Year Released: 1992-1993 (on television as "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles")
Created by: George Lucas
Starring: Corey Carrier, Sean Patrick Flanery
NR, 85-96min.)

"Before the world discovered Indiana, Indiana discovered the world."

“Excavate the childhood of everybody's favorite archaeologist with this Emmy-winning, TV series spinoff of the hit movie franchise, alternately starring Sean Patrick Flanery and Corey Carrier as the juvenile Indiana Jones. As young Indy travels the globe in search of adventure and artifacts, he crosses paths with some of the early 20th century's most notable (and notorious) personalities, including Thomas Edison, Al Capone and Lawrence of Arabia.”

I couldn’t say it any better than this Netflx blurb. Now that the Emmy Award winning ’92-93 television series is available both on disc and streaming instead of the pricey DVD package released in 2007 and 2008, you are guaranteed 22 feature length adventures for your viewing pleasure at a pittance of the old price. The streaming option does not have the extra info that the discs offer, so you might consider getting a disc or two through Netflix to see some of the extra material.

I, for one, have always favored the streaming option, so I always have an adventure on hand when the Peanut Gallery (any combination of my 5 grandkids comes over for a slumber party.

I remember one weekend several years ago when we were having an Indiana Jones themed slumber party, and I expected Emmett, at least, to arrive with his Indie hat and bullwhip in hand. They are all teenagers now, and at least one fledging is about to leave the nest to play baseball and get an education at Boston’s Brandeis University. Yet I still treasure those memories and the series even as they now are young men and women. Just as India grows up in the series, so have they.

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One of the great things about these episodes created by George Lucas is the educational factor. Indie meets all sorts of real historical characters, such as in the first installment where he meets Lawrence of Arabia. If you wish to use the adventure to jump into a short history lesson, fine, but the story stands by itself if you’d rather just enjoy. In fact, T.E. Lawrence is identified so subtly, you might not even know he is the lanky young student who takes a young Indiana to a dig in Egypt while Indie is accompanying his scholar father on a world lecturing tour. What will impress the kiddos, though, is the mummy they find, its supposed curse, and how Indiana - of course - somehow finds himself struggling beneath the partially unwrapped bag of bones. Maybe that’s why later, in Raiders of the Lost Ark, for instance, he seems to take his encounters with various corpses with such aplomb.

The original series was aired hourly, alternating between the very young Indiana (Corey Carrier) at ages 8 to 10, and Indiana as an adolescent on the verge of manhood, played by Sean Patrick Flanery. When Lucas assembled the programs into discs, the episodes appeared in chronological order, each approximately hour and a half story actually combining two earlier television airings. Sometimes the jump is a bit awkward, as in “My Fist Adventure,” which is really two adventures, one in Egypt and one in Morocco. In fact, the Morocco segment never made it to television and seems to have been filmed much later than the first, since young Indie suddenly ages about a year of two between getting on the boat in Egypt and arriving in Morocco. Talk about a long sea voyage!

So be prepared for a few awkward transitions in the segments as they now appear on the discs or streaming. Some viewers also miss the televised episodes' bookend segments featuring a 93 year old Indiana (George Hall) recalling his past adventures. But I’m sure you will enjoy “Young Indiana and the Mystery of the Blues,” bookended by Harrison Ford reprising his role as the adult Indiana, which made it into this collection.

So get out your bullwhip, don the dusty fedora you have hidden in the closet, and put on that sheepish grin Harrison could wear so well. It’s time to have an Indiana Jones adventure!

—Kathy Borich

Trailer

Film-Loving Foodie

What better recipe to go with this piquant adventure than the utterly simple Moroccan Cinnamon Oranges, their colors echoing the hues of the marketplace.

And Moms, you’ll love these healthy and super-easy to prepare snacks to go along with this first adventure. The kiddos will love them. Just don’t tell them it’s good for them.

Moroccan Cinnamon Oranges

“This is a very simple dessert that we discovered in Morocco. It was served in many restaurants for a light end to all kinds of meals and the combination of cinnamon and fruit is delicious. The most important thing is to find a lovely, sweet, and juicy oranges. If you use pale, tasteless ones, this recipe won’t work at all.” Sackville

Ingredients

Servings: 2