Friends and Heroes

- Season 1

(2007)

In the bustling marketplace of Alexandria we meet Samuel and Macky. Soon they encounter two young refugee girls who have stowed away aboard a ship from Galilee and are being pursued by Roman soldiers. Macky and his family risk their safety and defy the Romans by taking the sisters into their home. Samuel tells the story of Daniel in the Lions' Den to encourage the family not to be afraid - and Macky learns that violence is not the answer. When the girls are captured, Macky reminds everyone how Jesus demonstrated his power with a Miraculous Catch of Fish before calling...

Macky rescues a snobbish, aristocratic Roman girl, Portia, from her runaway horse and she is so fascinated with Macky and the whole world of Alexandria's Delta Quarter ghetto, that she returns and hires Diana to make a dress for her - at the Governor's palace! Rebecca is horrified that a Roman should enter their lives and uses the story of how Delilah led Samson astray to warn against being corrupted by foreign ways. But Macky senses there is more to Portia than they have seen so far. Diana teaches the youngsters the value of tolerance through the story of Peter's ...

A giant warship comes into Alexandria harbour and Macky learns from Portia that the ship's mission is to attack the rebels who are resisting the Romans in Galilee. Macky inspires his neighbour, the young genius Sollie, with the story of David and Goliath. Sollie comes up with a plan to sink the ship. When Macky and Samuel are captured, the story of how God released Peter from prison encourages them never to give up hope.

The family and Portia learn about caring for strangers.

Caleb and Aaron are trying to escape Alexandria. Meanwhile, after intelligence reports of refugee rebels entering the city by sea, Tiberius orders the famous lighthouse extinguished, threatening the lives of many innocent fishermen too. Macky is inspired by the story of Gideon not to feel defeated by the might of the Romans. Portia, Diana and the girls make a desperate, dizzying descent from the top of the lighthouse as they take a stand against Aaron. Together they must find a way to re-illuminate the dangerous shore. Samuel's telling of the well-known Christmas ...

Macky and the gang want to rescue some slaves who are forced to work, shackled, in the Roman granary, but their friends and neighbours are worried about the repercussions. Sollie's mother, Miriam, challenges them by telling the story of Moses beating the Egyptian slave master, and Macky soon finds he has enough support to help the slaves. Once rescued, the slaves must be hidden from the Romans, and Marx Brothers-style havoc ensues as Diana - theatrical wardrobe mistress - hides them right under the Romans' noses at the theatre. The story of how Paul was changed on the...

Portia is still trying to make friends with all of Macky's family and Diana learns from the story of Ruth and Naomi how to reach out to others - even outsiders like Portia. Little Leah gets lost in the chaotic back streets of the city and is tricked by a devious Roman called Lydia, (actually Portia's palace tutor), who leads her to enslavement in a sweatshop run by Tobias. Macky uses the story of the Good Samaritan to remind Samuel that Portia, though a Roman, can help, and soon with additional help from Pontius the parrot they find and rescue Leah, ruining Tobias's ...

While Macky and the girls are looking after Samuel's shop, a thief steals a piece of jewelery in the shape of a fish. It has information vital to the rebel movement engraved on it and if it falls into Roman hands, there will be serious consequences. Macky can't figure out how to get the fish back, but after telling Leah the story of a resilient John being beaten by the authorities for the crime of healing people, all becomes clear. Moments after getting the fish back, the kids become trapped. Just as things are looking desperate, and it seems the gang are to be sent ...

It's Purim time and while Macky, Sollie and the kids act out the story of Esther's bravery, Diana shows her own bravery, as she tries to lead destitute refugees through the dangerous streets of Alexandria. When Diana is captured, she tells her Roman guard the story of the selfless generosity of Joseph of Cyprus and finds that the guard is sympathetic to the Friends of Jesus. He releases her, but still she can't shake off Brutacus who with his troop insists on following her home through the streets, as the refugees try to thread their way to safety. Between them, Diana...

Out on Macky's horse without permission, Leah easily outrides a spoilt Roman boy, Caius, who challenges her to a horse race so he can salvage his damaged pride. Rebecca is furious with her little sister, but Macky tells her the famous story of Joseph and his Brothers and she sees that forgiveness between brothers, or sisters, is more important than chastising Leah for her disobedience. When Leah goes to meet Caius and face his wager, Rebecca plans to help her and stop the Roman boy and his flunkies from cheating to win. Meanwhile Portia has been pulling strings ...

As Macky's family and guests celebrate Passover, Portia brings her Roman tutor, Lydia, with her to dinner. Leah recognises Lydia from the sweatshop incident. As the family recount the stories of the Burning Bush and the Exodus, Leah sits in silent fear of Lydia. Lydia is anxious that the Governor will find out about the illegal sweatshop from Leah and Portia, so she gets Tobias to intimidate Samuel and the whole family. A tense but comic cat-and-mouse game ensues as Tobias searches for Leah, but fails to find her and then tries to double-cross Samuel. Portia takes a ...

Macky and his family have left Alexandria and have sought safety amongst some desert ruins. Macky argues with his father that they have run away from their responsibilities and Samuel tells him the story of Jonah and the Sailors, showing that it is never really possible to leave behind responsibilities. Searching for Samuel back at the shop, a vengeful Tobias arrests their neighbour Nathan and Sollie brings this news to the family in the desert. Returning to the city, Samuel and Macky meet a thief, their old adversary Caleb. When Caleb recounts the story of the ...

With Samuel imprisoned and Caleb injured, Nathan tells a discouraged Macky the story of Elijah and King Ahab to help restore his hope. Portia hears that Daniel, the father of Rebecca and Leah, has been captured by the Romans in Jerusalem and that she is being moved away from Alexandria to Jerusalem with her Uncle. She brings the distressing news to Macky and the girls and Macky makes a promise to Rebecca and Leah that he will, somehow, rescue their father. A torrential rainstorm commences and Samuel tells his frightened fellow prisoners the story of the First ...