Cleopatra 2525

In the year 2000, the carefully-constructed world of series produced by Renaissance Pictures was slowly coming to an end. Their greatest hero, Hercules, ended with a shorter 6th season in 1999. Was Xena supposed to be left pregnant alone? No way. It was therefore time for an interesting experiment. Xena didn't get another hero from her pseudo-Ancient world in the joint broadcast block, but instead the Back2Back Action Pack of two half-hour series from different other worlds. The first was a 26th-century female sci-fi, and the second was Jack of All Trades, a historical romp set in 1801. A year later, it became clear that Jack of All Trades would not be afforded another series, but Cleopatra 2525 had more potential to expand into hour-long episodes. That happened for a short period of time, and in the end, the entire series boasts a total of 28 episodes. A young stripper arrives in a world where humanity lives only underground and a few small teams led by the mysterious Voice are responsible for the law and the overthrow of the surface usurpers. She had breast surgery in the 21st century that failed, so she was frozen until they found a cure... That's the thing - Renaissance Pictures' humor can turn even a subject like this into an enjoyable action/funny and, to a good extent, dramatic series that is unmatched by anything else in its genre. The main characters are incredibly sexy and make a great trio of casual cuteness, strength, and smarts. For the titular Jennifer Sky, it was (unfortunately) the peak of her career, aided by a cameo role in Xena, but she could not develop her acting further. However, Victoria Pratt (Sarge) made her way into the bigger Mutant X series thanks to her character Cleo, and her TV career is far from over. Others worth mentioning include the sympathetically evil Danielle Cormack (as the telepathic Raina), the genuine bad guy Joel Tobeck (as the evil Creegen) and of course Elizabeth Hawthorne as the Voice and Patrick Kake as the robot Mauser. However, it’s too bad that after these eventful years, New Zealand productions have had to wait so long for other major commissions, such as Maddigan's Quest or the current Legend of the Seeker series or Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Fortunately, Cleopatra 2525 is finally available on DVD in several regions, and not just English-speaking ones, so fans can enjoy it anytime. :) (25/01/2009)

A young stripper comes to a world where humanity lives only underground, and a few small teams led by the mysterious Voice take care of the rights and overthrow of the rulers on the surface. She underwent breast surgery in the 21st century that failed, so she was frozen until they find a cure... And that's what it's all about. Renaissance Pictures' humor can turn even such a subject into a pleasant action/comedy and at the same time a somewhat dramatic series that has no comparison with anything else in its genre. The main heroines are incredibly sexy and form a great trio of effortless cuteness, strength, and cleverness. For the cover girl Jennifer Sky, it was (unfortunately) the peak of her career, to which she was helped by a guest role in Xena, but she couldn't further develop her acting. However, Victoria Pratt (Sarge) got into the larger series Mutant X thanks to Cleo, and her TV career is far from over. Others worth mentioning are the sympathetically evil Danielle Cormack (as the telepath Raina), the real villain Joel Tobeck (as the devilish Creegan), and of course Elizabeth Hawthorne as The Voice and Patrick Kake as the robot Mauser. (18/11/2022)

After 14 half-hour episodes in the first series, there were 8 more half-hour episodes released as the second series. After that, the shared block Back2Back Action fell apart because the separate series Jack of All Trades was canceled. The last 6 episodes of Cleopatra 2525 are therefore twice as long, and these episodes are absolutely great (the best of them all). It is just a shame that the New Zealand production had to wait so long for another big order after these prosperous years, like Maddigan's Quest, Legend of the Seeker, or Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Fortunately, Cleopatra 2525 is finally available on DVD in several regions, not just English-speaking ones, and so all the clouds are dispelled. (18/11/2022)