Veritas: The Quest
| Veritas: The Quest | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Adventure |
| Created by | Patrick Massett John Zinman |
| Starring | Alex Carter Ryan Merriman Cobie Smulders Eric Balfour Cynthia Martells Arnold Vosloo |
| Composer | John Nordstrom |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Producers |
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| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production companies | Massett/Zinman Productions Storyline Entertainment Touchstone Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | January 27 – March 10, 2003 |
Veritas: The Quest is a television series that aired in 2003,[1][2][3] following a rebellious but intelligent teenager, Nikko Zond, as he discovers that his father Solomon's profession is much more mystical and adventurous than he previously thought. Solomon and his team (dubbed "Veritas," Latin for "truth") search for the answers to some of the world's mysteries, a quest began because of the mysterious disappearance of Nikko's mother during an archaeological dig. Thus begins Nikko's fantastical journey into an Indiana Jones-style adventure with his father and his colleagues in trying to follow in his mother's footsteps to discover what strange secrets she was uncovering. The series was cancelled in the United States by ABC with only four episodes being aired. All thirteen produced episodes aired on Sci Fi Channel in the United Kingdom, on Rai 2 and Rai 4 in Italy, and Canal Sony (formerly known as Sony Entertainment Television).
This was the first program where Cobie Smulders had a series regular role,[4][5][6] and notable guest stars included Liz Vassey, Carlo Rota, Roger Rees, and Eli Wallach.
Plot
[edit] | This article possibly contains original research. (May 2008) |
The main protagonist of the series is Nikko Zond, a young teen, whose father is involved in many different archaeological expeditions ranging from Antarctica to harsh deserts. Nikko is at first reluctant to participate in many of the adventures, but throughout the series, it would appear that there is a hidden destiny for Nikko.
In the episode "Skulls", a mysterious figure (Conrad Dunn) appears out of nowhere, whom only Nikko can see, and guides Nikko. The episode ends with a crystal skull that is central to the plot of the episode modelled to reveal what someone would look like with skin and muscle added to that skull. The image formed matches the mysterious man who helped Nikko.
In the episode "Eternal," Nikko is poisoned and the only cure is for him to drink water that heals, and assures eternal life. While it is unknown if he gained eternal life or not, he did heal.
In the final episode, he suffered from hallucinations that led him to find a fragment of an artifact called the "Ring of Truth". Before the episode ends, he has another hallucination that reveals that the fragment of the "Ring" also joins with another fragment that his father had acquired earlier in the series. The episode ends with Nikko displaying telekinetic powers: when he reaches for his soda, it slides across the table into his hand.
Cast
[edit]- Alex Carter as Dr. Solomon Zond
- Ryan Merriman as Nikko Zond
- Cobie Smulders as Juliet Droil
- Eric Balfour as Calvin Banks
- Cynthia Martells as Maggie Hayes
- Arnold Vosloo as Vincent Siminou
Episodes
[edit]| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Reunion" | Bryan Spicer | Patrick Massett & John Zinman | January 27, 2003 |
| 2 | "Antarctica" | Perry Lang | Patrick Massett & John Zinman | February 3, 2003 |
| 3 | "Skulls" | Adam Nimoy | Patrick Massett & John Zinman | February 10, 2003 |
| 4 | "Heist" | Rick Kolbe | Rick Kellard | March 10, 2003 |
| 5 | "The Wheel Of Dharma" | R. W. Goodwin | Stephanie Bloch-Chambers & Julie Bean | Unaired |
| 6 | "Sangraal" | Perry Lang | Gabrielle Stanton & Harry Werksman, Jr. | Unaired |
| 7 | "Mummy Virus" | Vern Gillum | Rick Kellard & Thania St. John | Unaired |
| 8 | "Name Of God" | Michael Nankin | Brad Falchuk | Unaired |
| 9 | "Devil's Child" | Thomas J. Wright | Thania St. John | Unaired |
| 10 | "Avalon" | Dwight Little | I. C. Rapoport | Unaired |
| 11 | "The Lost Codex" | Tom Wright | Gabrielle Stanton & Harry Werksman, Jr. | Unaired |
| 12 | "Eternal" | Fred Gerber | Thania St. John & Chad Hodge | Unaired |
| 13 | "Helmholtz Resonance" | Larry Shaw | Patrick Massett & John Zinman | Unaired |
References
[edit]- ^ Goodman, Tim (January 13, 2003), "Starting over / A new 'American Idol' and the premiere of 'Veritas' head networks' midseason makeovers", SFGATE, retrieved October 27, 2025
- ^ "GONE AND FORGOTTEN", TV Guide, March 25, 2003, retrieved October 27, 2025
- ^ johnnyjay (August 26, 2023). "Sci Fi TV Obscurities: Veritas The Quest (2003)". Cancelled Sci Fi. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
- ^ Douglas, Ana (May 18, 2012), "COBIE SMULDERS: "How I Met Your Mother" Star Turned "Avenger"", Business Insider, retrieved October 27, 2025
- ^ Ong, Jennifer (February 10, 2024), "The Stunning Transformation Of Cobie Smulders - The List", The List, retrieved October 27, 2025
- ^ Navrange, Shazmeen (July 3, 2023), "Cobie Smulders' Best Movies Outside the MCU", MovieWeb, retrieved October 27, 2025
External links
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