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Image via Warner Bros
Travis Fimmel may be one of the best parts of Dune: Prophecy. Not only does his character Desmond Hart provide a unique challenge for the Bene Gesserit, but Dune: Prophecy continues a trend of Fimmel being a scene-stealer in whatever project he joins. It happened with Vikings, the series that launched him into the mainstream. It happened with Warcraft; even though Duncan Jones's ambitious adaptation didn't score a sequel, Fimmel's knight Lothar remains one of the most fleshed-out characters in the entire film. And it happened with Tarzan, the modern-day update of Edgar Rice Burroughs' jungle-dwelling hero.
Tarzan came to TV screens courtesy of The WB (for readers not in the know, this was the network that eventually evolved into The CW) and Eric Kripke, who developed the series alongside Mike Werb and Michael Colleary. Werb and Colleary co-wrote Face/Off, while Werb was also responsible for scripting The Mask and Kripke would wind up giving the WB/CW one of its biggest hits in Supernatural. Despite this collective talent, Tarzan only lasted a single season before being cancelled.
‘Tarzan’ Didn’t Know if It Wanted To Be a Gritty Crime Drama or a Romance Drama
Image via Warner Bros. Television Tarzan stars Fimmel as the titular hero, who's been forcibly imprisoned by his uncle Richard Clayton (Mitch Pileggi) at Greystroke Industries. Escaping his imprisonment, Tarzan encounters police officer Jane Porter (Sarah Wayne Callies), and Jane soon joins forces with Tarzan to solve various cases. Tarzan also has to deal with his uncle's machinations, as Richard wants to seize control of Greystroke Industries but is hampered by Tarzan being the rightful heir. On paper, this sounds like a solid update of the Tarzan books, but in execution, virtually nothing about it worked. The show tries to build a romance between Tarzan and Jane, but the fact that he's able to find her no matter where she is comes off as less romantic and more like Tarzan is a very dedicated stalker. The procedural elements fail to hit the highs of the pilot, which pits Tarzan and Jane against a rampaging arsonist (Kevin Durand). It also couldn't match the allure of other genre shows like Smallville, the WB's crown jewel at the time.
Despite everything working against it, Tarzan does have a secret weapon in Fimmel. His performance perfectly captures the element of a man who's struggling to integrate into society, especially with minimal dialogue. Whole scenes in the pilot are dedicated to closeups of Tarzan growling or glaring, but rather than being one-note this ends up being intense thanks to Fimmel's piercing stare. Fimmel also did the majority of his own stunts, fully embodying Tarzan's superhuman agility and fighting prowess. It's extremely impressive because prior to this, Fimmel wasn't an actor — he was a Calvin Klein model.
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The Cast and Crew of ‘Tarzan’ Went On to Bigger and Better Things
Tarzan wasn't a critical darling, with one reviewer even noting that it was an example of The WB having an off year during its 2003-2004 season. But no one is more critical of the series than Kripke. During an interview on the genesis of Supernatural, he didn't hold back with how he truly felt:
Here're my feelings on Tarzan : I'll stand behind the pilot. It has a beginning, middle, and -- the problem -- it ends. I was hungry to have anything in production, so I wrote a 50-page story that ended. Then it got made and I had something in production and it was all my dreams come true. They said to me, "Let's do 12 more." I said, "Uh, wait! What's the story?" So, Tarzan was a hell ride in every way, and we only did eight before they wisely put us out of our misery.
Despite Tarzan's failure, the WB would later tap Kripke to develop Supernatural. The rest of the cast would also land roles after Tarzan's cancellation. Sarah Wayne Callies, who played Jane, would later join critically-acclaimed dramas like Prison Break and The Walking Dead. Leighton Meester, who played Jane's sister, would board another popular WB show with Gossip Girl. Tarzan also boasted a genre icon in the form of Lucy Lawless, best known for her role in Xena: Warrior Princess; Lawless later joined the Battlestar Galactica reboot. Tarzan might not be on the same level as other WB shows, but it led to its cast — including Travis Fimmel — moving on to bigger and better things.
Tarzan is currently not available to stream, rent or buy in the U.S.
From the day two decades ago that young John Clayton's parents died and left him alone in the African jungle, he was raised by apes and has emerged as the fearless Tarzan. Captured by his billionaire uncle, Richard Clayton, the CEO of powerful Greystoke Industries, Tarzan is returned, against his will, to his family's home in New York City. Resisting captivity, he escapes into the concrete jungle of New York City where he encounters the strong-willed NYPD detective Jane Porter. Jane's perfectly ordered life is turned upside-down by Tarzan's dangerous yet profoundly untainted morality. Romantically involved with another member of the force, Detective Michael Foster, Jane is left to choose between reason and instinct, civilization and pure humanity, her head and her heart.
Release Date October 5, 2003
English (US) ·