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The Labors of Hercules

Children & Family

TV-Y7

22

Feb 10, 2016

While undertaking his famous Twelve Labors, imposed upon him by the vengeful goddess, Hera, Hercules saves a village from the Nemean Lion. Witnessing this, the young sheepherder, Iolas, who idolizes Hercules, decides to follow him and find out what makes such a great hero tick. But Hercules doesn't consider himself a hero at all. He has done something long ago that is still haunting him now, and he fights Hera's beasts to try to make up for what he has done. While Hera rejoices at Hercules' sufferings, Iolas longs to help his hero free himself from this dark secret. Then, just before Hercules is to fight the nine-headed Hydra, he finally reveals his past to Iolas. When he was young and prideful, he challenged the gods of Olympus by claiming he could shoot an arrow all the way to the sun. With help from an angry Hera, the flaming arrow returned to earth and burned a village. Hercules feels he can never be forgiven for this deed. But before the Hydra can defeat Hercules, Iolas gets him to see that he must stop punishing himself for the past - and to see that his worth as a hero is in helping those who need him now. Seeing the truth in this, a renewed Hercules defeats the Hydra. But his labors aren't over yet.

Season 1, 13 episodes

Andromeda The Warrior Princess,

Andromeda, the daughter of King Cepheus, longs to be a warrior in her fathers army, but women are not allowed to fight, and so the king forbids her. Instead, the king obliges the Queen's wishes to marry Andromeda off to a wealthy prince. Desperate to make her dream come true, Andromeda appeals to the goddess, Athena, who gives her a spectacular suit of armor to hide her identity. Now disguised as the Silver Warrior, Andromeda challenges the best warriors in the kingdom and beats them all that is until she meets the hero, Perseus, and falls in love with him. But conflicts of love are nothing compared to conflicts with the gods. For when the Queen brags that Andromeda is more beautiful than Poseidon's daughters, the sea god unleashes the sea monster, Cetus, upon the kingdom. Only the Silver Warrior is brave enough to fight the beast, and with the help of Perseus, defeats the monster. The Silver Warrior reveals his true identity and when the king sees it's his daughter that has saved the kingdom, he is more than glad to have this warrior princess in his army.

Theseus and the Minotaur,

As a small boy Theseus discovers a long kept secret that he is the son of the King of Athens, and that on the day that he can lift a great boulder, he will be ready to take his place beside his royal father. Accomplishing the seemingly impossible task, Theseus discovers his fathers sword underneath the great rock. With the weapon in hand, he journeys to Athens where he re-unites with his long lost father. But the happy re-union is short-lived when Theseus discovers that his father, having been defeated in war by the evil King Minos of Crete, is being forced to sacrifice seven sons and seven daughters to the half-man, half-bull monster called the Minotaur. Determined to put a stop to this terrible tribute, Theseus volunteers to become one of the fourteen and sails off to Crete. But his attempt to overthrow King Minos is thwarted, and he and his fellow Athenians are imprisoned. Now its up to Theseus to enter alone into the labyrinth (an enormous underground maze) and defeat the monstrous Minotaur if he is to save his people.

Prometheus and Pandora's Box,

The young gods Prometheus and Epimetheus are sent by Zeus to endow Earth with some new creatures. While Epimetheus uses his godly powers to create birds and horses, Prometheus stumbles upon primitive man. Seeing these intelligent beings toiling against the harsh environment, Prometheus decides to give them the gift of fire so that they can create a great civilization. When Zeus refuses Prometheus request to give fire, Prometheus disobeys, steals fire from the gods and gives it to man. Using the fire, man begins to flourish. But Zeus finds out that Prometheus disobeyed him and chains the young god to a cliff leaving eagles to peck at his body. Then, to punish man, Zeus creates Pandora and gives her a box that she is never to open. Hearing voices calling to her from inside the box, Pandora is overcome with curiosity and opens it, unleashing all the ills of mankind upon civilization. But just when it looks like Zeus has proven that man is not deserving of the gifts of gods, a despairing Pandora discovers one last tiny voice emanating from inside the box, claiming to be hope. Pandora conquers her fear and releases hope from the box, and hope fills the hearts of man so that they can conquer all the ills that Pandora had released before. Seeing Pandoras selfless act, Zeus realizes that mortal man is deserving after all and frees Prometheus from his chains.

Atalanta the Wild Girl,

Atalanta, abandoned as a baby, is raised by bears and becomes the wild girl protector of the animals. Though she hates man for his hunting ways, when Prince Meleager meets her, for the first time Atalanta begins to see her human side. But while love is budding between Meleager and Atalanta, Artemis, goddess of the hunt, becomes jealous of this mortal girl who dares to challenge her rule over the hunting grounds of earth. Out of vengeance, Artemis creates the Calydonian Boar, a gigantic metal monster and sends it after Atalanta. The terrible boar wreaks havoc on the kingdom and Prince Meleager and his uncles are sent to kill the monster. When Atalanta tries to help Prince Meleager track the metal boar, the uncles shun her, being just as prejudiced against the uncouth wild girl as the goddess Artemis. In the end, to Artemis dismay, it is Meleager, and not Atalanta, who is nearly killed by the boar, leaving the goddess to regret her jealousy. But Meleager survives, and accepting Atalanta for who she really is, wins her heart.

Bellerophon and Pegasus,

Young Bellerophon works in the stables of King Glaucus and loves horses more than anything in the world. One day, Pegasus, the great horse of the gods is seen soaring over the kingdom, and the selfish Glaucus decides he wants the flying horse for his own. Hating to see the great creature trapped, Bellerophon sets it free. Furious, the king tries to recapture it and is accidentally killed. Blamed for the kings death, Bellerophon is banished. Undaunted, he soon finds work in another kingdom. But again, when our young hero tries to protect those less fortunate, he rouses the wrath of another monarch. This time, he is sent to yet another king, along with a letter requesting he be put to death. But this third king has a conflict. On one hand, he fears reprisal from the other king if he fails to carry out the demands of the letter. On the other hand, his daughter, Philonoe has fallen in love with Bellerophon. Wanting to wash his hands of the problem, the king sends Bellerophon off to defeat the Chimera, a fire-breathing monster that has been terrorizing his kingdom, certain the young hero will die in the attempt. But just as Bellerophon is about to set out to kill the monster, Philonoe reveals the letter. Even though he now knows hes being sent to his death, Bellerophon decides to go on anyway, determined to free the citizens from the fire-breathing Chimera. For his brave and selfless efforts, the goddess, Athena gives Bellerophon a golden saddle. Putting it on Pegasus, Bellerophon becomes the first mortal ever to fly on the great horse and together they kill the Chimera.

The Labors of Hercules,

While undertaking his famous Twelve Labors, imposed upon him by the vengeful goddess, Hera, Hercules saves a village from the Nemean Lion. Witnessing this, the young sheepherder, Iolas, who idolizes Hercules, decides to follow him and find out what makes such a great hero tick. But Hercules doesn't consider himself a hero at all. He has done something long ago that is still haunting him now, and he fights Hera's beasts to try to make up for what he has done. While Hera rejoices at Hercules' sufferings, Iolas longs to help his hero free himself from this dark secret. Then, just before Hercules is to fight the nine-headed Hydra, he finally reveals his past to Iolas. When he was young and prideful, he challenged the gods of Olympus by claiming he could shoot an arrow all the way to the sun. With help from an angry Hera, the flaming arrow returned to earth and burned a village. Hercules feels he can never be forgiven for this deed. But before the Hydra can defeat Hercules, Iolas gets him to see that he must stop punishing himself for the past - and to see that his worth as a hero is in helping those who need him now. Seeing the truth in this, a renewed Hercules defeats the Hydra. But his labors aren't over yet.

Ulysses and Circe,

After having fought in the Trojan Wars for ten grueling years, the great Ulysses and his men embark on a treacherous journey home. Ulysses is determined to get his men home safely and to return to his beloved Queen, Penelope, and his nearly forgotten kingdom of Ithaca. But the voyage is filled with peril and Ulysses men, tired and weary, are nearing mutiny when they sight an beautiful but mysterious island. Though Ulysses senses danger, his men insist on hunting for food and soon come upon a hauntingly beautiful palace where all the wild animals are as tame as pets, the dining hall is made of gold, and beautiful nymphs serve every kind of culinary delicacy imaginable. Falling to temptation, the men ignore Ulysses warnings and indulge in Circes offerings, only to be turned into pigs by the cunning sorceress -- all part of her plan to lure the great Ulysses into her arms. Desperately searching for his missing crew, Ulysses confronts the alluring Circe and is nearly won over by her. But in the end, his loyalty to his Queen and his crew hold strong and Ulysses battles the shape-changing sorceress, returns his men to normal again and escapes from the perilous island.

Persephone and the Winter Seeds,

Persephone, daughter of Demeter (goddess of the harvest), longs to be free of her over-protective mother. When she runs away to find adventure, Persephone stops for a drink beside an ebony pool, unaware that she is being watched by the god, Hades. Hades, having lived his life in dreary darkness, falls instantly in love with this bright and cheery girl who promises to visit the lonely god and bring warmth to his cold heart. While the young goddess teaches Hades to dance, laugh and smile, Demeter, sickened over the loss of her beloved daughter, searches for her in vain, neglecting her harvest and bringing winter to the world. Meanwhile, Hades has fallen desperately in love with Persephone only to discover that she now misses her home and wants to return. But Hades knows what Persephone doesnt -- that if she eats any food of the underworld she will never be able to leave. Coaxed to eat three pomegranate seeds, Persephone becomes trapped in Hades dark kingdom. But the seeds of love she has planted in Hades heart causes him to regret his treachery and so he risks everything to help her escape. In the end, Persephone is re-united with her mother and agrees to visit Hades world every winter.

Hercules and Iolas,

In her vengeful desire to destroy Hercules, Hera unleashes more terrible beasts upon the kingdom of Mycanae. When the Erymanthean Boar attacks, the young sheepherder, Iolas, tries to be a hero like Hercules. But lacking strength, he fails miserably in his attempt to save his brother and sister from the fearsome boar. Its only Hercules last minute arrival that prevents disaster. Longing to be a hero, but feeling that hes a failure, Iolas returns to Hercules side in hopes of learning the secrets that make him a hero. As our twosome confront the deadly Horses of Diomedes and the giant Stymphanian Birds, Hercules becomes more and more impressed by Iolas cleverness. But Iolas, convinced that what makes a hero is his strength, cannot see the value in this. In the end, when Hercules is forced to face the River God, and appears to have met his match, Iolas finally understands that every hero has his own unique strength. Using his brains instead of his brawn, Iolas helps Hercules to outsmart the River God and becomes a hero in his own right.

Ulysses and the Journey Home,

Ulysses continues his incredible odyssey as he sails treacherous waters, determined at all costs to get his men back home, and to finally return to his Queen, Penelope and his Kingdom. But his persistence and will are tested beyond endurance when he must fight the terrible Cyclops, journey past the Sirens (beautiful nymphs whose silvery voices lure sailors to their demise), and encounter the monsters Scylla and Charybdis that threaten to crush his ship and then suck it down to the depths of the sea. But as great as these challenges are, keeping his men from giving up their journey home is Ulysses biggest challenge of all.

Perseus The Search for Medusa,

Young Perseus is a demi-god, his mother being mortal, his father being Zeus, king of all the gods. But Zeus being too busy with the affairs of Mount Olympus to pay attention to his mortal son, left Perseus to grow up alone to take care of his mother. Later, the evil King Polydectes, having fallen in love with Perseus mother, tries to force her to marry him. Perseus tries to stop Polydectes, but the cunning king goads Perseus into proving he is really the son of a god by bringing back the head of the monster Medusa. When Zeus learns of this, he suddenly pays attention to his mortal son, sending the god, Hermes, to talk Perseus out of this futile quest. But Perseus resents his fathers help -- he was never there before when Perseus needed him. Determined to defeat Medusa on his own terms, Perseus visits the Grey Sisters, three ghastly witches, who offer him a choice of weapons or wisdom. The rash Perseus takes the weapons and is nearly turned to stone by the snake-haired Medusa. A desperate Perseus finally realizes that he does need the help of others. Reconciling things with Zeus and returning to the Grey Sisters, Perseus is given advice along with a polished shield, and using both, tricks and defeats Medusa. Then he returns to King Polydectes with Medusas head and turns the King and his soldiers to stone, thus freeing his mother.

Jason and the Argonauts,

When the evil King Pelias usurps the throne of Jasons father, young Jason is sent to the centaur, Chiron, to learn the ways of a warrior and a leader. After his long training, Jason is finally ready to win his fathers throne back. Jason soon discovers that Pelias has ruled with a wicked hand, and that the people rejoice at Jasons return. Seeing Jason as a real threat to his throne, the cunning King reminds Jason that if he fights him there will be much bloodshed -- then offers a way to avoid it. If Jason will travel to the ends of the earth and bring Pelias the Golden Fleece, Pelias will gladly take the valuable prize and step down from his throne. Determined to do whats best for his people, Jason accepts the challenge. Jason recruits the heroes, Hercules, Atalanta, Orpheus and Zetes and Calais (gods of the wind) for his crew, and with the help of the goddess Athena, builds the Argo, the greatest sailing ship ever. But soon the inexperienced Jasons leadership skills are tested to the limit when his Argonauts (great heroes who have never failed before) find the challenges of this journey beyond their abilities. Its up to Jason to get the nearly defeated heroes to work together as a team in order to get past the deadly Clashing Rocks and to defeat the giant Harpie Birds. The Argonauts work together and succeed, and once again set sail for the island of Colchis where the Golden Fleece resides.

Daedalus and Icarus,

Daedalus, the greatest inventor of the ancient world, designed sailing ships, the wheel, the loom and the plow. But though he was a man of great talent, he was also an ambitious man who sought fame and fortune above all this. His son, Icarus, idolized his father and followed in his shoes, becoming just as talented and just as much of a glory seeker. Blinded by his ambition, Daedalus fails to honor his promises to the goddess, Athena, who helped the inventor become successful. In punishment, the goddess causes the great museum that Daedalus built to crumble to the ground, accidentally killing Talos, Daedalus apprentice. Blamed for the boys death, Daedalus is imprisoned. But Icarus helps his father escape to Crete where they hope to once again be appreciated for their talent. King Minos of Crete offers Daedalus and Icarus fame and glory like never before, but in return he demands that the great inventor build him weapons of war. Giving in to temptation, Daedalus agrees, only to see his incredible weapons used to defeat the Athenians, and his labyrinth (the inescapable underground maze) used to imprison them. All this violence against Daedalus own people causes great regret in the inventor, but when he voices this to Minos, he and Icarus are imprisoned in the very labyrinth they built. Desperate to escape, father and son make two pairs of wings from the feathers of birds. But though Daedalus has learned his lesson about the pitfalls of fame and glory, Icarus has not. Determined to fly higher than the gods, Icarus fails to heed his fathers warning to not fly too close to the sun. The wax holding together Icarus wings melts away and the boy falls into the sea.

Details

Mythic Warriors

Children & Family

TV-Y7

2

22

The heroes of Greek mythology including Andromeda, Theseus, Atalanta, and Hercules come to life and battle incredible creatures as they learn the value of ethics such as truth, goodness, courage, and perseverance.

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