Queen of Swords #2: Death to the Queen

Luisa is desperate to find her husband.  She tells tells Marta and Tessa about his disappearance.  He was arrested and let go, but now he has vanished.  Tessa goes to Colonel Montoya to find out what has happened.  Montoya does not give a satisfactory response, so Tessa is left wondering what is going on.

Tessa is introduced to Doctor Helm in a rather abrupt fashion.

Doctor Helm grabs Tessa's apple.

Colonel Montoya's gold mine.

Colonel Montoya and Captain Grisham speak about the Colonel's gold mine.  Montoya chides Grisham for being behind schedule, but Grisham protests that the men are dying.  Montoya needs the money to buy cannons so that he can build his empire.  Grisham tells Montoya that if he keeps grabbing more men to work in the mine that the Queen of Swords will find out.  Montoya retorts that they will make sure that the Queen investigates.

Colonel Montoya asks the Doctor Helm for advice concerning the men who are falling ill. Later, Señora Hidalgo flirts with Doctor Helm.

The soldiers load men into a wagon.

The Queen watches the soldiers.

The Queen of Swords spies on the pueblo and discovers that the soldiers are taking men away in wagons.  The Queen follows the wagon. Partway through the journey, the Queen is ambushed and shot.  She flees from the soldiers but is forced to jump off a cliff into the ocean.

The soldiers search for the Queen of Swords.

Señor Hidalgo and Colonel Montoya speak about the mine.

Colonel Montoya tries to get Señor Hidalgo to invest in the gold mine.  The men's conversation is interrupted when Captain Grisham arrives with a piece of clothing belonging to the Queen of Swords.  Montoya cautiously assumes that the Queen might have escaped. Since she is injured, she will be easy to find.  Montoya points out that the Queen's clothing is made from fine silk, so she must be wealthy.

A soldier approaches the Queen of Swords.

Meanwhile, the Queen of Swords manages to escape and return home.

Tessa goes to the party that night.  She bleeds through her dress and must cover up with a shawl.  She inadvertently leaves blood on the wall, which is noticed by Montoya.  Montoya orders his soldiers to make certain that nobody leaves and forces the women to be visually examined by Doctor Helm in an attempt to discover who is injured.

Doctor Helm is told to examine the women.

Tessa approaches Doctor Helm.

As Tessa approaches the doctor, Marta breaks a glass in her hand and cries out in pain.  Marta's injury ends the inspection and saves Tessa from detection.

Marta displays her injured hand.

Tessa questions Señor Hidalgo about abandoned mines.  Hidalgo warns Tessa about curiosity.  While Tessa and Hidalgo are talking, Luisa's husband is brought into the pueblo dead.

The Queen of Swords rides to the mine.  Meanwhile, Montoya has Doctor Helm travel to the mine to examine the sick men. 

Doctor Helm demands that the men be given water.

While the doctor is at the mine, the Queen of Swords arrives and is captured.  Doctor Helm manages to cut the Queen's bonds so that she can free herself.  The Queen blows up the mine and escapes. 

Doctor Helm assists the Queen.

Later, Montoya bemoans the fact that he was unable to buy the cannons he needed.

Montoya regrets that his scheme failed.

Tessa grabs the apple before Doctor Helm can get it.

Queen of Swords #1: Destiny

The episode opens with Tessa Alvarado practicing fencing with her sword master, Señor Torres, in Madrid.  The scene cuts away to California, where Tessa's father, Don Rafael Alvarado, is pursued by soldiers.  He is shot and killed by Captain Marcus Grisham.  When Tessa learns of her father's death, she decides to return to California.

Marta prepares to tell Tessa about her father's death.

When Tessa and Marta return, they find that Don Rafael's hacienda is in ruin and his estate bankrupt.  A large amount is owed in back taxes.

Tessa is dismayed at the appearance of her father's home.

Captain Grisham speaks to Tessa.

Tessa's carriage rides into the pueblo.

Don Rafael's manservant, Carlos, has been arrested by Captain Grisham.  Tessa pleads with Colonel Montoya for Carlos to be released, but instead, Carlos is executed.

Tessa becomes acquainted with Don Gaspar Hildalgo and his wife, Vera.  Señora Hidalgo is having an affair with Captain Grisham.

Gaspar Hidalgo enjoys the music while his wife watches another man.

Colonel Montoya suggests that Captain Grisham attempt to win Tessa's heart.  Montoya worries that Tessa might have the money to pay the taxes on her father's property.

Captain Grisham has dinner with Tessa on the shore of the ocean.

Tessa begins to wonder whether her father was murdered.  All she knows is that her father, who was an expert horseman, fell off his horse.  No one will tell Tessa anything.  She is warned that she should not be so curious.

Marta reads tarot cards while Tessa dreams of her father.  Marta sees Tessa's destiny in the card the Queen of Swords.

Tessa's destiny is revealed.

 In Tessa's dream, she sees her father's spirit, who speaks of a certain wine in his cellar.

Don Rafael calls Tessa his "avenging angel."

 Don Rafael's spirit tells Tessa that he was murdered, that "one man held the gun, but there were many fingers on the trigger."  Tessa wonders what she should do.  Her father tells her that Tessa will do nothing, but that his "avenging angel" will seek justice for his death.

When Tessa wakes, she and Marta check out the wine cellar.  When Tessa tries to pick up the certain wine mentioned by her father, she pulls open a secret door which leads to a hidden room.

In that room, Tessa and Marta find her father's hidden fortune, as well as a sword and a black lace shawl that belonged to Tessa's mother.  Tessa realizes her true destiny as her father's avenging angel.

Tessa makes her first appearance as the Queen of Swords, freeing Carlos' son from jail.

The Queen of Swords rides out of the pueblo.

"Who or what is that?"

Tessa questions Montoya about the Queen of Swords.

Tessa is surprised that the stories about the Queen of Swords are true.  She remarks to Montoya, "How could one woman possibly outwit our esteemed military commander?"

Tessa pays the taxes owed on her father's land, much to Montoya's displeasure. 

Montoya prepares to execute the young man who was rescued from the jail the previous night.  Tessa's feigns that she is dizzy, and Montoya allows for Marta to take care of Tessa in his office while he sees to the execution.

Tessa pretends to be dizzy.

The Queen of Swords makes a second appearance, rescuing the young man.

The people wait as the execution nears.

The Queen of Swords appears on top of the church.

 

The Queen climbs down the side of the church.

The Queen of Swords is pursued across the rooftops.

The soldiers chase after the Queen.

Marta ministers to Tessa.

Colonel Montoya returns to his office, where Marta is ministering to Tessa.  Montoya remarks that Tessa's face seems to be flushed.  Tessa explains that she has a slight fever from the excitement.  Montoya tells Tessa that the execution has been postponed and wants his office back.

Tessa and Marta react after Montoya leaves.

The episode closes with Tessa standing at her father's grave.  She worries that her disguise won't fool Montoya for long, because he is not a stupid man.

Queen of Swords

Queen of Swords is a television series that aired in syndication during the 2000-2001 season. The series is set in 1817 and tells the story of Tessa Alvarado, whose father was recently murdered.  Tessa returns to California from Madrid and decides to become her father's "avenging angel."  Tessa dresses in black, wears a lace mask, rides a horse, and carries a sword.  Sound familiar?  Tessa calls herself the Queen of Swords.

Fans of the series refer to Tessa as a "female Zorro" even though the name Zorro is never mentioned.  The second episode does mention "the fox" and "the skin of the fox," which leaves little doubt as to the producers' intentions.

Zorro Productions, Inc., which owns all rights to the fictional character Zorro, has had a contract with Sony since the 1990s in which Sony has had the exclusive rights to produce filmed versions of Zorro.  The producers of Queen of Swords did not have permission to produce a Zorro-like series, and the production company was sued by Sony.  Sony lost the lawsuit, but the lawsuit still effectively ended Queen of Swords after its first season of 22 episodes.

The series was issued on an official VHS set soon after the series ended.  The series is currently available from France on a DVD set, which I have purchased.  The set is in PAL, and North Americans must have a DVD player that can play PAL.  I have read reports in which some people claim that the French release is region-free, but my regular DVD player will not play the DVDs.  I own a region-free DVD player, so I am able to play the discs.

The DVD set can be played in French or in English with French subtitles.  There are no English subtitles.  The picture quality is excellent.

If a person wishes to purchase Queen of Swords and does not own a region-free DVD player, then bootlegs can be purchased on iOffer.  At least some of the episodes are available on YouTube for people who would just like to get an idea of what the show is like.

Primary cast for the series:

Tessie Santiago as Maria Teresa Alvarado and the Queen of Swords
Paulina Galvez as Marta
Valentine Pelka as Colonel Luis Ramirez Montoya
Anothony Lemke as Captain Marcus Grisham
Peter Wingfield as Doctor Robert Helm
Elsa Pataky as Vera Hildalgo
Tacho Gonzalez as Gaspar Hildalgo

The series was filmed in Almeria, Spain.

The theme music, "Behind the Mask," was performed by Jose Feliciano.  The complete version is up on YouTube.

I will be reviewing the episodes in this blog in the near future.

Reminder Regarding Questions about Zorro

The way to contact me is through this blog by posting a comment.  However, I keep getting comments that request that I contact that person privately so that person can then let me know what is needed.

Help me out here.  I am busy and am juggling multiple interests as well as a full-time job.

State upfront exactly what you want.  Very often, I do not know the answer to the question.  However, other people read the comments to this blog, and at least one of them has direct contact with Zorro Productions and other important people.  It is best to state what you want upfront, because then you have multiple people who can help you out.

I am only one person, not a company.  I am just a fan who has some information but far from all of it.

If you desire insider information about the New World Zorro series, then I highly recommend that you join that group.

New World Zorro Group

You are missing out on much information if you are a fan of the New World Zorro series and have not joined the group.  We share a lot of information that is not available outside of the group. You will be privy to information that is available only to members.  Did that get your attention?  Please join our group.

If you want to know everything there is to know about Johnston McCulley, the creator of Zorro, as well as extensive information about all of his stories, you need to join the McCulley Zorro group.

Johnston McCulley Zorro Group

If you are interested in learning more about the Zorro telenovela that aired a few years ago on Telemundo, then you need to join the Zorro Espada Rosa group.

Zorro Espada Rosa Group

If you are an ardent fan of the Disney Zorro television series, then the Guy Williams Friends group is the place for you.

Guy Williams Friends Group

If you join all four of these groups, then you are in immediate contact with a group of people who collectively know absolutely everything there is to know about Zorro.

The Original Pilot for the New World Zorro Series

This is a message that I wrote earlier and published to the New World Zorro group.  Here are my thoughts on the original pilot starring Patrick James that is a bonus feature on the New World Zorro DVD set.

Since I can finally see the pilot for myself, I have to start with the Sandra  Curtis Zorro book.

She stated, "The plot involved numerous killings and generally lacked humor... Gertz felt that the music was terrible and that the original casting was by and large a disgrace."

While the killing of Felipe's mother was shocking, I would say that it is important to the plot as far as getting Felipe with Antonio. The soldier was then killed by Antonio, which in a way was necessary since Antonio didn't need witnesses as to how he had behaved. However, Antonio was not thinking ahead in that moment and was killing just to be killing. With that said, I hardly feel that the episode had "numerous killings." To me, it seems typical of what I have seen in the average Zorro film and less than some. The first Banderas film was quite violent, much more so than this pilot.

I agree with Gertz that the music is not good and that the cast seems uninteresting with no personality whatsoever.

Sandra Curtis also wrote, "Antonio played a clumsy scholar with glasses who heroes were da Vinci and Cervantes."

What glasses? This sounds like another inconsistency in that book which was full of mistakes in the New World Zorro section. Perhaps Antonio was going to whip out those glasses in a future episode.

My primary interest in this pilot is in seeing how it is indeed an early version of our show. It is like a rough draft of an essay. Some of the important key aspects of our show are in the pilot. We have the Z that cuts in between the names of the cast. I'd have to watch a few shows again, but I'm pretty sure that a few quotes were used in some of the shows almost word-for-word.

For instance:

"So the pupil outplays the master."

"If this is a dream, I pray God not to let me wake."

"I am not your dear. I am not your anything."

The hair styles seem much more old-fashioned in this pilot. By making the hair styles modern, the series had a much wider appeal to viewers. It also made the series less historically accurate, but a series needs to appeal to modern viewers in order to be successful.

Sandra Curtis calls Maria "spoiled," but I can't tell in this pilot. We'd have to see more of the original concept. She is obviously wealthy and dislikes Antonio, especially since Antonio insults her and she overhears. This could have been interesting with the love interest hating Antonio yet loving Zorro at the same time.

I didn't like the way Antonio spoke to Felipe in the secret cave. While the device is explosive, he seemed a bit harsh. Regehr did a better job with Felipe in that regard.

The lighting inside the hacienda when Antonio greets his father is awful.

Antonio wears the Zorro disguise which has bullet holes so that people can see the bullet holes. I have watched the pilot twice and not seen them. I admit, though, that I did not try very hard to spot them. Has anyone seen them?

The personalities are very undeveloped in this pilot, but this was also true for the first part of the series. It took Regehr and the rest of the cast time to develop their roles fully.

It was not a disaster, but it would not have made for a very memorable version of Zorro. I think the series would have been at least a little better than what we saw in the pilot, but it probably would not have lasted past one season.

One last important point is that in this pilot, Diego dies and Antonio takes on  the role of Zorro. All versions of Zorro fit into two categories. They either have the original Zorro, Diego, or they have another person as Zorro.

I have observed that the better versions of Zorro always have Diego in the role and that the versions which change up the plot and make Zorro someone else are never quite as good. That one change from the pilot having Diego die to the series having Diego as Zorro saved it from possible ruination.

International Availability for the New World Zorro DVD Sets

Many people have asked about whether the New World Zorro DVDs are available internationally.  While this is strictly a North American release, nothing should prevent anyone from anywhere in the world from buying the sets.  However, be aware that you must have a DVD player that will play the DVDs.  The DVDs are region 1, and region 1 discs cannot be played in Europe and elsewhere.

Some people have the misconception that it is not possible to order the DVDs if one is outside the United States.  Someone else checked and stated that Amazon did not prevent the DVDs from being placed in the shopping cart.  All that Amazon did was warn that the DVDs were region 1 and that the buyer was not located in region 1.  If buyers can play region 1 discs, then ordering should not be a problem.

Sellers are now selling the New World Zorro DVDs on eBay at bargain prices.  I would be very wary of such listings.  You have no guarantee as to whether the sellers are selling the actual DVD release.  The sellers could be selling the usual bootlegs but using the photos of the DVD release in order to make buyers believe that what would be received are the actual DVDs.

One auction has an expected arrival date of between January 12 and January 21.  How is this possible when the set is not to be released until January 25?  I do not suggest bidding, even though $4.99 appears to be a great deal.  It appears to be too good of a deal.

I suggest buying from Amazon rather than from eBay, because you are guaranteed good service and are also guaranteed not to receive bootlegs.

The Complete Series
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4

New World Zorro DVD Set Product Information

The product page for the DVD set for all four seasons of the New World Zorro series has finally been updated with information about what is on the set. We knew that the set was supposed to contain the unreleased original pilot and extra scenes that never aired, but the product page finally confirms this information.

Zorro: The Complete Series

This is the editorial information from the product page, and I have added a number of omitted quotation marks so that the text reads better.

Out of the night a hero must rise with courage that even a mask can't disguise! So begins the adventures of Zorro swordsman, scientist and relentless defender of the oppressed.

In early 19th century Spanish California, a corrupt Alcalde (mayor) grows rich by terrorizing the good people of Los Angeles. Young and dashing Don Diego de la Vega (Duncan_Regehr), pretending to care only for science and study, secretly creates a bold alter-ego: Zorro the Fox. Aided by his mute servant Felipe, inspired by the faith of the beautiful tavern-keeper Victoria, and carried into battle by the mighty steed Toronado, Zorro thwarts the Alcalde's plots at every turn.

Filmed entirely in Madrid, Spain, Zorro aired on The Family Channel for four seasons, from 1990-1993. Still a tremendous fan favorite, Zorro is renowned for its swashbuckling family-friendly adventure as well as its top-notch cast of featured characters and guests, including Efrem Zimbalist Jr. as Don Alejandro de la Vega, Daniel Craig, Andre the Giant, Philip Michael Thomas, Jesse Ventura and Adam West.

For the first time ever, all 88 episodes have been collected in one DVD set, including a bonus disk with classic Zorro films, an alternate series pilot and much more.

BONUS DISC:
The legend of Zorro truly begins in 1919, with the publication of Johnston McCulley's story, The Curse of Capistrano. A year later, Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford produced The Mark of Zorro with Fairbanks as the title character as the inaugural film for their new studio, United Artists. Since then, the character has inspired more than 40 films and nearly a dozen TV series. The Zorro Archives includes some of the masked defender s most influential appearances as well as rare behind-the-scenes material from the 1990 series.

BONUS FEATURES: THE ZORRO ARCHIVES
The Mark of Zorro starring Douglas Fairbanks the original full-length silent film that defined the swashbuckler genre
Chapter 1 of the 1939 theatrical serial Zorro's Fighting Legion
Trailers for the serials Zorro's Fighting Legion, Zorro's Black Whip and Zorro Rides Again
The original, never-before-released pilot for the New World Zorro
A photo gallery from the New World Zorro

Cover Art for New World Zorro DVD Sets

The official New World Zorro DVD release will be in early 2011. While Amazon.com still shows January 11, 2011, we have been told that the actual date is January 25, 2011 (see comment to this post).

Someone asked in a previous post whether it matters from where we buy the DVDs. The concern was whether the copyright holder would get more profit if the DVDs are purchased from one source over another. It is apparent that purchasing from Amazon.com is fine with Zorro Productions, since Zorro Productions has linked to Amazon from its site.

Amazon.com has just updated the product pages with the cover art.

Season 1


Season 2


Season 3


Season 4


The Complete Series

Buy the Complete Set of New World Zorro DVDs

For New World Zorro, A&E plans to release individual sets of the four seasons and a complete set including all four of the seasons. I highly recommend that anyone who can afford to do so buy the complete set rather than the individual seasons. The complete set is currently priced at $89.99, and the individual seasons are currently priced at $26.99.

What often happens with DVD releases is that all of the seasons do not get released at once, and the later ones are the ones never released. In this case, all of the seasons are getting released at once. However...

We know that the first season will sell the best, because anyone who decides to buy the individual seasons will buy the first season before the others. It is very possible that the other individual seasons may not sell well enough to be kept on the market. Or even worse, the entire DVD release could get pulled pretty quickly if the sales are too low to keep in production. That could leave many people with nothing except the first season, if they go for the individual seasons one at a time.

New World Zorro is, after all, an obscure television series that most people do not remember. It is not likely going to have very high sales. Therefore, if possible, start getting your money saved up and buy the complete set all at once while it is available!

New World Zorro DVD Release Information

We do not have a definite date for the release of the New World Zorro DVD set, but we know it will be soon. Amazon has five listings for the DVDs which give a release date of January 11, 2011.

All four seasons
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4

You can also read some information here about the release. Keep in mind that the artwork for the set has not been released yet, and the actual release date is not set in stone. It could still change. What is encouraging is that we know the plans for the release of this series are moving forward quickly, much quicker than is normal for DVD releases of obscure television series. This is going to happen, and soon.

Please continue to be patient and remember that one year ago, we had no chance of this series getting released on DVD. One year ago, we did not know who owned the rights, so nothing was ever going to happen. The series has been in limbo for nearly 20 years. I believe the problems were caused because the Family Channel was sold years ago, and that made it unclear who owned the rights to the series.

Zorro Productions, Inc. now owns the rights, has compiled extras for the set, has created the artwork, and has been working hard to get the series released as soon as possible. This type of release can often take several years from the early plans to the actual release. We are very fortunate that the plans have moved forward so quickly. We are almost there!

The Mark of Zorro Radio Drama

Here is information from Daryl on two upcoming Zorro radio productions.

The Mark of Zorro is being produced by renowned audio dramatist Yuri Rasovsky and the Hollywood Theater of the Ear for Blackstone Audio will be recorded in August. This will be a full-cast audio dramatization of Johnston McCulley's first Zorro story The Curse of Capistrano (aka The Mark of Zorro).

The cast will feature:

Val Kilmer (Tombstone, Batman Forever, Top Gun, Heat) as Zorro www.valekilmer.com

Ruth Livier (Ylse) as Lolita Pulido www.ruthlivier.com

Elizabeth Pena (Justice League, The Incredibles, Nothing Like The Holidays) as Catalina Pulido

Armin Shimmerman (Quark on Star Trek: DS9) as the Landlord/ Narrator

Meshach Taylor (Anthony Bouvier on Designing Women, Ned's Declassified School Guide) as Sgt Gonzalez.

Keith Szarabajkai as Capitan Ramon.

Also in the cast Scott Brick, Phil Proctor (Firesign Theater), Kristoffer Tabori, Ned Schmidtke, Gorgo Panza, and Stefan Rudnicki

------------------------------
Coming in the early of 2011 "Zorro Rides Again" the full-cast audio drama sequel to “Zorro and the Pirate Raiders” from Colonial Radio Theater. This production will be released through Brilliance Audio Publishing.

New World Zorro DVD Release Update

A&E Video has a target of December 2010 for the release of the New World Zorro DVD set. Keep in mind that the specific release date has not been determined and that release dates are subject to change.

The original target was Fall 2010 but that was a little too quick, so the new target is December 2010. A lot goes into preparing a DVD release such as this one. We are going to get some great bonus features, including outtakes and the original never-before-seen pilot that did not star Duncan Regehr. It takes time to process these bonus features. In the meantime, we have much to anticipate!

For Information on the New World Zorro...

Visit my website:

New World Zorro

I no longer am interested in adding new information to the site, except for some recent necessary changes about the official release on DVD. However, during the years that I built the site, I was very meticulous and thorough about my information. It is the place to go for correct information about the series. I am not being arrogant, and I am aware that I could have something wrong somewhere. But I know how much work I put into the site, and I know how carefully I cross-checked information.

I mention this because a point came up recently in this blog. Someone commented that it is wrong to state that the series aired from 1990 to 1993, and I assume this comment was directed at the DVD title suggestion that included those years. I made that title suggestion.

It was stated that the correct years are 1990 to 1992, and that we can look up those dates on various sites. I have no idea who has the years as 1990 to 1992, but that information is wrong.

First off, the fourth season was the only season I saw as the shows aired, and I wrote down the dates. The series ended in January 1993. Pam Poland, another fan, wrote down the dates for all four seasons as they aired. She and I agreed on the dates for the fourth season when we compared notes years ago.

As to Pam's dates, I knew she had them right, but I also cross-checked them. At one point, I bought most back issues of TV Guide for 1990 to 1993 and cross-checked dates. I do have the correct dates listed on my site on the episode lists. The Family Channel aired new episodes from January 5, 1990 until January 30, 1993. The run of the series was three years and three weeks.

When the point was brought up that the dates of 1990 to 1993 were wrong, I knew I was the one who stated them and figured that my website must contradict those dates. I have thought very little about the New World Zorro series during the last five years. I thought that I was remembering wrong. Pam pointed out the correct end date, and I checked my site. Sure enough, my site has the correct end date.

When I first built my site, I mentioned that one of the writers for the series, Philip John Taylor, guest starred in the episode "Whereabouts." Someone informed me that I was wrong and pointed out the two different pages on IMDB for a writer, Philip John Taylor, and an actor, Philip Taylor. I was chagrined and removed the information from my site.

A few years later, Robert L. McCullough, producer for the series, answered some fan questions. He mentioned that Philip John Taylor was in the episode "Whereabouts" as a writer as an inside joke. I then added my original information back to my site. What this proves is that IMDB does have incorrect information. I just checked, and writer Philip John Taylor is still not credited as being in that one episode, yet he was.

I also took a lot of criticism for years about the alcalde's name Luis Ramone. I was probably the only person who thought the name was Ramone, and everyone else thought it was Ramon. I used the sign in "It's a Wonderful Zorro" as proof. I was told that the name was misspelled in that sign and that production did not bother to correct it. While this show was slipshod at times (see the electric light bulbs in the hacienda in "Death and Taxes" and remember the show is set in 1820), I thought that it was going a bit too far to suggest they would misspell a primary character's name.

When I finally obtained many of the scripts, I found that the name is Ramone all through the scripts. I shared that information and was told that the name must have been spelled phonetically so that the actors would know how to pronounce it. Who on earth does not know how to pronounce Ramon? It is not an uncommon name. People were grasping at anything in order to prove me wrong about the spelling of the name.

By the way, I do not care how people spell the name in their fan fiction stories. Of course Ramon is correct for Spanish, and I believe that most of the stories use that spelling. It is my duty to bring forth information about the actual television production, so for me, the name is Ramone.

I also have a conviction about a certain extra who appeared in many shows, but I have been unable to prove it. Of course I am the only one who believes what I do, and I hope someday I can prove myself either right or wrong, because it bothers me.

Just know that I am someone who is very thorough, so my site is a good source of information. I have far from all of the information that is available, but what I do have from years ago should be correct.

Template Change

I am going to see if I can get the poll results more easily viewable by changing templates. The process will likely cause the polls to be even harder to view temporarily until I get everything adjusted.

Update: The polls are now wider, even though you will still have to scroll right to see the results. It is better than it was.

The Two Polls Are Now Live

I have created two polls with all of the suggested names for the New World Zorro DVD boxed set. The polls are in the right sidebar. I tended to put the more viable names in the first poll, but a few of them are in the second poll. I tried to even out the list so that roughly half of the names are in each poll.

You can vote for more than one title, so select all of the possibilities that appeal to you. Please remember to vote in both polls, unless of course you hate all of the suggestions in one of the polls.

I do not suggest trying to vote after you have already voted, as I have noticed poll numbers drop as the days pass. I believe that trying to vote more than once cancels out both responses.

These polls are set to run through August 15.

NWZ Unfilmed Script: "The Surprise Visit"

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.

In response to what people wonder about the most, there is nothing about the romance in any of the unfilmed scripts that I have seen and nothing that would further develop any parts of the overall plot of the series. I believe that we did see all of the shows which further advanced things, such as "An Affair to Remember" which was how they chose to wrap up the romance story. Of course, we wanted more than that, but at least they gave us something.

I have one unfilmed script that is from either the first or second season, since Ramone is in it. As an aside, the scripts spell the name as Ramone, which is why I use that spelling. It is the correct spelling of the character's name, even though it is not the correct Spanish spelling. While I don't know which season the script is from, my guess is second season since that season skipped over some production numbers.

The name of the script is "The Surprise Visit." I would rate this one as slightly above average.

Here is a fairly detailed summary:

Governor Maximiano Matorras arrives in Los Angeles, hoping to find evidence that the Alcalde is corrupt. Near the hacienda, Zorro overhears the governor planning to arrive in disguise as a doctor.

During a bean-eating contest in the tavern involving Mendoza and the blacksmith, De Frutos, Matorras arrives in disguise and gives his name as Doctor Frijoles. The governor is appalled at the way the Alcalde is forcing Mendoza to eat beans so that he will beat De Frutos.

Diego points the governor out to his father, and the men laugh at his disguise. According to the De la Vegas, Matorras is the best governor California has had in years. They hope that the governor will see signs of corruption during his visit and remove Ramone from office.

In the plaza, a woman cries out for help and collapses. Victoria has the woman's husband take her to the tavern. Victoria summons Doctor Frijoles because the woman is about to give birth. Frijoles hesitates, beginning to say that he isn't a doctor. Diego interrupts, stating that Frijoles is a Doctor of Mathematics, which is why he cannot help. Don Alejandro offers his services in place of the doctor. The Alcalde questions whether he can do anything. Alejandro comments that he helped bring Diego "into the world in the back of a wagon." He states that it is just common sense.

Mendoza recognizes the doctor from the portrait of the governor that hangs in Ramone's office. He whispers the news to Ramone. Ramone quickly forgets the traveler's tax he was going to impose on the doctor and decides to show him the cuartel. Later, Ramone takes the doctor with him when he repairs a peasant's fence. The peasant is bewildered by Ramone's kind behavior, especially since the soldiers were the ones who destroyed the fence.

Later, Diego and Felipe decide to have Zorro intervene. At sunrise, Zorro rides into the pueblo and forces the Alcalde to confess to several things, such as the traveler's tax and that he bet all of the money on the bean-eating contest. He dunks Ramone and suspends him upside down from a pole jutting out from the tavern's roof. Everybody is happy, since they are certain that the governor heard everything from his room in the tavern.

Later, inside the tavern, Victoria comes downstairs with a note left by the doctor. In it, he confesses that he was the governor and was posing as a doctor. He states that he decided to leave before sunrise because there was no reason to stay. Ramone is an excellent alcalde. Everyone looks dejected. The script ends with Diego stating, "Well, you win some and you lose some."

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.

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.