Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire is a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
-
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedicComic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is primarily humorous in intent and tone. Usually set in imaginary worlds, comic fantasy often includes puns on and parodies of other works of fantasy. It is sometimes known as Low fantasy in contrast to High fantasy, which is primarily serious in intent...
sword and sorcerySword and sorcery is a fantasy subgenre generally characterized by swashbuckling heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
series created by Peter A. Knight, co-produced by
Hat Trick ProductionsHat Trick Productions is a British independent television production company. It was founded in 1986 by Rory McGrath Denise O'Donohue and Jimmy Mulville, and mainly makes comedy programmes.- Current Shows :* Outnumbered...
and
Media Rights CapitalMedia Rights Capital II LP MRC is an independent film, television, and digital studio founded by financiers Mordecai Wiczyk and Asif Satchu.-Film projects:...
for
Comedy CentralComedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries predominantly comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
and
BBC Two
, which premiered on April 9, 2009 in the USA and on June 11 in the UK. It began airing on July 8 in
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, on
CitytvCitytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications, and is Canada's largest television system since Canwest's E! closed down on September 1, 2009...
. In August 2009, it was reported that the series was cancelled, but the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
has retracted this claim.
The series, set in an ancient fantasy realm, follows reluctant hero Kröd Mändoon (
Sean MaguireThis article is about the English actor and singer. For the Irish fiddler, see Sean McGuire .Sean Martin Michael Maguire is an English actor and singer, who rose to fame in 1988 when at the age of 11 he took on the role of "Tegs" Ratcliffe on the BBC children's drama Grange Hill, in which he...
), a "thin-skinned and underconfident freedom fighter" in his struggle against the evil ruler, Chancellor Dongalor (
Matt LucasMatthew Richard Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor. He is perhaps best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain and spoof interview series Rock Profile, as well as for his portrayal of the surreal scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the...
).
The creator, Peter A.
Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire is a
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
-
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comedicComic fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy that is primarily humorous in intent and tone. Usually set in imaginary worlds, comic fantasy often includes puns on and parodies of other works of fantasy. It is sometimes known as Low fantasy in contrast to High fantasy, which is primarily serious in intent...
sword and sorcerySword and sorcery is a fantasy subgenre generally characterized by swashbuckling heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural...
series created by Peter A. Knight, co-produced by
Hat Trick ProductionsHat Trick Productions is a British independent television production company. It was founded in 1986 by Rory McGrath Denise O'Donohue and Jimmy Mulville, and mainly makes comedy programmes.- Current Shows :* Outnumbered...
and
Media Rights CapitalMedia Rights Capital II LP MRC is an independent film, television, and digital studio founded by financiers Mordecai Wiczyk and Asif Satchu.-Film projects:...
for
Comedy CentralComedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries predominantly comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
and
BBC Two
, which premiered on April 9, 2009 in the USA and on June 11 in the UK. It began airing on July 8 in
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, on
CitytvCitytv is a Canadian English language television system owned and operated by Rogers Communications, and is Canada's largest television system since Canwest's E! closed down on September 1, 2009...
. In August 2009, it was reported that the series was cancelled, but the
BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
has retracted this claim.
Overview
The series, set in an ancient fantasy realm, follows reluctant hero Kröd Mändoon (
Sean MaguireThis article is about the English actor and singer. For the Irish fiddler, see Sean McGuire .Sean Martin Michael Maguire is an English actor and singer, who rose to fame in 1988 when at the age of 11 he took on the role of "Tegs" Ratcliffe on the BBC children's drama Grange Hill, in which he...
), a "thin-skinned and underconfident freedom fighter" in his struggle against the evil ruler, Chancellor Dongalor (
Matt LucasMatthew Richard Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor. He is perhaps best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain and spoof interview series Rock Profile, as well as for his portrayal of the surreal scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the...
).
Production
The creator, Peter A. Knight, has said that the show's humor was inspired by
The SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated television sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its eponymous family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie...
,
Get SmartGet Smart is an American television comedy series that satirized the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams as Maxwell Smart, Agent 86, Barbara Feldon as Agent 99, and Edward Platt as Thaddeus, the chief of CONTROL, a secret American government...
, and
Monty Python and the Holy GrailMonty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1975 comedy film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python , and directed by Gilliam and Jones...
, the last of which he claims to have seen more than any other movie. The name Kröd, which is the word
dorkThe word dork and similar may have the following meanings:* Vulgar slang for "penis"* USA pejorative slang for a quirky, silly and/or stupid, socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends...
spelled backwards, was inspired by someone Knight knew growing up in school, who was often picked on; the boy was nicknamed Krod, although he failed to realize it was an insult. The series was filmed in
BudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it serves as the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation center and is considered an important hub in Central Europe. In 2009, Budapest had 1,712,210 inhabitants, down from a mid-1980s...
,
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
, and show developers Knight and Brad Johnson were on the set at all times for the filming of each episode. Chancellor Dongalor's castle's exterior is
Orava Castle| |-| |-| |}Orava Castle is the name of a castle situated on a high rock, which was constructed in the 13th century. It is considered to be one of the most interesting castles in Slovakia...
in neighboring
SlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe with a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava...
. The flaming sword used by Kröd is not a computer-generated special effect, but an actual sword prop with a gas canister and a hose that runs up actor Sean Maguire's arm to light the blade.
The brief opening title sequence was designed to reflect a visual style of movie posters from
fantasy filmFantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap....
s of the 1980s, as well as more modern fantasy movies like the
The Lord of the Rings film trilogyThe Lord of the Rings film trilogy consists of three live action fantasy epic films: The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King...
.
Cast
- Sean Maguire
This article is about the English actor and singer. For the Irish fiddler, see Sean McGuire .Sean Martin Michael Maguire is an English actor and singer, who rose to fame in 1988 when at the age of 11 he took on the role of "Tegs" Ratcliffe on the BBC children's drama Grange Hill, in which he...
as Kröd Mändoon: "The reluctant leader of a rag tag band of inept freedom fighters toiling away in obscurity." In the second episode it is revealed that his full name is "Krödford J. Mändoon". His sword, created by his father, bursts into flame when he is challenged or in danger.
- Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor. He is perhaps best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain and spoof interview series Rock Profile, as well as for his portrayal of the surreal scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the...
as Chancellor Donold David Dongalor: "The lovably sociopathPsychopathy is a psychological construct that describes chronic disregard for ethical principles and antisocial behavior.The term is often used interchangeably with sociopathy. This is a commonly made mistake. Sociopathy is no longer a correct term to use, and when it is used it actually refers to...
ic Chancellor of the lowly province of Hessemeel." He and Mändoon know each other from their time training to be warriors, and developed a bitter rivalry and mutual hatred during this period. He regularly kills people who attempt to stop his evil plans, give him bad news, or just plain annoy him. He is cowardly, more likely to play dirty than fight fair and also rather vain. Dongalor is later revealed to be Mändoon's brother-in-law, as well as having a dimwit illegitimate son whom he accepts as his heir after a failed attempt on his life.
- India de Beaufort
India de Beaufort is a British actress and singer/songwriter from London whose appearances include roles in Basil Brush and Run, Fatboy, Run....
as Aneka: A "beautiful pagan warrioress whose weapon of choice is sex." She starts episode 1 as Mändoon's girlfriend, but he has problems with her open sexuality and she finishes their relationship. Despite this, Aneka loves Mändoon more than the hundreds she has slept with.
- Steve Speirs as Loquasto: An oafish servant, "who belongs to a race of pig-like creatures known as Grobble." Loquasto has a habit of inaccurately shooting his crossbow
A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a siege engine resembling a crossbow in mechanism and appearance.Crossbows historically played a...
, sometimes injuring Mändoon. He also has a strong sense of smell and taste that he can use to detect poisons.
- Kevin Hart
Kevin Hart is an American actor and comedian, originally from . After winning a few contests, he quit his job as a shoe salesman and embarked on a career in comedy...
as Zezelryck: A young warlock, "whose greatest magical gift is spinning a line." He knows some tricks, such as how to make flash bombs and a potion that creates a convincing illusion of death when ingested. Although he has no powers when the story begins, he later fishes the canine tooth containing all of Grimshank's magical powers out of a moat. He has shown the power to "slice the earth" which is a form of teleportation.
- Marques Ray as Bruce: "The jailhouse lover of Mändoon's late mentor, General Arcadius." He has joined Mändoon in his quest, believing him to be "The Golden One" of the prophesy that Arcadius told him. He has been shown as a capable fighter, defeating a couple of myrmidons while unarmed.
- Remie Purtill-Clarke as "Cute Girl", the captured concubine of Dongalor. Her father was murdered by Dongalor in front of her in an attempt to get Mändoon to come out of hiding. While initially repulsed by Dongalor, she eventually falls for him, realizing that a life with him would always be exciting and interesting. However, she is later revealed to have the plague
The Black Death was one of the deadliest pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. It is widely thought to have been an outbreak of bubonic plague caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, but this view has recently been challenged...
, and dies shortly after, which crushes Dongalor for a short period of time.
- John Rhys-Davies
John Rhys-Davies is a British actor and vocal artist. He is perhaps best known for playing the charismatic Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones films and the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, in which he also voiced the ent, Treebeard...
as Grimshank: Longshaft's right-hand man and an actual wizard with powerful magic at his disposal. Though appearing to be a traitor, Grimshank is actually a double agent. He dies in the end, refusing to acknowledge Mändoon as the Golden One.
- James Murray
James Murray is an English actor.-Filmography:After a childhood appearance in Shoestring , Murray found fame as an adult in ITV1's soap opera Coronation Street as Sandy Hunter...
as Ralph Longshaft: The leader of the resistance, beginning a relationship with Aneka until he is exposed as the real traitor before being killed by Aneka. His name is pronounced "Rafe".
- Alex MacQueen
Alexander Tulloch Macqueen is a British actor, born in Epsom, Surrey, in 1974. He has appeared on television, film and radio in the UK in productions such as Holby City, Hut 33, The Thick of It, and Keeping Mum....
as Barnabus: Dongalor's right-hand man, trusted servant and (often-ignored) voice of logic. He has been in Dongalor's service since Dongalor was in training, and often insults Dongalor with his dry wit, which Dongalor enjoys, and is the only person to get away with this. He has an unknown number of sons to a deceased wife, who was killed by Dongalor for adulteryAdultery is referred to as extramarital sex, philandery, or infidelity, but does not include fornication. The term "adultery" for many people carries a moral or religious association, while the term "extramarital sex" is morally or judgmentally neutral....
after Dongalor got her drunk and slept with her. He apparently has some affection for Dongalor and will jest with him, check his clothes, and try and cheer him up.
- Roger Allam
Roger Allam is an English actor, known primarily for his stage career, although he has performed in film and television. He played Inspector Javert in the original London production of Les Misérables.-Biography:...
as General Arcadius: Mändoon's late mentor, and Bruce's lover. Appears at different times in spirit form (à la Obi-Wan Kenobi) to advise Kröd reagarding his 'Golden-One' abilities and duties.
- Sir Michael Gambon (UK) Chris Parnell
Thomas Christopher "Chris" Parnell is an American actor and comedian who was a Saturday Night Live cast member in 1998-2001 and 2002-2006. He has a recurring role as Dr. Leo Spaceman on NBC's Emmy Award-winning 30 Rock and was a supporting cast member of the short-lived 2008 sitcom Miss Guided...
(US) as The Narrator who add context to the series' long story arc that concludes with the neutralization of the Eye of Grymna. The narrator is a cliche - referenced to the 'sword & Sandal' fantasy genre.
- Emperor Xanus: The much talked about but unseen ruler of the land. Xanus is a tyrant and has appointed Dongalor as Chancellor of Hessemeel. Xanus is apparently unaware that Dongalor possesses the Eye of Gulga Grymna and Dongalor states that he intends to use the Eye to "kill Emperor Xanus and take the Crown."
Casting
Sean Maguire originally passed on the part because he wanted to do a more serious project following his role in the poorly received 2008 comedy film
Meet the SpartansMeet The Spartans is a parody film directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. Similar to past movies, such as Scary Movie and Date Movie, it directs parodies at various films...
, and did not think the show was right for him; he also said he thought the title sounded stupid. Maguire said, "I thought, 'Who’s going to watch this piece of shit?' ... I’m too quick to judge." His manager encouraged him to read the script and give it another chance and, upon reading the script, Maguire changed his mind and decided he wanted the role. Maguire worked out two hours a day for three months prior to filming the first season in order to build up his physique for the role. The dynamic between Mändoon and Aneka was in part inspired by an idea Knight and Johnson had for a comedy set at a workplace, where a man and woman break up but have to see each other every day at their work setting; Maguire said he felt that aspect of the relationship gave Mändoon a very "human element" and was easy for male audiences to relate to.
India de Beaufort became familiar with
Kröd Mändoon at an acting studio where she was receiving training. The teacher, who had read and loved a
Mändoon script, brought it to the studio and told the students about it. Many of them tried to audition for the show, including Beaufort, so the role of Aneka proved to be a competitive one, but Beaufort eventually got an audition which led to her casting. When she agreed to take the role, she had only read the script for the first episode, "
Wench Trouble"Wench Trouble" is the first episode of the first season of the comedic sword and sorcery series Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 9, 2009, then on BBC2 in the United Kingdom on June 11, 2009. The episode was written by...
", and did not know about some of the character's more promiscuous scenes in future episodes, such as her striptease dance in "
Golden Powers"Golden Powers" is the second episode of the first season of the comedic sword and sorcery series Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 9, 2009...
". Upon learning more about the character, Beaufort became concerned that the role was too sexual and that she would not be taken seriously as an actress after playing the part. However, she said she quickly grew to love the character, who she believes to be a strong female character with feminist convictions: "She's saying, 'I'm equal to every other man in the world. Men enjoy sex. I enjoy sex.' You know, she's out there putting out this strong statement."
Matt Lucas said he sees the Dongalor character as a combination of
CambodiaThe Kingdom of Cambodia , formerly known as Kampuchea , is a country in South East Asia with a population of over 14 million people. The kingdom's capital and largest city is Phnom Penh...
n leader
Pol PotSaloth Sar or Minh Hai, , widely known as Pol Pot, , was the leader of the Cambodian communist movement known as the Khmer Rouge and was Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea from 1976–1979....
and
James BondThe James Bond film series are British spy films inspired by Ian Fleming's novels about the fictional MI6 agent James Bond . The franchise remains as one of the longest continually running film series in history, having been in ongoing production from 1962 to 2009 with a six-year hiatus between...
antagonist
Ernst BlofeldErnst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional character and a supervillain from the James Bond series of novels and films created by Ian Fleming and Kevin McClory. An evil genius, he is the archenemy of the British Secret Service agent James Bond and head of the global criminal organization SPECTRE with...
.
Chris Parnell, a comedian formerly of
Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a weekly late-night sketch comedy and variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975, under a slightly different title. The show features a regular cast of comedy actors, joined by a guest host and musical act...
, provides the voice of the narrator in the North American version. Michael Gambon does for the UK version.
Episode list
- Note: First-run episodes are longer than the same episodes rebroadcast later the same night. In particular, scenes just before commercial breaks are cut short.
| # |
Title |
Original airdate |
| U.S. |
UK |
Reception and criticism
The first season of Kröd Mändoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire received mixed reviews and mediocre Nielsen RatingsNielsen ratings are audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
in the United States. In popular opinion it maintains a four and a half out of five star overall user rating on iTunes and was listed as a trending topic on Twitter within hours of its UK debut. Critical reception in Britain was likewise mixed, with some critics singling out the game performances by the cast.
The character Bruce, a flamboyant homosexual played by Marques Ray, has received criticism among the gay community, who have described the character as an offensive stereotype. Sean Maguire said the show producers expected some backlash: "you know, one way or another, you can’t win. If you’re too gay you get criticism. If you’re not gay enough, you get criticism ... Whenever you’re playing a stereotypical character, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. You can’t really win."
On 21 August, 2009, it was reported in British media newspaper Broadcast that the series had been cancelled, "after its funding partner pulled out." However, three days later it reported that the BBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation, usually referred to by its abbreviation as the "BBC", is the longest established and largest broadcaster in the world...
had retracted the claim.
UK viewing statistics
The first showing of each episode was broadcast simultaneously on BBC Two
and BBC HDBBC HD is a high-definition television channel provided by the BBC. The service was initially run as a trial from 15 May 2006 until becoming a full service on 1 December 2007...
. The first two episodes were run together to create one hour-long episode; other episodes aired singly.
| Episode Number |
Episode |
Air Date |
Viewers (millions) |
| 1/2 |
"Wench Trouble" / "Golden Powers" |
June 11, 2009 |
2.047 |
| 3 |
"Our Bounties Ourselves" |
June 18, 2009 |
1.33 |
| 4 |
"O Biclops, Where Art Thou?" |
June 25, 2009 |
1.34 |
| 5 |
"Succubi: The Dawn's Early Light" |
July 2, 2009 |
1.30 |
| 6 |
"Thrilla in the Villa" |
July 6, 2009 |
TBC |
Online game
On April 16, 2009, Comedy Central released a new flash game based on the Kröd Mändoon television series. Titled Kröd Mändoon: The Rise of Dongalor, the game is a simple top-down adventure/shooter in which the player must defeat "Myrmidons" to compete for the highest score. The player may collect power-ups that grant them health, extra speed, a double shot and a triple shot.
See also
- ElvenQuest
ElvenQuest is a comic fantasy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 by Anil Gupta and Richard Pinto, and starring Stephen Mangan, Alistair McGowan, Darren Boyd, Kevin Eldon, Sophie Winkleman and Dave Lamb. The series takes place in the world of Lower Earth, a parody of Middle-earth from The Lord of the Rings by...
- Hordes of the Things
Hordes of the Things is a 1980 BBC radio comedy series parodying J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and the fantasy genre in general, in a style similar to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It was written by "A. P. R. Marshall and J. H. W. Lloyd" and produced by Geoffrey Perkins...
- Metal umlaut
External links