The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne


The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne is a 22-episode science fiction television series in the steampunk genre that first aired in June 2000 on CBC Television in Canada. The series first ran in the United States on cable on The Sci-Fi Channel, and lasted for one season.
The premise begins with the revelation that Jules Verne did not merely write the stories behind his famous science fiction classic books Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth or Around the World in Eighty Days — but actually experienced these adventures personally.
This series is notably the first hour-long series filmed entirely in HDTV format.

Characters

Jules Verne is a struggling author who joins Phileas, Rebecca, and Passepartout after a chance encounter. Phileas leads the group. Dapper, daring, intelligent, brash, and arrogant, Praed described him as essentially a more flawed version of James Bond. Rebecca Fogg is his second cousin; it is clear that Phileas and Rebecca are attracted to one another, but it remains platonic. Passepartout is Phileas' valet, and an accomplished inventor/mechanician. Although Phileas treats Passepartout very poorly, the servant is a valued member of the crew.
The group's only recurring enemy is the League of Darkness, an international terrorist organization aiming to use steampunk technology to rule the world. Its leader: Count Gregory, a steampunk cyborg who originally died 500 years ago.
Most episodes took advantage of both the Wold Newton family and metafictional possibilities of the premise. Mark Twain, the Holy Grail, and Cardinal Richelieu all made appearances.
Some parts of the show are truthfully historical, such as the mention of Nicolas Poussin or Verne's friendship with Alexandre Dumas. However, the show cannot be historically placed. For example, at least one episode takes place during the American Civil War. During the Civil War, the historical Jules Verne was already married; the fictional character remains single throughout the first season. Also, the historical Verne would have been in his mid-thirties at the time of that conflict, whereas Chris Demetral, the actor who portrayed him on television, was in his mid-twenties.

The Aurora

The Aurora is at the heart of The Secret Adventure of Jules Verne. The world's first dirigible airship, property of Mr. Phileas Fogg of London, it combines unexampled luxury, total mobility and an extraordinary array of weapons and gadgets. It is to this series what the Starship Enterprise is to Star Trek: both as a home base and also as the route to the world of adventure. The Aurora became Phileas' property after he won it in a poker game that was rigged by the British government.

Episodes

Soundtrack

The series' main theme and incidental music was composed by Nick Glennie-Smith. In April 2011, Perseverance Records released a 2-CD soundtrack of the series' music. The soundtrack included the main theme, closing theme, "bumpers", and suites from every episode of the series apart from "The Book of Knowledge", for which the composer and the recording studio were unable to locate the original tapes.
CD 1--
No.TitleLength
1Opening Titles0:53
2In the Beginning2:34
3Queen Victoria and the Giant Mole13:25
4Bumper #10:09
5Rockets of the Dead11:31
6The Cardinal's Design2:04
7The Cardinal's Revenge2:33
8The Eyes of Lazarus2:00
9Bumper #20:11
10Lord of Air and Darkness1:56
11Southern Comfort19:05
12Let There Be Light7:56
13The Ballad of Steeley Joe6:51
14Bumper #30:09
CD 2--
No.TitleLength
1Bumper #40:09
2The Black Glove of Melchizedek9:02
3Dust to Dust6:17
4The Golem3:51
5Crusader in the Crypt1:53
6The Strange Death of Professor Marechal4:32
7The Rocket's Red Glare5:53
8Rocket to the Moon3:55
9Bumper #50:09
10The Inquisitor5:25
11Royalty12:38
12Secret of the Realm6:00
13The Victorian Candidate7:27
14End Credits0:42