Friends and Heroes

The series begins in the year 69 AD, in Alexandria. There is a rebellion going on in nearby Judea by the Jews and Christians. In response, the governor, Tiberius orders his men, led by Brutacus and Tobias, to crack down on the Jews and Christians.

In the first episode introduces the family of Samuel, Diana, their son Macky, and their rarely seen parrot, Pontius, who live in Delta Quarter on the port of Alexandria. They are rebels who hide other rebels in their house. Samuel's friend, a commander for the rebels in Judea, sends his daughters, Leah and Rebecca, to live with Samuel's family.

In episode two, Macky and Rebecca have an encounter with a girl named Portia while riding horses. After talking, they find out that she is the Governor's niece. She becomes fast friends with Samuel's family, but they never tell her that they are rebels.

Episode three introduces the characters of Miriam and Nathan, Samuel and Diana's friends, as well as fellow rebels. We are also introduced to their adopted African son, Sollie.

The entire first season is primarily a series of journeys, trying to protect rebels without the Governor or his cronies finding out. In the third-to-last episode, however, Tobias finds out the truth and they are all forced to flee Alexandria.

Macky and Portia arrive in Jerusalem during the Roman siege. The people inside are starving, whilst the Romans grow desperate to break through the city walls.

Outside the city, Macky makes several key acquaintances. One is Isaac, who pretends to be senile most of the time, but is actually an active member of the rebel underground. His house, filled with hidden rooms and secret passages, is a safe house for the oppressed. Here Macky links up with the rebels (zealots) who live inside Jerusalem and soon becomes a courier between Jerusalem and the outside world.

Inside Jerusalem, Macky meets a girl, Sarah. Macky is drawn to Sarah's idealism, which puts a strain on his relationship with Portia. He also meets a Roman officer named Lucius, widowed father of two young children and secretly a Friend of Jesus – he was one of Paul's guards, many years earlier in Rome.

Macky learns to trust Lucius and he becomes a valued secret ally as Macky faces two old adversaries from Alexandria: Tobias and Brutacus. Towards the end of the siege, Macky takes greater and greater risks, and is finally captured by the Romans.

Portia tries to intervene, but can’t get him released. Instead she ensures that Macky is sent to Rome, her next destination, and his only hope.

Arriving in Rome, Macky finds himself in a gladiator school for the Circus Maximus, where the only rule is kill or be killed. Macky wants to do neither, so Portia intervenes with a Senator, Antonius, who takes Macky as a slave.

Macky discovers that Antonius is a secret Friend of Jesus and that at night, he dons a mask and goes out and rescues fellow Friends of Jesus from jail or helps them escape from slave-masters. Soon Macky in a disguise of his own starts helping the Senator.

Antonius has an enemy in the Senate – Marcus, who blames all the Empire's woes on the Friends of Jesus. Marcus would like to prove the notorious masked rebel is actually his enemy, Antonius. But Antonius is too clever for him. Marcus enlists the help of Tiberius, Brutacus, Tobias and Tobias’ mother Luciana, an expert manipulator and political in-fighter with friends in high places.

Marcus begins to tighten his grip on Macky and Antonius, and Macky's and Portia's relationship deepens and matures through the difficult choices they have to make.

• Len Carlson (season 1) and Adam James (seasons 2–3) – Narrator
• Austin Di Iulio – Macky
• Sarah Gadon – Portia
• Cedric Smith – Tiberius
• Tony Daniels – Tobias
• Howard Jerome – Brutacus
• Jamie Watson – Pontius