Remember in the 90s when the weekends and late night were filled with sword and sorcery shows likes “Hercules”, “Highlander” and “Xena” — and then several other franchises started popping up like “Beastmaster”, “Tarzan”, “Conan”, and even “Mortal Kombat” and just killed the entire genre?

Well – sword and sorcery is BACK in a big way this weekend with the debut of “Legend of the Seeker”. The series is based on a long running series of fantasy novels, but what should get most people’s attention is the fact that Sam Rami is producing the series.

Sam and his production company were responsible for “Hercules” and “Xena” — and really showcased the best of what this genre could do on television in 1990s. Now, technology has improved, and shows like this can look better than ever before.

That is immediately apparent if you watch the first 10 minutes of the show online. The acting is a bit cheesy in places, but the show looks beautiful. It also has an epic feel to it that has really piqued my interest more than I expected.

If you’re into this kind of thing you can check your local listings for times and channels to check it out. I know for sure you can catch it on WGN America this weekend…so be on the lookout.

The next generation of fantasy is here.

Howie Mandel, as of today, can be found on your television every day of the week. “Deal or No Deal” is heading into syndication with a 30 minute version of the show. The rules have been streamlined slightly, with the number of cases being reduced by one, and the show will appear on a variety of networks in syndication throughout the week and weekend.

Everything else, however, is staying the same. Mandel says in an TVGuide interview that the producers originally considered getting another host to separate the syndication and primetime versions of the show. He said he was relieved when they decided to allow him to host both shows because “It would have crushed me to see someone else ride my pony.”

Check your local time and listing for times and stations.