Thoughts on Lexx and Series 4
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Hello Sadgeezer!
Although I have enjoyed Lexx for years (thanks to websites such as yours and Blackstar stocking Lexx videos), this is the first time I have ventured onto a chatboard – the opportunity to suggest what I might like to see in Series 4 too good to resist (even if it isn’t the “Beans’ asking).Let me first say, that I agree wholeheartedly that the target audience is not all teenagers – please take note Paul Donovan! Myself (35) and my husband (42) and other couples we know who have enjoyed Lexx are all around the same age group.
But I must add that my conversion rate of new Lexx fans is appalling.
The first Series episodes ‘I Worship His Shadow’ and ‘Giga Shadow’ has all been received extremely well but subsequent episodes have not. Hence this leads me into what I think makes Lexx successful and what I would like to see in Series 4.The story line as seen in the episodes ‘I Worship His Shadow’, ‘Giga Shadow’, ’Mantrid’, ‘Brizon’ and ‘End Of The Universe’ to me are where the ‘Three Beans’ have excelled. The not-so-good-guys running from / defeating the really-bad-guys in a bumbling / humourous / tongue-in-cheek / not afraid to show human flesh and other apallng aspects of human nature – is very appealing.
I love the use of computer graphics, especially of outer SpaceAnd please don’t change the ‘Dr Who’ type quality of the sets – this isn’t Star Trek. It just wouldn’t be Lexx if the doors opened with a clinical swoosh (referring to ‘Stan’s Trial’ when Xev and Kai first arrive to attend Stan’s Trial and appear through laterally opening doors, which stagger apart.)
A quality of the show, which I feel is essential, is its ability to laugh at itself and others.
Another highlight for me was the calibre of the guest stars of Series Two. It was a joy to watch many of the fine actors. Their ability to appear to be at total ease and assume a characters identity (however silly) of the older actors is very evident – for example the characters played by Dieter Laser (Mantrid), Earl Pastko (Brizon), Mary Walsh and Louis del Grande (Twilight).Of the character’s I like Stan’s practical attitude and frustration with Kai’s dead state and at times his lack of understanding of situations from a live perspective. For example, the scene in ‘Woz’ where Stan and Kai are trying to get into the compound of the Black Lady and Kai announces his reason for wanting to enter the gates is to kill the Black Lady. Or in ‘Twilight’ the scene where the three anti-heroes are on a ledge and Xev is attempting to get the squawker from Kai, who subsequently throws it over the edge. Stan’s response is an appealing contrast to Xev’s generally rose-coloured hazy aspect of Kai.
In contrast, I must add that there are also aspects of Lexx which I have found frustrating brought on by the knowledge that the ‘Beans’ have been shown to be capable of far better. In fairness, this may be due to time/ financial or contractual constraints. The quality of the script and dialogue at times falls down, the inconsistencies of the characters abilities and traits (not character development) suggests they make it up as they go. I did not feel they had enough high quality material for 20 episodes in Series Two nor the 13 episodes for Series Three (which I felt was very, very slow) – I feel they would have been better consolidating their material. Which makes me a little dubious about Series Four – how ever much I am looking forward to it.
As to Series Four:
As mentioned I have doubts as to whether or not they can produce 24 high quality episodes – hope I am proved wrong!
I’m not sure whether I would enjoy it as much if the whole series were set on Earth – after all this is Sci-fi and I love the CGI .
I would enjoy watching guest stars in every episode (especially the ones I have previously mentioned)In terms of the Lexx series ability to poke fun and it being that it is set on Earth, perhaps we could see:
A group of Hare Krishna’s dancing/chanting down the street in the background of a scene. I vaguely remember this scenario perhaps being used before but if so due homage to the Sci-fi genre is acceptable and does not appear to be outside the ‘Beans’ criteria;;
Kai walking into a Goth night-club;
Stan meeting the working girl of his dreams;
Stan turns bad (albeit temporarily);
790 falling in love with Stan;
790 with the body of the opposite sex to what he thinks he is;
Xev at a Rave party;
UFO spotters worshipping the Lexx …….etcIn addition to off-beat humour a dose of pathos never goes amiss.
I would like to see an exploration of Kai’s deadness – perhaps he could stumble across an inebriated philosophical type?
Is Kai’s need for protoblood any different for the need for air/food/water or blood? How does one define life? Is a state of consciousness the definitive?
A thread which first appeared in ‘I Worship His Shadow’ when Kai first regains his memories and confronts His Shadow and utters, twice, ‘I think ….” perhaps this thread could be taken along the line of Descartes pronouncement ‘there-fore I am”.There it is, several years of thoughts and banter which only my long-suffering husband and close friends have been privy to.
Thanks again for your web-site I think it’s one of the best I’ve seen.
It’s a life-line to the deprived Lexx fans in Australia.P.S. a final comment on the recent airing of Lexx Series One on free to air television here recently on Channel 7. What a travesty!!!
As far as I am aware, there was no pre-publicity, it was on at 11:20pm and to add insult to injury it was listed as a US sci-fi series!P.S.S. if the ‘Supreme Beans’ would like some suggestions for shooting locations in Australia, I’m sure I can oblige!
Regards, Antonina.
Yeah I noticed the US sci-fi series thing, deary me. I dont think they even bothered doing ads. Today not a few minutes ago I saw these 5 coloured brains (you know the 5 channel 7 colours) walking along and I thought “wow they are showing Lexx series 2!” but it was some other advertisement 😛
I would do anything to be an extra on Lexx! [img]http://www.sadgeezer.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]
What a cool post!
I agree with much of what Antonia said, but the production company (Salter Street) is a familly business run (at least on the LEXX side) by Paul Donovan who also wrote the show with buddies Lex and Jeff Hirschfield.
Salter Street is only a small company in comparison with other sci fi producers and it continually amazes me how much good stuff they have produced dispite such a low budget. They broke the mold of TV sci fi with LEXX (and TV sci fi had become pretty mouldy) and continually produced exciting and thought provoking scripts.
erm… I know you know all this by the way [img]http://www.sadgeezer.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img] … it’s just that I have found that people’s fave shows aren’t necessarily mine, others have marvelled at the wonderful imagery that was never particularly beautiful, but always made you want to watch it.
I, like you, thought that the first series of films was wonderful, but I thought that the third season was much better than season 2, Personally I like the story arc idea and the wonderful imagery of Fire and Water. And yet, my fave show was probably [url=http://www.sadgeezer.com/lexx/lexx2-14.htm]Patches in the Sky[/url].
Sometimes I’ve felt like throwing my beercan at the screen, and other times I’ve been completely stunned at the imagery and story. But usually, I’d get lots of email from peole dissagreeing [img]http://www.sadgeezer.com/ubb/smile.gif[/img]
Personally, I think that the best thing about LEXX is that it’s such a turn on! I guess they could do anything in season 4, as long as it had that.
(And I think it wouyld be great to have guest stars in each show as they did in season 1)
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[img]http://www.sadgeezer.com/sad-images/sad-sig.gif[/img]I agree with the guest star ide!!! I miss that!!!
They had it probobly bekos we would se the movies then and when it bekame a serie they couldent aford it anymore!!! And its hart to get moviestars that would aper in a tv show!!!
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I am the crusader
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