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Ulysses 31

NOT A James Joyce in sight for this dubbed Mediterranean wonder, which retold Homer’s Odyssey as an episodic (440 parts, or something stupid like that) space opera with middling-to-fair animation of the all-too familiar DOGTANIAN/CITIES OF GOLD kind. Bearded redhead journeys through space, accompanied by his son Telemachus, No-No (small robot, you know), and the by-now expected erratic dubbing techniques. Old Uly finds a planet of enslaved children overseen by a giant, robotic Cyclops. After destroying this clanking clukny machine, they discover that this particular region of space is ruled by the ancient Gods of Olympus, who take their revenge by causing the crew to fall into a sort of coma, characterised by hanging lifeless in mid-air. But through chance, and the expediencies of the plot, Ulysses, his son Telemacus and an alien girl Yumi, are left still conscious. The gods agree to lift the curse if Ulysses can find the “Kingdom of Hades”, and from there, the route back to Earth. All of this was re-told in earnest detail every bloody week in the opening title sequence. No idea whether the hirsute old heffer actually succeeded.

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  1. Cindylover1969

    February 9, 2010 at 8:05 pm

    SPOILER: He did succeed.

  2. Great Bustard

    January 5, 2011 at 9:55 pm

    This was one of those Jean Chalopin marathons, like the even longer Mysterious Cities of Gold, but I think this reaches real cosmic heights. Every episode could be the basis for a prog rock album cover (but no, they were not on drugs).

    It wasn’t only Greek myth he drew from, there’s also a bit of Egyptian with a Sphinx and Biblical where Circe is building a Tower of Babel, and a big flood and ark in another one. I like how weird it was as if it had a grand purpose unknowable by we mortals. Plus who wouldn’t want a pet robot like No-No?

  3. Richard Davies

    January 5, 2011 at 10:06 pm

    I was thinking about this just a few days ago, mostly due to the great singalong friendly theme.

    Some storylines could be creepy yet gripping, not quite on a Starfleet or Battle Of The Planets level, but certainly made edge of the seat viewing at times.

  4. borgduck

    August 20, 2011 at 8:40 am

    I fondly remember first stumbling upon this as a child, in Switzerland 1981. The beginning title credit is good for German Prog Rock album covers.

    What was it with small robots back then?!

  5. Mark Morb

    August 29, 2012 at 12:35 pm

    This may be of interest to you fellow Ulysses fans:

    http://markmorb.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/nono-le-petit-robot.html

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