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Legend of the Seeker campaign set to continue

Fans of Legend of the Seeker have launched a multi-pronged effort to build visibility and audience for their show, despite the fact that Legend of the Seeker has been cancelled. Their aim is to help producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert find a new distribution channel for a third season.

Recent activities including raising $3000 for an advertisement in The Hollywood Reporter and a live podcast for Labor Day Weekend’s Dragon*Con in Atlanta.

To help promote the fan community’s activities and assist in building audience for the show, Project LOTS More is organizing free publicity and blogosphere coverage of the ongoing fan activities. SaveOurSeeker.com, one of the leading fan websites, has been coordinating the print ad campaign, raising money for advertisements as well as a bus stop near ABC Studios’ Burbank office. The website has also made poster tear sheets, other printed materials, and iTunes gift cards available to fans organizing Seeker Visibility Events at major conventions like Comic Con 2010 and Dragon*Con.

TheSeekerCast.com provides a frequent downloadable podcast for Legend of the Seeker fans. Podcast staff member Kevin Bachelder has been helping organize fan activities for Dragon*Con, which is one of the world’s largest science fiction conventions. Bachelder’s group is also organizing a Con Suite party, a photo meet up, and other activities at the convention.  Dragon*Con is held over the Labor Day Weekend in Atlanta.

Forums.LegendoftheSeeker.com serves as a major hub for fans organizing events and sharing new ideas. Many news stories are reported there as well. The Dragon*Con and advertising campaigns were organized by members of this forum community.

Legend of the Seeker was produced by Pacific Renaissance Pictures, the studio operated by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert in New Zealand. ABC Studios owned the syndicated distribution rights. Legend of the Seeker is based on the Terry Goodkind Sword of Truth novels. Save Our Seeker and Save The Seeker are fan-created campaign slogans.

Although Terry Goodkind has expressed encouragement to the fans, the Save Our Seeker and Save The Seeker fan initiatives do not represent Pacific Renaissance Pictures, ABC Studios, or Terry Goodkind.

Posted: August 31st, 2010
Author: Lee
Categories: Terry Goodkind

Save our Seeker campaign continues with DVD donations, a new ad and fan videos

Having raised over $20,000 in less than one month, the "Save Our Seeker" campaign has been focusing its efforts on gaining the attention of potential distributors and promoting ‘Legend of the Seeker’ to its rapidly growing fan-base. Those behind the campaign have been working nonstop, organizing a worldwide DVD campaign of the 1st season of ‘Legend of the Seeker’ and donating them to public libraries in major metropolitan areas in the United States.

The campaign recently received a significant boost when Terry Goodkind, the creator of the best selling “The Sword of Truth” series, on which “Legend of the Seeker” is based, announced his support for the fan-led campaign. In collaboration with Mr. Goodkind, a DVD campaign was organized with the result of 250 DVDs being purchased for donation, plus over 50 autographed DVDs going to many donors.

“As a small stand-alone library, without the resources of a large library system, we have a very limited DVD budget. I would be happy to add this series to our collection, especially with its connection to the Terry Goodkind books which we do have in our collection,” said Janice Burwash of Burlington Public Library .

Adding to the campaign, fans united on Wednesday, May 26th, to purchase the Season 1 DVD bringing sales to #8 on Amazon.com’s Action/Adventure list.

In addition, the fanbase further demonstrates its unity, as showcased in the "International Fan Video Project", where viewers explain why they want to save ‘Legend of the Seeker,’ as well as the "Markers" video, where fans visually represent the marks the show has left, and continue to leave on its fans. Both videos were produced by teams of fans.

For more information, visit the Save Our Seeker website.

• Wizard’s First Rule book review

Posted: June 8th, 2010
Author: Lee
Categories: Terry Goodkind

Save The Legend of The Seeker campaign gathers momentum

A second “Save Our Seeker” fan-created, full-page advertisement went to print on May 14th, and was published in The Hollywood Reporter. Reinforcing the message of the first ad, this second advertisement is again a statement of support for a third season of ‘Legend of the Seeker,’ as well as a genuine thank you to executive producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, Disney/ABC and the cast and crew.

On April 26, 2010 Entertainment Weekly reported that ‘Legend of the Seeker’ had been canceled after only two seasons, but the fans hope that their passionate efforts will result in a third season. Thus, a second call for participation was put forth for design entries and fans voted again to choose their favorite ad. The winning design, created by Miriam Kintscher, who also created the first ad, is the representation of the fans’ energy, passion and gratitude.

The ‘Save Our Seeker’ campaign received an enormous boost on May 9th, when Terry Goodkind, the creator of the best selling series “Sword of Truth” on which ‘Legend of the Seeker’ is based, announced his support for the fan-led campaign. “I’m proud to lend my support to the ‘Save Our Seeker’ fan community,” says Terry Goodkind. “Your words and your efforts are getting notice. Now more than ever is time to rise in support of Richard and Kahlan,” also asserts Goodkind. As a result of the fans’ enthusiasm and Goodkind’s support, saveourseeker.com traffic has increased exponentially reaching 66,000 hits and 49,000 unique visitors. Fans around the world continue working tirelessly to raise money, sign online petitions, send letters, cards, and even videos to ABC Studios, and local TV stations. To date, $12,000 have been raised to not only purchase the ads in ‘Daily Variety’ and ‘The Hollywood Reporter, but to strive forward with campaign activities as well.

Posted: May 15th, 2010
Author: Lee
Categories: Terry Goodkind

The second series of Legend of the Seeker looks set to be last

There appears to be some bad news for fans of Legend of the Seeker. The fantasy adaptation, based on Terry Goodkind’s The Sword of Truth novels, looks like it has been cancelled with the appeal of Hercules/Xena-style fantasy seemingly dwindling all the time.

It was last month that the writing first began appearing on the wall when many of the Tribune Station Group’s markets dropped the show completely, due to low ratings, and ABC Studios best efforts to find replacements came to nothing.

The show premiered on November 1, 2008 ran for forty episodes over two seasons and was distributed in the US by Disney-ABC Domestic Television, and produced by ABC Studios. The executive producers were Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, Joshua Donen, Ned Nalle.

For those who are new to the series and have no prior knowledge of the Terry Goodkind books, here is the synopsis that accompanies the first book, Wizard’s First Rule.

One man, Richard Cypher, holds the key to the fate of three nations, of humanity. But until he learns the Wizard’s First Rule his chances of succeeding in his task are slim. And his biggest problem is admitting that magic exists at all… A novel of incomparable scope and brimming with atmospheric detail: in a world where heart hounds stalk the boundaries for unwary human prey, blood-sucking flies hunt on behalf of their underworld masters, and where artists can draw more than your likeness, there is no place to hide, nowhere safe. Here magic makes love twice as sweet, betrayal and loss twice as bitter.

Terry Goodkind’s [link to biography] first novel, Wizard’s First Rule [link to book review] immediately established him as one of the worlds bestselling authors. Each subsequent book in the Sword of Truth series sold better than the one before and some twenty million copies of books in the series have now been sold. He lives in the USA.

Posted: May 4th, 2010
Author: Lee
Categories: Terry Goodkind

Terry Goodkind signs new three-book deal with Tor

Tor Books has announced that it has signed a three-book deal with fantasy author Terry Goodkind.

The first is to be a new Richard and Kahlan novel, characters from Goodkind’s previous New York Times best-selling "Sword of Truth" books, and is due for release in early 2011.

Goodkind is returning to Tor after writing several non-fantasy books.

"We are excited to publish Terry Goodkind again. Millions of people delight in the novels of Richard and Kahlan and eagerly await the continuation of their story,” said Tom Doherty, president and publisher of Tor Books in a recent statement.

Twenty-five million copies of Goodkind’s 12-book series have been sold worldwide and have been translated into more than 20 languages.

One man, Richard Cypher, holds the key to the fate of three nations, of humanity. But until he learns the Wizard’s First Rule his chances of succeeding in his task are slim. And his biggest problem is admitting that magic exists at all…A novel of incomparable scope and brimming with atmospheric detail: in a world where heart hounds stalk the boundaries for unwary human prey, blood-sucking flies hunt on behalf of their underworld masters, and where artists can draw more than your likeness, there is no place to hide, nowhere safe. Here magic makes love twice as sweet, betrayal and loss twice as bitter.

Wizard’s First Rule book review

Posted: April 20th, 2010
Author: Lee
Categories: Terry Goodkind

Round-up: JA Rowling, Bath-time for Pullman and Le Guin not finished yet

A round-up of fantasy news around the world.

A rare JK Rowling uncorrected proof sells for £1,600
An uncorrected proof edition of JK Rowling’s very first Harry Potter book has been sold for £1600 at auction.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, attributed to JA Rowling was bought by a collector at Edinburgh’s Lyon & Turnbull auction house. The copy was sent to critics and booksellers around the UK by Bloomsbury shortly after taking Rowling on.

The book, which also contains spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, was famously written on an old manual typewriter in coffee shops around Edinburgh.

Twilight seeps top spots in USA TODAYS’s best-selling books of 2009
For the second year in a row, Stephenie Meyer has swept the top four spots in USA TODAY’s lists of the best-selling books of 2009. Not even JK Rowling achieved this.

Books for children and teenagers accounted for 29% of sales recorded in 2009. Altogether, last year the Meyer books added up to £29.3m in sales – 10% of the total children’s book  sales, according to Nielson BookScan, which compiles the best-seller lists for several national newspapers.

Philip Pullman’s Bath-time
Poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, thriller writer Robert Goddard and celebrated cult writer Philip Pullman are just three of the internationally acclaimed writers who will be visiting Bath over the coming weeks.

Philip Pullman comes to Bath on April 1. The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is his spellbinding retelling of the life of Jesus. Philip comes to Bath to discuss his new work, which is part novel, part history and part fairytale. He will discuss the tensions inherent in the dual nature of Jesus Christ and explore some of the myths and mysteries of the gospels that have helped shape human history in the last two millennia. The event is at the Guildhall at 8pm. Tickets £9 with £9 off the book. Tickets £7 when booked in person at the bookshop.

Random House to raise funds for new new television, toys, video games, and film projects
Random House Children’s Screen Entertainment will be looking to raise $100 million in order to create new television, toys, video games and film projects. The group was created when Random House Children’s Books struck a partnership with the UK production company, Komixx Entertainment.

A number of authors and illustrators could see more properties developed with Philip Pullman and Terry Pratchett having already been mentioned. Komixx intends to go out into the market for RHCSE in March. It may yet approach an existing film and television financier such as Aramid Capital to help it raise the money. The $100 million will be used to develop cartoons and live-action films and television series based on RHCB properties, as well as video games and toys.

Ursula Le Guin plans next move after resigning over Google Book Settlement
Ursula Le Guin says she wants to do more than simply resign in protest. On the Book View Cafe Blog, she says she’s heard from many writers who agree with her and wants to start marshalling that collective sentiment.

“How, where, can I ask writers who are unhappy with the Settlement to speak up – to stand up and be counted? We don’t have to agree on every detail, but I think there are a lot of us who see it as urgently important to let it be known that writers support the principle of copyright, and want the Copyright Office, the judges, the publishers, and the libraries to know that we intend to keep control of our work, in print or out, printed or electronic, believing that the people who do the work, rather than any corporation, should have the major voice in how it’s used and who profits from it.”

Oscar nominated Keisha Castle-Hughes to appear in Legend Of The Seeker
Keisha Castle-Hughes, the youngest woman ever nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award will be a guest star on an episode of Legend of the Seeker.

Castle-Hughes, who originally rose to prominence in 2002 for her role in the New Zealand film Whale Rider. The actress recently starred in projects such as Hey, Hey, It’s Esther Blueburger and Piece of My Heart. She also portrayed the Virgin Mary in The Nativity Story and had a small role in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

In Legend of the Seeker, Castle-Hughes will play a mysterious young woman who claims to be the Creator, the incarnation of God.

Posted: January 16th, 2010
Author: Lee
Categories: JK Rowling, Philip Pullman, Stephenie Meyer, Terry Goodkind, Terry Pratchett, Ursula Le Guin

Second season of Legend of the Seeker to premiere in November

The action-adventure series “Legend of the Seeker” will premiere its second season the weekend of November 7th, it was announced at the 2009 Comic-Con International Convention.

Shot with the exotic and rugged New Zealand landscape as its backdrop, the weekly series has resumed production on 22 all-new action-packed episodes. Combining elements of fantasy, adventure, magic, mystery and romance with state of the art visual effects and a high level of action, “Legend of the Seeker” is an adaptation of internationally best-selling author Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth book series.

The executive producers also announced that actress Tabrett Bethell will join the cast as a series regular. Bethell reprises her role as Cara, a Mord’Sith that will create tension between Richard and Kahlan. Additionally, actress Charisma Carpenter, best known for her starring role as Cordelia on the long-running hit series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel,” will guest star in the season premiere as a wicked Mord’Sith named Triana.

In the upcoming second season, Richard, Kahlan and Zedd will encounter an array of rich and compelling new characters, both good and evil, and they will be tested in ways that they never could have imagined. The trio will discover that in defeating the bloodthirsty tyrant Darken Rahl, their victory is short-lived as they inadvertently unleashed an even greater evil on the world.

The series is produced by ABC Studios and distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Ken Biller, Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, Ned Nalle and Josh Donen serve as executive producers. The series airs Saturdays and Sundays in national syndication.

Source: TV by the Numbers

Terry Goodkind was born in 1948 and raised in Nebraska in the United States. Goodkind, slightly unusually for an author, suffers from dyslexia. He worked as a carpenter and a rare artefact restorer and painted some beautiful marine and wildlife paintings. His main reason for writing fantasy novels is to inspire.

Fantasy Book Review of Wizard’s First Rule
Richard Cypher holds the fate of three nations in his hands, he must learn the Wizard’s First Rule to achieve his goals. The heart hounds are stalking the humans, blood sucking flies are abound and nowhere is safe. Magic makes love stronger and despair harder.

Posted: July 31st, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: Terry Goodkind

Sci-Fi acquires Legend of the Seeker

NBC Universal-owned cable network Sci-Fi has acquired the UK pay-TV rights to fantasy drama Legend of the Seeker (two seasons of 22×60′) from Disney-ABC-ESPN Television.

The story centres on woodsman Richard Cypher, played by Australian actor Craig Horner, who unwittingly possesses magical powers. He becomes duty-bound to use his skills against an evil tyrant named Darken Rahl, who commands an increasingly threatening army. The fantasy drama is based on The Sword of Truth novels by Terry Goodkind.

Legend of the Seeker premiered in the US on the ABC network in 2008 and was confirmed for a second season earlier this year.

Sci-Fi has picked up several US drama acquisitions in recent years that have gone on to become cult hits, ranging from Heroes – debuting in the UK on Sci-Fi before its move to the BBC – to Dollhouse, from Buffy creator Joss Whedon.

Charlotte Ashton, vice president of programming and marketing, NBC Universal Global Networks UK, said: “Legend of the Seeker is an exciting addition to the channel’s summer primetime schedule. In keeping with our other first run offerings Knight Rider and Dollhouse, its pedigree has ensured one of the most anticipated fantasy series launches of 2009. The sword-n-sorcery sub-genre has a worthy new hero in Legend of The Seeker, which we expect the UK audience to fully embrace.”

Terry Goodkind was born in 1948 and raised in Nebraska in the United States. Goodkind, slightly unusually for an author, suffers from dyslexia. He worked as a carpenter and a rare artifact restorer and painted some beautiful marine and wildlife paintings. His main reason for writing fantasy novels is to inspire.

Posted: July 2nd, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: Terry Goodkind

Legend of the Seeker will be back for a second season

Tribune has renewed Disney’s and Sam Raimi’s ‘Legend of the Seeker,’ for a second season in syndication.

Disney’s experiment in reviving the firstrun syndie drama biz with the Sam Raimi-produced “Legend of the Seeker” has paid off with a second-season renewal on the Tribune Broadcasting stations.

Filmed in New Zealand and based on Terry Goodkind‘s “Sword of Truth” book series, “Seeker” has delivered a credible 2.0 household rating or so in its run to date. It scored a 1.6 household rating for the week ended Jan. 11.

Its two-hour premiere in November posted a 2.9, indicating an appetite among viewers for the kitschy fantasy-action genre that peaked in the late 1990s with “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and “Xena: Warrior Princess.”

Tribune’s stations account for 35% of “Seeker’s” national clearances and cover most of its key top markets.

Source: Variety

Posted: February 4th, 2009
Author: Lee
Categories: Terry Goodkind

Legend of the Seeker available to download at the US iTunes store

If you miss an episode of ABC-Disney’s Legend of the Seeker you can now download full episodes on iTunes for $1.99 or $2.99 for hi-def. The downloads will be available the Monday after each new episode airs.

Unfortunately, an ABC media rep told me that the downloads will only be available in the US.

The one-hour action-adventure fantasy series, “Legend of the Seeker” is an adaptation of author Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth book series.

Whilst building his own home in the middle of a forest on Mount Desert Island, Maine, Terry Goodkind began writing his first novel. The novel later became Wizard’s First Rule and was published in 1994. So began a series of books that formed the Sword of Truth series. The following year, in 1995, Stone of Tears was published and Blood of the Fold followed this in 1996. Of all of the Sword of Truth books only Wizard’s Rule and Stone of Tears have failed to reach the New York Times Bestseller List.

Wizard’s First Rule book review

Posted: November 8th, 2008
Author: Lee
Categories: Terry Goodkind