Beastmaster (TV series)
A warrior with animal allies battles oppression and dark forces.
Beastmaster is an Australian-Canadian sword and sorcery television series that aired from 1999 to 2002, spanning three complete seasons and 66 episodes. Inspired by the 1959 science fiction novel The Beast Master by Andre Norton and re-imagining the adventures of the main protagonist Dar from the 1982 MGM theatrical film, the series follows Dar, a survivor of the Sula tribe, who uses his gift of communication with animals to protect the oppressed. It was produced by Coote/Hayes Productions and received nominations for an Open Craft Television Award in cinematography and a Saturn Award for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Action/Adventure / Supernatural / Fantasy
- Inspired By
- The Beast Master by Andre Norton (1959) / <!--
- Based On
- The Beastmaster (1982) as per Protagonist-->
- Runtime
- 45 mins
- Developer
- Sylvio Tabet
- Executive Producer
- Sylvio Tabet / Greg Coote / Allan Eastman / Steve Feke / Jeffrey M. Hayes
- Starring
- Daniel Goddard / Jackson Raine / Marjean Holden / Monika Schnarre / Dylan Bierk / Grahame Bond / Steven Grives
- Theme Music Composer
- Graeme Coleman
- Country
- Australia / Canada / United States
- Company
- Coote/Hayes Productions / Alliance Atlantis Communications / Tribune Entertainment
- Network
- Syndicated / CTV
- First Aired
- 1999-10-09
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Dar seeks his lost loved one Kyra, a fellow Sula tribeswoman, and along the way rescues the scholarly medicine man Tao and the orphaned warrior Arina. The world is threatened by the supernatural being Balcifer, the Dark One, and Dar is revealed to be the son of King Eldar, destroyed by Balcifer. To defeat Balcifer, Dar must locate and reunite his family, who have been turned into animals. Balcifer's agent on Earth is King Zad, the King of the Terrons, a savage tribe; later, Zad re-emerges as King of Xincha after deposing King Voden. The series begins action-oriented but develops pacifistic and naturalist tones as the first season progresses.
Reader's Guide
Beastmaster holds significance as a television adaptation that reimagines the Beastmaster mythos for a serialized format, blending sword and sorcery with themes of animal companionship and environmental harmony. Its 66 episodes over three seasons allowed for character development and world-building, including the introduction of antagonists like King Zad and the supernatural Balcifer. The series earned industry recognition with nominations from the Australian Film Institute and the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films, highlighting its cinematography and genre appeal. Though the DVD releases by ADV Films became rare due to licensing issues, the series later became available on streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime Video and Tubi, ensuring continued access. Its legacy includes guest appearances by Marc Singer, star of the original 1982 film, and the incorporation of Brazilian mythological creatures Curupira and Iara, adding cultural depth to the fantasy setting.
Origins & Core Premise
The television series Beastmaster draws its inspiration from a 1959 science fiction novel titled The Beast Master, written by American author Alice "Andre" Norton. However, the show's narrative is more directly shaped by the 1982 MGM theatrical film of the same name, re-imagining the adventures of its protagonist Dar while introducing an entirely new cast of allies and adversaries. Produced by Coote/Hayes Productions as a joint Australian-Canadian-American venture, the series ran for three complete seasons spanning 1999 to 2002, delivering a total of 66 episodes. At its heart, the story follows Dar, one of only two survivors of the Sula tribe after a devastating massacre carried out by the Terrons. Armed with a rare innate ability to communicate with animals, Dar roams a vast, mythic landscape defending both humans and creatures who suffer under Terron oppression. His journey is both personal and epic: he searches for his lost loved one Kyra, a fellow Sula tribeswoman, while his growing reputation as the "Beastmaster" draws the attention of powerful and dangerous forces seeking to exploit his gift for their own ends.
Animal Companions & Mythic World
Dar's bond with the animal kingdom is the emotional and narrative centerpiece of the series, and his companions are given rich backstories that elevate them far beyond mere sidekicks. Sharak, a black eagle, is described as older than the rocks left behind by the Great Age of Ice a million years ago; a sorcerer once stripped him of the ability to die, and in exchange he has accumulated extraordinary wisdom over the centuries. His pair of ferrets, Kodo and Podo, were expelled from their own tribe for being mischievous thieves and troublemakers, with Kodo tending to stay home and Podo perpetually eating. The Bengal tiger Ruh, whose name translates to "headstrong and powerful," possesses an intuitive sense of innocence versus guilt and serves as a fierce protector of Dar's companions. Beyond these individuals, the world itself is in flux: civilization and technology are slowly encroaching, the old orders of magic and sorcery are fading, and the supernatural entity Balcifer, the Dark One, looms as an existential threat. Dar is ultimately revealed to be the son of King Eldar, destroyed by Balcifer, and his family has been transformed into animals and hidden within the Crystal Ark.
Antagonists & Shifting Tones
The series builds a layered antagonistic structure that evolves across its three seasons. King Zad, the first ruler of the Terrons, embodies crude, savage cruelty as he leads a tribe that enslaves and pillages without restraint. After his people are destroyed by King Voden and his Viking-like northern warriors, Zad re-emerges as the ruler of Xincha, the city at the center of the world and Tao's former home, having deposed Voden, who flees into the wilderness at the close of the second season. The contrast between Zad's blunt brutality and Voden's refined, maddened evil genius gives the conflict a shifting moral texture. The Sorceress, apprentice to the Ancient One, represents a more insidious threat, seeking to harness Dar's fame to curry favor with powerful leaders. Even the supernatural foes carry cultural weight: the Forest Demon Curupira and the Demon of Water and Serpent Iara are drawn from Brazilian mythology. Notably, Marc Singer, who played the Beastmaster in the original 1982 film, returns in the third season as Dartanus, the Spirit Warrior. Tonal-wise, the show begins as straightforward action-adventure but gradually embraces pacifistic and naturalist themes as the first season unfolds.
Recognition, Distribution & Legacy
As a co-production spanning Australia, Canada, and the United States, Beastmaster carved out a distinctive niche in the syndicated and cable television landscape of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Its craft earned it a nomination for an Open Craft Television Award in the cinematography category from the Australian Film Institute in 2000, and it was put forward for a Saturn Award for Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films in 2001. In the United Kingdom, the series found a home on the free-to-air satellite channel Zone Horror, while in the United States, syndication rights are held by Lionsgate Television. On the home-video front, ADV Films released each of the three seasons as separate DVD sets in Region 1, with Season 3 arriving on November 18, 2003; each set contained six discs covering 22 episodes plus bonus material. A combined Complete Collection followed on August 5, 2008. Licensing disputes between ADV Films and Tribune Entertainment, the series' owner, quickly rendered those physical releases scarce. In Canada, Alliance Home Entertainment handled the DVD distribution. More recently, the full series has become accessible through streaming platforms including Amazon Prime Video and Tubi, introducing Dar's saga to new generations of viewers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Beastmaster (TV series)?
Beastmaster is a sword-and-sorcery television series co-produced by Australia and Canada that aired from 1999 through 2002. Developed by Coote/Hayes Productions, the show reimagines the world of Andre Norton's 1959 novel and the 1982 MGM film, following a young warrior who fights tyranny with the help of animals.
Who is Dar in Beastmaster?
Dar is the series' protagonist, a survivor of the Sula tribe who channels his survival into a mission of protecting the oppressed. He is not a traditional sorcerer but a warrior whose strength comes from his deep bond with the animal world around him.
How many seasons and episodes does Beastmaster have?
The show completed three full seasons between 1999 and 2002, delivering a total of 66 episodes.
What is Dar's special ability in Beastmaster?
Dar can communicate directly with animals and call upon them as allies in combat and daily life. This gift makes him a natural protector for those who have no other defense against the dark forces and tyrants he opposes.
Did Beastmaster receive any award recognition?
The series was nominated for an Open Craft Television Award in the cinematography category and also received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Fantasy Television Series.
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