2009’s Riese: Kingdom Falling had only a brief run, but it delivered an intriguing steampunk/fantasy web series with plenty of potential.
What Is It?
This sci fi/fantasy/steampunk hybrid web series focuses on the title character Riese, a former princess who is now on the run after her cousin Amara staged a coup and killed the rest of the royal family. Riese wanders across the lands of Eleysia with her wolf companion Fenrir as both Empress Amara and the religious cult known as the Sect track her down because she presents a threat to their grand designs. And meanwhile, a resistance movement battles against Amara’s armies as they also search for Riese hoping that she will serve as a leader and inspiration to their cause.
Aired: YouTube/Syfy.com, One Season Totaling 10 Episodes
Cast: Christine Chatelain, Sharon Taylor, Ben Cotton, Alessandro Juliani, Patrick Gilmore, Allison Mack, Amanda Tapping
Crew: Ryan Copple (Creator/Writer), Kaleena Kiff (Creator/Writer/Director)
Legacy:
While not well-remembered, Riese: Kingdom Falling is one of the genre web series that received some exposure from a major outlet and could have carried on into an interesting steampunk show if Syfy had stuck with it.
A Closer Look:
Riese: Kingdom Falling (aka Riese: The Series) is an original web series created by Ryan Copple and Kaleena Kiff which was originally available to stream on YouTube and the show’s (now defunct) website. Syfy took an interest the property back in 2009 after five episodes had been completed and the network purchased the broadcast rights and an additional five episodes were produced with the entire first season then airing on Syfy.com, providing a rare instance of a web series being made available on a major outlet at that time.
If the basic rundown of the plot above has a familiar ring to it, that is because the series cobbles together some well-tread fantasy elements along with names straight out of Norse mythology (no actual connection established in the series, though), but it adds a unique twist to these by placing the story in a steampunk setting and it throws in a bit of Orwellian paranoia and anxiety to give it an even darker edge. So while Riese may seem derivative at times, it still throws in just enough in the way of new elements to set it apart from the pack and keep the viewer (myself at least) intrigued.
The production is of course confined by the budgetary restrictions of a web series, but it makes the most of what it has and avoids the extreme cheesiness of some of the more amateur examples of this format. And it even throws in a few decent CGI shots to gussy up the edges here and there. The acting is okay for the most part, not spectacular but it never derails the production. And Amanda Tapping (Stargate: SG-1, Sanctuary) even lends her voice to the narration, though her reading is rather distant and dispassionate. Nothing against Tapping, but I would have much rather had one of the characters of the story, perhaps Riese, provide the voice-over instead. Also, Alessandro Juliani (Battlestar: Galactica) shows up in a few episodes as one of the members of the resistance, and Stargate: Atlantis‘ Ben Cotton lends his talent to the series as well.
Overall, I consider Riese a decent genre entry and one that definitely had some potential. The steampunk setting gives the production its unique atmosphere and that offers the series some potential future territory to explore. Unfortunately, it did not carry on beyond its ten-episode run (more on that below), but it is a quick watch and worth checking out as a good example of the web series format from that time.
Cancelled Too Soon?
This web series only produced ten episodes and left its story unresolved, and it is possible that Syfy buying up the rights worked against it. It is likely that cable network was hoping to follow the example of Sanctuary by having Riese move from a short-format web entry to an ongoing series (more on that below). But somewhere along the way that stalled, and the show never carried on beyond its initial run. The fact that it is not available to view anywhere at this point suggests that Syfy may still have the rights and that the creators lost control of the property. But perhaps they will regain that at some point and make another go at this one.
The Story Continues:
A book tie-in was written and published in 2012 that acts as a prequel to the web series. The story comes from series creators Ryan Copple and Kaleena Kiff, and the book itself was written by Greg Cox who has several movie novelizations to his name as well as multiple tie-in books to sci fi and fantasy shows. The prequel follows Riese in the days when she was still a princess and when she decided to venture out beyond the court to find out what the world outside is like. It expands on the central character and provides some world-building that could have been incorporated into the series if the show had continued beyond its ten-episode run. No further Riese books have been put out since this one was published, but it is still available to purchase.
Should It Be Rebooted?
Riese: Kingdom Falling had plenty of potential but was cut short by Syfy, and it is definitely worth revisiting. Fifteen years have passed since the series debuted, so it is unlikely that the original actors would be brought back, though a complete reboot is certainly possible. But as mentioned above, the rights for the property may be an issue. Since the web series is not available anywhere for streaming, that suggests that Syfy may still control the show or that the rights are currently in dispute. It sure seems like those should have reverted to the creators by this point, but sometimes these contracts can be rather complex. If they do have the rights to the property, or successfully get them back in the near future, a reboot/revival of this one would certainly be welcome.
Interesting Facts:
Sanctuary, which came from Stargate: SG-1 veteran Damian Kindler and starred Amanda Tapping, started as an eight-episode web series which was then picked up as an ongoing series by Syfy (then known as The Sci Fi Channel). It went on to a successful four-season run, and it appears that the network was hoping for something similar when it acquired Riese.
The online alternate reality game The Sect Is Here that was linked to the series hit the internet in 2009. Players were tasked with solving location-specific puzzles in order to uncover the true objectives of the Sect. But like the web series, that game is no longer available online.
Where Can You Watch It?
Sadly, this series is currently not available on any of the major streaming services nor anywhere online that I can see. You can find trailers and maybe an episode or two at YouTube, but apparently the rights are tied up at this point, keeping the show out of the public eye.
Read More About the Show:
If you produced an independent sci fi/fantasy web series during the 2000s and/or 2010s, please contact us at cultscifi.com@gmail.com with the information about the show. Or if you know of productions from that time, please pass along that information as I am working on a project documenting the rise and fall of this format.
