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I dont know if you guys notice since Darin wrote and produed Jose Chung Doomsday how it seem to relate to Scientology and L.Ron Hubbards book. Did anyone notice this at all, to me it seemed as if he was making light or fun of the religon even though in another sense he was making fun of MM

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Guest SouthernCelt

The more I understand about Scientology, the clearer it becomes that the religion (if that's what it is) was the inspiration for JC'sDD. Maybe Cruise's recent rants on national TV have drawn a few converts but it has certainly made me aware just how far out some of Hubbard's theology/philosophy is.

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Guest ZeusFaber

I'm certain that DM's intension was to parody Scientology. I believe I read somewhere that his script originally contained the name "Selfology", but that pressure from Scientology forced him to change it to "Selfosophy".

In any case, my description of DM would be with the word "genius" rather than any other. I just watched the episode in question again last night, and it still has me in stitches.

In the words of Jose Chung: "Hell's bells..."

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  • Elders (Moderators)

I'm another big Darin Morgan fan. He has the ability to write something that can really make you laugh, yet at the same time focus on some very serious issues.

On the "Scientology" issue, I had saved something from years ago that I found on the net and from that I was lead to the newsgroup alt.tv.scientology. Here's a selection of what got posted there about this episode:

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From The Hollywood Reporter

LOS ANGELES (BPI) - Producers of 20th Century Fox TV series "Millennium" have been fielding calls from people in and around the Church of Scientology over an upcoming episode of the Fox drama series. The episode, written by Darren Morgan, centers on Jose Chung, a novelist character that Morgan originally created for another 20th Century Fox TV drama series, "The X-Files." Chung tags along with Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) throughout the comedic episode, which centers on an unusual murder of a member of a New Age following called "Selfosophy."

The episode started production on Friday. Up to then, 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. "The Scientologists were concerned that it (the episode) would be too close to some concepts of Scientology and (the people at) 'Millennium' said it had not been their intention to associate it as such and they would make appropriate changes," a representative of Scientology said Friday, adding, "There has been good communication." A spokeswoman for 20th Century Fox TV declined comment on the subject.

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Millennium Scrutinized by Scientologists

ABCNews

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. Until the episode began filming on Friday, execs on the show and Fox were reportedly fielding calls from within the church and from the representatives of "industry people" who are members of the group. "The Scientologists were concerned that [the episode] would be too close to

some concepts of Scientology and [the people at] Millennium said it had not been their intention to associate it as such and they would make appropriate changes," a Scientology rep told the Reporter, adding, "There has been good communication." 20th Century Fox TV had no comment.

One response to this news article was:

Heh! I very much doubt Darrin Morgan will end up changing much *at all.* A result of "good communication" as reported by a scn spokesperson likely means that the MILLENNIUM folk pretty much responded with... "Uhm... whatever. Sure."

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Another post on the newsgroup:

The Millennium episode 'Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense' has been withheld from broadcast on Australian television. Millennium which airs on the 7 network was postponed for two weeks and when it returned it had shifted from Saturday at 9:30 pm to Wednesday at 10:30 pm and has skipped the episode in question.

From aus.tv:

I rang Channel 7 in Sydney this morning to find out from their programming department when "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense" was likely to air. What I was told is that it is not on their current schedule, and will not be on their schedule for the forseeable future... apparently because their previewer has deemed it "a very bad episode".

Honestly... those were the words he used. According to the person I spoke to, it

may be shown sometime in the future, but not as part of the current run. It's seems remarkable that one episode in a series is withheld because it's "bad." Has some of the pressure that was brought to bear in the US applied to channel 7?

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Another post:

In the latest issue of Cinefantastique, a sci-fi and fantasy movie mag, there is a engthy article on the TV series "Millennium." In it is an interview with Darin Morgan, the talented writer of the episode that spoofed Scientology. It touches on that episode and the churches reaction: "Jose Chung's Doomsday Defense"

Though Morgan's target with Selfosophy would appear to be Scientology, his actual intent was to spoof the self-help movement, personified by such relentless romoters as Tony Robbins. The script casts a sharp, mocking eye on what Morgan called self-help positivism" and the people "who tell you think positive and everything will be fine."

The episode's satire did not escape the notice of the Church of Scientology, which is not known for tolerating what it regards s attacks. Some of the episode's references clearly spoofed Scientology practices, and when Church officials read a copy of the script, they complained to Fox. Glen Morgan and James Wong spent several hours at the Scientology Celebrity Center in Los Angeles, trying to iron out differences. Morgan made a number of rewrites and changes including renaming his fictional group from "Selftologists" to "Selfosophists." Morgan was purposefully vague in discussing the experience, but he said he wrote his feelings about it into some of Jose Chung's dialogue, such as: "Look, you can believe whatever you want to believe in, and if it helps you, more power to you.... if I should think you're bunch of idiots, that should be my right to say so."

"It seemed like a very simple freedom of speech issue," Morgan added. "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?"

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest tempusfugit

Darin Morgan is undoubtedly a genius. It's one thing to attempt a controversial scenario involving one of the most litigious "churches" out there but to openly spoof it the way he did is brilliant.

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Guest Copper1234

Forgive me for my newbieness but one of the reasons that got me back to the Millennium series and to join the forum site was Jose Chungs Doomsday Defense. I had to pop the DVD and watch it a couple times and appreciated it alot more given most recent current events. Morgans talents in my point of view is most evident with Jose Chungs character in general and Deoomsday Defense in specific. his writing not only enlightens but entertains., thats what real writers do, To Serve Man...(no...its not a cook book) Actually, his insights are poetic and again (thanks to DVDS ) timely. I just have to say that be hack or genius he will be missed if he does not continue to write. After a few viewings the multie layer themes and storylines are shakerspearian in technic ( in no way comparing Morgan to Shakespeare..in my mind hes good....just , well not THAT good). In doomsday you have not only faith in God or a god, mulitple killers..for different reason..a dead on farce of Scientology..(please dont sue me..remember its good to laugh at yourselves sometimes) a charcter study ultimitly of Chung whos writing and self expression were paramount in his life...in a way luminating Franks life. I just had to add my 2 cents in..

Hope ya guys dont mind.

Copper

"He wrote downbeat stories about depressed people doing dark things...Who wants that?!!!"

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