Tia Carrere's Kevo

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Genre Mystery/Fantasy/Action/Adventure
Running time 45 mins
Producer(s) Simon MacCorkindale
Executive producer(s) Simon MacCorkindale
Starring Tia Carrere, Christien Anholt
Country of origin United States
Language(s) English
Original run 25 September 1999 – 20 May 2002
No. of episodes 66

TV.com summary

Relic Hunter is an American/Canadian television series, starring Tia Carrere and Christien Anholt. Actress Lindy Booth also starred for the first two seasons, and Tanja Reichert replaced her for the third. It ran for three seasons in the U.S. between 1999 and 2002. In the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, it is aired on Sky One and subsidiary channels, while in Canada, it is aired on both Citytv and Space: The Imagination Station.

Overview and Themes
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Relic Hunter follows the globe-trotting adventures of unorthodox American archaeologist Sydney Fox (Carrere) and her more reserved British assistant Nigel Bailey (Anholt). They are assisted at their 'home base,' a generic American university identified only as Trinity College, by ditzy student secretary Claudia (Booth), the spoiled and fashion-conscious daughter of one of the college's major donors. The character of Claudia was replaced in the third season by Karen Petrushky (Reichert), who is closer to the standard 'sexy secretary' stereotype but with an impressive facility for predicaments of a bureaucratic nature. Some fans have interpreted this as a network attempt to enhance the sex appeal of the series which instead contributed to its ultimate cancellation at the close of the third season.

At the start of each episode, we see a short flashback in which a relic or artifact is used or abused in its original time before being lost, stolen or hidden. We then cut to Trinity College in the present day, where Sydney and Nigel are asked to find the relic by some person or agency such as a museum, private collector or government. Most episodes feature the duo travelling around the globe, hunting for clues in order to find the artifact. Complications abound, often with rival relic hunters getting involved, generally giving Sydney a chance to show off her martial arts prowess. It is then up to Sydney and Nigel to seize the relic and ensure it ends up in the proper hands (such as the rightful owners, or a suitable museum). Each episode ends with a scene at Trinity College explaining what has happened to the relic.

The plots in Relic Hunter usually take a grain of historical information and are dramatised in order to fit in with the story. However, the show portrays historical work in a refreshing way. Instead of being stuffy and confined to an office, Sydney and Nigel are street-savvy scholars who travel the globe on dangerous missions. Many episodes feature comic moments interlaced with the action. Sydney also knows how to hold her own in a fight, and Carrere is often involved in many fights and stunts in the show. The shows also exploit the sexual tension between Syndey and Nigel, and Carrere is often seen in skimpy clothing. However, this is not a major aspect of the show

The series is available on DVD in North America in a box set entitled 'Relic Hunter - the best of Seasons 1 & 2'. In Europe, Season 2 is available and Australia has the complete Seasons 1 and 2 available

Relic Hunter has many obvious similarities to the Tomb Raider franchise, not least the title, which is virtually a synonym of the latter. Critics frequently compared the series to the Indiana Jones franchise.