Ace Lightning
899668
220424823
2008-06-19T20:10:45Z
Evilgidgit
680134
/* Lightning Knights */
{{Original research|date=April 2008}}
{{Expert-subject|Television|date=April 2008}}
{{infobox television |
| show_name = Ace Lightning
| image =
| caption =
| format = [[Childrens]], [[Action film|Action]], [[Comedy]]
| runtime = 30 minutes
| creator = [[Jim Corston]]<br>[[Rick Siggelkow]]
| starring = [[Thomas Wansey]]<br>[[Marc Minardi]]<br>and [[Michael Riley]]
| opentheme = "There's A Hero" <br />by Four Square
| country = {{UK}}<br>{{CAN}}
| network = [[BBC]]
| first_aired = [[2002]]
| last_aired = [[2004]] ([[2005]] in the UK)
| num_episodes = 39 (2 seasons)
| list_episodes = List of Ace Lightning episodes
| imdb_id = 0309125
}}
'''''Ace Lightning''''' is a children's television show co-produced by the [[BBC]] and [[Alliance Atlantis]], which has been broadcast in the [[United States of America]] as well as in the [[UK]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/bbcworldwide/worldwidestories/pressreleases/2003/02_february/ace_ps2.shtml|title=Fight the Fear on PS2 with Ace Lightning|accessdate=2008-01-01|publisher=BBC Worldwide Press Release|year=2003}}</ref> The show was filmed in [[Canada]], but the program was set in America. It ran for two seasons, and spawned several books, including a yearbook for the year 2003, an activity book and a companion to the series. A computer game based upon the show was released in [[2002]].
Most of the programme was live-action, although the heroes and villains from the video game were created using [[CGI]]. The primary focus of the series is the power of friendship, as well as the battle between good and evil.
==Synopsis==
''Ace Lightning'' follows the life of Mark Hollander, a boy who has recently moved to a town called Conestoga Hills, in America, with his parents. While Mark is playing the computer game ''Ace Lightning and the Carnival of Doom,'' on a stormy night, a lightning bolt strikes the [[satellite dish]] on Mark's house, bringing the characters from the game to life. Ace Lightning, the hero of the game, enlists Mark to help him find the pieces of the [[Amulet of Zoar]] which will allow him to send Lord Fear and his minions back to prison in the [[Sixth Dimension]]. The game soon turns into a series of dangerous events; ultimately leading to the moment Mark fears the most, notably Game Over.
A new foe named Kilobyte arrives in season two. He plots to destroy Ace and conquer the world with Lord Fear and minions as his army. Ace receives unstable human emotions from Lady Illusion, corrupting his original programming. Ace suspects Kilobyte is controlled by someone, but is not sure who or what is the cause.
==Characters==
{{main|List of Ace Lightning characters}}
===Humans===
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Mark Hollander|Mark Hollander]]'''
::An English boy living in America. Following the emergence of the characters from his video game into the real world, Mark becomes Ace's sidekick, and has to deal with typical teen problems in addition to fighting evil.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Chuck Mugel|Chuck Mugel]]'''
::Chuck is Mark's best friend and president of the town's Ace Lightning fan club, as well as being a computer expert. He is rather overweight in the first series, and is called "Upchuck" by the school bullies because he vomits easily.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Samantha Thompson|Samantha Thompson]]'''
::A popular [[cheerleader]] at Mark's school. She is Mark's first girlfriend, but breaks up with him after she begins to suspect that is hiding something from her.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Kat Adams|Kat Adams]]'''
::A self-possessed and independent girl who moves to Conestoga Hills at the beginning of the second series, and ultimately becomes Mark's third girlfriend. In the last episode of the second series, Kat finds out about Ace and the other characters.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Wayne Fisgus|Wayne Fisgus]]'''
::The main bully of Mark's school. Wayne often picks on Chuck because of his weight and intelligence. He is very aggressive toward anyone whom he takes a dislike to, and has the tendency to behave quite arrogantly.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Brett Ramirez|Brett Ramirez]]'''
::Samantha's former boyfriend. Brett is a skateboarder, and becomes good friends with Mark.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Heather Hoffs|Heather Hoffs]]'''
::Heather is a popular fashionista and Samantha's best friend. During the first series, she was attracted to Mark, and becomes his second girlfriend after Samantha breaks up with him. When Mark breaks up with her, she takes an intense dislike to him, and behaves in an rudely toward him during the second series.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Ashley Hollander|Ashley Hollander]]'''
::Mark's cousin. Ashley is one of the few people who knows about Ace and the Evil Gang.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Mr. Horace Cheseborough| Horace Cheseborough]]'''
::A science teacher and a frequent incidental victim of the battles between Ace and the Evil Gang. He believes that Mark and the video game characters are aliens, a belief which ultimately causes him to become paranoid and unstable.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Duff Kent|Duff Kent]]'''
::The carnival's original owner. Duff becomes a slave to the villains when Lord Fear arrives. He is good friends with the Rat and can give good advice to Lord Fear.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Simon and Fiona Hollander|Simon and Fiona Hollander]]'''
::Mark's cheerful parents. Fiona loves [[gnomes| garden gnomes]], [[kippers]] and everything British, while Simon is into the fancy gadgets of America, like leafblowers. Simon is often a source of comic relief, but he proves himself to be competent when the chips are down, such as when he takes charge during a video villain attack.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#The Master Programmer|Rick, The Master Programmer]]'''
::The creator of Ace Lightning. He was mocked by his fellow programmers after creating a program which he claimed could bring the characters of video games to life. He intended for Lord Fear and the other villains to conquer the world so that his "genius" would be know. When Lord Fear is defeated at the end of the first series, Rick creates Kilobyte, in the hope that he will defeat Ace. Kilobyte eventually betrays Rick and traps him in the computer game.
===Lightning Knights===
The [[Lightning Knights]] are the heroes of the video game. Their duty is to protect the Amulet of Zoar from evil. If they suffer damage or overtax their powers, they must absorb electricity ("power up") to recover. When they are weakened in such a fashion, their images flicker with static. If they take too much damage without recovering, they are transported back into the game.
:'''[[Ace Lightning (character)|Ace Lightning]]'''
::The heroic superhero from Mark's game and the leader of the Lightning Knights. Ace can fly, has superhuman strength and speed and can fire electricity from the wrist cannons he wears. He is brave and reliable, but also clumsy, often breaking objects in Mark's house. Ace's mission is to collect the missing pieces of the Amulet of Zoar before Lord Fear, and so gain the power to return him to imprisonment in the Sixth Dimension. According to the Ace Lightning Yrarbook, Ace is 32 years old.
:'''[[Sparx (Ace Lightning)|Sparx]]'''
::Feisty, energetic and somewhat arrogant, Sparx is a red-haired young woman who is always eager for a battle. Despite her hot-headed and impatient personality, she has on several occasions shown herself to be strongly protective of those weaker than her. Sparx has no superpowers of her own but is an expert in gymnastics and martial arts. She fights with the Sword of Jacob, a double edged [[sword]] which discharges pink lightning bolts. She also rides a hovercraft known as the Lightning Flash.
:'''[[Random Virus (Ace Lightning)|Random Virus]]'''
::Random is an old friend of Ace. According to the Ace Lightning Yearbook, Random is 35 years old. He was badly injured in an accident several years prior to the events of the show, and was given robotic body parts, including caterpillar tracks instead of legs and a giant claw instead of a right hand. These prosthetic parts give him great strength and make him almost indestructible. However, the accident also damaged his mind, causing him to alternate randomly between the personality of a loyal Lightning Knight and a merciless villain. He therefore proves a liablitiy to whichever side he attempts to join.
===Villains===
The villains inhabit the Kent Brothers Carnival, because of its similarity to the Carnival of Doom which is their headquarters in the game. Unlike the Lightning Knights, if they are defeated they are not sent into the game but to an attraction or object at the carnival until they restore their energy and reappear. On the official Ace Lightning site they were called "the Evil Gang" but are not given a group name in the show.
:'''[[Lord Fear]]'''
::The primary villain of the game. Lord Fear is a skeleton with the ability to stretch his arms and neck. His primary goal is to gain possession of the Amulet of Zoar and become all-powerful.
:'''[[Kilobyte (Ace Lightning)|Kilobyte]]'''
::Kilobyte debuts in the second season, usurping leadership of the existing villains from Lord Fear. He appears roughly human but has four [[octopus]]-like tentacles on his back which have great strength and can drain the energy from other game characters. Kilobyte has the power to upgrade other game characters, giving them new or improved powers. He morphs into the carnival's ferris wheel.
:'''[[Lady Illusion]]'''
::Lady Illusion is Lord Fear's mistress and partner in crime. She resembles an [[elf]], though her power is to assume the form of any person or creature she chooses. Lady Illusion's other power is to create crystal balls that can either burst and release various gases to imprison her opponents.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Staff Head|Staff Head]]'''
::Staff Head is a frog-like creature on a stick, serving as Lord Fear's walking stick, weapon and best friend. He has the ability to fire energy blasts from the orb he carries. He can also change his stiff, wooden body into a snake-like slithering body.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Dirty Rat|Dirty Rat]]'''
::Lord Fear's sneaky [[spy]]. He resembles a flying [[rat]] dressed like a [[clown]]. He has enhanced senses and can create bombs similar to Lady Illusion. He morphs into a gargoyle outside the Haunted House, but it was very rare for him to be blasted back into it by the heroes.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Anvil|Anvil]]'''
::Anvil is a humanoid [[rhinoceros]] with an [[anvil]] attached to his right arm instead of a hand. He is immensely strong and formidable, but is equally stupid. He morphs into the carnival's Test-Your-Strength game.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Pigface|Pigface]]'''
::Pigface is a grotesque pig-like creature with a ravenous appetite. He is able to eat anything, from science beakers to golf clubs. He morphs into a trashcan.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Googler|Googler]]'''
::A maniacal [[jester]], he is able to roll into a spiked ball. Googler was summoned by Lord Fear from White Hot Oblivion, where he was previously imprisoned by Ace. He morphs into a puppet theater inside the Haunted House.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Rotgut|Rotgut]]'''
::Rotgut is an undead [[cowboy]] zombie who prefers to be called the "Walking Dead". He has the power to possess other people and his limbs often fall off. He morphs into the carnival's mini-golf course.
:'''[[List of Ace Lightning characters#Fred|Fred]]'''
::Originally a normal wasp, Kilobyte allowed Fred to sting him, causing Fred to mutate into a giant, monstrous insect. Fred serves as Kilobyte's mount and is the only thing to which Kilobyte shows kindness.
:'''Video Game Characters'''
::The CGI characters believe the game is the Sixth Dimension, except Ace who discovers it is really a video game. Chuck, Rick and Mr. Chesebrough have all become 3D characters after being sucked into the game.
==Episode list==
===Season 1===
The first season was produced in [[2002]]. The season introduced the main characters throughout the 26 episodes. Episode 8 was a [[Halloween]] special and Episode 18 was a semi-[[April Fools Day]] special. Episode 20 was a [[clip show]] episode featuring the character Duff Kent seeing a [[psychiatrist]] about his life with the evils. The characters obtained pieces of the Amulet of Zoar, which they used to summon reinforcements from the [[Sixth Dimension]].
Originally, the characters were going to originate from a [[comic book]], but it was altered in terms of popularity to a video game.
When broadcast in America, the episodes were shown out of order, which sometimes resulted in severe continuity errors. For instance, "Tunnel of Love" was shown before "Once Upon a Hero." Random Virus would show up as an established character the day before he would be established.
*The Game Begins (1/2) - Pilot episode.
*The Trap is Set (2/2)
*The Substitute (1/2)
*Face the Music (2/2)
*There's No Place like Home - Ashley's debut.
*Opposite Attraction - Ace and Lady Illusion's relationship begins.
*Only Human - Googler debuts.
*Behind the Mask - Halloween Special.
*Once Upon a Hero - Random Virus' debut.
*Knights Undercover
*Tunnel of Love
*Nobody's Hero (1/2) - Sparx's debut.
*Ace's Wild (2/2)
*The Field Trip
*Not Alone at Home
*Unidentified Flying Superhero - Sparx's destruction
*A Friend in Need
*The Last Laugh - April Fool's Special.
*Download Disaster
*Daffy Duff - Clip Show.
*The Unlikely Hero
*The Not So Great Outdoors - Sparx's return
*The Biggest Fan - Jessica's debut.
*The Play's the Thing (1/3)
*The Rat Turns (2/3)
*Game Over (3/3) - Finale
===Season 2===
The second series was broadcast in most countries in [[2004]], but it aired in the United Kingdom during the summer of [[2005]] for unknown reasons. This season was not aired in the United States due to the poor reception of the first season. The graphics were greatly improved, and several of the characters including Staff Head and Pigface were changed to look more like the animals they resembled. Kilobyte, Rotgut, Kat Adams and Rick the Master Programmer made their debut in this season. Chuck also met the Lightning Knights, and Mark got his own weapon, allowing him to battle the villains. There were only 13 episodes with one overall storyline.
*Upgrades (1/2) - Debuts of Kat, Rotgut and the Master Programmer (silhouette only).
*The Game Begins (2/2) - Anvil returns.
*Uninvited Guest - Dirty Rat returns, Rick debuts, and Kilobyte debuts as an unseen character.
*A Secret Life - Kilobyte properly debuts.
*Welcome to the Nightmare - Fred debuts.
*The Search For Sparx - Sparx returns.
*Bound to Fail (1/2) - The Doom Wagon debuts.
*Formula For Disaster (2/2) - Pigface returns.
*Choices - Samantha and Googler return.
*Rotgut Rides Again
*Putting It Together (1/3) - Clip Show, the Master Programmer's identity is revealed.
*Kilobyte Bites Back (2/3) - Kilobyte starts eliminating the Lightning Knights before he makes his move.
*The Master Plan (3/3) - Finale.
===Season 3===
Season 3 was in the making but was canceled due to low popularity and insufficient revenue from merchandise.
It is possible that Ace would have gone into the game to rescue Lady Illusion, possibly freeing Kilobyte and Rick as well. Lord Fear, Staff Head and Dirty Rat would live together with Mr. Cheseborough for a while. Lord Fear would use the teacher's knowledge and technology to find a way to release Anvil, Pigface, Googler and Rotgut from the game without the use of the Amulet.
It is unknown whether or not the season shall be revived for creation.
==Production notes==
* The show was developed by [[BBC]] and [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]], with Rick Siggelkow as executive producer and creator of the show, and Jim Corston as head writer.
* Rick Siggelkow revealed in an interview that Mark Hollander was based on [[Spider-Man|Peter Parker]], and Ace being based on [[Superman]] and other superheroes.
* Each script took about a month to write, with filming and post-production taking several months.
* The first season took a year and a half to make.
==References==
<references />
==External links==
*{{tv.com show|id=13353}}
*{{imdb title|id=0309125}}
[[Category:Ace Lightning]]
[[Category:BBC children's television programmes]]
[[Category:DIC Entertainment]]
[[it:Ace Lightning]]