Dix, can we hear another behind the scenes story?!

[Bardo Thodol]

Dix,

I would love to hear another account of the innerworkings and little known facts behind the show.  Your stories are always great.

BTW, are did you have any other contact with the MLM crew, besides that which brought about the Brian Dixon reference in Owls?

Scott

[Guest Dixon]

Scott,

Sorry it took me some time to come around and find this particular post but, sure, let's tell some more stories.  I've been scouring my brain and my files, actually, for every little bit of trivia I can come up with in my efforts to expand the Abyss episode guide.  

I'm currently working on the second season guide and I'm sure you'll particularly appreciate a little info pulled from the upcoming "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense" entry.  Here are some background notes that are going to appear in the trivia section for that episode...

In daring to spoof the infamously litigious Church of Scientology, Millennium drew considerable protest from those Hollywood insiders loyal to the religion.  Word of the script spread prior to shooting and Darin Morgan's story immediately earned the ire of Scientologists.  Executive Producers Glen Morgan and James Wong subsequently visited the Scientology Celebrity Center in Los Angeles and spent several hours discussing the script, and possible script revisions, with church officials.  

One of the agreed upon changes was dubbing Darin Morgan's fictional religion Selfosophy rather than Selftology.  Darin Morgan later noted how trying the experience was from a creative standpoint, commenting, "It seemed like a very simple freedom of speech issue.  You take free speech for granted until certain people are threatening you, whether it be legally or otherwise, to shut up. And it isn't until that happens that you go, 'How much am I willing to stand up for this?'"

In covering the show's conflict with the church ABC News reported, "It's no secret that the Church of Scientology wields considerable power in Hollywood -- after all, its members include Tom Cruise, John Travolta, and Kirstie Alley. But according to the Hollywood Reporter, that influence was recently used on the Fox series Millennium. Seems some members thought that an upcoming episode of the paranormal series dealing with the murder of a member of a New Age cult called Selfosophy hit a little too close to home."  

The Hollywood Reporter's initial report comments, "Execs on the show and at the studio had taken concerned calls from within the Scientology organization and from reps of industry people who belong to Scientology, as one studio individual described it."

Needless to say, such reports spread fast throughout the Scientology community and they rallied to make things difficult for the two Morgans and Wong.  Clearly, however, Darin Morgan's wit triumphed and the sarcastic jabs are still very clear regardless of any of the agreed upon script revisions.

As for personal contact with the Millennium cast and crew, my contacts have been few and far between, and very brief when they did occur, but I have been privileged to speak with several significant members of the Millennium team.  In addition to communicating with the generous Glen Morgan I've conversed several times with Mark Snow, writer Kay Reindl, writer Michael R. Perry, and editor Chris Willingham.  Earlier this year I was also briefly contacted, for the very first time, by Lance Henriksen himself.  They're all very kind folks, not just creative geniuses but good people as well.

[Guest LauraKrycek]

LANCE HENRIKSEN contacted you?  Why didn't we hear about this sooner!?!

[Raven Wolf]

LANCE HENRIKSEN contacted you?  Why didn't we hear about this sooner!?!

YEAH!!!  Inquiring (and lustfull) minds want to know!        

[voidprime]

LANCE HENRIKSEN contacted you?  Why didn't we hear about this sooner!?!

I wonder why we didn't know sooner.

   

Cool that the Lance man contacted you.    

Be Seeing You,

David Blackwell

(who wonders if Lance Henrikson will ever come across TIWWA)

[Raven Wolf]

I wonder why we didn't know sooner.

   

Cool that the Lance man contacted you.    

Be Seeing You,

David Blackwell

(who wonders if Lance Henrikson will ever come across TIWWA)

  We can only hope!  

[Guest LauraKrycek]

Has anyone ever e-mailed his website or anything?  I bet, when he's not working someday (yeah, look at how many things he's got on the plate right now, and it probably won't be for awhile), he'd drop by and at least have a little look-see.  He'd probably be scared off by our insanity and obsessiveness, LOL.

[Guest Dixon]

Indeed, I received an e-mail from Lance Henriksen several months ago.  Why didn't you all know about it?  Well, to be pefectly honest with you, it was a very brief and simple personal note from him that I didn't feel needed to be advertised.  (Believe you me, I stared at the e-mail address for half an hour with my jaw on the desk before I believed my own eyes.)  I sent a very restrained response.

So, I wouldn't be surprised if he's come across this very forum.  When he does have the time he certainly does take a look at those sites on the web that lend their support to him.

[voidprime]

Indeed, I received an e-mail from Lance Henriksen several months ago.  Why didn't you all know about it?  Well, to be pefectly honest with you, it was a very brief and simple personal note from him that I didn't feel needed to be advertised.  (Believe you me, I stared at the e-mail address for half an hour with my jaw on the desk before I believed my own eyes.)  I sent a very restrained response.

So, I wouldn't be surprised if he's come across this very forum.  When he does have the time he certainly does take a look at those sites on the web that lend their support to him.