The Feathered Serpent (TV series)

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The Feathered Serpent
GenreHistorical/Drama
Created byJohn Kane
Directed byVic Hughes
Michael Custance
Stan Woodward
StarringPatrick Troughton
Diane Keen
Brian Deacon
ComposerDavid Fanshawe
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes12
Production
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkITV
Release21 June 1976 (1976-06-21) –
8 May 1978 (1978-05-08)

The Feathered Serpent is a British children's television series made for ITV by Thames Television, set in pre-Columbian Mexico and starring Patrick Troughton as the scheming High Priest Nasca. Two series were first broadcast in 1976 and 1978.

Plot[edit]

The series is set in 750 AD.[1] The story primarily takes place in an unnamed city, which is inhabited by an unnamed people.[2] The inhabitants of the city are Aztec-like,[3] and the viewer assumes that they are in fact Aztecs.[2]

The inhabitants of the city formerly worshipped the god Quala, who is a feathered serpent. At the start of the series, the religion of Quala, which did not involve human sacrifice, has been replaced by that of the god Teshcata,[4] who is a smoking mirror,[5] which does involve human sacrifice. Kukulkan is attempting to form an alliance with the Toltecs (who worship Quala and not Teshcata), through a dynastic marriage between Chimalma and Heumac, the object of which is to convert Kukulkan's people from the religion of Teshcata to that of Quala. Nasca opposes the proposed alliance, marriage and change of the national religion. There follows a struggle between the proponents of the two religions. This struggle results results in the abolition of the religion of Teshcata; the defeat of Nasca, who is walled up in his own secret passages inside the walls of the palace; the restoration of religion of Quala; the marriage of Chimalma and Heumac, and their coronation with the two crowns of Chichen Itza.[4]

Cast and characters[edit]

Crew[edit]

Production[edit]

The Feathered Serpent is related to Doctor Who serials including The Aztecs and Planet of the Spiders. The storyline of The Feathered Serpent has similarities to the storyline of the The Aztecs. Troughton appeared as both Nasca and Doctor Who. Kane and Cormack were involved in both The Feathered Serpent and Planet of the Spiders. Randall appeared in both The Aztecs and Planet of the Spiders.[7]

Firenze Peruzzi made the costumes used in The Feathered Serpent. Martin Baugh designed the costumes, except the wedding gown. The wedding gown was a modified version of the winning entry submitted to a competition in Look-in, which was designed by Simon Theobald.[8][9] McGown and Docherty described the wedding gown as "outrageous".[10]

The series was filmed in Studio 2 of Teddington Studios.[11]

The Feathered Serpent appeared on the front cover of TVTimes in June 1976.[12]

The fictional god Quala is a substitute for the Aztec god Quetzacoatl.[2]

Release[edit]

Broadcast[edit]

The Feathered Serpent was first broadcast on Mondays from 21 June to 27 July 1976 and from 3 April to 8 May 1978.

DVD[edit]

A DVD containing both series of The Feathered Serpent was released in the UK in February 2009.

Reception[edit]

In 1976, The Observer described the series as "spicy".[13] Michael Bartlett said the series is "satisfyingly complex".[3] In 2011, Jeremy Biltz said the series is "a simple pleasure".[2] In 2017, Jameson said the series is "hugely entertaining".[14]

In 1976, Phillips said the series went from richly dramatic to richly farcical.[15]

Dunkley said he thought that the series was aimed at young schoolchildren, including six year olds.[16] Sue Turner responded by saying that the series was not aimed at young schoolchildren, and was instead aimed at children aged ten and above.[17]

In 1978, the Australian censors prohibited some of the later episodes of the series from being broadcast in a 5:40pm time slot, which resulted in a decision not to broadcast those episodes in a later time slot.[18] The final episode was broadcast in Australia in 1981.[19]

Book[edit]

A novelisation by Maureen Gregson was published by Corgi Carousel in 1977.[20]

References[edit]

  • McGowan and Docherty. The Hill and Beyond: Children's Television Drama: An Encyclopedia. BFI Publishing. British Film Institute. 2003. pp 53, 121 & 275.
  • Tise Vahimagi (compiler). "The Feathered Serpent". British Television: An Illustrated Guide. Oxford University Press. 1994. p 229.
  • Laurence Marcus. "The Feathered Serpent". Television Heaven. 11 December 2018.
  • The Observer, 25 July 1976, p 13
  • Jeremy Potter. Independent Television in Britain. Macmillan. 1990. vol 4. p 264.
  1. ^ 25 years on ITV. ITV Books and Michael Joseph. 1980. p 226.
  2. ^ a b c d Jeremy Biltz, "Feathered Serpent: The Complete Series", DVD Talk, 10 May 2011.
  3. ^ a b Michael Bartlett. "Feathered Serpent, The (1976-78)". BFI Screenonline.
  4. ^ a b The Feathered Serpent. [Television programme]. passim.
  5. ^ Back cover of 2-Disc Region 2 Complete Series DVD, published by Network Distributing in 2009.
  6. ^ a b c d e Gregson, The Feathered Serpent.
  7. ^ Tat Wood. About Time: The Unauthorized Guide To Doctor Who. 2nd Edition. Mad Norwegian Press. 2009. vol 3 (1970 to 1974). p 483.
  8. ^ "The Feathered Serpent: Simon's Wedding Day". Look-in: Junior TVTimes. No 19: Week ending 6 May 1978. p 2.
  9. ^ "Getting knotted - Aztec style" in "Stewpot Calling". TVTimes. 1-7 April. 1978.
  10. ^ McGowan and Docherty. "The Feathered Serpent". The Hill and Beyond: Children's Television Drama: An Encyclopedia. BFI Publishing. British Film Institute. 2003. p 98.
  11. ^ "Making Children's Programmes". Television and Radio 1977. Independent Broadcasting Authority. 7 July 1977.
  12. ^ "Diane Keen is a worshipper of the feathered serpent on Monday". TVTimes. Anglia. June 19-25. 1976.
  13. ^ "Feathered Serpent". The Observer. 20 June 1976. p 26.
  14. ^ Greg Jameson. "6. The Feathered Serpent" in "An original Doctor Who: celebrating Patrick Troughton 30 years on". Entertainment Focus. 5 March 2017.
  15. ^ Elizabeth Phillips. "Last Nights View" in "Television/Radio". The Glasgow Herald. 22 June 1976. p 30.
  16. ^ Chris Dunkley, "An ABC of Children's Programmes", The Financial Times, 26 April 1978, p 15
  17. ^ Sue Turner, Controller of Children's Programmes at Thames TV, "Letters to the Editor", The Financial Times, 3 May 1978, p 29
  18. ^ "Tonight's TV". The Age. 27 July 1978. p 2.
  19. ^ The Age. 25 June 1981. Green Guide. p 25.
  20. ^ Internet Archive

External links[edit]

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