The Quest (2014 TV series)

Format

Twelve people compete in a reality competition that takes place against the backdrop of a high fantasy setting, the kingdom of Everealm. While the ongoing storyline is scripted and the contestants are interacting with actors throughout the competition, the actual challenges and eliminations are genuine and determined by the contestants' abilities and decisions.

In each episode, the contestants (called "Paladins") compete in a challenge related to events in the storyline. The winning Paladin receives a "mark" of a virtue corresponding to the challenge; it is a medal that the Paladin wears. A predetermined number of losing Paladins are subjected to a subsequent challenge (the "Fates' Challenge"), and the winner of that challenge remains safe from elimination ("banishment"). The remaining Paladins, including the winner of the Fates' Challenge, decide which of the losing Paladins should be banished; the Paladins deliberate as a group and then each publicly stands behind the Paladin he or she wishes to save from banishment. The Paladin with the least support is banished.

Location

The series was filmed on location in Austria, for the most part at Burg Kreuzenstein, just north of Vienna. The Quest was developed by a production team who had produced The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Amazing Race and Queer Eye. The local service company was Gebhardt Service Productions. Arie Bohrer of Location Austria of The National Film Commission of Austria, said that the location was very film-friendly and had a huge courtyard which lent itself to set construction. The castle was closed to the public for a month and the furniture was moved out and replaced with props. Location Austria grants funding subsidies for scripted film and television productions but The Quest was not eligible as reality shows are largely extemporary.

Plot

Everealm is a magical land of twelve peacefully coexisting kingdoms that is periodically menaced by a dark power known as Verlox, who first appeared a thousand years ago. Each time Verlox appears, the three Fates summon twelve Paladins, heroes from our world who are transported to Everealm. Each receives one piece of a mystical weapon called the Sunspear. The Paladins are tested by the Fates until one True Hero remains. The True Hero is destined to use the Sunspear to defeat Verlox.

Each Paladin receives a scroll, proclaiming that he or she is a Paladin, beckoned to save Everealm from Verlox. The Paladins gather underground at a passageway between realities; there, the Fates explain the quest. The Paladins are sent into Everealm to find the pieces of the Sunspear and to meet their guide, Crio, a follower of the Fates who is also Royal Steward of Castle Saenctum, the stronghold of the only kingdom still resisting Verlox. The Paladins are welcomed by Queen Ralia XXIII and are trained by Sir Ansgar, who initially doubts the Paladins' worth but eventually comes to respect them. However, the Grand Vizier seems hostile to the Paladins.

Performers

Peter Windhofer as Sir Ansgar, head of the Royal Army

Jan Hutter as Crio the Dreamer, Royal Steward of Castle Saenctum

Marcello de Nardo as the Grand Vizier, the Queen's Chief Advisor

Susanne Gschwendtner as Queen Ralia XXIII, Protector of Saenctum

Stephanie Buddenbrock as Karu, one of the three Fates

Florence Kasumba as Talmuh, one of the three Fates

Mai Duong Kieu as Solas, one of the three Fates

Doug Tait as Verlox/Rana Chief

Uncredited performers

David Kaye as the Narrator

Claudia Sabitzer as The Hag of Purgwal

Lukas Johne as Herra

Nicole Beutler as the Banshee

Sir Ansgar's challenge results

A bold placement indicates the Paladin who received the Mark, either by placing first or being chosen by and between the winning team
An italicized placement indicates the Paladin placed in the bottom group of Sir Ansgar's challenge and, as a result, faced the Fates' challenge

Fates' challenge and voting results

Legend:

     This Paladin won Sir Ansgar's challenge, earning the Mark and the sole vote in case of a tie      This Paladin lost Sir Ansgar's challenge but won the Fates' challenge      This Paladin lost both Sir Ansgar's and the Fates' challenge, but was saved from banishment      This Paladin lost both Sir Ansgar's and the Fates' challenge, and was banished

Marks

These badges are pinned on a Paladin who achieves the best performance during each of Sir Ansgar's challenges, either by placing 1st or being selected by and between the winning team. Each Mark represents a different Kingdom and the values they represent.

1. Mark of Leadership (Kingdom of Saenctum) - Awarded to Bonnie by her team for being the "eyes" of the winning team during the scorpion challenge.
2. Mark of Dexterity (Kingdom of Lluas) – Awarded to Shondo for earning the most points during the horsemanship challenge.
3. Mark of Wisdom (Kingdom of Sanare) - Awarded to Andrew for completing the potion making challenge and saving the Queen.
4. Mark of Strategy (Kingdom of Kunnacht) – Awarded to Leticia for defeating Andrew and Shondo in the finals of the battle dome challenge.
5. Mark of Ingenuity (Kingdom of Auster) - Awarded to Lina by her team for being the smallest member of the winning team in the barricade challenge.
6. Mark of Observation (Kingdom of Glic) – Awarded to Lina for being the first Paladin to return with a Fire Orb during the retrieval challenge.
7. Mark of Intelligence (Kingdom of Faisnay) - Awarded to Patrick by his team for both being the "eyes" and strategically rotating tasks during the flag signals challenge.
8. Mark of Bravery (Kingdom of Fortiteer) – Awarded to Andrew for being the first Paladin to reassemble his ratchet system and then use it to close one of the dragon's gates during the dragon trapping challenge.
9. Mark of Strength (Kingdom of Darvia) - Awarded to Andrew for being the first Paladin to break out of the Rana's cage.

Reception

The show's debut was met with generally positive reviews.

Lily Sparks of Gawker praised the show saying, "The Quest is vicarious wish fulfillment, and one of its greatest joys is witnessing the sheer unadulterated happiness on the contestant's faces. I have never seen people enjoy their time on reality TV so much, ever, and I love it." Whoopi Goldberg of The View posted on Facebook, "I love this show!"

Andy Dehnart of Reality Blurred compared the show favorably to its grand predecessor, Survivor, saying, "Watching Survivor for the first time was an experience that inspired awe, its high quality and rich storytelling creating a new world that drew from familiar elements. That’s how The Quest feels, and it builds in a similar way, with the context and contestants continually offering epic surprises." Geoff Berkshire of Variety commended the show for taking a risk and setting itself apart from other reality television and called it "An epic adventure."

The series made numerous "Must Watch" lists including Entertainment Weekly, The Wall Street Journal, Parade Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, The Huffington Post, TV Guide.

A Facebook group, known as "The Quest Army" was created by founder, David Patterson, as a community for discussing episodes, narratives, and topics raised by the show. In addition, he also created an online petition at change.org, calling for a renewal of the show to Robert Mills of the American Broadcasting Company.