Raven: The Secret Temple
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Raven: The Secret Temple | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Children's Game Show |
| Starring | James Mackenzie Tara Sharma |
| Theme music composer | David Brockett |
| Country of origin |  United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Location(s) |  India |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC |
| Original airing | 2007 |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
Raven: The Secret Temple is a BBC Scotland children's adventure game show, and the second spin-off to the main series, Raven. It comprises one series, which aired first on the CBBC Channel, and then during CBBC on BBC One in the UK, in 2007. In this series, warriors compete as teams and attempt to collect as many jewels as possible by completing fourteen tasks, so that they may find and enter the Secret Temple.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
For more information of the plot arc over the course of the series, see Challenges.
After his homeland is held frozen captive under the icy grip of his enemy, the evil Nevar, Raven travels to a distant, Eastern land, with sixteen of his young warriors in the hopes of finding the Secret Temple. Within the temple lies the elixir that will restore his homeland to its former glory and release his land from Nevar's spell. In the East, he finds an ally in Satyarani, who will guide Raven and his warriors to the temple, but only if they prove their worthiness by completing fourteen perilous tasks; only the strongest warrior will be able to enter the temple and retrieve the elixir from within.
[edit] Format
Similar to Raven, the series features a set of challenges that warriors must undertake, with the sixteen warriors being whittled down over time as warriors are lost during each challenge. However, in contrast, the warriors are split into four teams of four, each under a different standard and different colour of clothing: the Panthers (purple), the Eagles (red), the Wolves (orange) and the Tigers (yellow). Each has a team leader, which was decided initially by two challenges for each team, the winner becoming the leader. Each day, the teams complete (separately) one of fourteen different challenges in an attempt to collect jewels, which may be used to bring a team member back should they be eliminated.
In further contrast to the main Raven series, there are no lives for each warrior. If a warrior is lost during a challenge, for instance, running out of time in a timed game, the warrior is eliminated. Satyarani, who governs the rules of the challenges, decrees that a warrior may be brought back in exchange for eight jewels, should the team choose to do so; however, this may only occur once for each warrior. Should a warrior be eliminated twice, they may not be brought back, regardless of whether the team has enough jewels to do so.
[edit] Characters
Raven (James Mackenzie): Raven returns in this series, travelling to a distant Eastern land to guide the sixteen warriors through their quest to discover the Secret Temple and find the sacred elixir within that will restore his homeland. He must also ensure their safety by battling Nevar and the demons he has brought with him.
Nevar (in this series, Nageswara Rao): After freezing Raven's homeland, the mysterious cloaked, dark figure follows Raven to the Eastern land to attempt to stop his warriors from completing their quest, commanding an army of demons and using an all-seeing eye, a dish of water through which he can spy on Raven and his warriors as they complete their quest. He is referred to as the Dark One by Satyarani.
Satyarani (Tara Sharma): Satyarani is a friend and ally of Raven's. A princess, fashioned from the earth itself, and with an ability to transport herself through the air as if dust, she inhabits the Eastern land and guides the warriors through challenges, helping Raven on the journey to the Secret Temple. Perhaps less compassionate, and more doubting than Raven about his warriors, she often visits them at the start and the end of the day to question them about the choices they have made.
[edit] Warriors
Sixteen warriors started the quest, with four to each team; the leader for each team was decided on the first day through two trials. As with the main Raven series, each warrior is given their own warrior name, comprising a mix of letters from the first name and surname. Each team has distinct colours reflected in their standards and their Eastern-inspired outfits.
The teams and warriors are listed below, with yellow cells indicating the warrior went through to the finals. The warrior in blue indicates the winner.
| Panthers | Warrior Name | Real Name | Elimination 1 | Elimination 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonro (L1)* | Rob McPherson | Field Of The Dead* | 1st | ||
| Arton | Jonathan Strachkem | Obelisks of the Sun | Chariots | 13th | |
| Aksu (L2) | Supriya Chak | The Gulley | 9th | ||
| Yonra | Robyn Leonard | Temple Spirit Run | The Gulley | 7th |
| Eagles | Warrior Name | Real Name | Elimination 1 | Elimination 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yeada (L) | Thea Day | Stepping Stones | Snakes and Ladders | 6th | |
| Taylan | Angus Taylor | Thrall Threads | Snake Charmer | 5th | |
| Karja | Janhvi Devalekar | The Way Of The Dead | 4th | ||
| Samra | Raghav | Stepping Stones** | 12th |
| Wolves | Warrior Name | Real Name | Elimination 1 | Elimination 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Desot (L) | Tom Isted | Field of the Dead | The Gulley | 8th | |
| Lymel | Clemmie Bailey | Thrall Threads | Stepping Stones | 10th | |
| Tibor | Rob Whitmore | Temple Spirit Run** | 16th | ||
| Nebra | Sanchia | Thrall Threads** | 15th |
| Tigers | Warrior Name | Real Name | Elimination 1 | Elimination 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marca (L) | Carys Thomas | Thrall Threads | Three-Headed Serpent | 3rd | |
| Sohar | Charlie Moss McCrory | Three-Headed Serpent | 2nd | ||
| Jenro | Joe Turner | Waters of Time*** | 14th | ||
| Hadav | Diveakksh | Pillars of Courage | Chariots | 11th |
* Stripped of leadership after being brought back.
** Team elected not to bring the warrior back.
*** Not enough jewels to be brought back.
[edit] Challenges
Seven virtues must be completed before the warriors may enter the Secret Temple, and each has two trials for the warriors to complete, making fourteen challenges in all. In each challenge, four jewels are available to be won.
Speed
- Temple Spirit Run: Bags containing either sand or jewels are suspended from the ceiling, and are raised and lowered repeatedly. The warriors must run and jump to grab the bags and find one of four that contains a jewel and present it to the sole spirit guard keeping watch before the time runs out, lest he eliminate them from their quest.
- Waters of Time: Speed is of the essence in this challenge, where the warriors must run carrying water from one side, to the long containers at the other. Filling the containers raises the precious jewel so that the warrior may reach in and receive their reward. If the jewel is not held when the second drum beats, the warrior will be eliminated.
Strength
- Obelisks Of The Sun: The warriors must reconstruct a shattered statue by carrying the pieces to the top of the hill and assembling them, within the time limit. Doing so will focus the sunlight to produce a jewel; failure to do so will result in the warrior's elimination.
- Chariots: Each warrior sits in a chariot that they must move forward by pulling on a guide rope, and tug themselves over the bumps that block an otherwise speedy path. They must collect the pieces of tube along the way that, when constructed, allows them to unhook a jewel bag strung high overhead. Failure to do retrieve a jewel and make it back to the start within the time limit will end the warrior's quest.
Agility
- Bridge/Stepping Stones: The team of warriors must traverse a set of rocks without touching the ground, collecting jewel bags along the way, that may contain either pebbles or jewels. Should they touch the ground, they will be eliminated. Bridge provides the warriors with planks of wood they may use to cross from stone to stone. Stepping Stones provides no such support, and warriors must jump to find their way to the exit.
- Thrall Threads: A tangled web awaits the team of warriors, who must traverse through the threads without knocking any of them, as this will cause bells attached to the strings to ring, alerting the blinded spirit guards to their presence and eliminating them instantly. Several jewel bags are attached in hard-to-reach positions, delicately connected to the threads themselves.
Courage
- Pillars Of Courage: Courage is tested, as each warrior must traverse the gaps between a set of sturdy pillars, from one side of a building to the other. Failure to find this courage, or loose footing resulting in the warrior falling, will see that warrior's quest come to an abrupt end. Jewel bags are suspended above each pillar for those warriors brave enough to reach high above them.
- The Ledge: Courage is once again tested at great heights, each warrior tasked with making their way from one side of a building to the other, with a thin ledge their only path. Any warrior who lacks the courage, or should fall, will no longer be a part of the quest. Jewel bags may be reached above a warrior's head.
Leadership
- Enchanted Demons: The warriors must each pick up a rope, connected to the centre of a circle guarded by spirit guards, and use the hook in the centre to pick up a casket containing the jewels. The guards, normally kept in slumber owing to an enchantment read by an old man nearby, will wake when the ropes are taken up and the man becomes silent, and begin to pace round the circle, becoming ever faster. Should the guards touch either the warrior or the ropes, that warrior will be eliminated.
- Field of the Dead: One warrior is elected to be blindfolded, and be guided by another warrior through a time-worn field that was once host to a great battle. Jewel bags are suspended in strategic locations; the blindfolded warrior must be careful not to touch the many strewn swords, weaponry, skulls and fallen men, or they too will find their end on this field.
Wisdom
- Rangoli Ring: A set of symbols are placed around a large circle, with the jewels placed on a pillar in the centre. However, the circle will erupt into flame if approached, unless the warriors are able to draw the correct symbols missing from three of the surrounding circles. The warriors must identify the correct completed drawing from the five presented to them, and transcribe the three missing symbols accurately into the empty circles using the colour powders provided, and within the time limit, or the jewels will be lost. On completing the symbols, any mistakes made will cause the fire to erupt when a stone is tossed into the centre, whilst a correct set of symbols will allow them to pass freely and collect the jewels as their reward.
- Riddle Trap: A riddle is read to the warriors by Satyarani, who must complete the sum and identify the corresponding symbol from the result in their book. On finding the correct symbol, a warrior must traverse the walkway ahead of them, using only that symbol, and retrieve the four jewels that lie at the far side of the path. On doing so, two spiked walls will begin to close in, and the warrior must make it back to the starting point before the walls close in on them. Stepping on the wrong symbol in haste will cause jewels to be lost.
Accuracy
- Giant Catapult: Aiming skills are tested, as the warriors must fire rocks from a giant catapult to knock down as many of the four jars containing jewels as they can.
- Archery: The warriors must fire twelve arrows at targets that open and close repeatedly, in order that the jewel bags drop from the targets above. They must also be mindful of the spirit guards that approach from behind, advancing ever closer as time wears on.
[edit] The Gulley
At the conclusion of the fourteen tasks, Satyarani allowed passage to the finals for the team with the most jewels gained from the tasks. Of the remaining three teams, only those that were able to complete The Gulley were allowed through. This challenge consisted of a crawl underneath a rope section, followed by shields on ropes which the warriors had to pull, and finally a climb over a wall of boulders. Three warriors fell in the Gulley and hence did not go forward to the final: Aksu and Yonra of the Panthers, and Desot of the Wolves.
[edit] Temple Challenges
An additional set of challenges were then posed for the remaining warriors, who grouped together as one team, initially under the leadership of Yeada. Elimination in any of these challenges ended the warrior's quest, and eliminated warriors are marked in bold in the challenges listed, which are also listed in the order they were played. Yeada, the leader, was the first to be eliminated; Taylan was then elected leader. On Taylan's elimination, the warriors rolled their dice to decide the leader, and Sohar rolled the highest number, becoming the next leader.
Meanwhile, as the action moves from outside to the Citadel, Raven has doubts as to whether Satyarani is correct about the demons' supposed inability to cross the Citadel walls when he believes that he sees demons seemingly walking through them, and grows increasingly frustrated with the further tests and his inability to guard his warriors, at Satyarani's insistence. Although Raven finds the tests unusual and seemingly without aim, she explains that the tests are showing her who are the strongest warriors: Vajra Scales demonstrates who was thinking clearly, and who was not; Snakes and Ladders shows who had the instinct to survive; and Catapult Drop showed who remained calm in the face of adversity. Whilst Raven initially expresses disbelief that a warrior may be eliminated due to chance in Snake Charmer, Satyarani explains that it is a test of nerve and bravery, as each warrior must volunteer to take their turn.
- Citadel Gates: A riddle must be solved so that the letters corresponding to the answer can be matched against symbols that will, in turn, open the gates to the Citadel. The warriors use the letters to slide a set of symbols into the correct place so that the word reads vertically.
- Alchemist's Potion: The warriors buy the correct ingredients from the marketplace using a riddle posed to them by Satyarani, and mix them, pouring the results into six bottles, one for each warrior.
- Golden Stone: Symbols are briefly displayed to the warrior in a fire on a stone by pouring their potions into a bowl one at a time. The warriors must commit these symbols to memory, and write them down in a book.
- Statues: Three statues are present, each clutching a scroll in their hand. The warriors must identify the correct statue using the symbols they wrote down, make the correct offering, and obtain the scroll.
- Vajra Scales: The warriors must balance the scales correctly by emptying bags of sand into the trays in correct amounts. The mirrors in a second set of scales turn black over time, and the warriors must retrieve at least one by ensuring their scales are balanced; retrieving a mirror when the scales are unbalanced will cause elimination.
- Snakes and Ladders: This challenge is played much like the traditional game, with a Snake Demon at the end of the board. The warriors take it in turn to roll the dice and move around the board, in a bid to reach the end; the demon also moves first on each warrior's turn and moves in the opposite direction, and should it land next to a warrior, that warrior is transported back to the beginning. In addition, each player has one chance to nominate another player to take their move. Yeada nominated Marca to take her move, who went on to escape, whilst Yeada herself was soon sent back to the beginning. As the last warrior on the board, she was eliminated by the demon.
- Catapult Drop: The warriors must hit a target on the wall, releasing a rope which the warriors must then use to abseil down the side of a building collecting parchments with symbols on them. At the end of this challenge, the rope disappeared and the warriors were, seemingly, stuck between the walls of the building.
- No Way Out: After becoming trapped, the warriors decide to put their parchment pieces together, which produces a new riddle for them to examine. Symbols also appear on the wall, and the warriors must find and touch the pairs of symbols that appear on the combined parchment. As they must touch all pairs of symbols simultaneously, this involved some warriors using their feet to reach some symbols. When the symbols are touched, a gap appears in the wall, and the warriors must assemble two columns using the broken pieces found in the previous room. When this is assembled, a portal appears to bring them back to the Citadel.
- Sign in the Sand: Back in the marketplace, Satyarani shows the warriors a snake-like symbol which they must search for. The marketplace holds many symbols, many on signs scattered around the area, but the warriors soon realise that the symbol is in fact found on a man's headscarf, and upon paying him, find that he plays them a tune which they must memorise.
- Snake Charmer: The warriors must listen to three snake charmers, picking the one that plays the tune that matches that played to them previously. On picking the correct charmer, they must individually select one of five baskets surrounding that snake charmer, with each warrior volunteering to take their turn; whilst four baskets are empty and will transport that warrior to the Temple when they climb inside, one basket contains a snake, and for the warrior choosing that basket, their quest is over. Taylan, who chose to go second after Marca, picked the second basket from the right, which contained the snake, and was eliminated from the quest. This challenge was based on luck.
- Chamber of the Red Demons: Four amulets hidden in the walls must be found, and demons in the chamber must be kept docile by reflecting a beam of light into their eyes using the mirrors gained previously in Vajra Scales.
- The Door to the Underworld: To gain access to the inner sanctum, the warriors must solve a riddle to align the three wheels barring the door.
At this point, Raven decides to join the warriors to the end of the quest. Satyarani agrees, but warns him that he must not enter the final chamber, lest the walls collapse, for only mortals may enter the chamber. He waits patiently outside the chamber.
- Cave of Fear: Each warrior must enter the cave in turn to find a key. The four keys are to be found in a hole of cockroaches, a pot filled with slime and snakes, a second bowl of slime, and finally in the skeletal hand of a demon, which is pulled off when the key is taken.
- The Way of the Dead: The warriors must each follow a path from one end of the cave to another over planks that are positioned over stepping stones; when a warrior reaches the end, their path disappears. Karja, who went second, was eliminated when her board snapped after stepping on it.
[edit] Final Challenge
- Chamber of the Three-Headed Serpent: A riddle shows the path the warriors must take; they must step across a pathway using the correct symbols that spell out serpent, picking up a ring along the way. The ring is placed on the end of a long serpent, which the warriors must then stand and balance on, and walk across to the end, avoiding the swinging maces along the way. Sohar and Marca both fell from the snake, and were eliminated. The remaining warrior, Sonro, then climbed a rope to obtain a vessel.
- Well of the Three-Headed Serpent: Having gained the vessel, Sonro must fill it with the elixir that will free Raven's homeland from Nevar's grip. The bowl containing the elixir is surrounded by snakes. Sonro must then retrace his steps, over the snake path and the symbols to the beginning of the Chamber.
When told about the loss of two of the three warriors by Satyarani, who watches through a viewing portal, Raven is determined to protect the sole survivor. Satyarani informs Raven that he may look into the chamber, but that placing a foot in the chamber will bring it down around him. However, Nevar appears, and is close to eliminating Sonro with his Staff of Power when Raven interrupts, and a battle ensues, allowing Sonro to escape with Satyarani's assistance.
- Escape from the Underworld: Sonro must decipher one final riddle. Should he enter the three-digit number correctly on the spindle in front of him, the correct portal of the two in the wall will open, and he will escape; an incorrect number will open the other portal, which will lead to his oblivion.
With Sonro entering the correct number and escaping, Raven and Nevar fight in the Time of Reckoning; Raven is pushed backwards, and the Temple collapses. Satyarani congratulates Sonro outside the temple, but informs him of the loss of Raven. All is not as it seems, for Raven joins the successful warrior and Satyarani outside, having transformed into his bird form and flying faster than a man can flee.
Sonro gains a Golden Staff for being the victorious warrior, and is to be known as "Sonro, Guardian of the Golden Staff, Hero of the Eastern Land, Conqueror of the Secret Temple". Raven takes the elixir, and with it, he will be able to restore his homeland. Satyarani returns to her land, and Sonro and Raven begin their journey home.
Nevar has seemingly perished in the ruins of the temple; however, at the end of the final credits, his eye is seen to open beneath his mask - clearly, he has not been vanquished as Raven and Satyarani had thought.
[edit] Production
The series was commissioned as part of the BBC's marking of the 60th anniversary of India and Pakistan's independence[1]. It was filmed in 2007 on location at Ramoji Film City near Hyderabad, India, [1]; it was directed by Maria Stewart and produced by Dougie Napier, who have been involved with past Raven productions.
The Secret Temple website game [2] was nominated by BAFTA Scotland for an award under the Best Interactive category[2], but ultimately lost out to Championship Manager 2007.
[edit] References
- ^ Christine Jardine. Children’s television clings to Raven’s wings.
- ^ The Lloyds TSB BAFTA Scotland Awards 2007.
