So, in conclusion, after seeing all eight episodes I feel that TNT had a hit with Nightmares & Dreamscapes and I really hope that the ratings agree with me so we can look forward to a season two, maybe as early as next year…
Section 2—The Dead Zone
The Dead Zone - Pilot
Posted: June 10, 2002
The Dead Zone as a TV series? Is that doable? Well, I’m not sure, but after seeing the pilot I have to say that it sure is possible. The pilot, entitled Wheel of Fortune, is forty minutes long (without commercials) and looks really promising. OK, I admit, some things have been changed compared to the original, but that isn’t as annoying as I first thought it might be. If the pilot would have been a movie instead of the first episode in an ongoing series I would have been worried. But, with the fact that this pilot will be followed by (at least) twelve more episodes, it’s no big deal.
The main change is that two more characters have been introduced into the plot. One is Bruce Lewis (played by John L. Adams), who is Johnny’s personal trainer, and Reverend Gene Purdy (played by David Ogden Stiers), who is a moral support to Johnny’s mother when the series begins. My guess is that these characters have been added to prevent the series from being about just a few characters. In King’s book Johnny and Sarah are the main characters and then there are some smaller ones as well, but mainly the story revolves around those two. It would, in my mind, have been devastating to the series if it had been based on just two characters.
Another change is that Sarah (played by Nicole deBoer) is now the wife of Sheriff Walt Bannerman (played by Chris Bruno). Yes, this is the same Sheriff who in the book uses Johnny’s help to find the Castle Rock Strangler. Exactly why Sarah is married to Sheriff Bannerman and not some nobody (like in the book) I don’t know, but even this I don’t have a problem with. Overall, I find myself accepting all these changes with an ease that isn’t like me. I usually want everything to be exactly as in King’s book. I can’t say why though…
Besides these changes there are some smaller changes in the overall story. The differences aren’t that big though, and the end result is the same as in the book, which is the main thing.
How about the leading man, then? Anthony Michael Hall is Johnny Smith. Well, I like Hall as Smith. I, like many of you, probably have Christopher Walken in mind when someone says The Dead Zone, right? Well, I think Hall did the role just as well as (if not better than) Walken. Hall is a more modern Johnny, which might not be so strange since it’s been nineteen years since the movie was done, but still…I like Hall as Johnny. He seems right!
The series itself is really well done. The scenes where Johnny has his visions are done really nicely. I was a bit curious as to how they would do them, and after seeing them done I must say that I’m pleased. They have used some ideas from the movie, but developed them into something bigger and better. I think you will all enjoy it when you see it.
The story line then? Is it still Stephen King’s The Dead Zone? Yes, it is. In the pilot we get the background story on how Johnny ends up in a coma and how Johnny and Sarah meet and fall in love (even if this is a bit different from how it happens in the book). We hear about the Castle Rock Strangler, Greg Stillson, and Johnny even gets some of the visions that we recognize from the book. So, yes, I would definitely say that King’s feeling is present in the pilot!
There is, however, one circumstance which isn’t in the book. I won’t give away what it is, but it would definitely give the story a nice twist…
Lilja’s final words about The Dead Zone - Pilot
So, in conclusion, after watching the pilot I definitely think this is a series that has the potential to be great…if handled right, that is. If not, it could turn into one of these mainstream series that nobody watches. I don’t think that will be the case though. From what I have seen and heard the creators of The Dead Zone seem to know what they are doing. So, tune into USA on June 16th and sit back for the ride. The pilot ends with a real cliffhanger…I think you are going to like it. I know I did!
****
The Dead Zone - The 1st Half of Season 1
Posted: September 12, 2002
In this review I will take a look at the first half of the first season of The Dead Zone. When I say the first half, I mean episodes two through seven. I have already reviewed the pilot and I will do another review of the second half (episodes eight through thirteen) in the near future.
After I had seen the pilot for The Dead Zone I felt that it had a really good chance to be a success, and after seeing episodes two through seven I know it for sure. OK, they have changed some things and added or removed others, but that seems to be a must when you do a TV series that will span over many seasons (yes, there will be at least two seasons), so that doesn’t bother me as much as it usually does. My greatest fear (when I first heard about this series) was that it would turn out to be something like the series Early Edition where the main character gets tomorrow’s paper today. He then sets out to save everyone who needs help based on what the paper says.
Fortunately, The Dead Zone isn’t anything like that. Here Johnny uses his power in his everyday life. He isn’t like some kind of self-proclaimed hero who sets out to save the world. If it were up to him, Johnny would never use his powers again. He feels more real and sincere than the character in Early Edition.
Throughout the series we get to see how Johnny and Walt go from being rivals for the same girl to being friends. I do have my doubts about Sarah though; sometimes it feels like she is on the verge of leaving Walt and teaming up with Johnny again…like in the early years. She doesn’t though, yet, but the feeling you get when you watch the series is that Johnny is so much stronger than Sarah when it comes to dealing with their feelings for each other.
In episode two we get to see the conclusion of what was started in the pilot: we get to see how Johnny deals with the Castle Rock Strangler, Frank Dodd. It’s a tense episode, and even though I know how it will end I’m on the edge of my seat. Very well done! In episode two (What It Seems) we also get introduced to a new character, Dana. She is a news reporter who will give Johnny both a hard time and a nice time…
In episode three (Quality of Life) we also get a story that we recognize from the book, even though it’s a bit altered here. It’s the story about the hockey player who Johnny saves. Here he doesn’t fall through the ice though, as in the book.
We also get a rather interesting look at what’s in store for the above named Dana and Johnny…
In episode four (Enigma) Johnny takes a trip back in time to find an old man’s long lost love. This is the weakest episode of the first seven. What is interesting here is the fact that Sarah still has really big feelings for Johnny. This is one example of what I was talking about earlier. It shows clearly when she talks to him and he tells her he has met someone…someone from the past. You can’t help feeling bad for poor Walt. In this episode he really has to take a lot from Sarah, who really doesn’t seem to see how she is hurting him. This makes me wonder if something will happen between Johnny and Sarah as the series moves along. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
After this Johnny is called in for jury duty in episode five (Unreasonable Doubt). Here he uses his powers to determine if the accused really is guilty. This is a really interesting episode. It’s like the old detective stories: you get a piece here and a piece there, and one step at a time you (or rather Johnny) put it together…interesting.
In the last two episodes—six (The House) and seven (Enemy Mind)—the creators give King a little wink. In The House, which deals with the death of Johnny’s mother, they have taken some inspiration from The Shining. There is a lot of blood in this episode, which is a really good one. First you think you know what happened to Johnny’s mother and then it all gets tossed out the window, just like it should be…
In Enemy Mind Castle Rock (King’s fictional town) is mentioned. In this episode the creators take a look at what would happen if Johnny’s powers were combined with a mind-altering
drug. Johnny’s friend and trainer also gets to speak those classic words “This is your brain and this is your brain on drugs,” really funny. It’s an interesting episode though…
Lilja’s final words about The Dead Zone - The 1st Half of Season 1
So, the first half of the first season of The Dead Zone is really good. What I would like to see in the second half is more episodes where they involve other King connections. They could be from the book (I know Stillson will appear), but they could also be small connections to King, like the mentioning of Castle Rock.
Other than that there isn’t much more to wish for. The Dead Zone satisfies me! Don’t miss it!
****
The Dead Zone - The 2nd Half of Season 1
Posted: September 28, 2002
Now the time has come to take a look at the second part of the first season of The Dead Zone. You can read my thoughts on the first half if you haven’t already.
One thing that gets really clear in this half of the season (and I mentioned this in my review of the first half too) is that Sarah really hasn’t gotten over Johnny. In one episode it gets especially clear…I’m really looking forward to seeing where the creators plan to take this in season two.
OK, what happens in this half, then? Well, in episode eight (Netherworld) Johnny gets to live an alternative life. Here he is married to Sarah and they have two children together. This is one of the most interesting episodes because you get to see how Johnny’s life would have been if the accident hadn’t happened.
In episode nine (The Siege) Johnny ends up in a bank robbery situation and has to save the day. Here he gets to see the future (which isn’t really that fun) and when he knows what will happen he has to change it…and in the process save his own and Sarah’s life.
Episode ten (Here There Be Monsters) has a title that gets you to think of King’s short story “Here There Be Tygers”…the episode has nothing to do with King’s story though. In episode ten Johnny is charged with being a witch. It goes so far that Johnny is tied to a stake by the townsfolk, who are about to set the wood underneath him on fire…
In episode eleven (Dinner With Dana) big things happen to Johnny. Here he gets to have sex for the first time since his accident. I won’t tell you whom he has it with though. As the title indicates, Johnny does have dinner with Dana (the reporter from Bangor Daily News) and when he does he experiences really funny visions. He sees Walt, Sarah, Bruce and Reverend Prudy, and they are all trying to give him advice. This is a really funny episode.
We also get to know a bit about Dana’s past. Up until now she has been a relatively anonymous character, but here she gets a bit more life.
Episode twelve (Shaman) answers a really interesting question: what would happen if there were others like Johnny who also had visions? And even better, what if these other people had a vision of Johnny at the same time Johnny had a vision of them? Well, here we get the answer…
The season finale (Destiny) is one of the best episodes in the entire season, if you ask me. Here we get to see the segment (from the book) about one of Johnny’s students who wants to go to a “school’s out” party, but can’t because Johnny says the place where it takes place will burn to the ground.
This is interesting, but it is not what makes this episode extremely interesting. This is the episode where Greg Stillson makes his entry! When you see the episode you will recognize the story from the book, but you will also notice that the creators have expanded it a bit. Here Stillson and Johnny’s lives are woven together more and they have created a pattern between them-selves.
The episode ends with a cliffhanger (I don’t think anyone expected anything else, right?) that makes me really eager to see season two. Great work!
Lilja’s final words about The Dead Zone - The 2nd Half of Season 1
So, is the second half of the first season of The Dead Zone is even better than the first one? Yes, I would say that it is! What I would like to see in the second season is more stories about Reverend Purdy and Greg Stillson. They are both strong characters and I’m fairly certain that we’ll see more of Stillson, but I feel that there is more to Reverend Purdy than meets the eye. This I would like to see.
I would also like to see more connections to King’s work. As I have said before, it would be fun if they put in little connections to other King stories, and it doesn’t have to be just from the book. This would be candy to us die-hard King fans!
So, all that is left to say is that if you missed the first season of The Dead Zone, watch the reruns, and if you did see it, don’t miss season two! I know I won’t!
****
The Dead Zone (DVD)
Posted: November 3, 2002
Finally, all of the people who didn’t have the chance to see the TV series version of The Dead Zone get the chance to see it. Well, at least part of it. Lionsgate is releasing the series’s first two episodes on DVD on November 5th. The rest of the first season’s episodes will also be out on DVD, but not for a while. That DVD will be released in March 2003.
Why the first two episodes then? Well, it’s easy. They are parts one and two of a longer story (the story about the Castle Rock Strangler) and it would be a big mistake not to include both parts on this DVD. Why not put all of season one on the DVD then? Well, on that question, I don’t have an answer. Maybe it’s money-related, maybe it’s legal- related, maybe it’s because they feel that releasing it separately does the story about the Castle Rock Strangler more justice. I don’t know.
Personally, I don’t mind. I have a feeling that we will get more extra stuff this way and that is good! On this DVD there is some really interesting stuff, which I’ll get to in a minute.
Is this DVD something for the ones who have already seen the series, then? Won’t the episodes I have recorded give me the same thing, you might ask? Well, they won’t. Let me tell you why.
On this DVD you get (as I said earlier) some really interesting things…things that you won’t have on your tape at home. One thing you get is an interview with Michael Piller in which he talks about the upcoming second season. He doesn’t tell the exact story, but he reveals some things that will happen in the course of the second season. Among the things he mentions is what course the Greg Stillson story will go. He also mentions that the second season will be a mix of scary, sexy and shocking stories…interesting…
Another interesting thing on this DVD is an alternative ending that they shot for the second episode. We get to see the clip, and Shawn Piller also comments on it. This ending is more action-like, but I’m happy that they went with the one you see in the finished movie. It’s interesting to see it though, to see what they had planned for Frank…
You also get a featurette in which you get to see a bit behind-the-scenes and hear comments from Anthony Michael Hall, Nicole deBoer, the other actors/actresses and the series creators. This gives you an interesting insight to the production of the series. It’s a short one, but definitely an interesting one.
Other things you get are some U.S. TV promos, audio commentaries and subtitle selection. Anyone who has watched other DVDs will know that the audio commentaries are really fun. Here we get Anthony Michael Hall, Michael Piller, Rob Lieberman, Niclole deBoer and Chris Bruno. They are all sitting around (that’s what it sounds like, anyway) and commenting on things as the movie roles along. This is really fun to listen to!
So, you see? This really is a DVD for both the ones who have seen the series on TV and the ones who haven’t. OK, OK, you might say. What about the story then? Is that any good? Yes! It is. In this review I have purposely excluded all talk about the story itself. Why, you ask. Well, that’s because I have already reviewed the entire first season. You can find those reviews elsewhere in this book.
Lilja’s final words about The Dead Zone (DVD)
On the DVD they say that The Dead Zone is the first TV series based on characters by Stephen King. Well, that isn’t entirely true. In 1991 there was a TV series called Golden Years on CBS. Thi
s was the first TV series based on characters by Stephen King. Unfortunately, Golden Years was dropped after just seven episodes, so The Dead Zone is the first TV series based on characters by Stephen King that has been a success!
Don’t miss this DVD!
****
The Dead Zone - The 1st Half of Season 2
Posted: April 1, 2003
So, The Dead Zone has now started (and almost finished) its second season. I have taken a look at the first half of the season and written down some thoughts about it. My thoughts on the second half of the season will follow shortly.
I guess it was no surprise that the series got a green light for a second season considering how well the first one did. Still, I’m a bit surprised at how good The Dead Zone really is. As I have told you earlier I was a bit skeptical of the idea of doing an ongoing series based on King’s book. I understood that there would have to be stuff in it that wasn’t in the book and normally I don’t like that. After seeing 1½ seasons of The Dead Zone I’m convinced—it can be done with good results! The Dead Zone is good!
So, what can we expect from the first half of the second season? Well, I’m extremely happy to say that the Greg Stillson saga continues from the start. Already in the season premier (Valley of the Shadow) Greg and Johnny continue to take on each other. Stillson suspecting that Johnny can be a problem and Johnny getting more and more convinced that he has to do something. The question is, what?
In the season premier we also get to see how a man who wanted Johnny to use his powers kidnaps a child. The reason he does it is to test Johnny’s abilities.
Episode 2 (Descent) is part one of a two-part story (this is the first two-parter if you don’t count the season one pilot). We go inside a mine (that was once owned by Johnny’s grandfather) where there has been a cave-in. Some teenagers are caught and they desperately need Johnny’s help.
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