And Even Yet Another New Slideshow

[Gerard]

You-know-who is well aware. You needn't worry. 

How and why does he allow it?  By doing it, it's not making $$$$$$.  It's all about that for you-know-who.  The 2004 pilot is dead.  Let it be placed on youtube for all DS fans to enjoy.  He's not going to make a cent or $$$$$, nor will DCP.  The dropped Lost in Space pilot from the same year is all over youtube.  Us LiS fans have been able to enjoy it.  Why not the DS pilot?  Why doesn't you-know-who come on here to explain this?  And all the other DS things he and his army of lawyers have taken off of things like youtube?  I met him at the on and only Ds fest I've attended.  He's not a nice person.  He's narcissitic.  Let him come here and defend himself.  I'm sorry for being so angry, MB, but he just gets my goat.  He, and he alone, has prevented us DS fans from enjoying the series as much as we can and preventing others from being introduced to it.  What goes on in his head?  Youtube and other internet venues are free intros to the franchise; doesn't cost a thing to him or DCP, nor does it take any money away.  It's a win-win.  Again, my apologies, MB.  I'm just glad to see some exerpts from the '04 pilot.

Gerard

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I suspect only you-know-who knows why he may do what he does. And I also suspect that he doesn't feel the need to explain himself. And that's perfectly within his rights no matter how much some fans may wish he would do so. And fans who may not like it simply have to accept it because, unfortunately for those fans, that's just the way things are.

That being said though, much of what has happened with regard to forcing the take down of things from YouTube is well within DCP's rights. As has been discussed before in other topics, copyright law isn't all about making money. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I meant to mention last night that it may be questionable as to how much influence DCP has with what's done with the pilot. Remember that the pilot wasn't exclusively a DCP production - it was a co-production between John Wells Productions, DCP, and Warner Bros. Television. And according to the PomPress book "Return To Collinwood," DCP is not in possession of the pilot when it's not being shown at Fests - it's locked away in the WB vault. So, it would appear that ultimately WB owns it and is in control of what's done with it.


Also, when I began this topic I meant to mention that one of the most interesting things about the script for the pilot is that the characters of Maggie and Sam actually appear in it. However, their scene is among the ones never shot and, indeed, their roles were never cast. But look for dialogue from their scene to appear in the slideshow in May. 

[Cousin_Barnabas]

Oooo!  That is wonderful, MB.  Can't wait to see what sort of characters they were!

[dom]

I'm even getting excited!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

By request of several members who've missed some of the beginning installments of the slideshow, here's the complete Victoria voiceover:

Page 01 - Victoria (V.O.): 'My name is Victoria Winters...'


Page 01 - Victoria (V.O.): 'It's October 31st... Halloween. The
date didn't even register when the train tickets arrived.'


Page 01 - Victoria (V.O.): 'Hundreds of years ago, we put on
costumes to scare away “evil spirits.”'


Page 01 - Victoria (V.O.): 'Between our 24-hour science
channels and the invention of Prozac, you think we'd be past
all that by now.'


Page 02 - Victoria (V.O.): 'But maybe we'll always be afraid
of the dark...'


Page 02 - Victoria (V.O.): 'I've been hired to tutor a
troubled boy,'


Page 02 - Victoria (V.O.): 'but I keep feeling like that's
only the beginning of my journey.'


Page 02 - Victoria (V.O.): 'I'm hoping that somehow, out
of the darkness,'


Page 02 - Victoria (V.O.): 'I'll finally find answers to the
mysteries of my own past...'

In the future, though, please try as best you can to check in daily so that you miss as few installments as possible.

Also, look forward later today to a bit of an explanation about the voiceover sequence in the pilot because once it completes what happens in the pilot itself is quite different from what's in the script - and that's what will mostly be explained. But that won't be coming until after I've had the chance to roundup/scan two photos I want to include. 


And as a sidenote, the other day I completely forgot to mention that in addition to Maggie and Sam, Sarah also appears in the script, and as with Maggie and Sam, her scene was never shot and her role was never cast. But look for her to appear in the slideshow in August.

[KMR]

Thanks, MB.  This is wonderful stuff.

I totally love that opening shot of the train.  Very atmospheric!  And maybe I'll get used to a Vicki with short blonde hair, and not keep seeing Mia Farrow as Rosemary.   

[DarkLady]

What KMR says! Thanks so much for all this effort, MB! I'm looking forward to the rest of it!

[dom]

I agree that it is particularly difficult to get used to a short-haired blue-eyed blond Vicki. I also agree that the opening frame is wonderfully atmospheric. I remember being fiercely determined to like the pilot when I saw the first viewing of it (was it in Vegas, Anaheim or Tarrytown...I can't recall?) Honestly, I don't think it was even the complete pilot, it might have still been in production at the time (but I don't remember anything correctly anymore when it comes to DS). The only character casted that I was totally accepting of and anticipated seeing was that of IM as Angelique and I don't remember her even being in the version I saw. I certainly wish I could see it now that I've been able to get over of liking anything other than the OS. DS12 did that for me for the most part, and maturity (speaking for myself).

The slideshow is awesome so far MB, especially considering what little we have to work with.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The short presentation for the pilot was at the '04 TarryTown Fest. Honestly, like you, I don't even recall what they showed, but it was only clips - and it was supposed to be the only time we'd ever get to see anything. However, the full pilot was screened at the '05 LA Fest - and that was supposed to be the only time it would ever be shown. But thankfully it's been shown at several more Fests. And I've always thought that's a very good thing because as many fans as possible should really get to see it. 

I've only seen the pilot that one time in '05 in LA, which is why I'm relying more on Midnite's memory than my own when it comes to certain things so far as putting together this slideshow goes. But, of course, anyone else who's seen the pilot more than once or more recently is certainly more than free and actually encouraged to contribute as the slideshow makes its way through the pilot's script. 

As for a blonde Vicki - and also a brunette Angelique - that's really setting things to the way they should have been in the days when the original DS was on. As I've mentioned before, back in those days it was routine on soaps for the victimized ingenues to all be blondes and for the victimizing vixens to all be brunettes. DS turned that convention on its head by, for the most part, having all its ingenues be brunettes and all its vixens be blondes. 

[Cousin_Barnabas]

The voiceover is interesting.  It's certainly not something I would have expected to hear at the time, because it's a significant departure from the more sweepingly Gothic, traditional VO of the OS and the '91 series.  Even Depp Shadows had a VO that was more traditional.  I'll be interested in seeing how the rest of the show shapes up. 

[Mysterious Benefactor]

In the script after the opening voiceover, Vicki begins to feel soothed by the "ClakClakClak of the train's wheels." However, soon what the script describes as a DEMONIC, SKELETAL FIGURE jumps at her window and its bony fingers etch at the pane as it screams "He's waiting..." (by which he presumably means Barnabas). And at that point Vicki snaps awake and realizes it was just a really bad dream.

However, in the actual pilot, children have been trick-or-treating in the aisle of train car. All at once Vicki notices that a boy dressed in a devil costumes has become trapped between cars because the doors won't open. He repeatedly begs for her help, which she goes to give, but they can't get the door to budge. And then suddenly the demonic figure appears out of nowhere. Screams ensue. The demon says "He's waiting..." And then Vicki snaps awake and realizes it was just a really bad dream.

The one thing that is very interesting in the pilot's sequence is that the demon's dress and general look is very similar to the way Barnabas will be seen when his coffin is opened. And so that you won't just have to imagine what he looked like, here are two production photos from the pilot:

Creature actor Doug Jones as the Train Dream Demon.


Vicki, director PJ Hogan, and the Demon.

[Uncle Roger]

This was one of my favorite sequences. It really established the Dark Brigadoon mood that Jonathan Frid often spoke of
 Speaking of Frid, is there any truth to the rumor that he was offered a cameo as the old guy that Vicki meets on the train?

[Nicky]

Reminds me of JosetteGhost's "He's coming" line in the 2012 film.

[Cousin_Barnabas]

I had the same thought. 

I wonder if John August had access to the pilot's script and drew inspiration from it...  It's a great invention.  I think it was pulled off excellently in Depp Shadows; and the logical character to have such a role would be Josette's Ghost instead of this demon creature.  However, if this Vicki were, in fact, the physical and spiritual reincarnation of Josette, then it probably would not have worked in the pilot.  Needless to say, I'm interested in this demon character and where they might have taken it.