Television series

Beastmaster

Name: Beastmaster
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Released: 1999
Cast: Daniel Goddard, Jackson Raine, Steven Grives, Monika Schnarre, Marjean Holden

A syndicated late-90s sword-and-sorcery series where a wandering warrior communes with animals to fight tyranny. It's cheerfully unpretentious fantasy TV: leather armour, earnest dialogue, creatures that talk back, and plots that prioritise fun over logic. For people who loved Hercules and Xena but want something slightly different, or who find pleasure in adventure shows that don't take themselves seriously.

TVMaze rating

3.4

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love episodic sword-and-sorcery where a lone wanderer and his animal companions drop into a new village or ruin each week, and the pleasure is in the fights, the creatures and a cheerfully old-fashioned sense of adventure.

Skip it if you want serialized plotting, sharp dialogue or a grounded, gritty tone; the 1999 syndication look is earnest and campy, and the stakes often feel modest and self-contained.

What it asks of you: Sixty-minute episodes that mostly stand alone, so you can dip in anywhere; it asks for patience with dated effects and a willingness to take its fantasy at face value.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys1994

Same era, same syndication circuit, same blend of action and humour. Kevin Sorbo's charisma carries monster-of-the-week storytelling that occasionally touches something genuine beneath the camp.

But The tone lurches unpredictably between serious drama and slapstick. Four seasons deep and it becomes repetitive—Hercules solves problems the same way each time.

Xena: Warrior Princess1995

Lucy Lawless elevates everything around her. The show grows braver with mythology, the fight choreography is genuinely inventive, and it's willing to get weird and dark in ways Beastmaster only hints at.

But Early seasons are rougher than later ones. If you can't find the chemistry between Xena and Gabrielle compelling, the show loses its emotional anchor fast.

The Librarians2014

Modern take on the same DNA: a ragtag team using supernatural knowledge to fight hidden wars. Sharp writing, genuine affection for fantasy tropes, and the willingness to be ridiculous when the story calls for it.

But Starts as a TV movie that tries to do too much too quickly. Finding your footing with the characters takes patience; the early pacing is scattered.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Beastmaster

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Manimal1983

Both centre on a protagonist whose supernatural communion with animals is treated as genuinely useful rather than decorative. Both are equally earnest about a fundamentally ridiculous power.

A man who can transform into any animal fights crime in the city. Premise is as wild as it sounds, and the show commits fully to the absurdity while treating itself seriously. Pure 80s adventure DNA.

But Only one season and it shows. The transformation scenes are gratingly slow, and the show struggles to find stories the premise can support.

Conan the Adventurer1997

Animated sword-and-sorcery with surprising depth. Better world-building than most live-action equivalents, visual inventiveness, and a serialised plot that actually pays off.

But Animation quality varies wildly between episodes. Some arcs drag, and the show's commitment to serialisation means skipping episodes leaves you lost.

The Witcher2019

A monster hunter navigating a morally complex world. Henry Cavill's Geralt captures something of Dar's outsider status, and the show earns its action sequences through character rather than spectacle.

But Chronology is deliberately obscured in season one, which frustrates more viewers than it intrigues. Budget constraints show in some monster designs.

Krull1983

A lone warrior gathers companions to fight an ancient evil. Lyrically shot, genuinely inventive creature design, and a sincerity about fantasy that modern films have mostly abandoned.

But Pacing is glacial by modern standards. The plot is thin, and some viewers find the slowness pretentious rather than meditative.

The Dark Crystal1982

Pure fantasy world-building through puppetry and design. No irony, no winking—just complete commitment to a vision. The creature work remains astonishing.

But It's slow and deliberately paced. Dialogue is sparse and sometimes stilted; if you need constant plot momentum, you'll be frustrated.

Dragonslayer1981

A wizard-hunter in a dark medieval world, all practised effects and genuine danger. Less heroic fantasy, more grim survival; the film trusts you to sit with uncertainty.

But It's genuinely bleak in places. The pacing is methodical to the point of austerity, and there's no guarantee of triumph.

The Beastmaster1982

The film that likely inspired the series. Colourful, kinetic, unafraid of its own pulpiness. Marc Singer is likeable, and the animal work is charming in a practical-effects way.

But Logic takes a back seat to spectacle. Some will find the plot mechanical and the dialogue functional rather than witty.

The NeverEnding Story1984

Both tell stories about a hero whose power lies in connection—to animals in Beastmaster, to the realm itself here—rather than strength. Both treat fantasy worlds as real and worth protecting.

A boy reading a book about a dying fantasy world becomes crucial to saving it. Visually stunning, emotionally intelligent about storytelling itself, and the practical creature work feels alive in ways CGI still can't match.

But The tonal shifts are abrupt—from whimsy to genuine trauma. Some find it too slow; others find the philosophical elements heavy-handed.

Nightcrawler2014

Both are stories about isolated wanderers moving through a world that doesn't quite know what to do with them. Both are genuinely interested in how their protagonists survive outside normal social structures—one through animal communion, one through exploitation.

Jake Gyllenhaal as a man operating outside society's rules, using his skills in an amoral landscape. Dark, propulsive, and utterly committed to its protagonist's warped logic. Excellent filmmaking in service of a genuinely disturbing character study.

But It's relentlessly nihilistic. There's no redemption arc, no moment where the character sees clearly. If you need to like or root for your protagonist, this will exhaust you.