JACK OF ALL TRADES: MONKEY BUSINESS

“Jack of All Trades” is an action - comedy television series which was produced in New Zealand in 2000 and ran for two seasons. The fictional series is set at the beginning of the 19th century on the East Indies island of Palau Palau where a pairing of an American and a British secret agent work to thwart the plans of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The series was notable for it’s broad humour, use of innuendo and readiness to poke fun at historical events and figures. It drew on many influences including adventure serials of the 1930’s and swashbuckling pirate movies. Many New Zealand actors and film personnel contributed to the series which was produced in the years following the production of Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and took advantage of the talent and infrastructure which those series had established.

In this episode Emilia (Angela Marie Dotchin) and Jack (Bruce Campbell) steal a local idol of the long-dead Walla Walla Bing Bangs from its temple, but discover the person trying to kill them is a member of that tribe. Meanwhile, Croque (Stuart Devenie) has found the idol and they must recapture it to reverse the death sentence.