# The Odyssey (1997)

> A battle-weary warrior spends a decade trying to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, facing monsters, gods and seductive enchantresses along the way.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/8985

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 2
- Episode runtime: 88 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, fantasy, adventure
- Created by: Andrei Konchalovsky
- Network: NBC
- Cast: Armand Assante, Greta Scacchi, Geraldine Chaplin, Isabella Rossellini, Eric Roberts, Bernadette Peters, Jeroen Krabbé, Irene Papas
- TMDB rating: 7.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118414/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: epic, earnest, melancholic, heroic, wondrous

## What critics say

Critics regard this 1997 miniseries as a positive, faithful and ambitious adaptation of Homer's epic, with strong performances and an earnest, large-scale staging.

## Synopsis

The Odyssey (1997) is a two-part American and British television miniseries created by Andrei Konchalovsky for NBC. Armand Assante plays the warrior Odysseus, whose ten-year struggle to reach his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War drives the story. Greta Scacchi plays Penelope, the faithful wife waiting for him, while Isabella Rossellini plays Athena, the goddess whose favor and interference shape his path, and Bernadette Peters plays the enchantress Circe. Each stretch of the voyage brings a new obstacle, from deadly monsters and violent storms to seductive temptations and a descent into the underworld, so the narrative moves from one trial to the next across the Mediterranean. Set in ancient Greece, the production combines sweeping outdoor scenery with grand, classical spectacle. Its tone is earnest, heroic and melancholic, with a strong undercurrent of longing for home and the constant pressure of divine will. Fans of Jason and the Argonauts, Troy and Clash of the Titans will find resonance in its mythic scale and sense of ancient adventure, and viewers who enjoy faithful literary adaptations will appreciate its respect for the source poem.

## Shows like The Odyssey

- [Blood of Zeus (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/92684)
- [Merlin (1998)](https://ember.film/tv/38194)
- [Moby Dick (1998)](https://ember.film/tv/28585)
- [Arabian Nights (2000)](https://ember.film/tv/19058)
- [Xena: Warrior Princess (1995)](https://ember.film/tv/4394)
- [Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/15274)
- [Troy: Fall of a City (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/62185)
- [Marco Polo (1982)](https://ember.film/tv/6050)
- [Ulysses 31 (1981)](https://ember.film/tv/3827)
- [Gulliver's Travels (1996)](https://ember.film/tv/12746)

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