The Feathered Serpent: Complete Series

Fans of old movie serials will enjoy this Thames Television series set in the Aztec Empire before the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th century. The story follows the machinations of Nasca (Patrick Troughton), an Aztec priest who serves the bloodthirsty god Teshcata in an effort to subvert a proposed marriage between the prince and princess of two warring tribes—a union that would elevate Quala, the god of peace (and titular feathered serpent), to dominance. Although Prince Heumac (Brian Deacon) is a courageous figure, the real hero is his devoted young servant Tozo (Richard Willis). The best-known actor in the cast is Troughton, who played Dr. Who in the late '60s and here chews the scenery mercilessly as the duplicitous Nasca. One has to admire Troughton and the other actors (including Diane Keen as Princess Chimalma) for keeping straight faces while wearing ornate but cheesy costumes, reciting reams of risible dialogue, and wandering about sets that appear to have been fashioned from papier-mâché—the cast themselves into the action enthusiastically, providing unadulterated but entertaining hokum. Compiling all 12 episodes from seasons one (1976) and two (1978), DVD extras include a printed text on the history of the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations. A fun guilty pleasure, this is recommended. (F. Swietek)