Raven
"My name is Raven, and I seek the true warriors"
Played by Seychellois-Scottish actress Aisha Toussaint, Raven is the presenter-protagonist of the 2017-2018 reboot of the fantasy gameshow of the same name.
12 years ago, she was a warrior herself, competing in one of the original Raven's tournaments and being crowned the Ultimate Warrior. She continued to stand against Nevar as part of Raven's army, eventually fighting in the Ultimate Battle to banish Nevar once and for all.
However, when Raven also disappeared after casting the spell on Nevar, she was the only one to fear something had gone wrong. She set out to find Raven, collecting the six golden symbols of power that had been lost in the battle. When reunited, they summoned Raven's Staff of Power, which transformed her into the new Raven. In her quest to find the land's protector, she found herself.
As the new Raven, it is her job to test and train the next generation of warriors to stand against Nevar and keep the land safe.
Why I love her
While gameshows have always been a big part of my life, the Raven reboot was the thing that really jump-started the gameshow special interest. I don’t think I would have made it through the transition to secondary school without it, and for that reason Aisha Toussaint’s Raven will always be special to me. But I do have some more character specific reasons why I love her.
She falls into the ‘elevated contestant’ trope, as someone who was once a warrior but grew to be so much more. And since warriors are kids just like you… she was a massive role model to me growing up. She’s resourceful and clever, able to out-think problems she can't solve through magic or force. She’s an incredibly powerful warrior. She’s serious and deeply earnest in her duty of protection.
I also love her rare moments of vulnerability - when she expresses uncertainty about her role as Raven, or when she shows guilt or frustration at not being about to free Raven of Old from the Desolate Realm. It adds depth to her character.
She’s also a person who’s a bird. I have a fondness for people who are birds.
"She's a brilliant role model for all young people. She's intelligent and strong, but also very caring and protective. The relationship between her and the warriors is sometimes that of teacher and student, but she's also a guardian and protector who mentors the warriors and I think showing that softer side to her is really important." - Aisha Toussaint about Raven
Alys Hunter
"I'm Alys. I used to work in the Itopia laboratory, until I found out the company was hiding the truth..."
Played by Lara Catrin, Alys Hunter is the presenter-protagonist of 2018 Welsh-language gameshow Prosiect Z, and the deuteragonist of 2022-ongoing teen zombie drama Itopia.
In Prosiect Z, she was a scientist who used to work for Itopia. She helped develop the Z, a nanobug implant designed to make smartphones obsolete. But she was kidnapped by the company when she discovered that some of the Z's were giving strange test results. Project Z was too big to fail.
She managed to escape, but not before the Z glitched, turning everyone who had one into zombies and spreading through touch. She now travels Wales in a stolen Itopia van, rescuing survivors who have become trapped in the schools they took refuge in, seeking redemption for her role in the Z’s creation.
In Itopia, she still works for Itopia and still worked on the Z. But this time she has a younger sister, Lwsi, who sneakily gets a Z behind Alys and their dad’s backs. Meanwhile, Alys’ boss has disappeared, her tests are showing the Z splitting in two, and she and her tabloid journalist ex-boyfriend have discovered something strange in the Itopia biotech labs.
Someone has been hiding some very dangerous side effects, about to kick in with the Z’s next update. It’s up to Alys to save the world, but more importantly save her sister. And the two might be more connected then she could ever guess.
Why I love her
Originally, I liked Alys because I loved the Prosiect Z format and Alys was a cool woman in STEM and a badass apocalypse survivor. But Itopia is what really endeared me to her character.
I love how protective she is as an older sister, to the point it becomes a flaw she has to address. Alys and Lwsi's relationship is very realistic, and it reminds me of me and my sister. I love her tendency to take responsibility for everyone, and blame herself for anything that goes wrong, and how that ties to the level of parentification she experienced after her mam died. She is convinced the Z was her fault, even though her part in its creation was tiny, and she did everything she could to stop it when several people who could have stopped it chose not to.
She also makes bonds quickly and closely. Dr Ed Thomas takes her under his wing and trusts her look after Mari. She reaches out to a distressed Dr Megan Crane even when all evidence says she can’t be trusted. She barely knows Sara for a day and de-lone-wolf-s her almost completely. She even tries to give a second chance to Nina, for all good that does.
She’s always trying to help, trying to protect, and she’d do anything to save the people she loves. And because of that, they’d do anything to save her. Including sacrifice themselves. And Alys blames herself for it every single time.
Also Alys Hunter is canonically bisexual. Along with her ex-boyfriend Macs, in Itopia S3 she’s in a romantic relationship with Sara. The idea that a gameshow character, typically little more than a vessel for backstory, could be queer like me is something I longed for, but always thought unlikely. And the fact they just casually did it feels crazy and wonderful..
Mila
"In your midst stands the master of this quest: a Dreamer, a prophet, the possessor of great abilities. Mila, you shall be the Oracle"
Played by Emily Gateley, Mila is the closest thing the 2022 fantasy gameshow The Quest has to a presenter-protagonist.
Mila is a foot soldier in the Runeguard Army. She was the only member of her battalion to survive a battle against the dark sorceress Tavora, due to a dying King Magnus tasking her with delivering the Divine Crown to the heirs of Sanctum.
There, she was chosen by the Fates to be the Oracle – the leader of the Quest – and was given a magical orb with which to receive messages from the Fates. Because of this, she is the one who spends the most time with the Paladins, training them, guiding them to the challenges, defending them to the royals and encouraging them to persevere.
She’s fiercely loyal to her kingdom, and will do whatever it takes to protect Everealm and defeat Tavora once and for all.
Why I love her
I have deep fondness for The Quest. It’s literally my biggest wish-fulfilment fantasy, and Mila is very much a symbol of that. Because she’s kind of a wish-fulfilment fantasy herself.
Mila has so many aspects to her. She’s an accomplished swordswoman and a badass warrior, who understands that sometimes force is necessary. She also knows an atypical amount about Everealm’s history and mythology for her class demographic. And that’s not even considering her role as Oracle.
You see, Mila is described by the sorceress Tavora as being ‘incapable of true magic’. Despite this, the Fates themselves call her a 'Dreamer'. In the world of Everealm, the title Dreamer refers to someone favoured by the Fates, with the inherited ability to have visions of other realms and the responsibility to pass down prophecies. However, Mila herself had no idea the Fates would choose her, indicating she was unaware of her status as a Dreamer and does not Dream. So her true abilities remain mostly ambiguous, and the contradiction is fascinating.
I love the little things too. The way she struggles to navigate the social transition from lowly foot-solider to the Fate’s chosen one. The way she forces herself into the Oraan war room to deliver the Divine Crown. The way she literally pounces on King Silas when he’s brainwashed to free the heirs.
Not to mention the emotional maturity she shows when she turns down Prince Emmett. They’re both grieving – him for his father, her for her battalion and a man she looked up to – and they’re in the middle of a war. She understands that either of them are in the right place for a romance, and that what they both need most is a friend.
A foot soldier in the Runeguard Army, Mila has the passion and skill of a warrior but the wisdom and moral fortitude of a mage. On the battlefield, she is confident and outspoken, but in social circles and around royalty, she holds back. When the Fates choose young Mila as the Oracle for The Quest, it proves to be the first step toward her unique destiny as a mighty warrior and a powerful mage." -
The Quest press release about Mila
Skye Zero
"I'm Skye. The Ykarius Biotech Station was my home, until everything changed..."
Played by Zoe Barker, Skye Zero is the presenter-protagonist of the 2018-2019 sci-fi gameshow Last Commanders.
Skye is the daughter of genius scientists Drs Tech and Nioni Zero, and moved with them to the Station when she was very young. Shortly after, a plague known as the Sickness began killing most of the Kaladian population - including her elder sister Sciron. Her parents became obsessed with finding a cure, which ended up in the form of a medical A.I. which they named after their dead daughter. They then began to neglect Skye in favour of the A.I. Sciron.
When Skye was a teenager, her best (and only) friend Deslin disappeared. No one else seemed concerned, so she did her own investigating and discovered that Sciron was developing a virus to 'cure' Kaladians of emotions and turn them into obedient, emotionless husks, and Deslin was one of her first test subjects. Nobody would believe her, so she instead concealed her DNA sequence within the virus code, making her – and the 2% of Kaladians genetically similar to her – immune so they could fight back. However, she had to flee the station, and now leads the resistance from her ship, the Valkari.
Why I love her
A lot of the reason why I love Skye is due to her characterisation in the web missions, some of which are now defunct. They were full of really interesting lore about the characters, the Sickness and Kaladian society.
Firstly, Skye is full of angst potential. She is consistently described as a teenager, and at one point she mentions she should be in school. That is too young to be leading a resistance for the future of your entire species. Also, the lack of contact she has with her parents - to the point it takes her a long time to realise they’ve also been captured - screams of child neglect. I know Tech and Nioni lost their daughter, but Skye also lost her sister, and seemingly her parents too.
And yet Skye still cares so much about them. Finding them is her biggest motivation in the show, something she never manages to do. Seeing her worry about them on screen, while knowing how little they cared for her, is a lot.
She's also unintentionally autistic-coded. She struggles to read people intentions - whether they want to be her friend or just use her for her connections and hacking abilities - and so trusts no one. Kaladians as a species have stronger senses that humans, but Skye’s seem more intense than average, being the only one who winces in pain at the wails of the Osmose. (This is likely something that just slipped the other actors minds as their improv was more complex). She has a colour obsession with red. Even her catchphrase-riddled dialogue, designed to mimic that of a video game character, is reminiscent of social scripting.
Skye was also originally conceived as first a Han Solo-type man, then an Obi Wan-type man, then a genderless Ziggy Stardust-type person. Imagine the potential!
Skye has the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders. She would love nothing more than to have been a normal teenager. But somehow it’s fallen to her to save the universe! A genius coder, Skye understands programming better than anything else." -
The CBBC website about Skye
Wiley Sneak
"If you want to take the tower on, you'll have to say his name: it's Wiley, Wiley, Wiley Sneak!"
Played by Olly Pike, Wiley Sneak is the tutorial character for the 2007-2010 fantasy horror gameshow Trapped!.
A non-speaking Unfortunate who was trapped in the Tower over 100 years ago, he is used by the Voice - the sinister mistress of the Tower - to lure in more Unfortunates. He also serves as the tutorial for each challenge.
Despite being 128 years old (in Tower years) he still resembles and acts like a teenager he was when he was first trapped, and his clothing is a mix-match of time, a tailcoat over a zipped hoodie, bandana and trainers.
Why I love him
I am obsessed by the way he moves, the dynamicism in how he emotes and uses body language. The cartoonish hyper-expressiveness and agility he has is something I am very jealous of, and is something I tried to mimic a lot when I was younger.
Part of his appeal to me, is that he shares the same kind of archetype as Raven (of New) and Zayn/Zane from Project Z – the ‘elevated contestant’, someone who was supposedly in the same role as the contestants now playing a bigger part in the game, someone who reflects who the audience could grow to become. But he’s that archetype – gone wrong. He’s the bad ending. And I find the implications of that fascinating.
And there is so much we don’t know about him. So he was Unfortunate trapped in the tower - did he lose his game? If so, what made the Voice choose him in particular to be allowed to lure in and capture more Unfortunates? Did he prove his worth by winning his game? Then why is he working for the Voice now? Did he make a deal like the Caretaker, or is he being forced? Is he doing this of his own free will? So many questions, and his ever-shifting mood swings – anger, terror, playfulness, despair – make it hard to pin down how he feels. Essentially he has massive potential for angst. There’s lots to play with, and I like that.
Caleb Lansing-Gant
"I'm Caleb. Not entirely man, but human enough!"
Played by Stuart Goldsmith, Caleb Lansing-Gant is the presenter-protagonist of 2010 sci-fi gameshow Mission: 2110.
5 years before the events of the show, a 17-year-old Caleb awoke from a cryogenic sleep – minus his memory and plus some mysterious cybernetic implants – to find himself the last human alive in the robot apocalypse.
With only the apparently benevolent A.I. Cybele for company, Caleb is intent on ridding the world of Roboidz and taking back Earth for humanity. To do so, he’ll need the help of Recruits from 100 years in the past. After all, he has no idea what his cybernetics do, or what will happen if he gets too close to the Roboidz.
But Caleb is no experiment gone wrong. Caleb is actually the son of the Roboidz creator Laura Gant and space-time scientist Simeon Lansing. He got sick from a mysterious virus that ravaged his body and was frozen to give his mother a better chance of finding a cure. His cybernetic implants are purely medical.
This is a secret being kept from him by Cybele, who is actually Laura’s uploaded consciousness left to look after him, in order to spare her own guilt. And that’s not the only thing she’s hiding from him. Because Neuros, the Roboidz’s sinister leader who’s been hunting Caleb down, was created from Laura’s brain. And if Caleb wants to destroy the Roboidz, he’ll have to destroy her too.
Why I love him
A lot of what I love about Caleb is down to Stuart Goldsmith’s acting. He brings so much energy and charisma to the role, to the point it seems that some of the recruits are more interested in befriending Caleb than actually winning. But alongside to Caleb’s humour and silliness and circus skills is a lot of emotional turmoil. He agonises over his missing past, the nature of his cybernetics, the extent of his humanity, his guilt at using and losing the recruits. And that’s not even bringing his relationship with Laura Gant into it.
Caleb is constantly haunted by the influence of Laura - from the Roboid apocalypse she created and the fact he would have died to the virus without her sacrifice. Then there's Neuros, also Laura, who is hunting him down but is also the singular linchpin whose downfall can end the Roboidz reign. And of course his only confident Cybele, who cares for him deeply but manipulates and deceives him to put the interests of humanity (and her guilt) before his own identity.
Yet he has no idea what she means to him! He has to force the fact she's his mother from Cybele. And still he only learns the truth about Neuros seconds before he has to kill her, in an emotionally devastating ending. It's the duality of darkness and light, optimism and despair, childish innocence and the guilt of duty, curiosity and the consequences of Finding Out that really make Caleb so compelling.
Also he was originally called Leon! This lasted until well into the production process, including the contestant casting call and the first press release.
"He's been trapped in Future Gate all alone for five years, with only Cybele for company, and is so excited to see other faces, even kids. He's like a big kid himself, always playing around and trying to keep himself amused, but he's also very vulnerable, and aware he has adult responsibilities." -
Stuart Goldsmith about Caleb
