# Maddigan's Quest

Maddigan's Quest is a New Zealand fantasy-based television series set in a post-apocalyptic future. It was based on an original concept by Margaret Mahy and was developed for television by Rachel Lang and Gavin Strawhan. The show originally screened on BBC1 in the UK, and was also aired on TV3 in New Zealand and the Nine Network in Australia in early 2006.

## Storyline

Early in the 22nd century, the world underwent a vast and rapid change. The tectonic plates of the Earth began to shift and rapidly changed the face of the planet. Since then, the events of this time have grown to be known as the time of the Great Shift or the Great Chaos- and have become myth and legend. As a result of these events, the population of Earth severely dropped and little remained of the old ways. While some forms of old technology exist, the ways of man have receded. Slavery is not uncommon, bandits roam the highways.
Maddigan's Quest follows the circus troupe 'Maddigan's Fantasia', who come from the city of Solis, a beacon of freedom and peace for the desolate world. Each year, the Fantasia leave Solis to perform and earn a living, but this year is different: they have been set the task of obtaining a new Solar Converter to replace the existing converter–the only power source in Solis–which is failing. At the centre of this quest is 14-year-old Garland, the last member of the Maddigan family line.
Near the beginning of the Fantasia's journey, just after Ferdy Maddigan, the group's leader and Garland's father, is killed, two boys and their baby sister appear from the future. But while the younger brother, Eden, seems to be a blessing to the performers with his illusionary skills, his older brother Timon is hiding a dark secret which threatens the Fantasia, their mission, and the future of Solis itself.

## Cast and characters
### Main

* Rose McIver as Garland
* Jordan Metcalfe as Timon
* Zac Fox as Eden
* Olivia Tennet as Lilith
* Rawiri Pene as Boomer
* Danielle Cormack as Maddie, Garland's mother
* Tim Balme as Yves
* Rachel House as Goneril
* Hori Ahipene as Tane
* Mark Nua as Bannister
* Peter Daube as Ozul
* Michael Hurst as Maska
* Ben Cooper as Nye
* Bronwyn Baker as Byrna
* Grace Brannigan as Jewel

### Recurring

* Fleur Saville as Silver Girl
* Jack Campbell as Ferdy Maddigan, Garland's father
* Ross Duncan as The Nennog

### Guest

* Geraldine Brophy as Ida
* Tandi Wright as Timon's mother
* Shane Cortese as Timon's father
* Patrick Wilson as Mayor of Gramth
* Alison Bruce as Witch finder
* Milo Cawthorne as Bolek
* Sara Wiseman as Morag
* Ilona Rodgers as Gabrielle
* John Leigh as Harold
* Reuben de Jong as Edgar
* Tom Hern as Birdboy leader

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | "Road Rats" | Charlie Haskell | Margaret Mahy, Gavin Strawhan and Rachel Lang | 26 January 2006 (2006-01-26) (U.K) 11 February 2006 (2006-02-11) (N.Z) |
| 2 | "Hillfolk" | Charlie Haskell | Margaret Mahy, Rachel Lang and Gavin Strawhan | 30 January 2006 (2006-01-30) (U.K) 18 February 2006 (2006-02-18) (N.Z) |
| 3 | "Gramth" | Geoffrey Cawthorn | Michael Bennett and Gavin Strawhan | 31 January 2006 (2006-01-31) (U.K) 25 February 2006 (2006-02-25) (N.Z) |
| 4 | "Witch-Finder" | Peter Burger | Michael Bennett | 1 February 2006 (2006-02-01) (U.K) 3 March 2006 (2006-03-03) (N.Z) |
| 5 | "Greentown" | Peter Burger | Rachel Lang | 2 February 2006 (2006-02-02) (U.K) 10 March 2006 (2006-03-10) (N.Z) |
| 6 | "Plague" | Geoffrey Cawthorn | James Griffin | 6 February 2006 (2006-02-06) (U.K) 17 March 2006 (2006-03-17) (N.Z) |
| 7 | "Newton" | Vanessa Alexander | James Griffin and Rachel Lang | 7 February 2006 (2006-02-07) (U.K) 24 March 2006 (2006-03-24) (N.Z) |
| 8 | "Tunnellers" | Vanessa Alexander | Michael Bennett and James Griffin | 8 February 2006 (2006-02-08) (U.K) 31 March 2006 (2006-03-31) (N.Z) |
| 9 | "Off the Map" | Charlie Haskell | Margaret Mahy, Rachel Lang and Gavin Strawhan | 9 February 2006 (2006-02-09) (U.K) 7 April 2006 (2006-04-07) (N.Z) |
| 10 | "Birdboys" | Charlie Haskell | Gavin Strawhan | 13 February 2006 (2006-02-13) (U.K) 14 April 2006 (2006-04-14) (N.Z) |
| 11 | "Pilgrim's Vantage" | Charlie Haskell | Rachel Lang and Gavin Strawhan | 14 February 2006 (2006-02-14) (U.K) 21 April 2006 (2006-04-21) (N.Z) |
| 12 | "Laketown" | Peter Burger | Rachel Lang | 15 February 2006 (2006-02-15) (U.K) 28 April 2006 (2006-04-28) (N.Z) |
| 13 | "Solis" | Peter Burger | Rachel Lang | 16 February 2006 (2006-02-16) (U.K) 5 May 2006 (2006-05-05) (N.Z) |

## Home releases

DVD releases :
| Season | Ep # | Release Date | Release Date | Release Date | Release Date | Release Date | Release Date |
| Season | Ep # | Region 1 | Region 2 | Region 3 | Region 4 |
| 1 | 13 | NA | 7 August 2006 | NA | 7 December 2006 |

## Awards and nominations
### Science Fiction and Fantasy Association of New Zealand

| Year | Nominee | Award | Result | Ref |
| 2007 | Maddigan's Quest | Best Dramatic Presentation – Long Form Award | Won | |

### Screen Directors Guild of New Zealand

| Year | Nominee | Award | Result |
| 2007 | Maddigan's Quest | Best Children's Programme | Won |
| 2007 | Rose McIver | Performance by an Actress | Nominated |
| 2007 | Jordan Metcalfe | Performance by an Actor | Nominated |
| 2007 | Rachel Lang | Script, Drama | Nominated |
| 2007 | Victoria Kelly | Achievement in Original Music | Won |
| 2007 | Carl Smith, Rodney Larsen and Steve Finnegan | Contribution to a Soundtrack | Won |
| 2007 | Tracey Collins | Contribution to Design | Won |
| 2007 | Albedo VFX | Contribution to Design | Nominated |

## Book

Maddigan's Fantasia, later re-released under the title Maddigan's Quest, is a novel written by Margaret Mahy as a tie-in for the TV series (based on her concept).
The circus troupe Maddigan's Fantasia are on a mission to get a new solar converter from Newton for their hometown Solis. But on the way there, the Fantasia meet two strange boys, Timon and Eden. They are from the future and have come to help the Fantasia change history: in their timeline, when the Fantasia did not get back to Solis in time, the council gave up on them and took a new path, a radiation path. Timon and Eden's parents were killed because an evil monster called the Nennog rules Solis in the future and their parents tried to work out a way to change the past. They created a time slider, but they were killed for it, so Timon and Eden did the job for them and then they saved the Fantasia and Solis was saved.