Season One Dvd Review.

[Guest ModernDayMoriarty]

Well, it's finally here; after years and years of waiting, Millennium fans finally have their DVD collection under way. Time to rejoice? Sadly not I'm afraid as this DVD set has been produced in the same way as the X-Files sets - i.e they are very much geared to being a set of episodes for people to buy and own, rather than being a complete and detailed product for the fans of the show (the same fans who have battered at the gates for this set). So what's wrong?

Well, it does what it says on the tin and no more basically. The episodes are all present and correct but the extras are practically nonexistant. It seems very much a product that they are trying to sell to a wide audience instead of going to any pains to address the needs and wants of longtime fans. For instance, the actual plot of the show and how the mytharc unfolds is left untouched. All the writers seem interested in, is explaining what the show was originally supposed to be about... Well we know that! Carter tries to say that he wanted it to be Frank Black against the darkness and that he didn't want supernatural forces included. Maybe that was what it WAS going to be like but it didn't turn our that way did it?

There are no mentions of the supernatural, no Legion, no Lucy Butler (and so no Sarah Redmond either) and only the most fleeting references to the actual MLM group themselves. No Terry O Quinn and no Morgan and Wong. I suspect that Carter and co were trying to exclude all that from S1 so it could be sold as a standalone product, so that people wouldn't potenntially be put off buying the next set if they liked this. It doesn't mention the other seasons at all really and makes no attemot to explain what Carter had in mind for MLM past the first two episodes!

As fans, we already know just about everything we are told by the making of. Nothing new is added like how the writers tackled the story, what they thought of it and how they thought S1 went in general. It is, as I said, VERY suspicious that they don't mention how different S2 and S3 are to S1 and it appears as if they want the viewer to think that Millennium is always exactly the same as 'Pilot' and 'Gehenna'. The most honest moment comes from Chip J when he admits that 'Force Majeure' was not executed as well as it could be. But mostly the writers just drone on (as they do in X-Files) about how this or that actor was 'superb' or a 'real trooper'. Carter is forever crowing about how good it looks for the money, how great the cast are and how wonderful Vancouver is. Great. His commentary is dry and uninteresting as he focuses (as 1013 always do), on the technical side of the show and the hours worked etc. Stuff we don't mind knowing but not too much hey? I wanted to hear Carter's thoughts on the actual stories, how he thought the Season worked out in relation to what he wanted etc. I wanted to hear him comment on Legion etc etc. Why didn't 'Lamentation' get anything - it was suspiciously absent from their comments about the season. Why, well I have already said what I think the reason was...

Basically, it all boils down to 'Chris Carter is a genius and he made this great show'. The other writers seem to enjoy humiliating themselves by saying they didn't have much of a clue about what was going on! How Carter wouldn't tell them what the show was all about and then Carter has the audacity to start saying that later producers and writers (after the first two episodes) deviated from his vision! Frank Spotnitz is especially cringeworthy as he sings Carter's praises and then says that some episodes missed the mark but doesn't name any names. On the strength of this DVD, it seems that S1 was a sucess in spite of Carter, rather than because of him and adds fuel to the fire that he didn't know where to go after the opening 2 episodes and relied on others to help him finish his embarassingly half-finished idea. Don't get me wrong - I love MLM S1, it's still my favourite but I think on this evidence that it was partly a spot of luck that Carter had such able help and could cope with his (I am not firmly convinced) U-Turn over the supernatural in 'Lamentation'. A superb episode to be sure but I suspect that Carter was making it up as he went along and couldn't keep it up whilst juggling the X-Files. Some honesty would have been appreciated.

The set misses all the things we wanted. Honesty, personal responses to the work that aren't just about the crew (the show failed, what did they think about it, what could have contributed or been done differently?) This set gives you all the episodes on DVD. That's great but fans, don't hope for any more than that. I'm sorry but this is a kick in the teeth; after all the fuss I think the makers (not sure who exactly is putting this out - FOX??) should have given more of a nod to us I think. The set is blantantly not for us, it's for prospective buyers, fans or no. And the usual 1013 'no play all feature' is also in place. So, a big disapointment for me, I'm afraid. For all its polish and fancy box, this is a souless release for a big hearted show and an unforgiveable snub to the people who kept the fires burning long after Carter had forgotten about them.

So, Episodes: 9/10, DVD set: 3/10.

Heartbreaking.

[Guest Second Coming]

I read the first couple of paragraphs and then stopped reading when I saw there were spoilers.

First of all I'm just glad it's actually being released. Secondly I think that it's a proper was to start out Season 1 by telling what the series was supposed to be about. Perhaps he will get into that other stuff in season 2. Although I agree with you I wish he would have commented on episodes.(haven't seen it yet, i'm assuming that's correct). And I'm surprised Morgan and Wong weren't on this set.

No mention of Terry O Quinn, Morgan or Wong? This is a huge ommission!!! Hopefully that will addressed in Season 2 boxset. I hope that things aren't so badly fractured between Morgan/Wong and Carter that they don't get to participate. That would be a tragedy.

[Guest Avatar]

I've kept myself away from XF DVD-releases but how does this compare to them ... ?

I have all of the UK XF boxsets and i'd have to say that extras-wise the XF boxes win hands down so far, there are more of them but not always that interesting. Funnily enough the 9th one is missing a documentary of the making of the final episode (The Truth) on the region 2 copies. This is apparently on the region 1 versions and is allegedly one of the highlights.

Hopefully the extras will improve on S2 & 3 boxes, with deleted scenes, more commentaries and something more insightful in the documentaries. In the end i'm just really happy to see Millennium finally on DVD, which is something i feared may never happen.

[Guest Second Coming]

In a perfect world we would get Darin Morgan commentaries on "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense" and "Somehow Satan Got Behind Me" and some commentaries from Morgan and Wong and Terry O Quinn. And interviews with them. But I highly doubt it. I just hope they at least get to participate in a making of the season or whatever.

[Guest Demolition Man]

You know folks, lets be happy we are getting the show at all on DVD. We've waited this long and now we are finally getting it on DVD yet some folks still feel the need to complain. "Oh it doesn't have this and it doesn't have that." It would be nice to have 10,000 deleted scenes and a 15 camera angle dissection of a scene and audio commentary on every episode but after all this time, I'm glad that we are finally getting the series on DVD period.

5 days til us American's get it on DVD..... this is who we are.

[The Old Man]

Agreed, we are fortunate and its very good value for money too.

[Guest se7en]

.......I fully expected this sort of thing to happen. and while i respect MDM's opinions-(hey, if he's dissapointed he's disappointed!) - i feel a reality check, or just my own opinion, is called for.

first off: Fox had little or no interest in releasing this series. Peter Staddon was our man on the inside championing this S1 release. -(and i'd bet dollars to donuts that it was staddon who came up with the whole "CHRIS CARTER COLLECTION" moniker to help justify it's release. more investigating will be attempted on this and will be explored more in the episode guide-book.)

I feel it's also important to keep in mind a few other things: FOX, and to be honest, none of us, could have forseen the staggering presales numbers on Amazon.com and many other major online sites. by the time S1's sales rank peaked at #6 out of all titles in all categories-(even now it is resting comfortably at #5 in it's SCI-FI/Fantasy forum/category.)- all the extras for S1 one were not only completed and cut together but initial pressing of the discs had already started. in short,as influencial as the amazon sales ranks can be to most studios there was no way Fox was going to halt production and add more extras even if they wanted to,which i doubt they did.

Many classic,influential series,past and presnt, are now coming out on dvd with little or no extras such as: the orignal star trek releases, all the Law & order series, NYPB blue, and on and on. because a series is released to dvd, no matter how popular or influencial it may be, is no gurantee for numerous, or any, extras.

I think saying this set is aimed at the mainstream is way off base. Again, i go back to Peter Staddon and his efforts: MM may well have been released to dvd without staddon's championing it but i seriously doubt it would have been in the form of the S1 box set we are seeing now. Staddon made well aware to his "co-suits" of the rabid core base this series has. For a cult program, that has not even been aired in the states for over 2-years, to have the amount of extras it has is nothing short of extraordinary in my view.

next point: Fox also, obviously, wants to sell as many sets as possible so it would be foolish of them, in my view, to produce extras geared soley for the long suffering rabid fanbase. whether i, or anyone else, likes it or not, it is in Fox's best interest to try and strike some sort of balance with the extras so that iniates/newbies won't have it all spoiled for them. -(i say this because buyers of DVDs overwhelmingly view the extras "before" the actual program/film.) while i would have f***ing loved a commentary track for Lamantation/P.P.T.D. if one thinks about it having an extra devoted to the season's mytharc, let alone mentioning anything from the other 2-seasons in the comentaries or the filmed extras, would have spoilt it for a lot if newbies. And while "WE" might not care about how many X-Files fans,or just the curious buyers, finally give MM a serious viewing, Fox sure as hell does. from the emails that many have kindly sent, not the least of which Gra's own emails, about the set and it's extras, the overwhelming response seems to be pure rapture.

of course i am not implying that everyone "should" feel likewise. and i also disagree that MM failed. 3 seasons for a cult show is actually more than the average of a lot of cult series. to my mind MM's failure was in "FOX" not seeing it through to the actual MillenniuM.

...it would have been a hell of a lot easier, and cheaper-(and FOX is bottom line obsessed more than most studios)-if they had just released a bare bones set and be done with it. i'm "still" surprised both at the amount of extras included but also it's price. sure, bonus materials flying out of the arse would have been a dream come true. but it's simply, in my view, not a realistic thing to expect what so ever. IMHO- MM fans the world over have great reason to be joyous this year , and for some us, next year as well.

Just wanted some counterpoint thrown in here,

se7en

[Raven Wolf]

Dave, you said it best!

[Guest se7en]

....just to be clear though, i am NOT busting on MDM. I'm sure he will not be the only one expecting more than he got. and like i said, "if he's disapointed,he's disappointed!". ...it would be nice if-(and i'm not suggesting that MDM was implying this.)-if the S1 release of MM was held up because Fox wanted to make THE greatest box sets of all time; the 80-minute cut of covenant,comentary on ALL key episodes,bloopers, a documentary covering the process of making an episode from start to finish, downloadable scripts, "VIDEO"-comentary, and on and on and on. but...................that's not how it was and "it is what it is". ...and i'll happily endure possible "permanent-ass-cheek-flatness" viewing the entire contents when it arrives monday/tueasday or wednesday.

~BYE FOR NOW,

se7en

[Guest amnesic]

i'm glad just to have it on DVD (which arrived in the post this morning). and i'm glad its at £29.99 with a lack of extras rather than 89.99 with lots of crap extras (like the XFs DVDs). i personally have never been a big fan of extras. the kinda stuff i want to know is usually answered by a trip to the message board at IMDB. the price of a DVD will always be the major factor in me buying it. if MM had been 89.99 like the XFs DVDs i'm not sure i would have bought it. i would probably have waited, put some money aside, and waited for a sale. but that's not becasue i don't want the DVD but becasye 89.99 is a LOT of money