Profile of a Millennium Fan

[The Old Man]

These really are superb! I'll add my own as soon as I can. By the way, if you haven't added anything to the new About Me section of your member profile yet, you might consider using your responses here, I'm sure the B2FB boys wouldn't mind. The About Me section was introduced in the last update but many people probably haven't noticed it yet. It also shows your signature too.

[The Old Man]

1. My name is Graham P. Smith, I'm 38 and I live in North Wales, UK. I've worked for my local County Council in partnership with North Wales Police for the last 13 years, working with various anti-crime and security initiatives, initial investigating of video footage of crimes (or suspected or alleged crimes) before handing over to Police and also providing an Emergency Out-Of-Hours service. My interests are designing, building and repairing PC's and web design. And I thrive on TV and films, in particular sci-fi, horror and cult genre.

2. I'm a fan of Millennium simply because it continues to inspire me and I fell in love with the characters, atmosphere and story lines. Every time I view the series, I learn something new and fans are always discovering something they didn't know or notice before. As much as the show is sheer darkness, its as warm and bright in so many subtle ways.

3. I've been a fan since I first saw the first series when it premièred in the UK on Sky Television, circa 1997.

4. What's your favourite episode? That's a really hard question for any serious fan of the show to answer, there are simply too many favourites to choose from! My favourite episode though, still remains The Curse of Frank Black, season two's Halloween themed episode.

5. My favourite scene or moment? That's so hard I'm going to cheat and provide three:

1. #1 would be the eerie and thought provoking scene in The Curse of Frank Black, where Frank Black encounters Mr. Crocell, who warns he has been sent to Earth because Frank has become him. He tells Frank to give up the Millennium Group, return to his wife and daughter, and live out the rest of a normal, happy life. Frank refuses to become Mr. Crocell. This scene lays down a lot about the character of Frank and raises fascinating questions that stem from the fact that there is a hell and more importantly an intelligence behind pure evil, and it confirms that evil knows full well about Frank and is worried about him.
   
2. #2 would have to be from The Beginning and The End. In an intimate conversation, Frank tells Watts of his sense of powerlessness. He wonders out loud what he must sacrifice to have Catherine back safely. Watts relates a story about a time when he and his wife were attempting to have another child (Watts had always wanted a boy). One day, Watts was assigned a case involving a murdered baby boy whose dismembered body was found inside a cooler. Watts came to believe that if he could find the child's killer, he would be rewarded with a son. Wanting to uphold his end of his pact with God, he would not allow his wife to get pregnant. Today, he has three daughters but still no son. He tells Frank that he doubts it is possible to sacrifice one thing to get another. Its one of the first times we see the deeper character of the real and inner Peter Watts, what makes the man tick.
   
3. #3 would be from The Mikado, a truly brilliant episode, after Roedecker accesses Damsen's e-mail messages, narrowing the suspects to three primary correspondents. Using a special live video link-up, Frank watches and directs from the Group's computer room as law enforcement officials in three different cities travel to the suspects' homes. This was scene way ahead of its time, even today in 2009 I don't know of any time where a situation had unfolded like that in real life policing, the closest would have to be when public space CCTV is used to direct Police Officers to a piece of hidden evidence or a concealed suspect, but its not in the same league as officers equipped with live feeds being coordinated from a central and remote location.
   

6. If a movie was made, besides Frank Black, I'd like to see the following characters return... Peter Watts, Lucy Butler and Lara Means; portrayed of course, only by the original cast.

7. I think Millennium should return because the time is now. Its never been near since the actual Millennium and the clock is ticking. They'll be a similar and familiar sense of uncertainty as 2012 looms closer, people are still aware that the human race could be wiped out in many ways, by our own means or by more natural such as Bird Flu pandemics. The Earth may near another moment of natural cleansing and start again like it has in the past. Its human nature to be as fearful of the unknown and to be led by the influence of others. That type of influence and uncertainty brought out increasing evil in Millennium and gave Frank and The Millennium Group a purpose. Its hasn't gone.

1. Right now I'm about to start a fresh run of Millennium. I awaiting season 5 of Lost and season 7 of 24.

[ethsnafu]

Dear Friends,

Thank you all so much for sitting down and taking the time to complete a questionnaire. These have been such a pleasure to read and will help us, greatly, to bring fandom out of the closet and into the faces of the people who matter the most. I am sure that the members of the cast and crew that we have contacted will have perused our Blog and I am sure they will do so again, especially when their respective interviews go online, so it's a lovely thought to think they will get the chance to read and enjoy your words.

Thank you so much,

Eth

PS What I need now is a woman (do your own jokes). Any fine ladies out there got a few minutes to spare us?

[The Old Man]

Thanks Eth, you're welcome! See? I resisted the woman joke!

[Guest Lew Carroll]

1. About You.

Trained as a graphic designer and photographer, I currently work as a substitute teacher. My interests include horror films, comic books, illustration, and, of course, graphic design and photography.

2. Why are you a fan?

Three reasons: I'm a fan because of the esoteric subject matter. I'm a fan of Lance Henriksen. And I'm also a fan because the writers and producers didn't assume their audiences were idiots and then dumbed down the show accordingly.

3. How long have you been a fan?

Started watching with the premiere of the pilot.

4. What's your favourite episode.

"The Curse of Frank Black,"

5. What's your favourite scene or moment?

6. If a movie was made which characters would you like to see in it?

7. Why do you think Millennium should come back?

8. What are you watching right now?

Received Millennium Season 3 and Friday The 13th: The Series Season 1 (show also known as "Friday's Curse" in some locations) for Christmas.

[Guest Lew Carroll]

1. About You.

Trained as a graphic designer and photographer, I currently work as a substitute teacher. My interests include horror films, comic books, illustration, and, of course, graphic design and photography.

2. Why are you a fan?

Three reasons: I'm a fan because of the esoteric subject matter. I'm a fan of Lance Henriksen. And I'm also a fan because the writers and producers didn't assume their audiences were idiots and then dumbed down the show accordingly.

3. How long have you been a fan?

Started watching with the premiere of the pilot.

4. What's your favourite episode.

"The Curse of Frank Black," "Somehow, Satan Got Behind Me," "...Thirteen Years Later."

5. What's your favourite scene or moment?

I don't have one.

6. If a movie was made which characters would you like to see in it?

Frank Black, of course, and Lara Means.

7. Why do you think Millennium should come back?

As much as I like the show, I don't think it could come back as it was. After all, the millennium change is over.

8. What are you watching right now?

Received Millennium Season 3 and Friday The 13th: The Series Season 1 (also known as "Friday's Curse" in some locations) for Christmas.

[ethsnafu]

Thank you so much for taking the time to complete a questionnaire Lew and keep your eyes peeled on our Blog as the first of these will be going up in the next few days.

Best wishes,

Eth

[Guest Laurent.]

1. About You.

I'm a 21 years old student in physics who will hopefully be graduating in 4 months! I live in Québec (Québec, Canada) and French is my mother-tongue, but I consider myself bilingual (and I guess the 1013 shows played a significant part to help me learn English). My main artistic interests are movies, music and literature. I like to think that my tastes are very diverse on all these platforms. I'm also a big sports fan, mainly hockey and soccer, yet I guess I'm closer to the "science-geek" cliché than the athletic guy because of my career.

2. Why are you a fan?

I have been obsessed with The X-Files ever since I saw it on a local television network. That series was very important to me in my childhood, both in my personal growth and in the development of my tastes (and fears). When I ran out of fresh X-Files episode to watch, it was a natural thing to turn toward Millennium which was then available on dvd. Having matured since my first encounter with one of Chris Carter's creations, I enjoyed how Millennium felt more serious and intelligent than The X-Files, which made the fact it was a darker and more violent show seem not only acceptable, but justifiable and necessary.

3. How long have you been a fan?

It's hard to say. I've definitely been a fan since I first bought the dvd, which was three years ago. I also remember three episodes from the original airing of Millennium on a local french network: In Arcadia Ego, Goodbye Charlie and Bardo Thodol. I already loved the series back then: I realized that it was a more rewarding show than The X-Files and that most episodes were harder to watch than a lot of American productions in television and movies. Yet the strange airing schedule of the show made it almost impossible for me to catch it when it was on the air.

4. What are your favorite episodes.

The Pilot; Lamentation; The Thin White Line; The Curse of Frank Black; Midnight of the Century; Somehow, Satan's Got Behind Me; Via Dolorosa and Goodbye to All That.

5. What are your favorite scenes or moments?

Some of the best monologues or dialogues by occasional extraordinary guest stars:

When Frank confronts Jeremy Roberts as Richard Alan Hance alone in an interrogation booth in The Thin White Line.

Mr. Crocell's monologue, delivered by Dean Winters, in The Curse of Frank Black.

The scene between Frank and his father (played by the brilliant Darren McGavin) in Midnight of the Century.

6. If a movie was made which characters would you like to see in it?

Frank Black and his daughter have to be there. Lucy Butler would also be a wonderful character to revisit with, maybe, Lara Means and Peter Watts if their inclusion is justified.

7. Why do you think Millennium should come back?

The fear of the stranger and of the man next door his stronger now than it was at the end of the 90's because it doesn't pray only on the woman alone in her house, or on the teenager crossing a dark alley at night anymore: entire nations seem to fall under a new xenophobia. I think that American and global politics seem to use the fear of evil more now than they did 10 years ago. The new Millennium has come without much noise, but the threats that the series brought to the forefront are still very present. Most American movie heroes seem to be ill-equipped to intelligently address this stronger fear. I feel that because of his respect for his fellow man, and his understanding and sympathetic nature, Frank Black is the perfect character to face this evil. I believe that Frank Black is the perfect role model for the present world.

Or was I too young and naive in the 90's? Anyway, one thing is sure: the subject matter of the series is as serious as it was back then. And I honestly think that Frank Black was, and still is, the best character to deal with this topic in an interesting and intelligent way.

and 1. What are you watching right now?

It's Christmas time! I've received The Alien Quadrilogy and the Delicatessen dvds for Christmas and I also bought myself a Sergio Leone Anthology box set to help make it through the cold days of January.

[ethsnafu]

What a brilliant read, thank you Laurent.

I have stored these wonderful responses to my hard drive and have a very healthy store cupboard of future Blog entries to play with, my thanks to you all. If anyone else would like to take part please do not hesitate to share your thoughts with us, they are all very much appreciated.

Best wishes,

Eth

[ethsnafu]

Just to let you guys know the first of these is now in place over at our Blog. I am aiming for one of these a week, depending upon the amount of news we have to cover, so please keep your eyes peeled for your own. Keep them coming my friends.

Best wishes,

Eth