In the Eye of the Beholder

[Guest Dixon]

The banding together of the women on this board who find Frank Black to be irresistibly sexy has brought to mind a related topic I thought I might bring up.

Millennium is remarkable among modern network television shows in that its cast lacked the requisite compliment of fresh, young, and devastatingly attractive actors and actresses.  This was something that particularly struck me during the show's dark first year on the air, and I always thought it outright commendable.  For the entire first season of the series there was not one single member of the recurring core cast who was under the age of thirty-five, or who would have lasted five minutes in a beauty contest against the likes of the Profiler cast.  The men and women of Millennium were older, mature, worn, world weary, an appropriate match for the series' themes and tone.  This is to say nothing at all, of course, of the astounding acting abilities of these accomplished actors.

Simply put, the series did not pander to commercial television's absurd image standards.  When compared to the rest of the prime time fare of its time, Millennium's cast stuck out like a sore thumb.

During the early days of The X-Files' development, its been said, the Fox network was fighting hard to have a Pamela-Anderson-type cast in the role of Dana Scully.  Fortunately for all of us, Chris Carter's personal choice prevailed.  (And even Gillian Anderson herself had a radical image makeover between that pilot episode and the end of the series.)  Likewise, Carter thankfully had enough power and influence at the time of Millennium's pre-production to make all of his own casting choices, regardless of the Fox network's own absurd designs.

(After watching a later episode of The X-Files, I believe it was "Invocation," I once remarked that this was one of the few shows on television to offer any indication that even highly unattractive men and women have sex.  You would never know that based on the depictions of life presented elsewhere in the entertainment industry.)

Even the supporting cast and guest stars, week after week, were the haggard men and women of the dreary real world rather than those taken from sunny Los Angeles' ample supply of actors and models.  Despicable though it may be, this phenomena was likely a contributing factor to the show's failure among Fox's key demographic.  Many an American youth, surfing the airwaves on a Friday night, likely took one look at Millennium's mature and graying cast and flipped onward in search of sexier scenery.

While the later arrival of those like Lara Means and Emma Hollis complicates this observation slightly, it's clear that, in general, Millennium was a television series with no interest in resigning itself to the youth or beauty expectations that traditionally rule network television entertainment.  For that, it deserves great commendation.

And, as all those Frank Black admirers on the board have shown us, the mature mind will find something irresistibly sexy in even those characters who are so very rough around the edges.

[Guest nuno]

Mind over matter, my friend.

Unfortunately we live in a comercial world, and what is "best" isn't the the good things but, the most selled. But fortunately there'll be allways people like us who see through our minds, instead of using only the deceiving eyes.

[Guest ein042]

From your mouth to God's ear, Brian. God being the studio Execs. Pam Anderson as Scully?? Wow that's an Xfile in itself.

I agree Nuno, that it's what brings the money in that decides the programing, but where is the responciblity? The studio heads should take the lead in producing a quality product with good writing and capable actors regardless of thier age.

[Guest jasminefire]

Chris Carter had always been prone to choosing interesting-looking actors rather than cookie-cutter beauties.  I believe had he not been fortuitously cast as Fox Mulder the hunkily idiosyncratic David Duchovny would have been relegated to character roles in his film career.  

[Raven Wolf]

And, as all those Frank Black admirers on the board have shown us, the mature mind will find something irresistably sexy in even those caracters who are so very rough around the edges.

Thank you, Brian!  I aggree with so much of what you said...You took the words right out of my mouth!  I see no nead for a reply!  You covered it all!

Frank is not only sexy in more obvious ways to me...Also, his mind his personality everything that makes him who he is...And the courage to be who he is is what I find so irrestable about him!

Thanks for the validation, Brian!

ERIN

[Adam Chamberlain]

I can recall that whilst Profiler never aired here in the UK (to my knowledge) there were parallels drawn with Millennium in a number of articles I came across. Yet to me, the perception I gained of the former - admittedly without even watching the show - was that it was superficial and lacking in substance. (Perhaps that's just my own prejudice coming into play!) In my opinion The X-Files was blessed with having two substantial yet gorgeous lead actors in addition to all the other elements that made it a success, but of course Gillian's casting was somewhat against the grain.

As for Millennium, perhaps it's my mature (?!) mind but I certainly found many attractive qualities to both Lance and Megan: intensity, intelligence and charisma in abundance from Lance and an understated, maternal sensuality from Megan, yet I guess the same could not be said for many of the supporting cast! It is certainly to the credit of the show's producers, however, that they resisted the lazy use of stereotypes that seems to abound in the business. The maturity of Frank and Catherine surely added gravitas and credibility to their characters, and I find it quite depressing that such a lack of fresh-faced attractive cast members (Lara and Emma aside, of course) undoubtedly contributed to poor audiences and therefore the show's premature demise.

As for The X-Files' overt portrayal of unattractive people engaging in sexual activity, I guess one need look no further than 4th season highlight Home for evidence thereof!

[Guest nuno]

Once i read that a person should not hear with his hears nor see with is eyes instaid a person should hear with his heart and see with is soul because, the senses probably will trick us into see what we want to see or what other want us to see. The beauty of people isn´t in what they apear but in what they are.

If someone thinks that a person is sexy or exciting for just what it looks, it means that the soul and mind of that someone, don´t work in that bodie.

[Raven Wolf]

I totaly agree!

THIS IS WHO WE ARE

RAVEN WOLF

RAVEN WOLF

[Guest]

......good old frank/henriksen was/is and always will be my idol,and no one,and i mean NO ONE else could have played him, but i still maintaine that the man is...........um..........HIDEOUS!!!!!!!!!!   sorry erin  :D

                               ~se7en

[Guest Tammy55]

Anyone can go to the local bar and pick up some good looking hunk  to go  home and play with for the night.

Ill take the Frank Black type anytime.  Can you just imagine the coversations over coffee the next day??  Talking about work, feelings, the future.

give me someone to bend my mind and Ill follow like a lost puppy - but Ill bend their mind too.  

I think it brings up questions in ourselves we may or may not want asked, or we may ask of someone else.

I think he is way sexy - exspecially with the grey hair.

He is sexy on the outside too - he has a good bod and intresting face.

Maybe we can auction him for a day!!

Ill start the bidding!!!  1 million

Tam