Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Lost World

Original title : The Journey Begins (1/2)
First Aired : 01.02.1999 (CANADA) 03.04.1999 (USA) 08.09.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Richard Franklin
Writing credits : Jim Henshaw & Peter Mohan
Cast : William deVry (Ned Malone)

The Story : One dark, stormy night a badly injured man, Maple White, is brought into the camp of Professor George Challenger, where he soon dies. Challenger finds and is fascinated by the man's notes and drawings. They seem to indicate the existence of a lost, prehistoric world deep in the Amazon. A month or so later, Challenger introduces these findings to the London Zoological Society and is laughed at. He throws out a challenge to the assembled group, that an expedition should be formed to verify this lost world. His challenge is met by Lord John Roxton, a reknowned hunter, looking for the biggest trophy, and Ned Malone, an American reporter seeking the story of the century. Professor Arthur Summerlee is also persuaded to go by the Society, as he is a known skeptic of Challenger's work. They are also joined by Marguerite Krux, a beautiful, mysterious and wealthy woman, who offers to fund the whole trip ~ but she will be joining them. Soon after, our travelers are winding their way down the mighty Amazon. Shortly after they reach a huge plateau - one of the landmarks in Maple White's journal - the group is attacked by hostile natives, and they take to the sky in a hot-air balloon they had set up to reach the top of the cloud-covered plateau. The travelers escape the hostiles, only to be caught in a harsh and terrifying thunderstorm which causes them to crash into a tree on the plateau. They soon discover the dangers of the world they have been stranded in as Ned is rescued from a lethal plant by Veronica, a young woman who claims to have lived by herself for eleven years. Her parents and several others in their party of earlier explorers had gone out to collect specimens and just didn't come back, leaving the child with only their elaborate treehouse and a burning desire to find out what happened to her parents. Veronica's friend, Assai, is the daughter of a local chieftain who may have a way off the plateau - and who has an interest in Veronica. Marguerite notices the gemstones Assai is wearing and makes a secret deal with Assai's father - in exchange for some jewels and the route home, he will get Veronica as his bride! Later that night, savage ape-men attack the treehouse, taking Assai with them and injuring Veronica. Marguerite is left to watch over Veronica as the men look for Assai, and the chieftain comes to claim his bride. His thinking is that Assai - the only real impediment to his claiming Veronica - is now dead, so the plans will continue. The men do rescue Assai from the ape-men, and on their return to the village, she is considered holy by her people, including her father, for having been captured by the cannibalistic ape-men and living to tell the tale. A very unhappy Veronica, is safe from a forced marriage, since Assai makes it clear to her father that Veronica is off-limits. Assai brings the travelers to the cave which encloses the route off the plateau, but the roof collapses and they are forced back out into The Lost World.

Original title : Stranded (2/2)
First Aired : 01.02.1999 (CANADA) 03.04.1999 (USA) 08.09.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Richard Franklin
Writing credits : Jim Henshaw & Peter Mohan
Cast : William deVry (Ned Malone)

The Story : See previous part.

Original title : More Than Human
First Aired : 30.07.1999 (CANADA) 02.10.1999 (USA) 16.09.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Colin Budds
Writing credits : James Thorpe
Cast : Jerome Ehlers (Tribune)

The Story : Roxton is looking for the materials for a crossbow to bag a T-Rex, but when one actually interupts him in his labors, he runs in the direction opposite his fellow travelers to keep them safe. He winds up falling into a hole that suddenly opens up. When the rest of the group search for him, they also fall into the hole, which turns out to be a whirlpool. It sucks them all under the water, and they emerge in a lake. They quickly find out that in this part of the plateau, the dominant species are lizard-like men, descendents of dinosaurs, and the humans are subservient to them. There is an ancient Roman structure to this civilization, including gladiator-type battles. While Marguerite and Veronica are forced to change into silky gowns for the entertainment of Tribune, the lizard-people's leader, Roxton is chosen to fight another human prisoner. The slaves and travelers rebel, and overthrow the lizard-men's intolerable rule, but not without loss ~ Roxton's opponent's sister ~ a rebel leader ~ is killed, and Tribune escapes, with gunpowder that the travelers made while there, a dangerous weapon in his hands.

Original title : Nectar
First Aired : 13.08.1999 (CANADA) 09.10.1999 (USA) 23.09.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Colin Budds
Writing credits : Durnford King
Cast : Catherine Wilkin (Adama), Simone McKinnon (Elura)

The Story : Veronica and Summerlee are out gathering fruit and floral specimens when they are attacked by a huge bee, one the size of a man. Summerlee is stung, and it leaves him near death. The only cure is the nectar in the heart of the hive. Veronica, Malone and Roxton travel to the hive, leaving Challenger and Marguerite behind at the treehouse to care for Summerlee. Summerlee is delirious with fever, and imagines Marguerite is his long-dead wife. She plays along, to sooth him. In the meantime, Veronica, Malone and Roxton do make it to the hive, work their way deep into it, gather nectar, and head back quickly to the treehouse, just in time to save Summerlee's life.

Original title : Cave of Fear
First Aired : 06.08.1999 (CANADA) 16.10.1999 (USA) 30.09.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Catherine Millar
Writing credits : Alison Lea Bingeman
Cast : Rebecca Gibney (Lady Cassandra Yorkton), Elizabeth Alexander (Mrs. Krux)

The Story : Challenger, Malone and Veronica are searching for sulfur, in order to make more gunpowder, when they walk into a burial ground. They are attacked by warriors in black and white paint who capture Challenger. That night the group sneaks into the warriors' village...to find Challenger sitting quietly and drinking tea with a beautiful blonde woman named Cassandra. She and her husband had been part of an early expedition, also stranded and found by the warriors tribe twelve years ago; they were soon made king and queen there. She tells our group that going onto the burial grounds was considered taboo, and for this Challenger would have to remain captive for life. The only way they can save him is by going to the Cave of Fear and retrieving her husband's bones for burial. They set off, but soon discover why the cave is avoided ~ it's walls are covered in a hallucinogenic fungus, wtih a really nasty additional effect. It drives those affected to suicide - which Cassandra apparently knew when she sent her husband there. Marguerite is soon in a living nightmare with her dead mother, and Roxton is confronted by his brother and is overwhelmed by guilt for killing him by accident during a hunting trip. Luckily, Summerlee discovers the truth in time to stop them from killing themselves. They return to the village, confront Cassandra with the truth, and rescue Challenger.

Original title : Salvation
First Aired : 20.08.1999 (CANADA) 23.10.1999 (USA) 07.10.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Richard Franklin
Writing credits : Catherine Porciuncula
Cast : Lani Tupu (Tolmac), Julian Arahanga (Pintario)

The Story : In this episode, Challenger, Summerlee and Veronica save a little girl from drowning and Summerlee has to give her mouth to mouth resuscitation. Tolmac, of the Christec people, brands Summerlee a witch for bringing the girl "back to life." The Christecs have mingled the Catholic and Aztec religions, with a touch of Conquistador Inquisition, to form their theocracy. Veronica gets away to summon help from the others, but Challenger has to act as Summerlee's lawyer ~ if found guilty, both men will be burned at the stake.

Original title : Blood Lust
First Aired : 03.09.1999 (CANADA) 30.10.1999 (USA) 14.10.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Richard Franklin
Writing credits : James Thorpe
Cast : Shanyn Asmar (Calista), Elton Hayes (Niko)

The Story : While wandering the plateau, Roxton is attacked by a young man, who bites him during the struggle. Roxton's infected with a disease whose symtoms are slightly bizarre ~ intense craving for blood, pain when exposed to sunlight, a powerful feeling of kinship with nature and "creatures of the night" - he is as a vampire. He runs mad and into the gothic mansion of Calista, a beautiful woman with the same disease. Back at the treehouse, a young native man, Niko, comes forward, declaring his love for Veronica. He and Malone argue and decide to fight to the death for her; she is not pleased! Outside the treehouse, Malone and Niko do start to fight, but quickly stop when Veronica tells them she will kill herself to stop them, and has a knife at her stomach to prove it. Niko leaves, but tells her he'll never forget her. Veronica remains mad at Malone for a while for trying to fight her battles. In the meantime, Marguerite and Challenger discover all about the disease, and search for Roxton, not realizing he is hunting them as prey, and does attack Marguerite. He is subdued, with difficulty, and Challenger cures him. Roxton goes back to Calista, telling her she can be cured, but she resists, moving to attack Roxton, and Marguerite shoots her.

Original title : Out of Time
First Aired : 27.08.1999 (CANADA) 06.11.1999 (USA) 21.10.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Catherine Millar
Writing credits : Guy Mullally
Cast : Rod Mullinar (Bochra)

The Story : Roxton, Marguerite and Malone are mapping a series of caves, trying to find one that leads off the plateau without much luck. Marguerite, all the while, has been gathering gleaming gemstones in her backpack. At least she will not go back empty handed. A fog begins to fill the air around them...dense...deep fog. From out of the mist forms take shape: cloaked figures and eerie rock formations, encircling a stone slab. They find themselves surrounded by Druid-like figures who swarm over Marguerite. Roxton tries desperately to protect her, but she is torn from his grasp. The two men are restrained and Marguerite is carried away and deposited on the stone slab. It turns out that Marguerite figures in an ancient prophecy and that her fate has finally caught up with her, here. What it means, she must discover for herself, but it involves retrieving a sacred jemstone. She, along with Roxton and Malone, must go through several obstacles like headhunters and a leap of faith to accomplish Marguerite's task.. Back near the treehouse, Veronica and Summerlee make a startling discovery in the jungle: a baby. As they take the child home, they are being watched by inhuman eyes. An ape-woman, softly follows their footsteps. After a time, the ape-men raid the tree house and "steal" the baby, after which Challenger and Summerlee come to a conclusion even more startling than the child's appearance - that the ape woman who originally followed them is the baby's mother. Veronica at first refuses to believe this, having started to bond with the infant, but comes to understand the truth after seeing the mother and child together.

Original title : Paradise Found
First Aired : 17.09.1999 (CANADA) 13.11.1999 (USA) 28.10.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Michael Pattinson
Writing credits : Morrie Ruvinsky
Cast : Christopher Morris (Kirin), Amanda Douge (Talibo)

The Story : The aged guide who brought Veronica's parents to the Lost World dies in Challenger and Veronica's arms, humming "Ode to Joy," leading the explorers to seek out a hidden paradise, where Veronica suspects her parents might be.

Original title : The Beast Within
First Aired : 15.10.1999 (CANADA) 20.11.1999 (USA) 04.11.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Catherine Millar
Writing credits : Scott Kraft
Cast : John Waters (Lento), Stephen Leeder (Yura)

The Story : While out in the jungle, Malone is hit in the neck with a poisoned dart and dies. A shaman, Lento, heals him and Malone is brought back to life, but Lento has been driven mad. He is sentenced to die by his village, but Malone rescues him. Summerlee is kept captive and will die unless Malone, Roxton and Challenger can bring Lento back. Lento leads them a merry chase, having booby-trapped the jungle, but the men do eventually catch up to him , and he is killed. In the meantime, back at the treehouse, Veronica and Marguerite have had a huge fight, and wind up down an old well, with a hungry dinosaur waiting for them above and snakes, water and each other, in the hole!

Original title : Creatures of the Dark
First Aired : 22.10.1999 (CANADA) 27.11.1999 (USA) 11.11.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Colin Budds
Writing credits : Gilbert M. Shilton
Cast : Kate Fitzpatrick (Garza), Carl Snell (The Oracle)

The Story : Tracking a stream, Challenger, Veronica, Malone and Marguerite run into a group of Vantu headhunters. There is nowhere to run or hide, except in what looks like an overgrown cave opening. They dash into it only to discover it is man-made, an old, crumbling mine shaft. There's a loud rumbling that leads to a cave-in. Veronica escapes, but the others are trapped inside. Near death from suffocation, they are saved by Garza, part of a group banished to the mine by a plague-like disease, and led by a blind little boy known as The Oracle. The boy decrees our group must remain underground forever, and is unswayed even by Challenger's discovery that the tremors are caused by a sleeping volcano waking up around them. On the outside, Veronica manages to get Roxton and Summerlee from the treehouse, but they meet up with the Vantu again, who are not easily persuaded to let them rescue the others from their mountain prison.

Original title : Tribute
First Aired : 10.09.1999 (CANADA) 15.01.2000 (USA) 18.11.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Colin Budds
Writing credits : Michael Taversham
Cast : William McInnes (Hans Dressler), Jason Chong (Roac)

The Story : Roxton saves Tayra of the Tinta people from a Hikari warrior who is chasing her. The two men fight and the Hikari man is killed. Roxton discovers that the Tintas live in fear of the fierce Hikari, and pay them a tribute to ensure the Hikari leave them in peace and protect them from other dangers. The Tinta are very peaceful, a fishing and gathering tribe, and do not know how to fight, but are determined to stop the tribute practice, but freedom may come at a high price. Roxton and Veronica teach them some fundamentals of hand to hand, help set up some traps to slow the Hikari down and help the Tinta organize in defense of their village, which the Hikari are due to strike, since there was no tribute paid. Challenger reluctantly helps, since he is not sure whether the Tinta are going to survive the fight ~ he does rouse them the night before with some inspring words from Shakespeare. The day of battle dawns and at the end, the fight is won, but the cost is great in Tinta lives, including Tayra's lover, the father of her unborn child. While Roxton, Veronica and Challenger are helping the Tintas in their quest for independence, Summerlee, Malone and Marguerite are taken prisoner by a World War I pilot, Hans Dressler, who's still fighting the war. They find him in his crashed plane, unconscious, and bring him back to the treehouse. Malone starts to work on fixing the plane, while Marguerite nurses Dressler, but for reasons other than those of Florence Nightingale. Apparently she and Dressler have met previously, and the circumstances were not the best ~ they seem to have been on opposing sides during the war. Dressler overpowers Marguerite, and leads her, at gunpoint, out to the plane, now able to fly again, thanks to Malone. Dressler is determined to kill Marguerite before he flies back to civilization, but Summerlee, ever the gentleman, steps in front of her and tells Dressler that he will not turn the prop on the plane if he shoots her. Malone agrees to the same, and Dressler leaves, but leaves saying mysteriously that he wonders if they know what kind of woman they are so gallantly protecting. Later, Marguerite sits on the balcony of the tree house, deep in thought. Summerlee, seeing that Marguerite needs someone to talk to, sits out with her and offers comfort.

Original title : Absolute Power
First Aired : 29.10.1999 (CANADA) 22.01.2000 (USA) 25.11.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Ian Gilmour
Writing credits : Frank Encarnacao
Cast : Anthony Simcoe (Dirkon), Dinah Shearing (Anna Summerlea)

The Story : When he finds a powerful crystal, Professor George Challenger gains the powers of a God, putting himself and the other explorers in great danger.

Original title : Camelot
First Aired : 05.11.1999 (CANADA) 29.01.2000 (USA) 02.12.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Colin Budds
Writing credits : James Thorpe
Cast : Jeremy Sims (Vordred), Matthew Newton (Gawain)

The Story : While Veronica practices her bolo throwing, Marguerite enjoys a cool dip in the river. As she slips on her robe, sixteen year-old Gawain steps out of the bushes and informs her he'd rather see her without it. As he is the King of his Camelot-inspired realm, his word is law. Against the wishes of Vordred, the young King's Grand Vizier, Gawain is determined to make Marguerite his Queen. Marguerite has no choice; marry him or die. So begins a talerife with duplicity, plots and counter plots, a Kingly edict to slay a "dragon", and a deadly joust between Roxton and Vordred to decide the future of the Kingdom and the freedom of the explorers.

Original title : Unnatural Selection
First Aired : 12.11.1999 (CANADA) 05.02.2000 (USA) 09.12.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Catherine Millar
Writing credits : Kristy Dobkin
Cast : Michala Banas (Renata), Melissa Jaffer (Crazy old woman), Steven Jacobs, (Dr. William Hargrove)

The Story : Roxton, Challenger and Veronica come upon a young woman - - Renata who is fleeing a band of Apemen. Helping her escape with her life, they are shocked to find Renata's father is Dr. William Hargrove, a scientific contemporary of Challenger's. They travel to Hargrove's compound and discover he fled London when his pioneering work in genetic experimentation turned deadly. As the trio soon discovers, the plateau has been the perfect laboratory for Hargrove to tinker with DNA, both Apemen and human. Meanwhile, Summerlee, Marguerite and Malone come upon a strange, old witch whose "necklace" is a pair of radio headphones. She promises to show them where she found a radio transmitter, but they'll have to help her with a spell first and Malone's blood is the key ingredient in her potion.
Note : Correction: Actress Melissa Jaffer is credited as playing Fairy Queen.

Original title : Time After Time
First Aired : 26.11.1999 (CANADA) 12.02.2000 (USA) 16.12.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Catherine Millar
Writing credits : Joseph Malozzi & Paul Mullie
Cast : Claudia Karvan (Catherine Reilly), Simon Bossell (James Kemper)

The Story : Though the explorers find a gateway that can transport them back home, following them are enemies: one who doesn't want them to return, and one who does but wants them to bring a deadly virus with them.

Original title : Prodigal Father
First Aired : 03.12.1999 (CANADA) 19.02.2000 (USA) 23.12.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Colin Budds
Writing credits : David Tynan
Cast : Kit Taylor (Tom Layton / Largo), Warwick Comber (Kartas)

The Story : Veronica thinks she has found her father, but instead she has found an imitator, with deceit in mind.

Original title : Birthright
First Aired : 19.11.1999 (CANADA) 26.02.2000 (USA) 30.12.2000 (FRANCE)
Director : Catherine Millar
Writing credits : Frank Encarnacao
Cast : Steve Bastoni (Ramses), Nicole Nabout (Nefertiti)

The Story : Deep in the jungle, Marguerite, Challenger and Malone come upon a half-buried, mummified corpse. They are shocked when it shows signs of life. They learn the would-be corpse, Ramses, is Egyptian royalty. He weaves a tale about a wonderful kingdom with untold riches and how he was to become king. He then enlists our heroes in a plan to reclaim the throne he says has been stolen from him by his sister, Nefertiti. After agreeing to help, the three discover there is more to the dispute than Ramses is revealing. He rules with an iron fist, enslaving his former enemies. He blinds his sister, and leave her to die. Marguerite, Challenger and Malone help her escape. The adventurers decide they must defeat Ramses by convincing the true heir, Nefertiti, to accept the responsibility of rule, and helping her regain control. Meanwhile, Summerlee is relentlessly pursued by a T-Rex after she mistakenly believes him responsible for the death of her babies. Roxton and Veronica must help their friend or perish with him as a T-Rex lunch.

Original title : Resurrection
First Aired : 10.12.1999 (CANADA) 04.03.2000 (USA) 06.01.2001 (FRANCE)
Director : Colin Budds & Catherine Millar
Writing credits : James Thorpe & Scott Kraft
Cast : Ron Haddrick (Bergin), Carl Snell (Osric), Nicholas Eadie (Kaysan), Chelsea Gibb (Isadore)

The Story : After days of searching the mountains for a pass off the plateau, Roxton and Marguerite are camped for the night when they are taken by surprise by Norse warriors. Roxton is run through with a sword by the leader, Ursula. As he sinks to his knees, Marguerite is hauled off by the raiders. Near death, Roxton is visited by a mystical young boy named Osric, who offers a deal. Osric will restore Roxton's life so he can save Marguerite. However, there is a catch. Roxton agrees to the deal and Marguerite is saved. It turns out that Osric is the soul of evil who has been imprisoned on the Lost World. He reappears and gleefully informs Roxton that he must murder Bergen, an old man with a long-standing hold over the boys' manipulative intentions. Roxton refuses to kill the old man, but Osric has many deadly ways to get what he wants. Meanwhile, Malone and Veronica must defend their Treehouse from a band of cutthroats who will stop at nothing to take it from them.

Original title : The Chosen One
First Aired : 04.02.2000 (CANADA) 22.04.2000 (USA) 13.01.2001 (FRANCE)
Director : Michael Offer
Writing credits : Jon Cowan
Cast : Alan Dale (I), (Phelan), David Hoflin (Gideon), Dino Marnika (Cyan), Benjamin Blaylock (Lucas)

The Story : Teenage Gideon and his mentor Davos are on a mission to fulfill the boy's destiny of leading his tribe of Moya out of the bondage of the evil Goths. Roxton and Marguerite come upon them, just as Davos is fatally wounded in a Goth attack. Before he dies, Davos charges Roxton with ensuring Gideon and the "Star of Hope" quarterstaff he carries, reach their destination. What they discover is that Gideon has been taken from his parents as a child, raised by monks, and chosen to lead his people from the isolated caves where they have hidden for a generation. The time has come for him to take his rightful place... but he has been betrayed, his mentor murdered. Roxton resolves to escort the boy back to his people. Marguerite reluctantly goes along. The trio meets up with Gideon's brother Lucas and they reach the Moyan elders. Unfortunately, they discover the Goths won't rest until the Moyans and their friends are dead. At the Treehouse, Malone bonds with a woman named Kaya who kisses him passionately. What he doesn't know is that Kaya is the human host to a dying species that needs a human pair in order to reproduce. Kaya's kiss passes the parasitic creature into Malone. As Veronica wrestles with jealousy, she discovers Kaya's hold over Malone may be a deadly one.

Original title : Prophecy
First Aired : 28.01.2000 (CANADA) 13.05.2000 (USA) 06.01.2001 (FRANCE)
Director : Catherine Millar
Writing credits : James Thorpe
Cast : Jerome Ehlers (Tribune), Marshall Napier (Drakul), Kristian Schmid (Thane)

The Story : Exploring the Plateau, Roxton, Marguerite, Veronica and Malone hear a scream for help. A horse and wagon race toward the edge of the cliff, out of control with a terrified woman at the reins. Roxton leaps to the rescue and the flamboyant beauty he saves introduces herself as Isadore, "Queen of the Gypsies and teller of fortunes." She offers to tell them their futures in return for saving her life. She offers a bottle of wine, and reads each of their immediate futures... benign, even silly... until she gets to Malone: "You will battle a monster with razor sharp claws. He will rip the heart from your chest." When they wake the next morning, Isadore is gone - along with their guns and ammo. The wine was drugged. Without guns they'll never survive in a jungle full of Apemen. They set off after Isadore and as they do, the first of her predictions comes true. Further on down the road, a band of thieving cutthroats, led by Kayson, hijack Isadore. When our adventurers catch up with her, they all know they have to get their weapons back. But they discover Isadore's visions are accurate and they fear her vision of Malone's death will come true. Meanwhile, on a plant collecting trip, Challenger and Summerlee are taken by surprise by Raptors in the jungle. Defending themselves, they find to their terror that the Raptors are not acting as beasts but as intelligent creatures, working together in an effort to herd them to their deaths.

Original title : Barbarians at the Gate
First Aired : 11.02.2000 (CANADA) 20.05.2000 (USA) 20.01.2001 (FRANCE)
Director : Catherine Millar
Writing credits : James Thorpe
Cast : Kristian Schmid (Thane), Jerome Ehlers (Tribune), Marshall Napier (Drakul)

The Story : The explorers are caught in the middle of a war between Tribue, with gunpowder in toe, and Drakul and his barbaric raiders. One of them will be lost, possibly forever, when this battle reaches its cliffhanger!