History Main / Raven

* OnlySmartPeopleMayPass - The Riddle bridge challenge in the original series, required a correctly answered question to cross (also the troll bridge, which served the same basic purpose.)

* EliminationStation - All the kids get this one when they're eliminated. In the spin off series that's the only sign we get from them for that moment on and the next they show up is [[NightmareFuel as a bunch of feral children]].

''Raven'', was a BAFTA-winning BBC Scotland children's adventure game show shown on ''CBBC'' in the UK and on ''BBC Kids'' in Canada, and completed production after ten series and three spin offs. It was hosted by James Mackenzie in the title role, who conducted a group of children, known as warriors, over five days through a series of tasks and feats. At various stages in the adventure, the group lost the least successful warrior, until only two remained to go through to the final week to compete for the title of Ultimate Warrior. Failure in any challenge cost contestants a life, symbolised by one of Raven's feathers. Success was rewarded with gold rings; gain nine rings and they could be exchanged to win back a life.

'''Tropes Used'''.

* FridgeHorror - The moment you realise that the Feral Children in the Forbidden Kingdom are being played by [[FallenHero previously eliminated contestants]].

* KarmicTransformation - Apparently it was Nevar's greed and hunger for power which resulted in him being so horrifically scarred that he hides his face behind a mask.

** Watching the riddle challenges [[ChildrensTelevisionIsChildish can be infuriating]] if you aren't in the target demographic... Or for that matter if you are.

* AppliedPhlebotinum - The Rings in series one (served to earn back the warriors lost lives), and the Time Pieces in ''The Island'' (which were needed to complete the game and earn time for the contestatnts in the final challenge).
* AptlyNamed - No duh.

* StaffChick - Princess Erina.

* XanatosGambit - [[spoiler: Ervan]] (or a XanatosRoulette depending on hos crazy you think the plan was.)

''Raven'', is a BAFTA-winning BBC Scotland children's adventure game show, currently showing on ''CBBC'' in the UK and on ''BBC Kids'' in Canada, with eight series so far. It is hosted by James Mackenzie in the title role, who conducts a group of children, known as warriors, over five days through a series of tasks and feats. At various stages in the adventure, the group loses the least successful warrior, until two go through to the final week to compete for the title of Ultimate Warrior. Failure in any challenge costs contestants a life. Success is rewarded with gold rings; gain nine rings and they can be exchanged to win back a life.

''Raven'' is notable for challenges which actually ''test'' its 10 to 14 year old contestants. (Granted it's no ''{{Knightmare}}'' but it's the closest anyone's ever come.) The challenges faced include tests of intelligence, (puzzles and riddles), skill and agility (archery and other forms of target practice), strength (as one-to-one combat -often on balance beams or platforms ''on the lake'', and races) and the occasional tests which involve jumping from a great height or into freezing cold water (I'm pretty sure that ones just so the Camera Crews could have a laugh). The challengers compete until the final stage where they face off against Nevar (actually, it's an obstacle course, but you know the drill with these things) and claim the prize of "Ultimate Warrior" and their own Staff of Power (plus, you know, a holiday someplace nice.)


The series resulted in several spin offs which tended to focus on contestants operating in teams. Teammates lost during challenges could be "bought back" once each using the MacGuffin's they gathered. The spin offs also tended to mix a little more plot in with the gameplay, and introduced other characters for exposition, and for Raven to interact with. Feelings about this increase in plot alongside of the challenges has had a mixed response with some people enjoying the additional plot, and others thinking it distracts from the real stars -the contestants.

* TooDumbToLive - In the Warriors' defence, they're roughly eleven years old and some of these challenges are damned ''[[NintendoHard hard]]'' but ThisTroper has the feeling that they should really know ''whether a polar bear is bigger than a lion.''

* FridgeHorror - The moment you realise that the Feral Children in the Forbidden Kingdom are being played by [[FallenHero previously eliminated contestants]].

* [[LawOfOneHundred Law of Seven/Nine]]: Get enough gold rings and you get a life back.

* LadyOfWar - We don't see her fight much, but Satyarani in ''The Secret Temple'' hops between this and the {{mentor}}. She had a habit of standing up to the demons, defying them (and Nevar himself) to their faces. One time she ended up serving as a distraction for Nevar, so Raven could get to him which he wasn't looking - it's the only time you saw her ''retreat''.

** well not really averted in Celtic and Irish myths, gods of war often appeared in the form of a raven or crow and this is a Show produced by BBC Scotland's studios.

* AnimalStereotype - Averted. Ravens are usually considered symbols of darkness and bad things. The Raven in this case is the good guy. He ''is'' a Warlord though, [[InformedAbility apparently]].

The series utilises more tropes than you can shake a stick at.

* CrowningMomentofAwesome - Anyone who ''ever'' completed ''[[NintendoHard Way of the Warrior]].'' Such as [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE3TX47lPuU this guy right here]].
** Raven taking on Nevar (finally) at the finale of ''The Secret Temple''.
** Raven's outburst at the Ervan and the Feral Children when he finds them locking up his warriors is equal parts this and NightmareFuel. In fact, whenever Raven gets screentime in ''The Dragon's Eye'' which isn't just exposition, he's generally being pretty {{Badass}}.
** Satyarani, standing up to a group of demons that were threatening the warriors. And ''Mocking'' Nevar.
* CrowningMomentOfFunny - Nevar attempts to distract Raven by sending his Demons after the warriors. Raven gets up on his high horse about it, complete with the usual [[BadassBoast anti-evil speech]]... Until it's revealed that the "demons" are just watermelons on sticks. Seems even the master of all evil has a sense of humour.
* CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming - The contestants have these aplenty. Including those moments where teams gave up well earned gems to get other teammates back even at the expense of their own chances of winning. And then there was that time in ''The Secret Temple'' when the entire team ''jumped'' on a teammate who was terrified of heights - yet had completed a heights-related challenge and won them the challenge anyway.
** Raven showing up to [[BerserkButton defend the warriors]] after they're tricked and captured by the feral children is both this and kinda [[NightmareFuel scary]].
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome - [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yupQkO6x9hM The Opening Theme]].

* {{Narm}} - You either [[NarmCharm love]] the corny, ancient dialogue these guys come out with or you hate it.
** There's also the final set of challenges within the Castle of Shadows during ''The Dragon's Eye''. After these kids have faced some frankly unbelievable challenges, including scaling cliff faces, crossing raging torrents, and solving difficult riddles, they face the very last challenge before one of them will Reach the Dragon's Eye - this involves reaching into ''Feely Boxes''. You know, those things you put your hands in and there's creepy stuff inside? Very common at parties? Disgusting, yes, but after all they'd done it seemed a bit of a letdown. Add to the fact that in at least one of the boxes (which Raven's voice over described as being filled with "abominable creatures") were a couple of frankly adorable ''albino hedgehogs.''
** From the same spin-off, Ervan's deadly magical tomatoes. I mean, stones.
* NarmCharm

* NightmareFuel - Several instances.
** Take for example, a scene on the first day of the final week of ''The Dragon's Eye'', in which the remaining contestants, after stepping through the portal to start the final stage of their "quest" in the land of Darkness, were faced with a bunch of screaming [[WildChild Feral Children, who are roaming around the place]]. These children are said to be people who previously tried to claim the [[BrownNote Dragon's Eye]] but failed. This was more unsettling than scary. But then you realise that [[FridgeHorror the feral children are being played by the previously eliminated contestants]] who we ''watched'' vanishing altogether when they "died". Whether they are intended to be them for real is unclear, but it certainly implied, and the sight of them [[KidsAreCruel jeering and laughing]] at their [[EvilFormerfriend former teammates]], then trying to hold them captive while beating on the doors, ''still'' jeering... I'm half surprised there are younger kids still applying to be on this show.
*** Then there's [[BerserkButton Raven's reaction]] to it. He's madder than we've ever seen him, threatening Ervan in a way almost devoid of his usual BadassBoast, and openly ranting at and admonishing these feral kids who are so scared of him that they let the contestants out right away. To think that they might have been his ''former students''...

* ScrappyLevel - The infuriatingly difficult ''Way of the Warrior'' challenge. Just [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7qc2zsmi6s look at it!]] (Granted, this challenge is ''designed'' to be difficult, as it serves as an Elimination Stage at the end of each episode, giving the contestant with the fewest remaining lives one last chance to stay on the quest). Only four contestants have completed the Way of the Warrior to date.
** A few other levels were like this, such as Dragon's Blood (a balancing level where contestants had to move about two containers of green faux "dragon's blood" on the end of poles, through a maze, without spilling a drop, Troll Trap (involving a cage and high speed movement on the contestants part) and Demon Square.
** ''Wizard's Tower'' also, with the particular challenge of [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything one contestant guiding]] [[{{Knightmare}} the other (blindfolded)]] through a web of string with bells on it. Touch a string lightly and whoosh! there goes a life.

* SpecialEffectsFailure - Often gets away with it specifically ''because'' it keeps the special effects to a minimum. However that means when effects ''are'' used (such as the Floating fireball from that one blindfolded challenge) it stands out like whoa. Plus, the men in cloaks aren't all that convincing.
** You've also got to ignore the safety wires, life jackets etc. Admittedly, they're artfully done.

* TheLostWoods - The setting for the first game. In reality it's a pretty safe, nice location in Scotland.
* TheObiWan - Cyrus, to Raven. When somebody can make ''Raven'' look impatient and reckless, then you know they've ''got'' to have this going on.
* TheOnlyWayTheyWillLearn - Turns out, you can't ''teach'' someone how to jump from a great height. They just have to pluck up the nerve and do it. Okay then.

*** Then there's [[BeserkButton raven's reaction]]. He's madder than we've ever seen him, threatening Ervan, and openly ranting at and admonishing these kids who are so scared they let the contestants out right away. To think that they might have been his ''former students''...

* FridgeHorror - The moment you realise that the Feral Children in the Forbidden Kingdom are being played by [[Fallenhero previously eliminated contestants]].

* BeserkButton - Do ''not'' threaten Raven's warriors, especially not using unfair means.

* ConspicuousCG - Is used rarely, but where it ''is''... let's just say you can really tell.
** ''Rarely?'' Every time anyone comes BackFromTheDead, then ''again'' when they lose a life because of it, not to mention often during the challenges...

** Raven, taking on Nevar (finally) at the finale of ''The Secret Temple''.

** Raven, taking on Nevar (''finally'') at the finale of ''The Secret Temple''.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny - Nevar attempts to distract Raven by sending his Demons after the warriors. Raven gets up on his high horse about it, complete with the usual anti-evil speech... Until it's revealed that the "demons" are just watermelons on sticks. Seems even the master of all evil has a sense of humour.

* ExpositionFairy - Haryad, the small blue... light... ''thing'' in ''The Island''.
* {{Filler}} The spinoffs liked to pad out the actual show (namely, watching these kids toughing it out in challenges with some rather difficult odds) with ... a backstory, explaining ''why'' they were doing all of this. Reactions to the additional plot were mixed, but it generally went down a lot better in ''The Dragon's Eye''.
* ForbiddenZone - The obviously named Forbidden Kingdom

* NightmareFuel - Several instances. Am I the only one who thought the Feral Children in ''The Dragon's Eye'' were disturbing as hell?

* WildChild - The feral children in the Forbidden Kingdom, reportedly former warriors who had looked upon the Dragon's Eye without being pure of heart, and were let permanently corrupted and trapped in the Forbidden Kingdom. (They were apparantly played by the children who had gone out of the contest earlier.)

* CrowningMomentOfFunny - Nevar attempts to distract Raven by sending his Demons after the warriors. Raven gets up on his high horse about it, complete with the usual anti-evil speech... Until it's revealed that the "demons" are just watermelons on sticks.