Season 1
- Michael York ( Logan's Run (1976) ) as Desmond Jordan
- Ben Kingsley ( Prince of Persia ) as Sholomon
- James Farentino ( ) as the Caliph of Timbuktu
- Andie MacDowell as Anthea
- David Soul (Starsky and Hutch) as Lieutenant Riker
- Mathilda May as Myriam
Secret of the Sahara (1988) [Season 1, Episode 1]
Shown 3rd January 1988
This is a mini-series, shot on location in Morocco and in the Cinnecitta studio in Rome. It has a score by Ennio Morricone of all people! In modern showings it has a preceding title card that explains it contains outdated racial stereotypes. Well, they could hardly say that Italians had negative views of Arabs ever since the Libyans got their independence. Perhaps a better warning would be that some versions have the Mathilda May character, Myriam, completely edited out.
We are introduced to the main characters. Desmond Jordan (Michael York - Logan's Run (1976) ) is an American archaeologist who is searching for a lost historical site, the Talking Mountain, somewhere in the Sahara desert. He dodges a deadly booby-trap, then runs into a trio of deserters from the French Foreign Legion.
The deserters are on the run from Lieutenant Riker (David Soul - Starsky and Hutch), an old rival of Desmond's who is now the officer in command. They served together in World War One. Riker takes them back to his HQ, an old mud-brick fort. Yes, this was shot on authentic locations. The two men provide some great exposition while in the shower together. Not exactly the sexposition of Game Of Thrones , but it certainly gets the message across.
There is far more graphic exposition of a show-don't-tell kind. The Legion's Major has painted a portrait of a mysterious Red Warrior. We then cut to a scene of such a warrior making short work of some Arab henchmen sent out by the Caliph of Timbuktu (James Farentino - ) to capture Desmond and locate the Talking Mountain.
Secret of the Sahara (1988) [Season 1, Episode 2]
Shown 3rd January 1988
Desmond Jordan (Michael York - Logan's Run (1976) ) has escaped from Lieutenant Riker (David Soul - Starsky and Hutch). However, as he makes his way across the desert he is ambushed. Yes, somehow Riker got ahead of him.
Anthea ( Andie MacDowell ) and her men fight the Legionaires. This leads to an unexpected confrontation.
Jordan gets away again, and hides out with his old friend Sholomon (Ben Kingsley - Prince of Persia ). Despite dressing like a bedouin Arab, Sholomon is actually a Jew. Unfortunately there are also some bad Arabs after Jordan.
Secret of the Sahara (1988) [Season 1, Episode 3]
Shown 10th January 1988
Desmond Jordan (Michael York - Logan's Run (1976) ) has found the ancient ruins he was looking for. The guardians are mean to murder all intruders, but Anthea ( Andie MacDowell ) owes him because of the time he protected her.
Lieutenant Riker (David Soul - Starsky and Hutch) gets demoted due to his actions in the previous episode. Someone must have ratted him out to his superior officer. It was not the turban-wearing sidekick, who is murderously loyal to him. In fact, all the Legionaires in his unit are keen to desert and follow Riker.
Secret of the Sahara (1988) [Season 1, Episode 4]
Shown 10th January 1988
Desmond Jordan (Michael York - Logan's Run (1976) ) is released from the secret mountain. However, the Tuareg tribe drug him and leave him somewhere in the desert so he cannot lead anyone back to their mountain. This means he ends up lost and blinded.
Meanwhile, Desmond's tweenage son arrives in search of him. The boy meets up with some carnies - a strongman, a belly dancer, and a fortune-teller named Myriam ( Mathilda May ). Yes, this is the mysterious sub-plot that was deleted from certain versions of the story.
Desmond manages to get to the tents of his old Arab friend Sholomon (Ben Kingsley - Prince of Persia ). The Caliph's men come looking for the Englishman, so the Caliph can torture the mountain's location out of him.
Lieutenant Riker (David Soul - Starsky and Hutch) and his platoon of deserters try to back-track Desmond's movements.
Secret of the Sahara (1988) [Season 1, Episode 5]
Shown 17th January 1988
Desmond Jordan (Michael York - Logan's Run (1976) ) is a prisoner of the Caliph of Timbuktu (James Farentino - ). Anthea ( Andie MacDowell ) pays a visit, disguised as a guard, but has to fight her way out. Since she fights like a man, the Caliph and his guards assume she is male. Desmond bargains for her life, by condemning himself to remain in the Caliph's power. These days the unbelievable idea would not be that a white supermodel could sword-fight better than any man, but that she would be allowed to play a Person Of Colour.
Desmond's tweenage son has teamed up with some carnies - a strongman, a belly dancer, and a fortune-teller named Myriam ( Mathilda May ). They rescue the Caliph's former henchman, who swears loyalty to them and their quest. But how far can a reformed villain be trusted?
The renegade Legionaires are still patrolling the desert. Rather than kill the men, they just abduct the two women. This leads on to the kind of thing that would not happen in a modern TV whow.
Secret of the Sahara (1988) [Season 1, Episode 6]
Shown 17th January 1988
The b-story plotters want to rescue Desmond Jordan (Michael York - Logan's Run (1976) ), who is still a prisoner of the Caliph of Timbuktu (James Farentino - ). But can the treacherous Arab fellow be trusted?
While the subplots get tied up, the main storyline continues. Ex-Lieutenant Riker (David Soul - Starsky and Hutch) and his band of renegades try again to get the truth out of Sholomon (Ben Kingsley - Prince of Persia ).
Secret of the Sahara (1988) [Season 1, Episode 7]
Shown 24th January 1988
Finally the politically correct disclaimer at the start makes sense. The show does contain some offensive stereotypes. The French Foreign Legion is filled with murderous deserters and looters, a racist condemnation of European colonialism. Meanwhile their victims, the Tuareg who guard the secret Roman ruins, are the old-fashioned stereotype of the Noble Savage.
Ex-Lieutenant Riker (David Soul - Starsky and Hutch) and his renegades attack the Tuareg stronghold. Luckily Anthea ( Andie MacDowell ) arrives in time to sword-fight him. She is clearly the best sword-fighter in the story. Anyway, Riker was bested by Desmond Jordan (Michael York - Logan's Run (1976) ) in a previous episode so we know that the good guys will win.
The secret of the Sahara is revealed. It is all a bit contrived, really, as if the writers ran out of ideas and just needed to tie everything up.
