El Rescate del Talisman
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The problem I have with both El Rescate and Le Chevalier is the format; one team per show. I don't know what kind of numbers there are for number of teams that win compared to number per series, but what made Knightmare work for me was the rolling episodes; it added tension because you didn't know "oh, this team's going to win in a minute" or "this team will have to die in the next minute". The end of an episode merely signified having to wait until the next installment rather than starting again from fresh with a new team.
The fast pace of Series 3 and earlier meant that it was much more likely that you'd see a team die in an episode than not, but with the added element of not knowing when this was going to happen during the episode, it was always edge-of-seat stuff. This petered out a little with the slower pace of subsequent series, sadly, but these are still vastly superior to the "oh, you've died, but it's not the end!" approach that seems to have been taken by the foreign versions. Has Knightmare ever been shown abroad? I'd love to know what they make of it (earlier series especially) as compared to their own homegrown versions.
And yeah, the Spanish dungeon master should be arrested. Urgh.
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Interesting that you say the earlier seasons were faster, as BVA has stated in the recent interview with Kieran that they were much slower. I didn't agree with that claim at all, and I'm glad to find I'm not the only one. Like you, I MUCH prefer the tension and pace of the earlier years.
As for the foreign versions, with the dungeons being so much smaller than their British counterpart it was a bit bizarre allowing the teams three lives as it must've made failed quests the exception rather than the rule. Successful dungeoneering should be a mark of excellence.
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Seeing as there's been an update on the front page, I thought I'd check out the El Rescate Del Talismán article.
How did those Spanish kids ever get anywhere? How did the dungeoneer know what he was supposed to be doing on the causeway? The two girls advising him (and I use the term loosely) and the "El Treguardo" beside them were all so incredibly excitable they made Gideon look restrained.
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Hi,
I'm David from Spain, since long I've remembered the spanish version of nightmare, and discovering this webpage and the original has been great.
Just discovered that they've put an spanish chapter in good quality (This was from the first series, the one from the webpage is from the 2nd one). But you can see the host of the programme here also as one of the characters
As you can see here, the team doesn't loose until all the members die, meaning a much easier play (The adventures only took place in one programme)
Enjoy it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyrYjoA3Yuk&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxG8upMkps0&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuw_3mA9W-M&mode=related&search=
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Great to get some more Rescate at last. David, have you ever thought about starting up a website for the series? Knightmare and Le Chevalier du Labyrinthe both have them, it'd be nice to 'complete the set' so to speak.
The Dungeon Master in this episode is a lot less annoying than the one in the other season, although I agree the persistent incidental music is not much kop. It'd help if it was more appropriate for the setting, instead it sounds twee. But in any case, there's too much of it.
The title music from Chevalier is reused, and I actually think the lyrics sound better in Spanish than in French, although it may just be that the singer's harsher voice is better-suited to the feel of the show.
It's noticeable that the architecture in Rescate's first season recycles far more directly from Knightmare than in the later episode. Not a bad thing at all that, as some of the later rooms looked very out of place.
Both Rescate and Chevalier are far easier than KM, so one thing I really think they should have done when a dungeoneer was killed off is make his/her replacement re-do the puzzle that beat them. If you watch the death scenes in this episode, you may notice that when the substitute 'steps up to the plate', they arrive in the next chamber, not the one the previous dungeoneer was beaten in. It's too easy! And it would've been nice to see someone actually complete Morghanna's cavern (you know, that one with the ultra-narrow bridge that Ross fell from) for once.
Other points worthy of note; the Dream Caverns (as I call the level Two purple caverns from S3 of KM) are the same shape but seem a lot smaller in Spain! And it's amazing that witches all seem to have the same costumes and voices the world-over...
David, would it be possible for you to give us the names for some of the characters in Rescate? For instance, who was the witch, who was the big fellow in the kitchen - he looks like the lovechild of Fatilla the Hun and Brother Mace to me - and who was the 'King' in the throne room? It'd be interesting to compare them with their UK counterparts.
By the way, I noticed a link for another video on YouTube called El Rescate del Talisman (forgotten the URL, sorry). The video doesn't seem to have a picture, but when playing it you can hear the third version of the Knightmare theme, followed by the sound of people speaking in Spanish. Anyone know what that is? Is it another episode of Rescate?
EDIT:
As an afterthought, I've found what appears to be a higher-quality stream of the same episode at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5536243973583185570
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I don't know too much about the characters at the show, I was very young when they showed it here and they'vent showed it anymore until last christmas at the nostalgia tv channel, which ended it's emissions shortly after this broadcast, only 2 episodes were shown, this and another one very funny because the advisers went mad shouting because the dungeoneer did everything but go straight.
I know that the one that does the master of this first series is called Eduardo MacGregor, which is still a more or less famous actor (For instance, he appeared at a tv yesterday on a series). I'vent found a picture of him on internet though.
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Sorry if theres a thread for this already.
i saw the episode on youtube an interesting version recently re broawdcast for the spanish channels 50th b day. theres a second one but the picture is black. i can do a bit of spanish but its difficult to keep up but it seems the dungeon master guides the final team person if they all die there isn't any death sequence but the rooms are quite interersting. Wonder what was with the later series they did it sounds more knightmare like
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Don't know about you guys, but from the episode on YouTube, I think the music really puts a dampener on the whole thing for me. Foregoing my worse-than-poor knowledge of Spanish, which I suppose didn't help, the whole atmosphere just seems completely different from our Knightmare. Whilst the set was quite impressive and the rooms as slick as ever, it just isn't scary at all. The music is good-ish in that it's reasonably well composed, but it takes away a key element of Knightmare's success - its ability to make kids pee their pants in fear, and is just too jolly and unnatural sounding.
I have to say I prefer Labyrinthe.
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OK, I've never learned Spanish so I understand even less of this programme than the French one, but here's what I got from the episode on YouTube. Once again it'd be great if any Spanish speakers can help make sense of the rest.
I believe this is the first ever episode, hence the Magician's long speech at the beginning, presumably explaining what the programme's all about. He says something about how the Lord of Evil has stolen the Talisman. The team are called Roberto, Juan José, Marta and Mercedes.
They start in Brangwen's room, though I'm not sure what the Magician calls it (the chamber of something). I guess she tells the kid to pick up that scarf from the bench, for reasons which elude me, as he puts it down again after she's gone. She talks about different types of animal skin (tiger, seal, Astrakhan) and asks him "But what kind of animal is the Astrakhan?" - I think she adds that it's either a sea monster or a lamb. They answer "A lamb" and she says yes, "The Astrakhan is a lamb skin". Then she says something about the Ring of Salvation, which he picks up and puts in his bag.
Beardy Bloke creates the pit with the broken path, which the Magician calls "el paso de león" (the lion passage).
They meet Beardy Bloke again in the kitchen - he says something about the lion passage. Then he starts talking about mushrooms: "In the field, there were mushrooms of all kinds, all colours, all sizes - white, green. But God only chose the red with white [somethings]." Not sure about the next bit; then he says "A good friend or a bad friend?" They answer "A good friend" which is apparently wrong - he says something about "white with black [somethings]" being poisoned. Then he tells Roberto to give him the ring, "for my collection".
The Magician calls Morghanna's causeway "el pasadizo de la caverna" (the cavern passage) and says something about the flute on the cushion. Roberto steps off the path and disappears.
He's replaced by Juan José, who appears in the cave from the end of Level 2. The Magician says this dungeon is the domain of Tados (obviously based on the skeleton guy from Le Chevalier du Labyrinthe). I can only make out odd words and phrases that Tados mentions - "tombs", "immense monuments", "triangular form". He asks the kid a question and he correctly answers "Pyramids". Tados then gives him a handkerchief, says some more stuff including "solve the riddle", and sends him away.
They briefly wander through "el paso de la cascada" (the waterfall passage).
The Magician says they're in "la cueva de los enanos" (the cave of the dwarves, which is what they call goblins in this version), and that it's the home of the witch. I'm not sure how you spell the witch's name, which seems to be pronounced "Ura-oot". She says something about the dwarves, then mentions a handkerchief, so Juan José shows her the one Tados gave him, which makes her laugh. Then she gives him some sort of rhyming riddle, to which he answers "Tears" and seems to get it right. She sends him away past the "dwarves" at the back.
The next challenge is "la pasarela del foso" (the pit walkway). Note the phrase "un paso lateral a tu izquierda" (a sidestep to your left). About 20 seconds later, Juan José steps off the bridge when Mercedes tells him to turn right instead of left!
Marta takes his place, and finds herself in the throne room. The White Lady appears in the window and says something about the Lord of Evil.
Her first question relates to what Beardy Bloke told them in the kitchen: "What colour were the poisonous mushrooms that [something]?" Marta correctly answers "They were red with white [somethings]" and the first step appears.
The second question is about the object on the causeway where Roberto died, as I can make out "What [something] the cushion, the first emissary?" Marta incorrectly answers "A ring". The White Lady says something about the Lord of Evil, and they both disappear.
Mercedes picks up where Marta left off (guided by the Magician as there are no advisors left). The White Lady comes back, says "The answer was a flute" and creates the second step.
The third question is "Who accompanied the witch in her cave?" and again I can't make out the witch's name. Mercedes correctly answers "Four dwarves" and the third step appears.
She summons a king, who says something about the Talisman and the Lord of Evil, then tells her the magic word she needs to defeat him: NOSFERATU.
Once the king has gone, Mercedes sits on the throne and is transported to the villain's cave. The Lord of Evil approaches and tries to grab her, but she kills him by saying the magic word. He drops the Talisman, she picks it up and wins the game. She pulls a sword from a stone to release her kidnapped teammates, and they surround the Talisman and repeat the magic word to make their prizes appear on the table.
That seems to be the gist of it, but some extra detail would be nice!
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I've also watched the episode on KM.com which seems to be from the third series, but I have to agree that one is virtually incomprehensible...
The Magician (now played by Beardy Bloke from Series 1) rambles on about something before summoning and dressing the team, whose names don't appear to be mentioned. He randomly asks the first emissary something about Don Quixote?? I notice they've had to change the style of helmet to match the new title sequence nicked from Knightmare. They also have an Eyeshield now, which is only used once in the whole episode, though interestingly it's an Eyeshield sequence we never saw on the British version.
The king from the throne room turns up at the beginning instead this time. I dunno what he's telling them in this scene, apart from the password for the Blocker (POLIFEMO). He also gives her an item before sending her out the same way she came in.
Between every scene, the Magician can be seen ranting hysterically or chatting with the advisors about god knows what.
The first emissary gets toasted in the fire cave, which is obviously more dangerous than the one in Knightmare. This appears to make the Magician cry, though I can't tell whether he's being sincere or sarcastic. The boy advisor volunteers to go in next.
A princess says something about a warlock. She asks them a couple of questions, but the only part I can make out is "For example, in ancient Greece..." He apparently answers correctly and she gives him some kind of garment.
A Blocker demands "la contraseña" (the password), which they provide.
They meet a jester who asks a question - they correctly answer "Olympia" and he gives them something. A pooka appears above the exit, the significance of which isn't clear, as it doesn't seem to worry anyone.
The jester leads them into another room and creates a pit with narrow paths across it.
The witch whose name sounds like "Ura-oot" asks them a couple of questions, then gives them a tabard or something.
A monk says something about Greece, Socrates and the Parthenon. He asks a question and they correctly answer "Athena". He gives them some sort of huge jug. (Note the dungeoneer is now carrying a total of five items - I wonder if there's any limit at all!)
They meet a frog prince and give him all five of their objects. He doesn't seem to give them anything in return, and they leave. What the hell?
In the throne room, they get all three of the White Lady's questions right. I think the first one is something to do with the princess they met, but I can't catch anything else. They don't summon the king this time, just sit on the empty throne.
On the Great Causeway, they have to spell out FOSO ("pit") and PASA ("pass").
As before, the Lord of Evil is defeated by saying some magic words, though I'm not sure what they are or when they learned them. (Maybe the frog guy told them??) They free their teammate, and the Magician conjures up some computers, then shouts at the viewers.
Could anyone actually follow what was being said in any part of that episode?
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Can't believe no-one has posted this yet - there are two new clips of El Rescate del Talismán on YouTube! How exciting. They're both from the first series - one complete episode and the second half of another. Wish I had a considerably better grasp of Spanish...
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Thanks for these Annie, they were brilliant!
That kind of 'boss fight' at the end has brilliant music (along with the antechamber music at the start) but I keep laughing when the kids are just standing there like, "...please just stop with your random dancing and get over here."
And that slow-motion fall at the end...I loved it!!!
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I keep laughing when the kids are just standing there like, "...please just stop with your random dancing and get over here."
Yes, it's pretty hilarious how the so-called 'Lord of Evil' never seems particularly scary or powerful, just flails about laughing and waving the talisman in their face for no apparent reason! And there was me thinking the final encounters with Lord Fear were too easy... at least he actually had something to say for himself, and you couldn't make him fall over dead just by saying a word and poking him.
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Oh wow, I've been wanting to see the third series of El Rescate del Talismán for ages! Someone finally found a recording of it. Featuring the Gandalf-like Treguard figure, purple woodland scenes, various new characters including a guy dressed as a tree and a Gundrada type, a Smirkenorff flight (yes, he even has the same name in the Spanish version!), a talking raven, the demonic new villain and his Lissard-esque sidekick, a Causeway (not entirely sure of the rules??), and lots of incongruous '90s dance music. They've also now introduced quests that last for more than one episode. It seems a LOT more watchable than the second series with the hysterical ranting host!
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