Sheena (TV series)

Sheena is an American action-adventure television series which was produced for first-run syndication from 2000 to 2002.

Sheena
Genre	Action Adventure Fantasy
Created by	Douglas Schwartz Steven L. Sears
Starring	Gena Lee Nolin John Allen Nelson
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	35
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Production companies	Douglas Schwartz/Steven L. Sears Productions Columbia TriStar Television Distribution (2000-2001) (seasons 1-2) Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001-2002) (season 2)
Distributor	Columbia TriStar Television Distribution (2000-2001) (seasons 1-2) Columbia TriStar Domestic Television (2001-2002) (season 2)
Release
Original network	Syndicated
Picture format	4:3
Original release	October 7, 2000 – February 23, 2002
External links
Website

Based upon W. Morgan Thomas's comic book character Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, which previously spawned a 1950s TV series of the same title; this turn-of-the-millennium version updated its title character to the 21st century. There were two seasons, containing 22 and 13 episodes. It starred Gena Lee Nolin and John Allen Nelson, and was developed for television by Douglas Schwartz and Steven L. Sears. In this version, Sheena was given the mystical ability to transform into almost any jungle animal; she also spoke whole sentences (akin to Ron Ely's Tarzan), unlike Irish McCalla's interpretation of the character. Several episodes from the first season are available to view for free in Minisode format on Crackle, as well as on Hulu.

Premise

Sheena's parents were archaeologists who died in the jungle when she was about six years old, orphaning their daughter Cheryl Hamilton (as explained in the episode "Stranded in the Jungle"; otherwise, Sheena remembers nothing of her parents, or of her pre-Africa childhood). She was taken in by Kali, a local Shamaness of a tribe who brought her up; five years ago, she was taught how to morph into birds and other animals, thus acquiring their abilities, up to and including flight. She also befriended animals such as zebra Marika, elephant Chango and monkey Tiki. Moreover, she became a mythical creature called "The Darak'na" who relies on people's fear of the unknown. For this, she covers herself in a dark liquid mud which allows her to be largely unseen in the low light of the jungle. With above-average strength, agility and speed—and armed with a pair of bone-clawed gloves—she is a formidable one-woman fighting force. She does kill sometimes.

In the first episode, she meets Matt Cutter (John Allen Nelson) who runs a safari business by air, water and land. In his youth, Cutter had a promising career as a football player till a knee injury ruined it (he has no apparent injury now). He joined the CIA, being code-named "Jericho" and fought as a mercenary. He was a first class sniper but an accident meant he killed an innocent person which caused him to abandon his old life for the life he now leads.

On their first meeting, Sheena is not sure what side Cutter is on, as she is a protector of the jungle and Cutter seems willing to do anything for money. He is unknowingly helping criminals. Within several episode, Cutter became more responsible, and less booze- and money-oriented. Sometimes there is chemistry between Sheena and Cutter, hinting at a development of their relationship, and at other times, the plotline appears to show a platonic friendship. This is notable in an episode where she meets an old "Agency" friend of Cutter's and a deeper level intimacy is suggested than in any of the scenes with Cutter.

Mendelsohn is a run-down buddy of Cutter's who services his plane and does odd jobs for him. The three come up against the local petty tyrant, would be dictators, small armies, a police officer who cannot wholly be trusted, evil tribesmen, evil foreigners, people from their past, assorted traps, etc.

Episodes

Season 1 (2000–01)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	1	"Sheena"	Jon Cassar	Steven L. Sears & Douglas Schwartz	October 7, 2000
Matt Cutter is in for a life changing experience when he meets Sheena.
2	2	"Fallout"	Jon Cassar	Bill Taub	October 14, 2000
An American satellite crashes near by and the information is sought after by the Russians and the troops of the corrupt president N'Gama.
3	3	"Revenge of the Jirds"	Scott Paulin	Babs Greyhosky	October 21, 2000
Sheena and Cutter try to find out who's smuggling mouse-like creatures called jirds into the country.
4	4	"A Rite of Passage"	Walter Von Huene	Babs Greyhosky	October 28, 2000
An ugly secret from Kali's past reemerges on Sheena's birthday.
5	5	"Tourist Trap"	Scott Paulin	Keith Thompson	November 4, 2000
Terrorists steal a dangerous virus and hold Cutter's tourist group hostage.
6	6	"Buried Secrets"	Corey Eubanks	Steven L. Sears & Babs Greyhosky	November 11, 2000
Sheena and Cutter are trapped in a cave while investigating an area from Sheena's childhood. And they aren't alone...
7	7	"The Lost Boy"	Nelson McCormick	Tony Blake & Paul Jackson	November 18, 2000
A runaway military school student leads a tribe against N'Gama's troops.
8	8	"Wild Thing"	Corey Eubanks	Steven L. Sears	November 25, 2000
Cutter and Kali must rescue a half transformed Sheena before a hunter (Henry Polic II) does.
9	9	"Doing as the Romans"	Jon Cassar	Craig Volk	January 13, 2001
Sheena and Cutter go undercover to rescue a woman from becoming one of N'Gama's wives.
10	10	"The Children of the LaMistas"	Scott Paulin	Tony Blake & Paul Jackson	January 20, 2001
An old enemy from the past leads Sheena and Cutter to a gene splicing nightmare....
11	11	"Prey"	Scott Paulin	Jeff Valming	January 27, 2001
Sheena and Cutter try to stop a group of hunters who target endangered species, but find themselves as prey.
12	12	"Divas of the Jungle"	Scott Paulin	Story by : Kevin Beggs & Jonathan Latt Teleplay by : Jonathan Latt	February 3, 2001
Cutter is hired to guide a photographer and models through the jungle. But the photographer isn't what he seems...
13	13	"Forbidden Fruit"	Gary Jones	Babs Greyhosky	February 10, 2001
Sheena and Cutter turn on each other after eating a mysterious fruit.
14	14	"The Fool Monty"	Gary Jones	Bill Taub	February 17, 2001
A documentary maker ends up causing a tribal war while searching for the Darak'na.
15	15	"Sanctuary"	Chuck Bowman	Tony Blake & Paul Jackson	February 24, 2001
Sheena and Cutter try to help refugees reach a sanctuary, only to get involved with a fight against the warlord's soldiers.
16	16	"Jewel"	Chuck Bowman	Story by : Steven L. Sears & Jon Valenti Teleplay by : Steven L. Sears	April 14, 2001
Sheena and a reluctant Cutter search for a tribe's pilfered jewel.
17	17	"Friendly Fire"	Terry Inghram	Babs Greyhosky	April 21, 2001
Tuli, an old friend of Sheena's, find a plant which may cure radiation poisoning, but is injured by a rival.
18	18	"Between a Rock and a Hard Place"	Terry Inghram	Babs Greyhosky	April 28, 2001
A corrupt tribe leader wants to own a sacred rock.
19	19	"Tyler Returns"	Carl Weathers	Bill Taub	May 5, 2001
An old CIA pal of Cutter's (Peter Onorati) shows up to lead a mission to kill a terrorist responsible for the death of a friend of Sheena's. Or is he there for that?
20	20	"Unsafe Passage"	Carl Weathers	Steve L. Sears	May 12, 2001
Sheena must save Kali from being sold into slavery.
21	21	"Marabunta"	Christian I. Nyby II	Deborah Schwartz	May 19, 2001
Sheena and Cutter are trapped by killer ants.
22	22	"Cult of One"	Nelson McCormick	Bill Taub	May 26, 2001
Sheena must prove the true evil of a supposedly benevolent cult leader.

Season 2 (2001–02)

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
23	1	"Rendezvous"	Chuck Bowman	Tony Blake & Paul Jackson	October 6, 2001
Sheena finds herself falling for an Interpol agent she's helping.
24	2	"The Feral King"	Carl Weathers	Story by : Christopher Mack Teleplay by : Melissa Good	October 13, 2001
Sheena must help a young woman find a feral young man, who in reality is the heir to a fortune, as a way of repaying her debt to his father, before hunters paid by the young man's evil uncle and the father's partner kill him.
25	3	"Mind Games"	Walter Von Huene	Tony Blake & Paul Jackson	October 20, 2001
An old enemy of Kali seeks to control Sheena.
26	4	"Collateral Damage"	Chuck Bowman	Rick Husky	October 27, 2001
Sheena and Cutter meet a CIA sniper being targeted for assassination by rogue operatives.
27	5	"Meltdown in Maltaka"	Jon Cassar	Gene Miller & Karen Kavner	November 3, 2001
Sheena, Cutter and Mendelsohn help a female boxer with her dreams.
28	6	"The Treasure of Sienna Mende"	Goran Gajic	Harry Dunn	November 10, 2001
Sheena and Cutter search for a treasure that could help a tribe afford irrigation supplies. But a treasure hunter has her eyes on the treasure as well.
29	7	"The Darkness"	Terry Ingram	Steven L. Sears	November 17, 2001
Is a mystic beast responsible for several deaths?
30	8	"Still Hostage After All These Years"	Walter Von Huene	Babs Greyhosky	November 24, 2001
Cutter's ex-wife is called in to negotiate a hostage situation.
31	9	"Return of the Native"	Goran Gajic	Babs Greyhosky	January 26, 2002
A former love of Sheena's returns to change Maltaka's education system.
32	10	"The Maltaka Files"	Terry Ingram	Story by : Harold Apter Teleplay by : Tony Blake & Paul Jackson	February 2, 2002
Sheena and Cutter expose the truth behind sightings of UFOs, with help from Kali and Mendelsohn.
33	11	"Stranded in the Jungle"	Carl Weathers	Carla Wagner	February 9, 2002
A group of explorers compete in a jungle trek challenge for five million US$, unaware that civil war has erupted in the area. One of the participants holds clues to Sheena's past.
34	12	"Coming to Africa"	Terry Ingram	Robin Jill Burger	February 16, 2002
A princess who was sent to the US as a child returns for an arranged intertribal marriage with a life-view which both villages find hard to comprehend, whilst sibling rivalry simmers.
35	13	"The World According to Mendehlson"	Jon Cassar	Tom Blomquist	February 23, 2002
Mendehlson is mistaken for a tribal deity when their king is poisoned, leading to the trio helping save the tribe's sacred statues.

Home media

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment released both seasons on DVD in Region 1 in 2012. Season 1 was released on June 5, 2012,[1] while season 2 was released on July 3, 2012.[2] These are Manufacture-on-Demand (MOD) releases.

On August 15, 2017, Mill Creek Entertainment re-released the complete series on DVD in Region 1 in a 6-disc set entitled Sheena - Queen of the Jungle Collection: The Movie & TV Series.[3]

References

1. Lambert, David (June 1, 2012). "Sheena - Availability Date for 'The Complete 1st Season' with Gena Lee Nolan". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
2. Gena Lee Nolin Roars on the Package Art for 'The Complete 2nd Season' Archived 2012-06-20 at the Wayback Machine
3. The 1984 Tanya Roberts Film AND The 2000 Gena Lee Nolin TV Show...TOGETHER! Archived 2017-06-10 at the Wayback Machine

External links

• Sheena at IMDb
• Sheena at TV.com
• Sheena at epguides.com