The Odyssey

After the fall of Troy, Odysseus sets out to return to Ithaca and the family he left behind. The series tracks his slow, hazardous trip across a world where the sea, monsters and unpredictable gods block the way. He relies on cunning to escape a Cyclops and other lethal threats, contends with seductive enchantresses, endures divine tests and at one point visits the realm of the dead to learn what fate holds. Back home, Penelope tries to keep the household intact while suitors press their advantage. The adaptation keeps the episodic rhythm of the original, stringing together trials that test endurance, loyalty and the limits of human cleverness.

Released as a 1997 miniseries, The Odyssey was directed by Andrei Konchalovsky and lists Homer and Chris Solimine among its creators. The production assembled a high-profile cast led by Armand Assante, Greta Scacchi, Isabella Rossellini, Bernadette Peters and Eric Roberts.

The miniseries attracted attention during awards season and received several nominations from television bodies for its technical achievements, including makeup, costumes and production design, and the challenge of adaptation. While it didn't dominate major ceremonies, industry recognition reflected the scale and ambition of bringing Homeric myth to the small screen.

Audience scores sit near 7.2 out of 10, showing steady appreciation. Critics praised the performances and scale, while noting the strain of compressing the Odyssey into limited runtime. Themes include cleverness over brute force, the costs of war, temptation, returning home and the presence of divine interference.

By staging familiar episodes for a 1990s television audience and casting well-known film actors, the show helped renew interest in myth on TV. Certain sequences, such as encounters with Circe and the Underworld, stuck with viewers and are still referenced when people talk about screen versions of Homer.