Premiering in 2000 at the tail end of the syndication boom
of the 90’s, “Sheena” is a colorful, entertaining, action adventure drama,
based on the character created by Golden Age comic book legends Will Eisner and S. M. "Jerry" Iger.
Like the cult classic 1984 film starring Tanya Roberts, the
series retains the spirit of the original comic book, plus works in some added
supernatural elements.
Somehow I missed this show during its initial two season run.
It may have poorly distributed because I do not even recall seeing it on or
ever even promoted, and was not even aware of the show until years later when I
purchased a slew of back issues “Femme Fatale”
magazine and saw a cover story about the series.
Finally, I saw the show was now available on DVD,
and decided to take the plunge.
I am now five episodes in, and you know what? I like it. As
a matter of fact I am enjoying the show quite a bit. I like it a lot.
First off, the ridiculously gorgeous Gena Lee Nolin is
perfectly cast as Sheena. She exudes a raw, primal sexuality and has the
charisma to pull off such a larger than life character.
Oddly enough, even though she is sporting way more clothing
(most of the time anyway) than Tanya Roberts did in the 1984 film, it actually
works in favor of the show. Sometimes keeping the sexuality just below the surface
makes it more erotic. Keep in mind, this is all done in the context of a PG 13
friendly presentation. But like Conan and Tarzan, primal eroticism is woven
into the narrative and subtext and finding a way to tap into it is a key factor
to any successful adaption of these works. And thanks to Gena Lee Nolin—as
well as her supporting co-star (the muscular, charming John
Allen Nelson), this show manages to pull it off surprisingly well.
Another thing I really like is that both the series, and the main
character, have a philosophy. Sheena is serious about protecting her jungle,
and I absolutely love this!
So far the storylines have been strong with good guest stars
(Peter Onorati , Jennifer Hammon, and Ron Ely—Tarzan from the 1966 NBC series
yet to come!).
Both major supporting characters are fairly well-developed.
The aforementioned muscular Cutter (John Allen Nelson) reminds me a bit of
Michael Douglas’s character from “Romancing the Stone” mixed in with a dash of “Indiana
Jones”. Sheena’s stepmother Kali, played by the beautiful Margo Moorer, is a
wonderful character.
Not having the benefit of a feature film budget to shoot on
location in Africa as the 1984 film did, or in Mexico like the Ron Ely “Tarzan”
NBC series, this show opts for a studio look, mixing in local Florida locations
for outdoor jungle scenes. This works fine actually, because the shots are well
composed and the sets nicely designed.
Along with Gena Lee Nolan, the show’s greatest asset is its
feature film quality music. The score was composed by Sean Callery, who has
since gone on to immense success with “24” and “Homeland”. Add this soundtrack
to my list of unreleased Holy Grails.
Bottom line: If you are a fan of Robert E. Howard or Edgar
Rice Burroughs, or Tomb Raider/Indiana Jones type stories, then the
entertaining “Sheena” is a show you might like.
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