19:19

[Libby]

I wonder if this real-life case was the inspiration for this episode: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Chowchilla_kidnapping

[Walkabout]

very well could have been Libby. I remember that case very well as I was a part time bus driver at that time and we were on high alert for strangers approching our buses.

[Earthnut]

I remember when this happened, had just moved out of California to Oklahoma in Winter of 74, and in 76 my son Shane was born.

I'm betting this incident was the inspiration. Never put them together before. Thanks Libby.

[Libby]

That must have been rather scary, Randee. From the wikipedia article, the kidnappers might have got the inspiration from a fictional story, so who knows if there could have been a copycat attempt.

Darlene, I'd never heard of this before, quite possibly because the story didn't get to the UK back then. I only found this because of a current news item as the driver passed away very recently.

I'm actually a bit surprised that Fox allowed this storyline, given that the real incident happened only about a year earlier.

[Guest I Made This]

Wow, that's a very interesting find Libby. I never knew of a real life inspiration behind this episode either. I know some shows like Law and Order do it all the time, but it's interesting that there is the possibility that Millennium did too. Great little episode though, I liked it very much.

[IHaveGoodInstincts]

I could see that. The show had a lot of great influences, some of which were applied in a subtle manner. I would be surprised if Mark did not provide a commentary on this episode's plot on a previous post. He did that with so many episodes. I remember Mark having rather detailed posts regarding "Owls" and "Roosters," as well as Bardo Thodol.

[Libby]

One of the kidnappers has been granted parole, some 39 years later.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3022522/Chowchilla-school-bus-kidnapper-wins-release-prison.html

What I didn't know is that they were apparently influenced by the movie "Dirty Harry". I didn't know that as I've never watched the movie, yet it was so clearly an iconic movie that I instantly remembered who starred in it, and the "feel lucky ... punk?" line.

Maybe, at long last, that answers my query above as to why Fox allowed the storyline of 19:19 - because the idea, i.e. the fictional story, had already played in cinemas anyway.

It's distressing to read one victim's words, that she was robbed of her childhood, and how her experience still lingers should she have to take shelter underground when there's a tornado warning.

[Beerbelch]

BEER----> 'The Babe' remembered this incident. Dirty Harry was a great movie.Clint always has a great one liner in his movies. Have to watch 19:19 again.

BELCH

[seesthru]

I think the premise was used by Millennium in the episode 19:19, with the difference being that the kidnappers in Millennium took the children to save their lives. because one of them is going to be a good force fighting evil in the future.

[Walkabout]

its great when a writer puts a new spin on a story from the news or a similar ep from another show and keeps it on track for that show .