Queen of Swords

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In this section

The Men's Room
Soldier, Soldier
Medics
Six Characters in Search of an Author
Trust Me
Sega
Uncovered
Stella Artois
The Lifeboat
Alun Lewis
Degas and Pissarro Fall Out
Martin Chuzzlewit
Crocodile Shoes
Murder in Mind
Into the Fire
A Very Open Prison
Over Here
Murder Most Horrid
Call My Bluff
Highlander: The Series
Noah's Ark
The Sentinel
Viper
Cold Squad
Strange World
Waiting for Lefty
Cold Feet
The Outer Limits
The Man Who Used to Be Me
Stargate SG-1
Highlander: Endgame
Queen of Swords
The Chris Isaak Show
First Wave

Queen of Swords

Character: The good Dr. Robert Helm
Fashion statement: Well, look at the picture on the right. Need I say more?!
Deathless dialogue: TBA

Peter shot this syndicated TV series in Spain during spring and summer of 2000. According to Cinescape:

Queen of Swords takes place in Spanish California in 1817. Much like Zorro, the Queen of Swords is a masked protector and righter of wrongs who uses whip and sword to punish her enemies. Unlike Zorro, however, Queen has distinct mystical elements. In her normal identity of Tessa Alvarado, a young woman of wealth, she is advised by Marta, her governess, a middle-aged woman of gypsy blood who uses the Tarot to guide and advise her young charge.Tessa also receives messages via her dreams, sometimes conveyed to her by the spirit of her dead father.

Peter plays Tessa's love interest, Dr. Robert Helm (yay, a good guy!). He was originally given the choice whether he wanted the role of Dr. Helm or the villainous but incompetent Grisham. Peter chose the good doctor, but the suits upstairs wanted a younger guy. Luckily, the producers kept insisting on Peter until time ran out and there was no one else cast! The Paramount press kit describes Dr. Helm as:

... an English Doctor who trades his musket for a scalpel, vowing to save lives, not take them. He has little patience for Tessa, believing her to be a spoiled member of the nobility, and less for the Queen of Swords, despising the blades with which she deals justice, yet Helm keeps finding himself strangely attracted to the beautiful avenger in black.

At Highlander DownUnder 4, Peter confirmed that there will not be a second season of Queen of Swords, apparently because there were too many people from too many different countries involved. Dr. Helm was supposed to be in 10 episodes, but he turned out to be such a strong character that Peter and the producers decided to only use Helm in episodes where he had a major part and write him out of episodes where Peter would only have a walk-on role with few (if any) lines. All in all, Dr. Helm appeared in 10 episodes (though only in clips from previous episodes in "End of Days").

That Highlander connection

Let's see... Valentine Pelka (Kronos) also stars in Queen of Swords. Elizabeth Gracen (Amanda) guest starred in an episode which Gillian Horvath (Highlander writer) scripted. David Abramowitz (Highlander Creative Consultant aka head writer) is head writer on this series too. Anthony De Longis (Consone in "Duende") worked as swordmaster for a few episodes.

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