ways. While some forms of old technology exist, the ways of man have receded. Slavery is not uncommon, bandits roam the highways.
Maddigan’s Quest follows the circus troupe ‘Maddigan’s Fantasia’, who come from the city of Solis. Each year, the Fantasia leave Solis to perform and earn a living, but this year is different: they have been set the task of obtaining a new Solar Converter to replace the existing converter–the only power source in Solis–which is failing. At the centre of this quest is 14-year-old Garland, the final member of the Maddigan family line.
During the Fantasia's journey, two boys and their baby sister appear from the future. But while the younger brother, Eden, seems to be a blessing to the performers with his illusionary skills, his older brother Timon is hiding a dark secret which threatens the Fantasia, their mission, and the future of Solis itself.
Cast
| Role | Actor |
|---|---|
| Garland | Rose McIver Rose McIver Rose McIver is an actress from New Zealand. She is most famous for her role as Summer Landsdown/Ranger Operator Series Yellow in 2009's Power Rangers: RPM... |
| Timon | Jordan Metcalfe Jordan Metcalfe Jordan Metcalfe is an English actor. He has a younger sister and a younger brother. He currently stars as Adil the Genie in the children's comedy Genie in the House, screened in the UK and the Netherlands on Nickelodeon, in Germany on Nick Germany, in France on Canal J and Spain on Antena 3... |
| Eden | Zac Fox Zac Fox Zachary Joel 'Zac' Fox is a British actor. His first film appearance was in the TV series "Wild West", and he's most known for his role as Eden on New Zealand television series, Maddigan's Quest.- Biography :... |
| Ozul | Peter Daube Peter Daube Peter Daube is a New Zealand actor and voice actor. Two of his better-known roles to date are that of Ozul in Maddigan's Quest, and the voice of Sculpin in Power Rangers: Mystic Force.-Filmography:-External links:... |
| Maska | Michael Hurst Michael Hurst Michael Eric Hurst, ONZM is a New Zealand actor, director and writer, mostly on stage and television. He is probably best known internationally for playing Iolaus in the television programs Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and companion series Xena: Warrior Princess... |
| Maddie | Danielle Cormack Danielle Cormack Danielle Cormack is a stage and screen actress from New Zealand. She was one of the original core cast of the long-running soap opera Shortland Street, though she is also known for her role as the Amazon Ephiny in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, Cynthia Ross in The Cult, and Shota in... |
| Yves | Timothy Balme Tim Balme Timothy Guy Balme is an actor and screenwriter from New Zealand. He's most famous for his roles on the long-running soap opera Shortland Street and Mercy Peak, as well as lead roles in the cult favorites Braindead and Jack Brown Genius... |
| Boomer | Rawiri Pene |
| Goneril | Rachel House |
| Lilith | Olivia Tennet Olivia Tennet Olivia Tennet is a New Zealand actress and dancer. She has been active as an actress since 1999 and is mostly known for her role as Tuesday Warner on the New Zealand medical drama Shortland Street.-Career:... |
| Tane | Hori Ahipene Hori Ahipene Hori Ahipene is an actor and director in theatre, film and television in New Zealand. He's also an award winning playwright with the Māori play Hide 'n Seek co-written with Hone Kouka.He became a well known face in New Zealand for his dramatic performances in films such as Jubilee as well as parts... |
| Silver Girl | Fleur Saville Fleur Saville Fleur Saville in Auckland is a New Zealand television actress best known for her roles in the television sitcoms Being Eve and The Tribe in which she became known to international audiences for her portrayal of Ruby... |
| Byrna | Bronwyn Baker |
| Nye | Ben Cooper |
| Ferdy | Jack Campbell Jack Campbell (actor) Jack Campbell is an Australian television and film actor, who has mainly appeared in several Australian television programs .-Career:... |
| Bannister | Mark Nua |
Episodes
| Episode # | Title | Original Airdate | Guest Stars |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.01 | "Road Rats" | January 26, 2006 | Tara Okan; Lee Tuson |
| 1.02 | "Hillfolk" | January 30, 2006 | Shane Cortese Shane Cortese Shane Cortese is a New Zealand actor and singer, known for his role as the evil Dominic Thompson on New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street and Hayden Peters on hit show Outrageous Fortune. He was also a runner-up on Season 1 of NZ Dancing With The Stars in 2005.-Career:Cortese trained at... ; Tandi Wright Tandi Wright Tandi Wright is a South Africa-born, New Zealand-raised television and film actress. From 1996-1999 she appeared as Nurse Caroline Buxton in Shortland Street... ; Geraldine Brophy |
| 1.03 | "Gramth" | January 31, 2006 | Florence Hartigan; Patrick Wilson Patrick Wilson (New Zealand actor) Patrick Wilson is a New Zealand actor, best-known for his role as "Arthur Short" in Rude Awakenings, opposite Danielle Cormack.He served as an officer in the New Zealand Police before attending classes at the Actors Institute of London and LAMDA. He has appeared in Mercy Peak and Shortland Street... |
| 1.04 | "Witch-Finder" | February 1, 2006 | Alison Bruce Alison Bruce Alison Bruce is a New Zealand television and movie actress, best known for her role as Queen Melosa in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess.- Filmography :-Awards:... ; Catherine Waller |
| 1.05 | "Greentown" | February 2, 2006 | Paul Barrett; Andrea Kelland; Kate Louise Elliott; Lucy Schmidt |
| 1.06 | "Plague" | February 6, 2006 | |
| 1.07 | "Newton" | February 7, 2006 | Milo Cawthorne Milo Cawthorne Milo Cawthorne is a New Zealand actor.Cawthorne is best known for playing Ziggy Grover, the Green Ranger on Power Rangers: RPM, Legend of the Seeker and P.E.T. Detectives. Cawthorne has also appeared in several major New Zealand theatre productions including "The History Boys" at the Maidment... ; Roy Ward; Michaela Rooney |
| 1.08 | "Tunnellers" | February 8, 2006 | Kelly Johnson; Sara Wiseman |
| 1.09 | "Off the Map" | February 9, 2006 | Charlie Haskell; Elliot Lawless; Ilona Rodgers Ilona Rodgers Ilona Rodgers is a British actress and television presenter who has lived and worked in several countries.In the United Kingdom in 1964 she played the role of Carol in The Sensorites, a six episode adventure of the BBC science-fiction series Doctor Who... |
| 1.10 | "Birdboys" | February 13, 2006 | Tom Hern Tom Hern Tom Hern is an actor from Christchurch, New Zealand. He is best known to a global audience for his role as Ram in The Tribe and Devin Del Valle in the 2004 television show Power Rangers: Dino Thunder. He also appeared in Shortland Street, Revelations, Interrogation, Maddigan's Quest, as well as in... |
| 1.11 | "Pilgrim's Vantage" | February 14, 2006 | |
| 1.12 | "Laketown" | February 15, 2006 | |
| 1.13 | "Solis" | February 16, 2006 | Owen Black |
DVD releases
| Season | | Ep # | | Release Date | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 3 | Region 4 | ||||
| 1 | 13 | NA | August 7, 2006 | NA | December 7, 2006 | ||
Awards
At the Air New ZealandAir New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited is the national airline and flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, New Zealand, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 26 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations in 15 countries across Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania, and is...
Screen Awards on August 1, 2007, Maddigan's Quest won four awards:
- Best Children's Programme
- Contribution to design (Tracey Collins — Costume Designer)
- Original Music (Victoria Kelly)
- Contribution to Sound Design (Carl Smith, Rodney Larsen and Steve Finnegan)
It also won the Best Dramatic Presentation — Long Form Award at the 2007 Sir Julius Vogel Award
Sir Julius Vogel Award
The Sir Julius Vogel Awards are awarded each year at the New Zealand National Science Fiction Convention to recognise achievement in New Zealand science fiction, fantasy, horror, and science fiction fandom...
s for New Zealand science fiction and fantasy.
Tie-ins
Maddigan's Fantasia, re-released under the title Maddigan's Quest, is a novel written by Margaret MahyMargaret Mahy
Margaret Mahy ONZ is a well-known New Zealand author of children's and young adult books. While the plots of many of her books have strong supernatural elements, her writing concentrates on the themes of human relationships and growing up.Her books The Haunting and The Changeover: A Supernatural...
as a tie-in for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
show Maddigan's Quest (based on her concept).
The circus troupe Maddigan's Fantasia are on a mission to get a new solar converter from Newton for their hometown Solis. But on the way there, the Fantasia meet two strange boys, Timon and Eden. They are from the future and have come to help the Fantasia change history: in their timeline, when the Fantasia did not get back to Solis in time, the council gave up on them and took a new path, a radiation path. Timon and Eden's parents were killed because an evil monster called the Nennog rules Solis in the future and their parents tried to work out a way to change the past. They created a time slider, but they were killed for it, so Timon and Eden did the job for them and then they saved the Fantasia and Solis was saved.