Parents' Guide to

Legend Quest

TV Syfy Educational 2011
Legend Quest Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Matt Springer By Matt Springer , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 10+

Fast-paced archaeological series plays loose with facts.

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Why Age 10+?

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age 11+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Haimericus
Haimericus Parent of 16 and 17-year-old
November 26, 2011
age 8+

Oliver Stone meets Indiana Jones?

The best parts of the show are the beautiful location shots, and Kinga Phillips's ability to keep a straight face while listening to her co-host spin his unlikely yarns. Harmless entertainment as long as you understand how far this is from real archaeology. If a kid is interested in this kind of thing, however, Legend Quest might provide an opportunity to analyze the numerous flaws in reasoning, wild assumptions, and unproven assertions; maybe read up on the topic afterward through more legitimate sources, to see what was being left out.
fguyinc
fguyinc Adult
August 15, 2011
age 8+

So bad it's great.

It's like a 60 minute show riddled with 5 minutes of questionable history, and 55 minutes of horrible dialog/commentary. It's hard to describe, but the show's two stars could easily be dropped into a late night infomercial, trying to sell the latest snake-oil. The logical leaps are almost too painful to watch, but too funny to turn off.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

LEGEND QUEST is a fast-paced docuseries that follows Ashley Cowie, a symbologist who specializes in utilizing his skills to attempt to uncover some of history's biggest mysteries. Hopping around the world with his field producer Kinga Philipps, Cowie utilizes close examination of old buildings and artwork to help him patch together a possible location for some of the millennia's most sought artifacts, from the Ark of the Covenant to King Arthur's sword Excalibur.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (4 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Spending time with Legend Quest host Ashley Cowie is equal parts exhilarating and obnoxious. He's clearly an intelligent man with a deep resevoir of knowledge about ancient cultures and historical artifacts. Yet he leaps so quickly from conclusion to conclusion, and does so with an unfounded certainty about his results. At times, field producer Kinga Phillips (who appears to have been enlisted as an on-camera talent just so that Cowie has someone to talk to) simply stares blankly at Cowie while he prattles quickly about how a two-headed eagle found on the wall of a church in Ethiopia must certainly point the way toward a secluded chapel in France.

Legend Quest plays so fast and loose with its history that it's hard not to watch the show and question what you're hearing, especially when Cowie acts so certain he's the one who has somehow beaten centuries' worth of odds and uncovered something like the Ark of the Covenant. Slowed down a few notches and supported with a clearer historical background, Legend Quest could be a great show for families who love to learn about history. Instead, it leaves viewers breathless and detached.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how technology may have helped the host make his archaeological investigations. How do you think he made all these discoveries?

  • How do you know whether the host's claims are historically accurate? Can you be sure that something is true because it's on television? What other tools can you use to verify the facts presented on the show?

  • Do you think you would ever want to undertake these kind of historical expeditions? Why or why not?

TV Details

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