Helen of Troy 

The abduction of beautiful Helen, wife of Spartan King Menelaus, by Paris of Troy triggers a long war.

Stars:

Emilia Fox, James Callis, Daniel Lapaine

Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Emilia Fox	...	Cassandra, Princess of Troy 2 episodes, 2003
James Callis	...	Menelaus / ... 2 episodes, 2003
Daniel Lapaine	...	Hector 2 episodes, 2003
Nigel Whitmey	...	Odysseus 2 episodes, 2003
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Theseus 2 episodes, 2003
Joe Montana	...	Achilles 2 episodes, 2003
Katie Blake	...	Clytemnestra 2 episodes, 2003
Craig Kelly	...	Pollux 2 episodes, 2003
Manuel Cauchi	...	Paris' Father 2 episodes, 2003
Kristina Paris	...	Iphigenia 2 episodes, 2003
Mat Fraser	...	Calchas 2 episodes, 2003
Maryam d'Abo	...	Queen Hecuba 2 episodes, 2003
Sienna Guillory	...	Helen 2 episodes, 2003
Matthew Marsden	...	Paris 2 episodes, 2003
John Rhys-Davies	...	King Priam of Troy 2 episodes, 2003
Rufus Sewell	...	Agamemnon 2 episodes, 2003

Storyline

The abduction of beautiful Helen, wife of Spartan King Menelaus, by Paris of Troy triggers a long war.

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Plot Keywords:

trojan war | siege | character name as series title | helen of troy character | paris character | 

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Taglines:

Two empires at the edge of war. One woman at the center of it all.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Romance | War

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Did You Know?

Trivia

This adaptation changes several aspects of the original legend of Helen. The gods play almost no role in the characters' lives, Helen is not shown to have any children and it's not explained how Cassandra supposedly got her powers. Instead, the series plays the story like a brutal historical event with little supernatural elements.

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Goofs

South American parrots in a Trojan marketplace.

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Quotes

Achilles: Fall before Achilles!

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Connections

Referenced in In Praise of Action (2018)

User Reviews

What Were They Thinking?

I can't believe that the writers of this miniseries read any of the myths or the Iliad itself. The inconsistencies were truly amazing. But I guess it didn't matter, as the plot seemed to revolve around fighting and nudity. First of all Cassandra could not have told her father to kill the infant Paris; she did not receive her powers until she was a young woman. Apollo wanted her; she said yes and received the gift of prophecy; then, when she refused him, he could not take it back but cursed her that no one would believe her. Helen was not kidnapped by Theseus! Clytemnestra had three children, and Orestes and Elektra helped her wreak her vengeance for the death of Iphigenia. The gods & goddesses took a much more active part in the war, with Aphrodite telling Paris where to shoot Achilles and Athena guiding Odysseus, her favorite. The arrow in the heel meant nothing without the explanation. Agamemnon took Cassandra as part of his spoils. Hector had a wife, Andromache, whom he adored. Where was she? Where was Ajax?This was just too far from canon. One thing I did like was the loving relationship between Clytemnestra and her daughter Iphigenia; it was very understandable why she would kill Agamemnon.

As for the actors, Helen was not that beautiful. It was good to see John Rhys-Davies, but he was too thin and did not look well. Maryam D'Abo was made to look too old--an older actress should have been cast. She's still a Bond girl to me! Achilles was overplayed, and there was no reason for him to be bald. I did like Odysseus, however.

I'm not really sorry I watched it, just a little ashamed of myself for sticking out the whole four hours.

Details

Official Sites:

USA Networks

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Helen of Troy

Filming Locations:

Greece

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fuel Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

175 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1