Roar is a fantasy adventure television series created by Shaun Cassidy and Ron Koslow. The series originally aired on the Fox network from July 14 until September 1, 1997. It is set in the year 400 AD, following a young Irish man, Conor (Heath Ledger), as he sets out to rid his land of the invading Romans, but in order to accomplish this, he must first unite the Celtic clans. The series also starred Vera Farmiga, Lisa Zane, John Saint Ryan, and Sebastian Roché. Roar was cancelled after eight episodes due to low ratings, and the final five episodes were not broadcast by the network until 2000.
Contents
Plot
Roar chronicles the life of Conor (Ledger), a 20-year-old orphaned prince who must rise above tragedy to lead his people to freedom. Conor takes on a band of ragtag allies that include Tully (Greer), a teenage apprentice magician; Catlin (Farmiga), a beautiful former slave; and Fergus (Ryan), Conor's big-hearted, ebullient protector. Their primary struggle is against Longinus (Roché), a supernatural creature whose true essence is that of a 400-year-old Roman centurion ready to do the bidding of evil Queen Diana (Zane), who is an emissary of the Romans. In this fight for freedom, what is most important for Conor and his people is the Roar – the roar of the land, the roar of the people – a voice that echoes through every living creature and is the power of life.
Production
Development
The show was created by Shaun Cassidy on the heels of the success of the syndicated programs Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. However, Roar was not very well received in the United States and lasted for only one season (eight of the 13 episodes were aired in 1997, with the last five not broadcast until 2000).
Alignment with Christian tradition
One of the major villains in the program was Longinus, played by Sebastian Roché, an immortal cursed by God for interfering with his plans. By Christian tradition, Longinus was the centurion who stabbed Jesus Christ with his spear during the Crucifixion. This spear, the Spear of Destiny, was supposedly the only weapon that could release Longinus from his curse. The show freely mixed Christian mythology, Celtic mythology, Druidism, and smatterings of history.
Show notes
While the original airing of the show in North America did not broadcast all of the episodes, when syndicated to Australia, Canada and the UK, all episodes were aired.
Roar: The Complete Series was released on DVD on September 19, 2006. The 3-disc set includes all thirteen episodes.
According to Sebastian Roché, the show was cancelled because it was up against Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Cast
Main
Heath Ledger as Conor
Lisa Zane as Queen Diana
Sebastian Roché as Gaius Cassius Longinus
Vera Farmiga as Catlin
John Saint Ryan as Fergus
Alonzo Greer as Tully
Recurring
Michael Roughan as The Slavemaster
Melissa George as Molly
Carl Snell as Glas (The Father)
Keri Russell as Claire
Daniel Gecic as King Derek
Peter McCauley as Culann / Brach
Guests
Barry McEvoy as Dunn (1 episode)
Bec Hewitt as Young Caitlin (1 episode)
Brigid Brannagh as Shannon (1 episode)
Brooke Harman as Amalia (1 episode)
Deborra-Lee Furness as Agrona (1 episode)
Desmond Kelly as Furbaide (1 episode)
Don McManus as Doyle (1 episode)
Gabrielle Fitzpatrick as Vorgeen (1 episode)
Grant Dodwell as Cormac (1 episode)
Jason Carter as Pasolinus (1 episode)
Justin Monjo as Julian (1 episode)
Michela Noonan as Edain (1 episode)
Norman Kaye as Galen (1 episode)
Perry Anzilotti as Malachy (1 episode)
Peter McCauley as Culann / Brach (2 episodes)
Robert Carlton as Morvern (1 episode)
Simon Lyndon as Colm (1 episode)
Susanna Thompson as Gweneth (1 episode)
Tiriel Mora as Brigg (1 episode)
Wayne Pygram as Goll (1 episode)
Reception
Reviews
Ray Richmond, a television critic for Variety, gave the series a lukewarm review, "Even 1,500 years ago, it turns out that the Celtics were in need of a decent shooting guard and a big man in the middle. At least, that's what we're told in this adventure drama set in 5th century Europe that follows a ragtag band of Celtic warriors (is there another kind?) and their bloody battles with a group of nasty, oppressive Romans. Think of the Carringtons vs. the Colbys with a lot more leather... and fewer showers. Roar boasts deliciously elaborate costumes (from designer Jean Turnbull) and impeccable period detail. Yet unlike the divertingly cheesy Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, this summertime spectacle takes itself relatively seriously – a mistake when your chief female evildoer has a taste for bathing in cow dung." Hal Boedeker for the Orlando Sentinel gave a positive review, writing, "The young stars are attractive, the action rarely flags, and the show is a rare fresh offering on broadcast television this summer. It is also more rousing than many new hour series this fall."
Other media
Two books were written based on the Roar universe. Published in 1998, by William T. Quick writing as "Sean Kiernan," Roar: A Novel (ISBN 0-0610-5914-5) gives a backstory leading up to the pilot episode, and Roar: The Cauldron (ISBN 0-0610-5936-6) tells the story of Conor's quest to find the legendary Cauldron.