Queen of Swords (TV)

Tessa a la pointe  de l’epee – French title

Sous le signe de l'épée – French title

Reina de espadas – Spanish title

Queen of Swords - British title

Queen of Swords – Canadian title

Queen of Swords - U.S.A title

Царицата на рапирите – Bulgarian title

Mõõgakuninganna - Estonian title

Miekan lumo – Finnish title

Die Maske der Königin - German title

I vasilissa tou xifous – Greek title

A kardok királynője – Hungarian title

:La regina di spade – Italian title

Mbretëresha e shpatave – Kosovan title

Krolowa miecza – Polish title

Raínha de Espadas – Portuguese title

Королева мечей – Russian title

Kráľovná mečov – Slovakian title

Королева мечів – Ukrainian title

Queen of Swords – English title

A 2000-2001 French, Spanish, British, Canadian, U.S.A. co-production [M6 Métropole

    Télévision, (Paris), Morena Films/Telefonica (Madrid), Amy International Artistis (London),

    Mercury Entertainment Corp. (Toronto), Fireworks Entertainment (Hollywood)]

Producer: Ken Gord

Directors: Richard Martin, Peter Ellis, Jon Cassar, Paolo Barzman, Brian Grant, George

                 Mendeluk, Jorge Montesi, Carlos Gil (Juan Díaz), Norma Bailey, Terry Ingram

Teleplay: Durnford King, Elizabeth Keyishian, Steve Roberts (Steven Roberts), Toby Roberts,

                James Thorpe, Gillian Horvath, Elizabeth Baxter, Clint Lien, Scott Kraft, Jocelyne

                Simmons

Photography: Alwyn Kumst [color]

Music: Philip Stanger, John Harberman

Song: “Behind the Mask” sung by Jose Feliciano (Jose Garcia)

Running time: 22 episodes x 45 minutes

Cast:

Maria Teresa ‘Tessa’ Alvarado/Queen of Swords – Tessie Santiago

Marta – Paulina Galvez

Colonel Luis Ramirez Montoya – Valentine Pelka

Captain Marcus Grisham – Anthony Lemke (Roger Lemke)

Doctor Robert Helm – Peter Wingfield

Don Hidalgo – Tacho Gonzalez (Cesar Somoza)

Queen’s horse – Chico

Grisham’s horse - Montero

Colonel Montoya’s horse - Salan

With: Ramon Camín, Cristián de la Fuente, Bo Derek (Mary Collins), Daisy Fuentes, Freddie Douglas (Fred Douglas), David Carradine, Daniel Fredenburgh, Anthony De Longis, Elizabeth  Gracen (Grace Ward), Luis Miguel Arranz, Emile Abossolo M’bo, Pilar Abella D’Arstegui (Pilar Abella), Tunde Oba, Yasmin Bannerman, Amber Batty, Simon MacCorkindale, Darius Davidauskas, Carlos la Rosa Pace, Joaquin Calderon, Stephen Billington, Luisa Villareal, Ed Stoppard (Edmund Stoppard), Michael Culkin, Rafael Castejon, Patrick Medioni, Jose Conde, Pablo Scola, Pedro Bea, Jorge Bosso (Jorge Cuelo), Domingo Beltrán (Domingo Sanchez), Richard Clifford, Steve Emerson, Irene Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal, Xavier Elorriaga, Enric Benavent, Eduardo Recabarren, Neil Newbon, Christopher de Andres, Leo Medina, Richard Cruz (Riccardo Cruz), James Innes Smith, Javier Sandoval Alvarez, Julio Morales Merino (Julio Morales), Noah Huntley, Jesus Temino, Cristina Segovia, Antonio Mayans, Enrique Rodriguez, Teresa del Olmo, Jaime Palmer Colom, Maria del Carmen Ruiz, Sung Hai Lee (Sung Hi), Burt Kwouk, Darrell D’Silva, Fernando Moraleda, Darren Tighe, Ralf Moeller, Alex Hassell, Jorge Montesi, Cyrielle Clair, Javier Lago, George Bullock, Edward Hughes, Javier Hidalgo, Miglen Mirtchev, OlivierVitrant, Alberto Roca (Albert Roca), Kike Sarasola (Enrique Sola), Alejandro Cobo Garcia, Grant Russell, Oliver Haden, Joaquin Olias, Troy Niemans, José Sancho, Diego Jiminez Flores, Diego Rodriguez

Stunt coordinator:  Jean-Louis Airola, Anthony De Longis, Michel Carliez

Horse stunt coordinator: Ricardo Cruz

Stunts: Gaëlle Cohen, Luis Miguel Arranz, Nataila Guijarro (Natalia Brasseur), Hernan Oritz Redondo, Domingo Beltrán (Domingo Sánchez), Alejandro Cobo Garcia, Ignacio Losada, Philippe Morel, Albert Goldberg, Daniel Breton, Roberta Brown, Mary de Longis, Ricardo Cruz (Ricardo Moral)

Stunt horses: Champion, Escandalo

In 1817, a young Spanish aristocrat, Tessa Alvarado, returns to Spanish California after the death of her father and finds her home in ruins, her father's manservant reduced to stealing. The town where she was born is run by a militaristic governor who abuses his power, resulting in the miscarriage of justice and the poor living conditions of his subjects. Upset about the state of her birthplace and the murder of her father, Tessa's path is revealed to her in a mysterious dream where her father comes to her and talks of his murder, his hidden gold, and of his "Avenging Angel". She will take up arms to protect the people from the town's governor and to avenge her father's death. Tessa will do this in disguise behind a mask, becoming that "Avenging Angel", The Queen of Swords.

As the Queen of Swords, Tessa becomes a vision of hope for the people who live in her long oppressed town.

Filmed in Almeria, Spain using the Fort Bravo film sets this TV series premiered on October 7, 2000 and ran for 22 episodes ending a year on June 6, 2001.

[Tessie Santiago (2001): ALMA (American Latino Media Arts Awards) nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a syndicated drama series for Queen of Swords.]

Episode list:

1) Destiny, 2) Death to the Queen, 3) Fever, 4) Vengeance, 5) The Witness, 6) Duel With a Stranger, 7) Running Wild, 8) Honor Thy Father, 9) Counterfeit Queen, 10) The Serpent, 11) The Pact, 12) The Emissary, 13) Kidnapped, 14)  The Uncle, 15) Runaways, 16) The Hanged Man, 17) The Return, 18) The Pretender, 19) Takes a Thief, 20) The Dragon, 21) End of Days, 22) Betrayed