I am – Hercules!! A new fantasy series from producer Sam Raimi (“Hercules,” “Xena”) and writer-producer Kenneth Biller (“The X-Files,” “Star Trek: Voyager,” “Smallville”), “Legend of the Seeker” is a new hourlong fantasy series based on the Terry Goodkind novel “Wizard’s First Rule.” It’s about a woodsman-turned-magical-leader who joins a mysterious woman to stop a bloodthirsty tyrant. Bruce Spence, who played the pilot in the “Mad Max” movies, plays a wizard named Zedd. The critics seem less than thrilled: Newsday says:

… Raimi and Tapert have sleepwalked through the pilot. Viewers can only hope they awaken during the next 20 or so episodes. …

The Boston Herald says:

… the familiar rolling hills of New Zealand are back. And little else of interest. … Alas, you’ll be better entertained staring at a postcard.

The Los Angeles Times says:

… the series' two-hour opening is a bit of a goulash of "Star Wars," the Arthurian legends, "Superman" and the Bible. … It is, basically, good-looking fun, and if I say that much of this might have been written by a 12-year-old, you must understand that I mean that as a good thing. …

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says:

… may thrill some "LOTR" fans, but the content of the pilot is nothing original. Parents who think this fantasy series may be fine family fare should be warned: Some of the fight scenes are more violent than expected -- one match ends in a beheading.…

The Fresno Bee says:

… could not have been more dull if the creators had tried. The acting is amateurish. The action is sluggish. The story moves slower than a snail on a glacier. And it is just so bad there is really nothing funny about it. …

Variety says:

… There's nothing howlingly bad here (except perhaps for a few of the supporting performances), but nothing particularly distinctive, either. Rather, "Legend of the Seeker" feels like a hodgepodge of better sci-fi/fantasy fare, including slow-motion action sequences that looked way-cool in "300" and this time around merely feel like a cheap way of ensuring nobody gets clipped by an errant sword. …

The Hollywood Reporter says:

… Big on style but more challenged in terms of substance, "Seeker" demonstrates much production savvy but at the same time too little provocative/evocative interaction aside from the ultra-violent kind.

Most markets are airing this Saturday afternoons or early Saturday evenings. Check local listings.

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