Amazon (1999 TV series)

1999 Canadian TV series or program

Amazon

Also known as| Amazonas – Gefangene des Dschungels
Created by| Peter Benchley
Developed by| Malcolm MacRury
Written by| Alison Lea Bingeman
Paul Aitken
Directed by| Milan Cheylov
T.W. Peacocke
Starring| C. Thomas Howell
Carol Alt
Chris William Martin
Fabiana Udenio
Tyler Hynes
Rob Stewart
Composer| Guy Zerafa
Country of origin| Canada
Germany
Original languages| English
German
No. of seasons| 1
No. of episodes| 22
Production
Executive producers| Seaton McLean
Peter Sussman
Peter Benchley
Producer| Jan Peter Meyboom
Running time| 44 minutes
Production companies| Alliance Atlantis Communications
WIC Entertainment
Original release
Network| Syndication
Release| 26 September 1999 (1999-09-26) –
20 May 2000 (2000-05-20)

Amazon (also known as Peter Benchley's Amazon) was a syndicated adventure drama series created by Peter Benchley. It was developed by Canadian production companies Alliance Atlantis Communications & WIC Entertainment and German company Beta Film GmbH.[1][2] The 22 episodes of the series were in first-run syndication between 1999 and 2000.

A novelization of the 2-hour pilot was written by Rob MacGregor, and a mass-market paperback was released by Harper (publisher) on 8 Aug 2000.[3]

## Premise

[edit]

The drama series focused on the six survivors of a crashed airline flight in the Brazilian Amazon jungle. The group soon comes into contact with a hostile indigenous tribe, the Fierce Ones. They are taken in by a mysterious tribe called the Chosen, who are descended from 16th-century British colonists who were lost in the rainforest. Relations with the Chosen are tenuous at best. Most of the group escapes the Chosen only to stir up a hornets' nest with the cannibalistic Jaguar People, led by an insane Canadian woman bent on domination of all the local tribes.

## Cast

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* C. Thomas Howell as Dr. Alex Kennedy
* Carol Alt as Karen Oldham
* Fabiana Udenio as Pia Claire
* Chris Martin as Jimmy Stack
* Rob Stewart as Andrew Talbott
* Tyler Hynes as Will Bauer

## Episodes

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No.| Title| Directed by| Written by| Original release date

|
|
|
|

1| "Fallen Angels"| Jon Cassar| Peter Benchley| September 26, 1999 (1999-09-26)[4]
2| "Nightfall"| Jon Cassar| Story by : Malcolm MacRury & Paul Aitken
Teleplay by : Malcolm MacRury| October 2, 1999 (1999-10-02)
3| "Suffer the Little Children"| Ron Oliver| Malcolm MacRury| October 9, 1999 (1999-10-09)
4| "Exodus"| Ron Oliver| Paul Aitken| October 16, 1999 (1999-10-16)
5| "The Chosen"| Jon Cassar| Heather Conkie| October 23, 1999 (1999-10-23)
6| "The End of the World"| Jon Cassar| Heather Conkie & Malcolm MacRury| October 30, 1999 (1999-10-30)
7| "The Lost Words"| Terry Ingram| Paul Aitken| November 6, 1999 (1999-11-06)
8| "Resurrection"| Holly Dale| Heather Conkie| November 13, 1999 (1999-11-13)
9| "The Blood Angel"| Terry Ingram| Malcolm MacRury| November 20, 1999 (1999-11-20)
10| "War"| Milan Cheylov| Paul Aitken| November 27, 1999 (1999-11-27)
11| "Eyes in the Dark"| John Bell| Heather Conkie| January 22, 2000 (2000-01-22)
12| "The First Stone"| Unknown| Alison Lea Bingeman| January 29, 2000 (2000-01-29)
13| "The Devil's Army"| John Bell| Unknown| February 5, 2000 (2000-02-05)
14| "The Finding"| Unknown| Unknown| February 12, 2000 (2000-02-12)
15| "Escape"| Clay Borris| Paul Aitken| February 19, 2000 (2000-02-19)
16| "Home"| T.W. Peacocke| Malcolm MacRury| February 26, 2000 (2000-02-26)
17| "The Pale Horseman"| Steven Luppino| Unknown| April 15, 2000 (2000-04-15)
18| "The White Witch"| Steven Luppino| Unknown| April 22, 2000 (2000-04-22)
19| "Circle of Fire"| T.W. Peacocke| Heather Conkie| April 29, 2000 (2000-04-29)
20| "Babel"| Ross Clyde| Unknown| May 6, 2000 (2000-05-06)
21| "Wild Child"| Steven Luppino| Unknown| May 13, 2000 (2000-05-13)
22| "A Bible and a Gun"| Ross Clyde| Unknown| May 20, 2000 (2000-05-20)

## Production

[edit]

> I’ve always been interested in what would happen with the culture clash of modern folks running into people who live outside of civilization. We thought this series would be a good way to explore the issue of the intrusion of modern society into the (rain forest) environment

Peter Benchley on the idea behind Amazon[5]

In April 1998, Peter Benchley inked a deal with Atlantis Films to develop the show.[5] Benchley came up with the idea for “Amazon” while vacationing in the Caribbean when he stumbled across centuries-old buttons and other artifacts buried in the sand.[5]

Each episode of the series cost $1.2 million.[6] The total cost of the series was $26 million,[7] making it one of the most expensive television series ever made.

The show started airing on WIC Television in October 1999.[8]

## Home media

[edit]

Alliance Home Entertainment released the complete series on DVD in Canada only on 22 February 2011.[9] This was soon followed by the release to the rest of the North American market.[10]

## References

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1. ^ "Alliance Atlantis, Betafilm, Eyemark Entertainment and Wic Announce The Start-Of-Principal Photography on 'Peter Benchley's Amazon". Alliance Atlantis Communications. April 15, 1999. Archived from the original on October 8, 1999. Retrieved February 18, 2025.
2. ^ "Peter Benchley's Amazon". The Hollywood Reporter. May 6, 1999. Archived from the original on February 18, 2025. Retrieved February 18, 2025 - via Gale Research.
3. ^ Rob MacGregor. "Peter Benchley's Amazon: The Ghost Tribe". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
4. ^ Karlin, Susan (September 17, 1999). "Bugs in Computers Keep Real Insects Employed". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
5. ^ a b c Littleton, Cynthia (April 1, 1998). "Atlantis enters 'Amazon' syndie skein with Benchley". Variety. Archived from the original on February 19, 2025. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
6. ^ "Amazon TV set an indoor jungle". Edmonton Journal. December 1, 1999. p. 38\. Archived from the original on April 21, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ Atherton, Tony (July 29, 1999). "Tyler's awesome Amazon adventure". The Ottawa Citizen. p. 25\. Archived from the original on April 22, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ Swedko, Pam (October 18, 1999). "On set: Peter Benchley's Amazon". Playback. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved February 19, 2025.
9. ^ Peter Benchley's Amazon: The Complete Series. "Peter Benchley's Amazon: The Complete Series". Amazon.ca. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
10. ^ Peter Benchley's Amazon: The Complete Series. "Peter Benchley's Amazon: The Complete Series". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2013-08-04.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website (archived)
* Amazon at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Peter Benchley

Novels|

* Jaws (1974)
* The Island (1979)
* Rummies (1989)
* Beast (1991)
* White Shark (1994; republished as Creature in 1997)

TV and film|

* Amazon
* The Beast
* Creature
* Dolphin Cove
* The Deep
* The Island
* Jaws (franchise)

Related|

* Nathaniel Benchley
* Wendy Benchley
* Etmopterus benchleyi

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