NWZ Unfilmed Script : "Reasonable Doubts"

I was asked about the unfilmed scripts in a comment to another post. It would be better for me to answer some of these queries in new posts rather than burying the information in the comments to an unrelated post.

First off, I cannot share scans of the scripts for free. Please do not ask. I am bound by a promise to another person, and the scripts were very expensive. I cannot and will not give them away for free. If we would ever get people who would be willing to pay a fair price for copies, then we could get a return on our investment and more people would be able to read them.

One of the scripts is called "Reasonable Doubts." This script is for an unfilmed episode from the fourth season. The fourth season was cut short due to one of the production companies pulling out, so only part of the season was filmed.

Here is a short summary of the events that occur in this script:

The Monterey stagecoach that is carrying the garrison's payroll is ambushed by bandits. DeSoto and his men arrive just in time to hear the wounded coach driver regain consciousness briefly and accuse a wounded passenger, Domingo Cano, of staging the ambush. The coach driver dies seconds later, leaving DeSoto no chance to question him. DeSoto assumes that Cano is guilty and plans to hang him the next day. After Don Diego hears of the arrest and planned execution, he decides to investigate. As Zorro, he frees Cano and quickly searches for clues at the scene of the ambush while pursued by DeSoto and the soldiers.

That is an incomplete summary that I wrote a long time ago, and I do not wish to pull out the script and try for a more complete one. My general impression after reading this script is that it would have made for an average episode.

Following is a scan of the first page of the script. Click on the image to see a larger version that can be read more easily.


Look for information on another unfilmed script in an upcoming post.

Note: Many of you are posting as "Anonymous," which I currently have enabled on this blog. I am kindly requesting that you add your initials or some identifier to the end of your comments. When the comments posted are by Anonymous, Anonymous, Anonymous, and Anonymous, it makes it hard to know how many people that represents. I really don't want to squelch the discussion, but I will change to Google ID required within a few days if necessary in order to force people to be counted as separate individuals. This would not affect any polls, but it would require you to create a Google account in order to comment. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.

List of DVD Name Possibilities

I have compiled a list of DVD name suggestions. If I have inadvertently left off your suggestion, please let me know. Additionally, if you can think of other possibilities, I will add them to the list.

The Adventures of Zorro
Diego And Victoria: The New Adventures Of Zorro
The Family Channel's New World Zorro
The Family Channel's Zorro
The Family Channel Zorro
His Name Is Zorro
A Man Called Zorro
New World Zorro
The New Zorro
The New Zorro with Duncan Regehr
The New Adventures of Zorro
The New Adventures of Zorro from 1990
The New Adventures of Zorro Starring Duncan Regehr
The Sword of Zorro
The Thrilling Adventures of Zorro
The Wonderful World of Zorro
Zorro
Zorro: Adventures in the New World
Zorro and Victoria: A Love Story
Zorro: A New World
Zorro: The 1990 Family Television Series
Zorro: The 1990 Family Version
Zorro: The 1990 Television Series
Zorro: The 1990 Television Series with Duncan Regehr
Zorro: The 1990 to 1993 Television Series
Zorro: The Complete Collection
ZORRO: For Love and Honor
Zorro: The Family Channel Collection
Zorro: The Family Channel Version
Zorro: The Family Version
Zorro: The Family Version with Duncan Regehr
Zorro: The Legend Begins
Zorro: The Legend Continues
Zorro: Man of Cunning and Steel
Zorro: Man of Science
Zorro: The New Adventures
Zorro: The New World Collection
Zorro: The New World Collection (Family Channel Version)
Zorro The Next Generation

My plan is to create two polls so that you can vote for your favorites. I am going to separate the possibilities into two groups for the polls. One group will contain the possibilities which are the ones that Zorro Productions is more likely to choose. The other group will contain the possibilities that Zorro Productions is less likely to choose.

We need to remember the purpose of our suggestions. Zorro Productions wants a name that will distinguish the DVD set from that of the Disney Zorro series. Zorro Productions appears to want to avoid calling the series simply "New World Zorro." So keep that in mind as you consider the possibilities.

I do not feel that a name that is the same as another version of Zorro will be likely to be chosen. This means that a name that is the same as other filmed versions of Zorro, McCulley's Zorro stories, or the names of the Dell and Gold Key Zorro comic books are likely not viable choices.

The name of the series is simply "Zorro," but Zorro Productions wants a better name for the DVD set. I feel that the name should be something that is easily recognizable and makes people think of this specific version, especially people who have not visited Zorro websites. You might think that all people who would be interested in this series have visited the Zorro websites, but I can tell you from my experience in another area of interest that a large percentage of people interested in any specific topic have never visited informational sites concerning that topic. It is surprising but true.

I also want to admit for the very first time that I have never deep in my heart thought of this series as the New World Zorro version. At the time that I created my site, it was apparent that most people on the internet called it that for some reason that I do not quite understand. Actually, I do know that it is because of New World Television, but the series always was and still is the Family Channel Zorro to me. I did not name my site that since that did not appear to be the trend on the web. It has never sounded quite right to me. For that reason, I can understand why Zorro Productions is concerned about calling the series the New World Zorro.

I will be using these criteria as I separate the names into more likely and less likely to be chosen. If your suggestion ends up in the less likely group, it is for one of the above reasons and is nothing personal. I also believe I am limited in the number of selections to a poll, so I have to do more than one poll anyway. When I create the polls, I will allow you to make more than one choice so that you can indicate which ones you like better.

If you want to begin discussing what you think of the possibilities (some of you already have on the original post), feel free to do so. We have had a surprisingly low response from the New World Zorro group, and the respondents in this blog seem to be more interested. I allow anonymous comments to this blog, but I would appreciate it if you would enter your first name, last name, initials, or at least something so that I can tell how many people are discussing this topic.

New World Zorro DVD Set Bonus Feature

Daryl has provided us with another scoop.

I wasn't certain that I could release this news yesterday so I had to verify it first. ONE of the special features will be on the DVD release is the never before seen pilot episode for the New World (Family Channel) Zorro tv series.

This is spectacular news. As far as I know, no one has ever seen it. The book Zorro Unmasked: The Original History by Sandra Curtis explains what happened with the pilot to the New World Zorro.

John [John Gertz of Zorro Productions] pitched Nancy's [Nancy Larson, twin sister of John Gertz] treatment to seven production companies in two days...They closed a deal with New World Television....John had insisted on creative consultation rights for the series, but he found himself in conflict with the producers over how much they would be willing to accept him as a creative partner. The problem he confronted with Goodman-Rosen, the line producers, was to be revisited with each new Zorro project....John's concerns regarding the pilot were summarily ignored by Goodman-Rosen. His chief complaint was the violence. The plot involved numerous killings and generally lacked humor, a critical part of the Zorro formula.

Here is a summary of the plot, also from Zorro Unmasked: The Original History.

Antonio de la Cruz, the nephew of Don Diego, takes up the mantle of his boyhood hero when Zorro is killed by the commandant, Monastario. One element of Nancy's treatment was retained: Antonio played a clumsy scholar with glasses whose heroes were da Vinci and Cervantes.

The pilot featured Patrick James as Zorro and Patrice Martinez as the female lead, Dona Maria Constansa Arrillaga, a spoiled, rich girl to whom Antonio was betrothed. Antonio does not endear himself to his arranged marriage partner, harboring memories of Maria as a fat and homely child. Yet she has grown into a feisty, dark-haired beauty. Maria's feelings about Antonio echo his own about her. She is, however, very impressed with Zorro. In the climax, Antonio uses his knowledge of da Vinci's principles of flight to build a hang glider, which he dramatically sails into the plaza to rescue falsely convicted men from execution.

(snip)

Location shooting took place on the southern coast of Spain near Almeria in November 1987....Gertz fumed on the set, watching a nightmare unfold before his eyes....Based on a disastrous pilot, interest in the revival of Zorro as a live-action hero fell short of attracting the required funding partners. The fox once again seemed headed toward a short-lived revival....The producers went back to the drawing board, revamping the concept and addressing some of Gertz's concerns. The story line reverted to a traditional Zorro scenario without the oppressive violence. The fox had partially been rescued.

The result was the New World Zorro television series that aired on the Family Channel. It will be a special treat to see the original pilot.

Name the NWZ Official DVD Boxed Set

Your suggestions are needed by August 6, 2010. If you have a suggestion, please leave a comment on this blog post.

Daryl has provided us with this important information:

Zorro Productions Inc is working toward releasing the NW Zorro for Christmas. The bonus material is currently being processed and I'm told fans are going to love it.

****** ZPI is offering the fans a very special opportunity. ZPI is going to allow you to name the DVD box set. Since both series were simply called "ZORRO" a title that will clearly distinguishes it from the Disney Zorro Box set is needed. ZPI feels that simply calling it New World Zorro may not mean much to most buyers. So NWZ fans your input is critical. It's up to you to name your Zorro series. *******

Please think about a title and get back to me ASAP. I will pass all of your suggestions on to ZPI.

Daryl

What we need to think of is a name that will cause people who see the packaging to immediately think of THAT version of Zorro. We want people who have never been to this blog to know instantly which version of Zorro it is. We want people who have not thought of the show since 1993 to want to buy the set because they remember the show from the Family Channel. We need a name that is not the name of another version of Zorro. Think of when you saw the series on television. How did you think of it? What do you recall?

My suggestion was to use something with the word "family" in it, since the show aired on the Family Channel. I always thought of it as the "Family Channel Zorro." Unfortunately, "Family Channel" is probably trademarked and cannot be used. I suggested "Zorro: The Family Version" or "Zorro: The Family Version with Duncan Regehr" in addition to some other ideas.

EDITED TO ADD: Make sure you read my latest post on this topic.

New World Zorro to Be Released on DVD Fall 2010

This just in from Daryl:

The deal for the distribution of New World Zorro on DVD was only officially completed on Wednesday so I don't have all of the details. I will pass them on as I get them. The distributor will be A&E Video. They are set to release in the fall. Right now they are working with ZPI to put together the bonus material. A&E will decide how they wish to release the series so ZPI doesn't know at this time if it will be one season at a time, seasons 1 & 2 together then seasons 3 & 4 together or a complete box set.

and also:

ZPI has a cable deal in the works for NWZ. They will provide details when they come available. I'll pass them along. Also it appears the DVDs will include a Spanish language option.

If you are one of the people who has been waiting for years for this series to be released on DVD, your wish is about to come true. If you are just now wanting to see the shows, please do not buy bootlegs from anybody. They are of inferior quality, and you are better off waiting for the official release, which is just months away.

Important: New World Zorro Survey

There is a possibility of having some type of New World Zorro finale, probably a radio drama, created. I do not know the specific details, but there is an issue which could be resolved depending upon the results of a survey. Please answer the survey by responding to this post. Below, I quote Daryl with his request.

In what feels like the never ending quest to bring about a NWZ finale I need to put together one more piece of information for the powers that be. To keep this short and to the point I NEED everyone to list the characters/actors in the order of favorite to least favorite. I'm asking everyone to please participate.

And please don't just say I love them all or list just one or two. Please list everyone starting with your absolute favorite then your next favorite, then your next favorite, etc. To make things quicker I'll post an example with each person numbered. You could just list the numbers of each corresponding person if you like.

Thanks for your help.

Daryl

Example:

1. Diego-Zorro/Duncan Regehr

2. Victoria/Patrice Martinez

3. Alejandro/Henry Darrow

4. Sgt. Mendoza/James Victor

5. Alcalde Ramon/Michael Tylo

6. Alcalde de Soto/John Hertzler

7. Felipe/Juan Diego Botto

8. Alejando/Efram Zimbalist Jr.

9. Toronado

Zorro Items for Sale

I have a few Zorro items for sale.

Zorro's Fighting Legion DVD

Zorro Rides Again DVD

New World Zorro Sticker Album Complete Set #1-216

76 New World Zorro Slides

Teresa Gutierrez — The Marquesa

Viewers of La espada y la rosa will remember La Marquesa, Carmen Santillana de la Roquette, as a powerful ally of the de la Vegas.

The actress who played The Marquesa passed away earlier this month in Colombia. She was born on October 28, 1928 and died on March 10, 2010. She was a major Colombian television star.

All-Story Weekly August 9, 1919

The pulp magazine in which Zorro made his first appearance is a highly desired piece of Zorro memorabilia. In my opinion, it is the Holy Grail of Zorro memorabilia.

Zorro debuted in the August 9, 1919 issue of All-Story Weekly in a story called "The Curse of Capistrano."

An excellent condition copy of this pulp magazine recently sold on eBay.

All Story Pulp August 9, 1919

Here is the seller's picture:

The issue sold for a staggering $1,525.00.

Telemundo Zorro Update #2

In the original airing of the telenovela in 2007, the show had English captions on CC1 and Spanish captions on CC3. When the re-airing of the show began last month, Telemundo was displaying the Spanish captions on CC1 and had no English captions.

I have not verified this, but I have been told that Telemundo has now added the English captions to CC3. Apparently enough people requested the English captions that Telemundo decided to add them to this airing of the show.

New World Zorro DVD Release Information

I sent out this information on two lists, and I am also placing this here in order to reach a wider audience.

Daryl reports that John Gertz is in the final stages of acquiring a distributor for the series. This means that the New World Zorro series will soon be on DVD in an official release in the United States and elsewhere.

John Gertz has requested that fans let him know of their preferences for a DVD release. Daryl is passing on the responses. Reply to this message if you would like to have input. Here are the questions:

Do you want the DVD set released one season at a time or all at once?

Would you like to see a bloopers reel?

Would you like to see a cast reunion? In what format: Interview, concluding episode TV show (keep in mind the cast is now 17 years older), concluding episode radio drama

Would you like to see writers, directors, producers, etc, reunion interview?

A release of some special memorabilia, or maybe cast autographed special edition DVD series?

Zorro on Telemundo Update

The Zorro telenovela form 2007 is currently airing in reruns daily on Telemundo. Several people who missed the show the first time it aired are recording it. Most people missed the beginning of the reruns and are not sure how to label their DVDs.

I recorded the show on Monday to see how far along the reruns are. On Monday, episodes 26 and 27 from the original run aired.

The current run does not match up with the original run because the original run aired in 112 episodes and the current run is airing as 120 episodes. The telenovela was filmed in 120 episodes. When the show first aired, quite a few episodes aired as 90 minute episodes. Each of those episodes was comprised of 1 1/2 of the original episodes.

#16-25 in the original run aired as 90 minute episodes. Using this as reference:

http://www.zorrolegend.com/zorro2007/episodes26-30.html

#16 on the above website is #16 with 1/2 of #17 in the current run
#17 is 1/2 of #17 with #18
#18 is #19 with 1/2 of #20
#19 is 1/2 of #20 with #21
#20 is #22 with 1/2 of #23
#21 is 1/2 of #23 with #24
#22 is #25 with 1/2 of #26
#23 is 1/2 of #26 with #27
#24 is #28 with 1/2 of #29
#25 is 1/2 of #29 with #30
#26 aired as one hour so is #31
#27 aired as one hour so is #32

If anyone sees anything wrong with this, please let me know. I have looked over it a few times, but I could have made a mistake.

If I have this right, then what aired on Monday is #31 and #32 as originally filmed. For those of you recording this, Monday's should be labeled as #31 and #32.

Zorro Is Back on Telemundo!

Check your television listings. Telemundo is now re-airing La espada y la rosa each weekday on Telemundo. Many people have wished that they had not missed out on seeing this great telenovela, and this is the first time the series has aired since its finale in July 2007.

La espada y la rosa tells the epic story of Diego de la Vega and his love, Esmeralda, who fight to be together against all odds.

From ZorroLegend.com:

This version of Zorro bends history and places Zorro in a setting that at times is almost like an alternate reality. The telenovela was filmed in Colombia, and the essence of Colombia and South America is very much a part of every episode. The setting is supposed to be Los Angeles, California, but it is as though Los Angeles is a part of Colombia, South America.

The novela contains every outrageous plot device that a person could want from slave traders to cannibals, mystical Indians, Amazon warrior women, witches, gypsies, piranhas, pirates, lepers, an exorcist, victims of demon possession, and even a dwarf and a hunchback. The amazing range of bizarre characters and plot elements combine to create a version of Zorro that is quite unlike any of the previous versions.

It is one of my three favorite versions of Zorro alongside the New Word Zorro and Walt Disney's Zorro. Purists might not like it, but I feel that this version incorporates all that is fun about Zorro into an intriguing romantic story. The fun is in the journey, and the telenovela is a very fun journey.

Advice Concerning New World Zorro DVDs

The people who have been selling bootlegs of the New World Zorro shows for years are still selling them. Since it now looks like we have a very good chance of seeing the New World Zorro series on DVD this year, please do not give the bootleggers your money. If you have waited nearly 20 years to see the shows again, you can wait a few more months.

Over the years, I have ignored the bootleggers and in some ways was glad that they made copies of the shows. By other people making and selling copies, it kept me from being harassed quite so much by people wanting DVDs. Of course people still harassed me, so I had to place a message near the top of my New World Zorro page. I also placed that message there because someone thought I was the one selling copies on eBay because an early bootlegger used my collage image on the sets and later bootleggers continued to use that image. I didn't want people to think I was the one selling copies. Some people do not understand that anybody can swipe an image off a website and use it however they want.

As I stated, I have not cared what the bootleggers did. My opinion has now changed. It would be a shame for someone to pay a lot of money for a bootleg set now when we have a good shot of seeing a legitimate release.

The bootleg sets are not the quality of an official release. There are three known sources of the bootleg DVDs. The first source is from tapes recorded from the Family Channel that have good picture quality and no missing parts, but the sound quality is not so good.

A second source of the bootlegs is from someone who recorded the shows from the Family Channel in a very sloppy fashion, cutting off much of the beginning and ending credits. The picture quality also has problems aside from the missing parts.

A third source of the bootlegs, which I have only heard about and never seen, is from tapes recorded from a station in Canada during the last ten years. I do not know the quality of this source, but it may be better than the other two. Even so, it cannot be the quality of an official release.

A prospective buyer has no way of knowing which source a set of DVDs has, so it would be unwise to buy one of the DVD sets at this point in time. Wait for the official release.

New World Zorro on TV and DVD

Zorro Productions announced via its Facebook account that it has acquired the rights to the New World Zorro television series. Here is the announcement:

[ZPI] is excited to spread the news - Zorro Productions (ZPI) announces that it has acquired the rights in the eighty-eight (88) half-hour live-action episodes of "Zorro" television series created by New World Television. Most recently, the series was controlled by Fox Home Entertainment for most markets in the world. ZPI’s rights cover most of the world but not Spain, France, or Germany.

Here is an additional update:

We just acquired the rights, and now we are looking for a distributor. The company CEO is going to NAPTE next week, so keep your fingers crossed.

ZPI also has added a page to its site that mentions its acquirement of the rights.

http://www.zorro.com/new_world.html

ZPI is looking to get the series out on DVD and back on television.

First and foremost, I would love to see the series back on television. This series has been absent from the airwaves since either late 1993 or early 1994... nearly two decades. A return to television would bring new fans to the series and to Zorro.

Second, it would be great to finally be able to purchase quality copies of the episodes. I have been very negative over the years about the prospects of NWZ getting released on DVD because nobody seemed to know who had the rights to the series. With the rights in question, there was never a chance of getting the series released. Now that ZPI controls the United States rights and is looking to pursue a DVD release, I feel much more positive. I feel like we now have a fighting chance to see the series on DVD.

The Rights to the New World Zorro

Apparently Zorro Productions, Inc. has purchased the rights to the New World Zorro. Keep your fingers crossed...

Zorro and Pirate Raiders Radio Drama

I have this information, posted by Daryl to the New World Zorro group, to share:

My initial efforts to bring Zorro to the world of full-cast audio drama are now complete. This particular quest began almost 3 years ago. But now… It's official!

Zorro and the Pirate Raiders, the full-cast audio drama produced by Colonial Radio Theatre on the Air has been released. It is available for download on Lulu.com. It has a running time of 163 minutes and is priced at $10.00.

A trailer of the show can be heard by going to

http://www.colonialradio.com/index.html

Just go into the blog and click on the new Zorro website link.

Show Description:

The Pirate Raiders, with the villainous Captain Bardoso in command, are employed by the vicious Captain Ramon to kidnap the daughter of a wealthy caballero, hoping to use her to trap Zorro. Battles on land and sea, flashing swords and booming cannon explode before your very ears in this exciting audio production.

Based on the book by D.J. Arneson, as adapted from a story by Johnston McCulley.

Featuring:

KEVIN CIRONE as Don Diego de la Vega/Zorro
SHONNA McEACHERN as Senorita Lolita Polido
J. T. TURNER as Captain Ramone
HUGH METZLER as Captain Bardoso
SAM DONATO as Sgt. Garcia
JOSEPH ZAMPARELLI, JR. as Friar Felipe
DAN POWELL as Sanchez / Don Audre
JERRY ROBBINS as the narrator

The show will eventually be available on CD's and also on Audible.Com, but this is where CRT likes to launch new titles as special "sneak previews" before they are released on a larger scale.

But STAY TUNED ~ Coming soon to radio drama (from another production company) will be `The Mark of Zorro'. Though cast information for this production cannot be released at this time; I can say, Zorro fans: Be ready for the biggest shock and thrill of your life!

Daryl

P.S. Also in the works: A Disney style Zorro and a New World Zorro concluding episode both as full-cast audio dramas featuring a Hollywood cast.

Would you be interested in a Zorro radio drama?

Would you be interested in a radio drama based on the New World Zorro and possibly featuring actors from the New World Zorro? Please indicate your interest in the poll at the left just under the Zorro image.

Zorro Site Stats

This list of site stats for zorrolegend.com gives an idea of which versions of Zorro are the most popular. These stats give the number of hits to the main page for each section of Zorro from the summer of 2007 through June 4, 2009:

La espada y la rosa (Telemundo telenovela) - 55,026
Disney Zorro - 18,712
Mask of Zorro - 11,500
Mark of Zorro (1974) - 8,474
New World Zorro - 8,076
Legend of Zorro - 7,789
Zorro with Alain Delon - 6,138
Zorro the Gay Blade - 4,352
Zorro's Fighting Legion - 3,292
Zorro and Son - 3,216
The Bold Caballero - 2,534
Mark of Zorro (1920) - 2,320
Ghost of Zorro - 2,317
Zorro's Black Whip - 2,247
Zorro Rides Again - 1,890
Mark of Zorro (1940) - 1,815
Son of Zorro - 1,283
Don Q Son of Zorro - 1,102

Henry Darrow's Biography

This page has information about Henry Darrow's biography:

Henry Darrow Lightning in a Bottle

Jan Pippins has stated that the book will contain quotes from some of the New World Zorro cast members. For me, this means that the book is a "must have" purchase. While I have not heard anything with regards to the Zorro and Son series, I assume that the book will also make some mention of Darrow's experiences in filming that short series.