-Caveat Lector- [Funny, I got cable (i.e., ~100+ channels), and I can't find this show?? Any body know about it/what network, etc.??? ..MS] On Wed, 6 Oct 1999, Stig Agermose wrote: > > -> IUFO Mailing List > > Source: Star-Telegram, > > http://www.star-telegram.com/news/doc/1047/1:ENTNEWS31/1:ENTNEWS31100599.html > > Stig > > *** > > Updated: Tuesday, Oct. 5, 1999 at 12:39 CDT > > Teen Alienation: 'Roswell,' a savvy hybrid of 'Buffy' and 'X-Files,' > explores youthful angst from an alien's viewpoint > > By Ken Parish Perkins > Star-Telegram TV Critic > > * > > When Roswell was announced as part of the WB's fall lineup, my greatest > fear was that it would be a Buffy the Vampire Slayer rip-off, a shamelessly > campy attempt at wiseacre one-liners and lame pop-culture puns wrapped > around a doomed romance and aliens with bad makeup jobs. > > Just as troubling was the knowledge that the drama would borrow heavily > from the fabled high-desert crash of a UFO in 1947. > > I began to slide even deeper into skepticism, wondering if Roswell would be > an X-Files clone, offering up a slew of are-you-kidding-me? story lines on > whether the U.S. government is still holding out on us regarding that > infamous crash, and if aliens are stashed in an underground bunker > somewhere or serving up hot dogs at some fast-food drive-through. > > Well, after digesting a couple episodes of the teen drama, my greatest > fears were realized -- and what a relief. > > Roswell borrowed heavily but wisely, and seems to have turned out quite a > watchable synthesis of Buffy and The X-Files, combining the best elements > of the two to produce a moody, satisfying series that's easily one of the > season's most appealing new shows. > > Brooding, sexy and engaging, Roswell moves with a subtle swagger, taking on > the always difficult challenge of juggling sci-fi, horror, humor and > romance, and doing it with a straight face, so that what is essentially an > innately silly idea never comes off as innately silly. > > Executive producers Jason Katims, a writer-producer for My So-Called Life > and Relativity, and David Nutter, an X-Files director and writer of last > year's teen film Disturbing Behavior, have based Roswell on Melinda Metz's > popular book series Roswell High, about three teen-age aliens trying to > keep their identity secret. > > They knew that if they allowed the audience to dismiss the core concept of > Roswell -- that these kids could actually exist -- they'd have nothing, and > the show would be about as believable as, say, Buffy is that vampirism is a > metaphor for teen-age lust, the obvious sentiment in Roswell is that > there's no better metaphor for teen-age alienation than to 'be' a teen-age > alien. > > Our alien teens come from an incubator pod aboard the crashed spacecraft. > Two of them, the soft-spoken, level-headed Max Evans (Jason Behr) and his > sister, Isabel Evans (Katherine Heigl), were found walking naked along the > road as small children and adopted by the family that found them. > > Michael Guerin (Brendan Fehr) was adopted, too, but he's clearly the > cynical alien of the three. His guardian "just keeps me around for the > monthly check," Michael barks in the pilot. (Scenes develop this story > line: Max and Isabel play hoops with their parents in the driveway, but > Michael slithers through a cluttered trailer past an alcoholic dad glued to > a TV set.) > > Roswell begins with the apparent death of teen-ager Liz Parker (Shiri > Appleby), a waitress who is accidentally shot in the stomach during an > argument between two patrons in her father's diner. > > As Liz falls, blood oozing from her stomach, Max dashes over and heals the > gunshot wound with a touch that leaves a silver palm print on Liz's > stomach. Realizing that he's being watched, he grabs a bottle of ketchup, > smashes it, and smears it on Liz, telling her to say nothing of what just > occurred. > > Max's decision to reveal himself to Liz is an unforgivable breach of trust > that the alien teens believe will come with deadly consequences. Frets > Isabel: "Don't you realize it's only a matter of time before they find us > and turn us over to some government agency, where they're going to test us > and prod us -- and exterminate us?" > > As written, that line almost sounds comical, but by this time, Roswell has > already established its own mood of trust and realism. > > Just exactly who "they" are is a matter of mystery the producers will > certainly use to their advantage. The FBI here is a group of shadowy, > straight-laced men in suits, quickly dismissing claims of UFOs one minute > and confiscating files from the local sheriff the next. > > Played by a well-cast William Sadler, the sheriff is the Coyote to the > aliens' Roadrunner, a determined soul with a personal stake in finding the > truth. His father was a law enforcement officer in 1959 when a body was > found bearing the same silver hand print found on Liz. > > Reporting the incident ruined his career. "Do you know what everyone at the > agency called your father?" a federal agent asks the sheriff. "Sgt. Martian." > > The most delightful development of Roswell is the budding love affair > between Max and Liz. Did I say budding? I meant doomed. Can they love? > Should they? That Max exposed his identity to save her life ("Why'd you do > that?" she asks. "Because it was you," he answers) was enough to make Liz's > knees buckle. > > "It's not safe," Max warns Liz as the two lean toward one another in what > would have been the perfect kissing scene. "I mean, for you and me to . . ." > > "I don't care," Liz interrupts. > > A trace of melodrama? Sure. Corny? A bit. But Roswell does a nice little > Buffy imitation of straddling the fence between realism and real silly. And > boy, does it work. > > * > > Roswell, 8 tonight, KDAFhannel 33 > > Ken Parish Perkins, (817) 390-7862 > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > � 1999 Star-Telegram -- Terms and Conditions -- Send us your Feedback. > > > > -> Send "subscribe iufo " to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > -> Posted by: Stig Agermose <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > ================================================================= Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, YHVH, TZEVAOT FROM THE DESK OF: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> *Mike Spitzer* <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ~~~~~~~~ <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> The Best Way To Destroy Enemies Is To Change Them To Friends Shalom, A Salaam Aleikum, and to all, A Good Day. ================================================================= DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! 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