A FRESH START FOR A CLASSIC SERIES? 'THE X-FILES' COMES TO BLU-RAY

In their investigative prime: FBI agents Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) and Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) in THE X-FILES. Image: FOX.

The recent trailblazing success of CBS PARAMOUNT's STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION's release in beautiful and viewer acclaimed high definition Blu-ray has meant that other studios are now looking at their vaults and seeing what potential classic TV hits can be adapted to the format and generate further income. And it looks as if FOX will be getting out the big guns first, sometime in 2013, with the so-far rumoured release of THE X-FILES season by season, in what will surely be a labour of love job, ditching the fuzzy film to video converted prints of old and presenting pristine made on film transfers, going back to the original camera negatives and starting from scratch, along with new or upgraded optical effects. The series wasn't made in widescreen until Season Five, but who cares when the potential picture quality of those early best seasons will look sooo much better, and with the kind of presentation they should have had when they originally aired. The chance for additional behind the scenes material should also be eagerly anticipated.

Here's also hoping that THE X-FILES gets the kind of sales success that might help jump start the franchise back into live-action motion, what with the recent desires of creator Chris Carter and the cast to do one more movie-hopefully with FOX giving them a bigger, better production budget this time, and with a storyline that hearkens back to the original tone of the series and the alien conspiracy. Or perhaps something entirely new with nods to the past?

The truth remains to be found...

EVIL NEVER DIES. WILL 'MILLENNIUM' RETURN?

Through a dark lens. The legacy of Frank Black and the eerie MILLENNIUM TV series are explored in the new book, BACK TO FRANK BLACK. Image: FOURTH HORSEMAN PRESS.

Regrettably cancelled one season shy of reaching the new era of mankind, Chris Carter's horror/thriller series MILLENNIUM always had rocky support from its makers at 20THE CENTURY FOX, seemingly never quite sure what to make of it, or how to schedule/promote THE X-FILES creators all-together darker second show, with it's sombre but brilliant lead star Lance Henriksen playing seasoned serial killer hunter Frank Black linked to the mysterious, decades old Millennium Group, but its die-hard viewers loved every moment of the often disturbing, yet also at times enlightening and emotional series, and for years its huge worldwide fan base have valiantly tried to get the show resurrected in numerous online campaigns, supported by Henriksen and his equally fine co-stars at varying times, all of whom realised that the shows storytelling and character potential had only just started to be tapped when it was unceremoniously ended with its back to basics third season.

Trailers: Millennium TV series promo starring Lance Henriksen - YouTube
Millennium Series 3 promo - YouTube

Check out the KOOL TV Seasons One to Three articles on MILLENNIUM here:
KOOL TV: MILLENNIUM

New attempts to get MILLENNIUM resurrected are underway, but in a bigger and more consertive pull than ever before, linked to a brand new retrospective book going behind the scenes of the landmark series and its popular themes. Titled BACK TO FRANK BLACK, edited by Adam Chamberlain and Brian A. Dixon, the publication has received very positive word from critics, fans and the shows behind the scenes talents, with key players Henriksen, Carter and writer/producer Frank Spotnitz having added sterling foreword contributions to the project.

Support the fan efforts and get hold of the book, whose proceeds go to charity, here:
Back To Frank Black - Who We Are…

Facebook page: BacktoFrankBlack Campaign

KOOL TV BABE OF THE WEEK: 'HUNTED's MELISSA GEORGE

Strike a pose! The lovely Australian film and TV actress Melissa George satisfyingly mixes innocence and sex appeal. Image: MelissaGeorge.com

With a fine career in popular cult international movies-often playing a vulnerable heroine who shows true courage and resourcefulness in the worst and most heinous life-threatening situations, in successes like the mountain climbing drama, A LONELY PLACE TO DIE, vampire gore fest 30 DAYS OF NIGHT, the TWILIGHT ZONE'ish TRIANGLE (a very enjoyable movie that's well worth watching) and TV movies like Pierce Brosnan's recent Stephen King adaptation BAG OF BONES, as well as a run in the hit US spy drama ALIAS, gorgeous Australian actress Melissa George hits British shores once again, this time for the small screen in what looks set to be a promising new BBC action thriller series, HUNTED, created by THE X-FILES top producer/writer Frank Spotnitz (intriguingly starting out as a vehicle for that series star Gillian Anderson), and from the same production team behind the acclaimed fantasy thriller LIFE ON MARS and the long running modern spy saga SPOOKS (known in the US as MI5).

In HUNTED, the shapely Miss George is the once elusive Samantha Hunter, a top spy who has to return to her once employers, a shady and shadowy outfit known as Byzantium, to track down and eliminate an enemy force out for payback against her. During the course of this surely very glossy series, Sam has to work out who this enemy combatant is, and, most importantly, who she can trust. For time is running out...

Trailer: ‘Hunted’ 90-second Trailer from the BBC - Melissa George

Agent on the run: George as Sam in HUNTED. Image: BBC/SHINE INTERNATIONAL.

From early footage, the new show, very much keeping the SPOOKs film-making style, and which apparently took quite a bit of time in the behind the scenes process to get made, looks fast paced and intriguing, with George a capable lead in the action/ character stakes. She's backed up with a solid and intriguing supporting cast, too, including GAME OF THRONES enjoyably slimy Stephen Dillane and sneery Patrick Malahide, as well as the no doubt intimidating presence of LOST's Mister Echo himself, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. It heads to UK and US TV screens this Autumn...

UNFINISHED BUSINESS. WILL 'THE X-FILES' RETURN?

Just the two of us? Agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) take on a worldwide conspiracy in the iconic THE X-FILES. Image: FOX.

The evil and intimidating Cancer Man's predictions of an end of the world alien attack on planet Earth on December 21st, 2012 will surely and sadly fail to materialise on cinema multiplex screens any time soon, but those champions of the truth who fought against him so valiantly for nine seasons, determined ex-FBI agents Agents Fox Mulder and his lovely partner Dana Scully, might possibly and hopefully return in the not too distant future for another big-screen adventure into the heart of the unknown. After a few years way from playing their respective and iconic roles, and with the sad failure of the last THE X-FILES movie, the very under-rated I Want to Believe, which many thought was too low budget and too intimately small scale to be released as a summer tent-pole movie for the blockbuster period (where so many Hollywood films face off for box office receipts and glory), lead stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson-both of whom currently have fine careers flitting between film and TV- have on a personal and professional level understandably begun to miss playing the characters they brought to life so well under the aegis of series creator Chris Carter and producer Frank Spotnitz (whose new work on the BBC ONE action/thriller series HUNTED, starring Melissa George (and the next evolutionary step up from the popular SPOOKS), will make its premiere soon).

And we miss them, too! M and S's first big screen appearance in FIGHT THE FUTURE proved a big success worldwide, and showed tremendous future potential to take the series in bigger, bolder directions for drama, horror and action set-pieces. So much so that it may have been a mistake to have continued the series on the small screen beyond its sixth year, in the light of such a positive and solid response to their cinematic debut. Considering such past creative accomplishments in its TV life cycle and a worldwide fan base that could be reactivated, alongside the right kind of storytelling taking it in to the next decade, it's easy to see why the shows loyal crew in front of and behind the camera are enthusiastic and willing to return and continue the dangerous game that is fighting the menace of the contagious Black Oil-whose alien infections and influence during early prehistoric history on Earth would launch the key aspects of the series mythology and help X truly mark the spot!

All its needs now is some faith and commitment from FOX, and some executive suits who realise there's plenty of life left in the format and its characters.

Over to you...


All of THE X-FILES- it's movies and the spin-off THE LONE GUNMEN, plus the separate Chris Carter created MILLENNIUM- are available on DVD.