I said before that some shows on this list would be new to most people, and I'm sure that this will be one of those occasions.
The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne was a very short-lived steampunk series that ran initially on CBC in Canada and Sci-Fi Network in the US. It posited that Jules Verne's stories were not mere fiction, but were actual adventures that he embarked on in the company of Phileas Fogg (gentleman explorer from Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days), Fogg's servant Passepartout, and Fogg's cousin Rebecca, a spy for the British government. Together the four of them travel in Fogg's magnificent airship, the Aurora, to battle mysterious forces and explore strange happenings.
The series suffered somewhat from what I consider a lack of focus; a lot of interesting plot elements are introduced but never fully explored. It's almsot as if the writers had too much content and didn't know what to do first. There is a vague sort of continued villainous presence in the form of the horribly disfigured, partially robotic Count Gregory and his League of Darkness, but their goals are murky at best (world domination? Mayhem? Jules Verne's brain?). As well, it is suggested early on that Verne's imagination can change the world for better or worse, but this is only expanded on in a couple of episodes.
That being said, the ideas that are shown here are stylishly wonderful. We have all the steampunk delights that a fan of brass and cogwheels could ask for: airships, clockwork robots, mad scientists and all manner of gadgetry the likes of which haven't been seen since The Wild Wild West (the series, the movie doesn't deserve even a passing acknowledgement). All of this is couched in a decidedly Victorian sensibility, with gentlemanly duels and more skirts and corsets than you can shake a hanky at.
The casting was for the most part quite good. Michel Courtemanche in particular I wholeheartedly enjoyed as Passepartout. The Quebecois comedian was perfect for the role of the servant who, even in failure, is always sincerely trying his absolute best. I especially loved his "moment of inspiration" in episode five, The Cardinal's Revenge:
I thought this was a fascinating idea, that a character somehow ends up via a time machine in a strange alternate world where all physics become clear. But...then it was dismissed as a hallucination. Frustrating!
I do have to say that the role of Verne was horrendously miscast. Chris Demetral just feels very bland as a lead when compared with everyone else. Part of this is due to his character being underwritten; as I said before Verne's motives and background seem too fluid and immature. He feels too young, too spoiled, too...American. When so many of the actors are capable of putting on French accents (or, as in Courtemanche's case, are just...well...French), Demetral sticks out like a sore thumb with his flat-footed delivery. I think an older actor could have brought a more mature presence to the show, and grounded it more firmly in vision.
Having criticized it so much already, it might seem strange that I include The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne on my list of favourite science fiction TV shows. The reason I think it deserves special mention is because it was truly original, a show that took chances and explored territory syndicated television hadn't dared touch. A show that fails from overambition is worthy of applause even if it only proves that there are still creative individuals working in the industry willing to try new things.
It's also genuinely interesting when the characters encounter real-life individuals: Thomas Edison, Samuel Longhorn Clemens (Mark Twain) and then-lieutenant Custer all make appearances. I think I enjoy these "cameos" because they're not played for laughs or as a gimmick. They fully embrace the oddities of the world, the technology and the freewheeling historical license.
It's my hope that someone will consider The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne as a possible launching pad for a new Steampunk series. There is a goldmine of stories and stunning visuals to be found here, and it's definitely worth exploring.
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