Young Hercules: The Complete Series

Before his big screen breakout roles in Remember the Titans and The Notebook, Ryan Gosling starred as the titular teenage demi-god in this juvenile spin-off of Sam Raimi's tongue-in-cheek myth-adventure series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. In this high school show (albeit set in ancient times), Hercules heads off to Cheiron's Academy—a mix of military academy and boarding school—where he meets his future sidekick (Dean O'Gorman), among others. Kevin Tod Smith reprises his role as God of War (and Hercules' half-brother) Ares (which Smith played in both Hercules and Xena), who is bent on sabotaging Hercules' efforts. Gosling is the skinniest strongman on TV—young Hercules as a boy band pinup with shaggy hair, a crooked grin, and abandonment issues thanks to deadbeat dad Zeus. The attitude is strictly juvenile, with big performances, broad humor, and cartoonish sound effects, and a basic lesson to be learned in every adventure. The series was shot entirely in New Zealand on a small budget and a rapid shooting schedule, which clearly shows. Gosling is an untutored talent in the early episodes, working to find his own place in a show where overacting is the norm, and getting by mostly on charisma before his confidence finally grows and his performance settles down. It's mostly a curiosity, silly but good-natured, and possibly of interest to Gosling fans. Compiling all 50 episodes from 1998-99, extras include a featurette on the writing of the show. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)