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Nov
01
1999

The Vicki Gabereau Show: Interview with Chris Carter

Nov-01-1999
The Vicki Gabereau Show
Interview with Chris Carter

[Transcribed by gde1013]

VG: Chris Carter is with me as The X-Files launches its 7th season, November the 7th – that’s a bit late if you ask me. But, unfortunately the new series “Harsh Realm,” just got whacked after three episodes, and we can’t figure out just why that is – but I will say, Mr. Carter, sir, that you’re as big a star as the people that are on your show. Isn’t it weird how that happens?

CC: Ha – [laughs] hardly. Not today, at least.

VG: What happened, with Harsh Realm?

CC: It just didn’t get the ratings they had hoped, it didn’t get much of a launch to be honest — it premiered against baseball, which is always a tough competition, and they didn’t do a whole lot of promotion for it. I think they had some statistics and forecasts, and they thought it was going to get bigger ratings then it did, going in, and they thought they didn’t have to spend the money to get people to come see it, and to be aware of it. So, I think it suffered from a couple different things.

VG: Yeah, well how — hmm, I can’t think of another expression — pissed off are you?

CC: [laughing] You know, it came as a big shock, because I think we were doing good work, and the ratings tell the story I think, but you also have to give a show a chance to really sort of find its feet, and I think that didn’t happen. There are bigger troubles at FOX and, we were sort of part of that.

VG: When you say the ratings weren’t good – I mean, if you get 7 people in Canada it’s good – but we’re talking about the great thing down south, but I mean what do they need to carry on? What is required?

CC: They just need, well, you need to be winning your time slot.

VG: So you have to have a share, a big share.

CC: Right, right.

VG: And who wasn’t watching, do you think?

CC: Everyone [everybody laughing]. You know, we had hoped the X-Files audience would come, but they premiered it before The X-Files so it really didn’t use The X-Files as a launching pad. I think that’s pretty much the story, that it really got lost in the, sort of, all the things there are to watch on television these days, and no one really knew it was on.

VG: Yeah – Well, I would think that if the guys were watching baseball, the women might not have been watching. I’ve seen one episode, and one episode only, and of course the production values are first rate, and the writing was very good and everything, but, you know, I just didn’t want to see more guys in fatigues. I think it might have scared women away.

CC: You may be right, but if you stuck with it, you would see that it actually had a lot for everyone. Once you got past those guys in fatigues, there were good stories being told.

VG: Are you severely disappointed, or do you think it will live again?

CC: Harsh Realm?

VG: Yeah.

CC: I think we’re probably moving past Harsh Realm, we’re done with Harsh Realm — out of Harsh Realm, as it were. But, I think there are lessons learned, and we’ll move on. We have other good stories to tell.

VG: Now, why couldn’t you take it to another network?

CC: You probably could, it’s an expensive show to do — all my shows have been expensive to produce because I demand quality. So, it’s not something that someone wants to just pick up, with the low ratings. Because I think there are costs associated that would —

VG: Make somebody panic, and back up.

CC: I think so.

VG: Did you tell the crew, the cast?

CC: Yes, I told the cast and crew, and I’m up here now in Vancouver to say thank you to everyone, because there was a lot of really good work done by a lot of good people. I hope to come back to Vancouver.

VG: Because Millennium’s gone, too. You’ve got to bring those X-Files back here! It ain’t the same. Canadians, are we the only people who tell you that?

CC: No, I mean, it’s the same good show, it just lacks the atmosphere that Vancouver gave.

VG: Fog, rain, muck.

CC: It doesn’t rain in Vancouver, let me just get that straight. [laughs]

VG: You know, it hasn’t been raining, until yesterday. It’s been exquisite, clear, sunny — you haven’t been here.

CC: No, I haven’t. September was an amazing month, you know, Vancouver at its best. Every day you would relish it because it just might go away.

VG: Do you think we’re sick in the head – that we only talk about weather?

CC: No, I mean weather is a big part about living up here, but I love it. I own a place up here now, and I’ll come back even when I’m not working.

VG: Did you buy a place in town, or out in the sticks somewhere?

CC: No, in town.

VG: So, how often will you come back? What are you going to do now, do you have anything to do, do you have a job? [everyone laughing]

CC: Umm… Yeah, I’ve got this other show called The X-Files.

VG: But isn’t it like a train on the tracks, it just goes now.

CC: Hardly at all. It is such hard work, and double duty on both shows — it was probably too much work with the quality we tried to keep up. So, I’m looking forward to now focusing on The X-Files specifically.

VG: Hard to find writers?

CC: Very hard — it’s a Harsh Realm.

VG: [laughs] Quit that. But, your country has millions and millions of people. I can see how it might be hard to find maybe a dozen writers specifically here, but there? They must be hanging from the trees.

CC: If they are, I’ve been picking from the wrong trees. It’s very difficult to write the show. We’re always looking for talents, always looking for people who can execute good stories — and you know, screenwriting is hard. Everyone thinks they can do it because the format is so readily available and understandable.

VG: Because we’ve all seen a million movies.

CC: Yes, everyone’s writing a screen play, but to write well in the screen play format is very, very difficult.

VG: Well one of the things – I don’t know how many people have read screen plays, but you can read a screen play and you cannot know that it’s any good. So, how do you know if it’s any good?

CC: Obviously a lot of people don’t know that it’s no good, and bad things get made [everyone laughing]. But, I think when you read something that is very good, and if you sort of develop your tastes, you can start to know the difference.

VG: Right, but don’t you remember a few years ago when they submitted ‘Casablanca’ to a bunch of hot shots and they all said, “this stinks, put it away.” I mean, so there you are – you gotta lose some. So, will you stick around now for a minute? We’ve got to take a break.

CC: Oh, yeah.

VG: We’ll be right back with Chris Carter.

clip from “The Sixth Extinction”

*

Scully is sitting beside Mulder’s hospital bed. He is still in a coma, not responding, but she is leaning over, talking to him, and crying.

SCULLY: “If you can hear me, just give me some sign — I want you know where I’ve been, and what I’ve found. I think that if you know, that you could find a way to hold on —- I need you to hold on.”

*

VG: Oh dear – a scene from The X-Files’ new season. I’m talking with its creator and writer, often, Chris Carter. So that was melodramatic. He spends a lot… one or the other of them spends quite a bit of time in comas. [laughs]

CC: [laughing] Well, that’s not exactly true. But, it’s true at the end of last season, which was the sixth season. Seventh season, if I can plug, starts November the 7th…

VG: I think I said that – I did say that..

CC: and that’s the, pilot – or, not the pilot – I mean the premiere episode of the seventh season.

VG: What happens?

CC: Obviously nothing — Mulder doesn’t have to act because he’s in a coma. [everyone laughing]

VG: One time… That’s the kind of part I want. Just lie there – or knit, that I think would be good. One time a couple of – I don’t know – about a year ago, I saw you in a restaurant. We waved at each other, and you were with a person – and you said you’d like to introduce me – your niece. Then she said her name. Her first name I’ve forgotten.. Just tell me her first name.

CC: Tracy

VG: Tracy – and what’s her last name?

CC: [laughing] Mulder.

VG: How could you do that? I looked right at this kid – how old is she – 18, 20?

CC: Older than that – twenties.

VG: She looks young. So I said, “how many..” – of course she knew exactly what I was going to say, which was “how many times today?” And she said “Dozens..” Now why would you.. who.. or is that..

CC: That’s my mother’s maiden name.

VG: Ah ha.. So you’ve really, really done it to her, and that happens all the time.

CC: I have a lot of relatives that were very flattered in the beginning, who are now very annoyed. [laughing]

VG: But naming characters is a big deal.

CC: Yeah, it is. Name’s your destiny – particularly on television.

VG: So do you go through.. I mean – I’m not familiar with the Harsh Realm names, but even Millennium, do you go through great lists of names to see how they match? Let’s say Lance’s character.

CC: Well, Frank Black was the name of the lead singer of The Pixies, which I was a big fan of.

VG: That’s deep. [laughs]

CC: The truth is that my name should have been Black. There was some sort of family history that’s been buried deep, or swept under the carpet, and my name wouldn’t have been Carter, it would have been Black. So that’s why…

VG: Well, what is the history that’s been swept under the carpet? Do you know?

CC: I don’t know. I’m actually having my genealogy read right now.

VG: Is your father your father?

CC: Yes, I think. [laughs]

VG: Well, I guess the truth is in the files somewhere. Are you doing that through the Mormons, or how are you doing that?

CC: No, there’s actually many professional genealogists out there now, and you can sort of pick and choose people who have specific skills.

VG: Right, we’re obsessed with this – our generation. You know that – knowing who we are.

CC: We have a lot of money and now we want to know who we are. How we got it.

VG: Who do you think you are? [jokingly] Just who do you think you are!

CC: Who do I think I am? I don’t know – I think that there are rascals and criminals on my father’s side that were never spoken about, so I’m very curious to see from which I came.

VG: Yes, and from what country you came.

CC: Well, my mother’s side.. I’m half Dutch, my mother was all Dutch. My father was a quarter Italian and the rest, I’m sure is some sort of Mongrel – Heinz 57.

VG: They were the ones who were all in jail. What possessed you to try and find this out? I mean, how did you find out your name would have been Black?

CC: There’s is no clear family history on my father’s side. He never knew his father, I never knew my grandfather – my real grandfather. So, I’m just kind of curious what is was that was kept a big secret.

VG: Well, it will be interesting. It might be quite tame. Something that might have been deep and dark then.

CC: My grandmother always referred to herself as widowed, until I realized sometime in my teens that she was actually divorced. Which no one wanted to be known as then in that generation. It’s going to be curious to find out.

VG: Are you writing a book??

CC: Yes.

VG: What is it?

CC: You know, it’s a book.. a character I created, probably about 12 years ago, and it’s just been something that’s been sitting around. I always knew I wanted to do something with it. I thought, you know, why not do a TV Series or movie, but then I thought, it’s the perfect character for a series of books. So I’m currently at work on that.

VG: Is it a… What kind of a character is it? Not a cop or a detective?

CC: Nope. He’s kind of a rapscallion himself. He’s a guy who sits around..

VG: You’re doing your research, that’s why you’re doing your genealogy. [laughs]

CC: Yes, exactly. There are two characters – there’s a… Two characters who work together and it’s set post-World War II, and.. which is really fun to write in that era. It has kind of detective qualities, but it owes something to The X-Files, too.

VG: It must be hard to separate those stories. So, you have a story that you’re working on for the book — and, you might want to cheat and put it in The X-Files.

CC: Well, everybody asks, “how do you keep things straight?” Ultimately you do — you don’t write into the wrong characters, or wrong scripts.

VG: How much are you writing now?

[sirens blaring in the background]

CC: Vancouver is supposed to be such a safe city, and all I hear are sirens. [laughs]

VG: No, you see that’s an ambulance, those aren’t cops, honey. It’s coming to take some poor soul who’s tripped and hurt their ankle. [laughing] And we’re Johnny on the Spot, see, coming to fix them up — what was the question?

CC: [laughs] I don’t remember.

VG: Oh yeah – are you writing a lot of episodes?

CC: Yes, I write — I probably write more episodes than anyone, and we write more episodes than anyone, and I have since the beginning of the show. It’s just been the way it is.

VG: Right, but sometimes you don’t re-write them. They have to be perfect…

CC: No, there are some times.. There are some scripts that I don’t re-write and won’t re-write. But, I’d say about 2/3 of them have some of my involvement as far as going through my typewriter.

VG: Is that… Typewriter??

CC: [quickly] computer.

VG: Just checking. Just want to know if you’re a Luddite or not.

CC: Ha – no Luddite here.

VG: But when you re-write, is it because you just have to change it. Are you a control freak, sort of?

CC: No, I mean I wish every script came in perfect and I had to do nothing — it would make my life a lot easier. But there are some things — I have the voices in my head, and I have a sense of how the story should be told. And it’s… You know is has been difficult sometimes — some people get a little irritated when you mess with their work. But, you know we’re in our seventh year, so you know we’re doing something right.

VG: Do you ever take a Holiday?

CC: I’ve had one Christmas off in the last seven years, where I haven’t been writing or rewriting. So, it’s really about two weeks a year. But, I get to come to Vancouver now and again, so…

VG: Yeah, but you’re working when you’re here, and that’s kind of a heartbreaking one.

So, stay with me and I’ll talk to you a bit more. Chris Carter.

*

VG: I’m back with the writer, producer, surfer – Chris Carter. You still doing that?

CC: Yes, as much as possible. Yeah, not in Vancouver, of course.

VG: No, but if you ever go to Halifax — you ever been there?

CC: No, I haven’t.

VG: It’s a great place, and has great settings for your weirdo stories. [laughs] But you know, I have a friend there who’s a publisher, his name is Leslie Choice, and he surfs there, in of course, a wet suit. But he surfs all the time up there, on those big North Atlantic waves. Yipes.

CC: Cold, cold water.

VG: I know, but if you’ve got the wet suit on. You went all around the world, surfing.

CC: I used to work for Surfing magazine when I graduated from college, and I didn’t want to join the adult world. I took a job at surfing magazine and had an amazing time.

VG: Have you joined the adult world now, do you think?

CC: I still.. I’m not sure.

VG: Yeah, but when you’re involved, let’s say, in this particular situation — everything that’s gone on with the cancellation of this show, the one before, I mean, all of a sudden you’ve got the lawyers, you’ve got the lawsuits, you’ve got people freaking out over here. You have to be an adult, and your stomach must hurt all the time.

CC: You know, business is tough, and entertainment is a particularly tough business, and you become very high-profile as I have, kind of inadvertently, and you become somewhat of a target, and you have to be prepared in business to deal with these kinds of things.

VG: When Gene Roddenbury was still alive, did people stop him in the street? Were there 20 people waiting for him when he got off the plane to sign autographs?

CC: You know, I doubt it. It’s a different time, there’s more media, there’s more attention to these kinds of things. I think that people know who producers are nowadays unlike they ever did, for some reason. David E. Kelley is a very… perfect example of that. He’s a big popular guy. So, who knows why that is. But I think a show like The X-Files develops a kind of fan and fan base that tend to be a little obsessive about the show, thank God. Let me knock on wood here.

VG: There’s plywood under there somewhere. One of things among many, that you’ve done that I think is so impressive, when you shot 3 series up here, is that you use a lot of Canadian actors. And you didn’t put them in the background, you put them in the foreground. You used them the way any actor should be used.

CC: Well, I love coming up here because I think the quality of talent, of every technical acting pool, is tops, and I was determined to use the Canadian actors who I knew were very good, in the series, which is another reason I’m kind of sad to say good-bye.

VG: Well, you’ll come up with something else.

CC: Yeah.

VG: But, did you know that they were good, until they read for you?

CC: Well, I know almost all of the Canadian actors.

VG: I’ll bet you do.

CC: There are some that I don’t know still, and I’m still learning faces and names, but I know a lot of them. So, I was able to go back to some people I’ve used before successfully and then to some new people I’ve never used before. Rachel Hayward, would be one.

VG: Right.. What do you read, when you’re not writing?

CC: Not Science Fiction, believe it or not. It’s funny because when you’re working as hard as I am, as hard as we do, you scavenge. You pick up things, you pick up magazines in airports, you read bits of books… You’re always just reading parts of things. What you’re doing all the time is you’re trying to come up with material. Everything’s a resource.

VG: Which is kind of irritating, in a way because.. I mean, books that I read for this show – I mean, I’m practically reading a book a day – and you don’t read it the same way as when you’re sitting around at the old cabin, leisurely reading. You’re reading for – “there’s a thing I can ask..” Or there’s a thing you could develop, I guess. When do you figure, was the last time you read a book just because you were… What, 12 years old?

CC: I read a Graham Green novel last May, which I enjoyed the hell out of, so I have the chance to read every now and again. Something that I’ve either read before, or want to read new.

VG: I’ve saved a book for you. It’s called “Baltimore’s Mansion” by a guy named Wayne Johnson, from New Foundland. Then you can send me a note and tell me what you thought of it. Or now, send it to him. But that’s only if you thought it was good. [laughs] Chris Carter, thanks very much and good luck on the seventh season.

CC: Thank You.

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Oct
28
1999

San Francisco Examiner: Networks showing their stupidity again

Oct-28-1999
San Francisco Examiner
Networks showing their stupidity again
Tim Goodman

This is the part of the TV season when the luster of everyone thinking life was sweet gets rubbed down to the awful truth: Even in the midst of a great season, shows have to die.

Usually, this period begins much earlier — like the week after most of them debut.

NBC’s “Mike O’Malley” was the first show to get canceled, followed shortly thereafter by CBS’s “Work With Me.” No problem there — most everyone thought they were lousy. Much more difficult — and telling — is when shows with potential get the ax.

When Fox killed Chris Carter’s “Harsh Realm” and “Ryan Caulfield: Year One” Monday, it raised some eyebrows. After all, both shows aired with relatively good reviews — more so for “Harsh Realm” than “Ryan Caulfield,” but both of them were positively received on the whole. The former got a meager three airings and the latter only two. Immediately, Carter suggested that Fox blew it with his show — that the promotion was nonexistent and the support from management was never there.

He’s definitely right on the first count and if he’s right on the second, it almost certainly means that his mystique is over at the network and, barring a miracle, this is indeed the last season of “The X-Files,” the show that put him on the map and has helped define Fox.

No time like now to bring up the old but apt slogan: What have you done for me lately?

This is how the television industry works, though, and even a massive Internet campaign that is most likely right around the corner won’t save “Harsh Realm” or Carter for that matter. Networks are ruthless when they want to be and stupid when they need to be. They become so when it best suits them. For Fox, the stupid part came when it had to play along with Carter on his wonderfully bleak but woefully witnessed second series, “Millennium.”

What could Fox do back then? Tell one of the hottest producers in the business that they were yanking his failure? No chance. Like many networks before it, Fox figured Carter would hit one out of the ballpark next time, and they couldn’t risk him doing it for someone else.

But when “Harsh Realm” reaped some of the lowest ratings Fox has ever had on Fridays (lower than “Millennium” even), that sealed it. The question is this: Has Carter lost his touch, or did Fox bungle “Harsh Realm” from the start and then fail to nurture it?

Network identities, their cultures, rest on the answer you get. Fox has gone from nurturing new shows — mostly because they had no choice — to being a network willing to pull the plug almost immediately. This season, Fox has a new entertainment president in Doug Herzog, who came from MTV and Comedy Central. He didn’t green-light any of Fox’s fall programming so he’s not emotionally invested in them. Carter even told Daily Variety that Herzog wasn’t a fan of “The X-Files.” That’s a bad sign.

The fact is, “Harsh Realm” was confusing. No question about it. But so was “The X-Files” — maybe the most confusing series ever. But it became a hit through patience. And “Ryan Caulfield” at the very least offered a fresh take on the tired and nearly dead cop genre. It was surprisingly good and had potential. Now — gone.

It’s clear that this season Fox’s culture is one of low patience. But perhaps the blame should be shifted off the shows and onto the network itself. Fox eschewed the traditional premiere week concept this season — as it has done much of the past. Instead, knowing that it had baseball, which would preempt some new shows, it chose to roll shows out slower, in dribs and drabs.

So much for that plan. How can a network bungle the most hyped show of the season (“Action”) so that it airs two back-to-back debut episodes and gets beaten unmercifully by a rerun of “Frasier”? That’s as unexplainable as it is inexcusable. The network has also failed to build much of an audience for “Get Real,” an unorthodox series that needed particular attention paid to the promotion, so audiences would grasp what it was trying to do.

Although “Action” will return, the fate of last season’s budding hit, “Family Guy,” is less clear. Both have been pulled from the November sweeps schedule.

The cancellation of “Harsh Realm” and “Ryan Caulfield” could signal that Herzog wants to put his own stamp on the network. But the move is disturbing in that it seems a knee-jerk reaction. And what does Fox have to replace these shows with? There’s a backlog of reality shows, but that’s a direction Herzog said the network was moving away from.

Fox, of course, is not the only network making difficult, sometimes mind-boggling decisions. When ABC presented “Once and Again,” it was clear to most critics (though that’s hardly a good barometer) that it was the best new show the network had. By putting it in the “NYPD Blue” spot, wouldn’t that cause problems down the line if the show was an actual hit?

In essence, ABC said it would deal with that when the time came. The time came and ABC ended up alienating “NYPD Blue” creator Steven Bochco by first suggesting it might move the venerable cop show, then finally pushing its debut back until January.

ABC’s network identity has always been the quick-hook coupled with no brains. It has ruined many a fine show (“My So-Called Life,” “Murder One,” “Relativity,” “Cupid,” “Nothing Sacred,” and many, many more) by putting them in impossible time slots or simply giving up on them.

The network had no idea what to do with “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” despite the fact it fascinated a nation. The show is coming back next month for sweeps, but that initial buzz is gone and the gap has allowed other networks (like Fox, with “Greed”) to rip off the idea and steal its thunder.

Not every move is a blunder, however. Many shows get pulled precisely because they are bad. ABC yanked “Wasteland” but says it will give it another chance (hopefully that’s a typical network lie. Also coming off the schedule, deservedly, are NBC’s “Suddenly Susan” and CBS’s “Love & Money.”).

Most shows die because they deserve to, but in a world where, up until this season, having a plethora of quality was unheard of, killing one great show unnecessarily caused gaping creative holes that were rarely filled.

It bears watching whether networks will have patience or panic. NBC has a gem in “Freaks and Geeks,” which has aired only twice because of baseball and rests in the Saturday night death slot. That’s a dangerous future.

Fox has said it will be patient with “Action” — a show it had to know would appeal to a very limited audience — but we’ll let the network’s own actions speak loudest on that.

We are about to see more cancellations. These things tend to come in droves.

If the networks can muster an equally impressive midseason maybe the damage won’t be so severe. But the fear is that all of the surprising good quality we’ve seen from the fall premieres will be squandered by networks in an all-too-familiar squeeze of their hair triggers.

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Oct
26
1999

Variety: Fox axes 'Ryan,' Carter's 'Realm' shows draw lowest-ever Fri. ratings

Oct-26-1999
Variety
Fox axes ‘Ryan,’ Carter’s ‘Realm’ shows draw lowest-ever Fri. ratings
Michael Schneider

Fox’s fall follies continued Monday with the quick dismissal of new Friday dramas “Harsh Realm” and “Ryan Caulfield: Year One.”

The second outing of “Ryan Caulfield” and third appearance of “Harsh Realm” last week equaled Fox’s lowest-ever Friday-night ratings, averaging a 2.3 Nielsen household rating and 4 share for the night.

The death of executive producer Chris Carter’s “Harsh Realm” comes weeks before Carter’s flagship series “The X-Files” even airs its season premiere.

Fox “botched” the launch of “Harsh Realm,” a disappointed Carter told Daily Variety. “I think in the end it looks rather misguided to have premiered the show without any promotional base, certainly when the reviews of it were good,” he said. “I have a feeling we’re a victim of a much bigger problem at Fox.”

Carter said Fox executives told him they realized they underpromoted “Harsh Realm,” and planned to heavily promote the show for the next seven weeks. “The viewer-awareness levels were pathetically low,” Carter said.

Carter also said he believed that Fox Entertainment president Doug Herzog was never a fan of “Harsh Realm.”

“When I first met Doug I realized he wasn’t a fan of `The X-Files,’ which made me paranoid that he didn’t know what we did over here,” he said.

And when lead-in “Ryan Caulfield” debuted to numbers much lower than expected, it effectively killed “Harsh Realm,” Carter said, adding, “They have thrown the baby out with the bathwater.”

Fox sources said production has halted on both series, although Carter said shooting would continue at least the rest of Monday on “Harsh Realm.” “No one told us to shut down,” he said.

Eight episodes of “Harsh Realm” had already been shot. And with its meager ratings, sources said it’s unlikely that “Harsh Realm” would end up at another network.

Meanwhile, ABC Monday confirmed that the low-rated Thursday-night drama “Wasteland” will be yanked for the duration of the November sweeps, effective immediately. The specials “The Best Commercials You’ve Never Seen” and “Totally Out of Control Vehicles” will air the next two Thursdays. For the second two Thursdays of sweeps, ABC will air an hourlong “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., followed by a repeat of “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” ABC had already scheduled “Forrest Gump” for Thanksgiving.

“Because we feel the show never truly got sampled and we believe in the talents of Kevin Williamson and our cast, we plan on relaunching the series again in December,” the network said in a statement.

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Oct
15
1999

Chris Carter Yahoo Chat

Oct-15-1999
Chris Carter Yahoo Chat

Sent in by BamaX

Yahoomc: Here he is — The man behind your favorite shows — Chris Carter!

chris_carter_live: Ask away everyone!

robandlisafalzone asks: did the Harsh Realm script change after seeing the Martix?

chris_carter_live: The Harsh Realm was written before we ever knew of the Matrix. We were surprised at some of the similarities, particularly with the hero in both pieces. But we realized that is a not uncommon for the heroe’s journey in these kinds of saga tales.

megmon8 asks: Where did you come up with the idea of your new show?

chris_carter_live: The inspiration originally came from a series of comic books that were brought to me. Fox made a deal with the comic book people. I ended up taking the title and the area of virtual reality. Beyond that, it was really our original idea.

Scullys_tattoo asks: Chris, Can the true blue X-Files fans really get into Harsh Realm? Will you keeep us comming back for more each week? Will it fill the void?

chris_carter_live: Yes, yes, and what void?

RachelLRobinson asks: How, and I am sure you went through it, did you, and do you deal with writers block?

chris_carter_live: I don’t think about it with the double barrel gun that FOX has pointed at my head!

Mutato1121 asks: Is it hard filming Harsh Realm in Vancouver and the X-files in LA?

chris_carter_live: It’s only hard on me, since I’m the one who has to fly back and forth mostly. Buy beyond that it’s really no more difficult than it’s ever been.

catcher79 asks: Will we be seeing any more guest appearances in Harsh Realm? I loved that you had Lance in the premiere!

chris_carter_live: Yes, definitely, stay tuned.

crysteen20 asks: Since the X-Files show maybe ending will any of the actors cross over in to the show Harsh Realm?

chris_carter_live: I haven’t thought about it that far in advance. But Scully’s voice has already made an appearance in Harsh Realm. I would love to use Chris Owen in Harsh Realm. And someone came into my office today and asked me what I thought about casting Bill Davis in a part.

Dyslexic_Scana_Dully asks: I have been a fan of yours for a long time, Mr. Carter, and I’ve noticed that you seem to have large fan-bases for every television show, I could never imagine so many people being as obsessed and into a show, such as The X-Files, but here we are… like a giant cult bowing to your power! What, in your mind, makes your shows so incredibly different?

chris_carter_live: Stood gory telling.

mrsday99 asks: Do you ever work with Stephen King?

chris_carter_live: One of the nicest, most generous, gentle people that I’ve had the pleasure of working with. I look forward to future collaborations in whatever form and on whatever show.

OznArt asks: Why is Dexter in both worlds? Are there copies of all our pets in Harsh Realm???

chris_carter_live: Yes. Even the dog from Fraser.

Spooky_FBIAgent asks: Chris, First of all I want to say that you’ve done a great job on the X-Files, and that I’m sure that Harsh Realm will be just as popular. I want to ask how are you gonna feel when the X-Files ends this season, for good?

chris_carter_live: You assume too much. And I don’t want to think about how I’m going to feel when the show ends.

wildcatz76 asks: Who was your inspiration for the characters in the X-Files?

chris_carter_live: The names all come from real life characters, but the personalities were composites. Mulder was originally written as somebody who could have been an MTV VJ. I think he’s not quite that luckily.

Wildwings102 asks: how does it feel, to be one of the first successful pioneers in your genre? many people have thought of Scifi as Trekie type shows, but you have change all that!

chris_carter_live: I just set out to originally tell as much story with as many scares as possible. And it has turned out to be a winning formula. But it was simply that. It has been very satisfying.

GoDucki asks: did you always like science fiction?

chris_carter_live: No. I wouldn’t consider myself of science fiction when I was a kid, but my brother was a big fan. He was a big Star Trek fan. And I still claim not to have watched an entire Star Trek episode, until this year, Gary 9 I think it was called. My staff thinks that I am lying.

Yahoomc: What kind of genres were you into?

chris_carter_live: I don’t know if I was a genre person per se. I just loved good movies and good television. I loved Mannix when I was a kid, I watched every episode of Gilligan’s Island. Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Night Gallery and Kolchak The Night Stalker.

berthafanation asks: Are there any other areas you are interested in exploring other than Science Fiction. I think that your talent could take you in many directions?

chris_carter_live: Yes. I want to do a romantic period piece.

jnimbus asks: Were you a huge comic book fan as a kid, Mr. Carter?

chris_carter_live: I was a comic book fan, but like most things when I was a kid, I wasn’t obsessive about any particular thing.

moogie_76 asks: How much do fans’ responses to the show influence its outcome?

chris_carter_live: I have to say very little directly. But indirectly, I think we pay very careful attention and are wounded terribly by criticism, particularly good criticism. We’re overly sensitive writer-producers here. Just teasing.

filmgirl99 asks: As a smart redhead I wish to thank you for the character of Scully

chris_carter_live: I’m very interested in smart redheads and their opinions.

Dawn_311 asks: I read in an article that you feel Harsh Realm could explore different scenarios. So far, I can’t imagine it taking place outside the “battlefield” -type arena. How do you plan on expanding the story??

chris_carter_live: Harsh Realm is really like imagine colonial America if it were developed and looked like America circa 1995. So the United States becomes the playing field, if you will, and not all of it has been destroyed.

xphreak42 asks: One thing that I think really distinguishes your shows is the excellent casting. How do you know when you have found the right person for a role?

chris_carter_live: It’s one of those magic parts of the process where someone comes in and understands the plight or problem of the character and is able to sort of step inside of that character’s clothes. And hears the rhythms the writers had imagined. Sometimes it’s finding that perfect fit,. Other times you find an actor that can suggest a way the character can be rewritten. So sometimes it works one way sometimes the other.

r_michnik asks: were Gillian and David your original choices

chris_carter_live: Both David and Gillian were my original choices for the show. There is a somewhat little known fact that David had accepted the part, but shortly before we were to film, he declined it. And was only reluctantly talked back into doing the role of Mulder.

Czarina_TrustsNo1 asks: Chris…how many cups of coffee do you go through in a week? LoL

chris_carter_live: Far too many. I wish Starbuck was a public company so I could invest in it!

outlaw_torn721 asks: Are you an avid gamer? What Games do you play?

chris_carter_live: I am not. I wish I had time to be. Any chance I have when I see someone else playing a game, I sit down and usually marvel at the thought, artistry and ingenuity that goes into the games. And I love the music to Zelda.

lauracap_2000 asks: Will there be mythology and stand-alone type Harsh Realm episodes?

chris_carter_live: Yes, the plan is to create a mythology that is the backbone of the show. But that there will be stand alone episodes that create the bulk of the stories that make up the season.

xphreak42 asks: Do you feel that making TV shows is harder than making movies?

chris_carter_live: Making movies is a very difficult, tedious and time consuming process. Dedicated to putting roughly 120 minutes of film on the screen. A television season which takes roughly the same amount of time as it does to make a movie, the same amount of energy goes into putting 22 hours of programming on the screen. The difficulties are in maintaining your stamina and each week re-inventing and revitalizing the original movie that began the TV series.

kbillick asks: How long do you work on an idea before it finds its way to being a full blown project? (on the average)

chris_carter_live: Sometimes it’s right at the deadline of the amount of time, maybe a week before the script is written and two weeks before it is filmed. But generally we have something in the works for several months before it is developed into a shootable script.

Wanderer2298 asks: When is the tentative start date for the production of the next movie and about how long do you think it will take to make the movie judging on the time it took for the production of the last one

chris_carter_live: It’s a question that I can’t answer right now. I just hope that we have twice as much prep as we had last time, but I can’t tell you when the movie will be made or when it will be in the theaters.

ZombCat asks: Are there plans to introduce Frank Black to Mulder and Scully? Is Millennium dead as a series or otherwise?

chris_carter_live: Frank Black will appear in the X Files this season in a very special episode. Is Millennium dead? Not if you live on the Internet. Someone is actually creating 22 stories this season that are I guess going to be the 4th season of Millennium.

weyoun2k asks: Mr. Carter, there are quite a few fans of Millennium still out there on the web. Have you heard anything about our virtual fourth season?

chris_carter_live: I haven’t checked it out. But I’m very curious to see how the characters are treated and in what direction the fans take the show so that I can nitpick them!

lmsmlucy asks: Do you ever read what other people write about you or the X-Files on the internet? If so what was the most interesting or funny thing that you read?

chris_carter_live: I am not a cross dresser!

yowsah1 asks: Have you ever considered spinning off the Lone Gunmen into their own, perhaps comedically themed, series?

chris_carter_live: We considered it. And are continuing to consider it seriously.

josechungfan asks: When Gillian left for maternity leave, why did you write in Scully being abducted instead of just at her mother’s? Would the abduction arc even exists if Gillian hadn’t needed a few days off?

chris_carter_live: As soon as we learned Gillian was pregnant we anticipated her departure and her inability to work for some time. So the abduction came from the fact of her pregnancy, but we never anticipated exactly how it would play such an important part in the mythology.

Dyslexic_Scana_Dully asks: Many X-Files fans may argue that the move to LA has affected the show… Do you agree, and if you do, In what ways has it affected the show? Good, bad, or not at all?

chris_carter_live: I don’t believe it’s effected it in any negative way. The show still looks terrific I think. We have different resources in Los Angeles. So we are working with new locations and geography which is a good thing. The only thing missing is all that free atmosphere.

OlenskaL asks: Good evening, Mr. Carter. My Q. is: Do you think that the current trend of “horror” films can be derived from the XF’s popularity?

chris_carter_live: Well horror and science fiction came long before the X Files. But I think that the quality of the X Files has at least for television raised the bar for both of those genres.

jack25522552 asks: From a writer’s stand point what is the toughest thing about developing a character?

chris_carter_live: The toughest thing is always coming up with someone who is original but not in a way that is unfamiliar.

catcher79 asks: Why did you have to kill off Pendrell?!!!! (As you can tell, I am an avid Pendrell fan.) Do you think we could be seeing Brendan Beiser any time on Harsh Realm? (crossing fingers hopefully)

chris_carter_live: Yes, he will be on Harsh Realm. I am flattered.

choochoochild asks: How do you keep track of it all?? It drives me crazy just thinking about it!!

chris_carter_live: It drives us crazy too!

felkor_2000 asks: How did you come across Mark Snow? His music adds so much atmosphere to both “Harsh Realm” and “The X-Files”!

chris_carter_live: Mark Snow was introduced to me by Bob Goodwin who was the executive producer on X Files through its first five seasons. I thought Mark had a very good take on what I wanted, and was open to what I wanted. And then added things that I didn’t know I wanted.

ns_literski asks: Why were the bee-domes at the end of the movie dropped in the series? Will that aspect of the story reappear?

chris_carter_live: Possibly, but I think people are tired of bees now.

leinad_ca asks: Last Seasons X-files finale: Was the scene of Scully walking down the hospital hall (to Albert Hostiens room) shot on video? If not, why does it look different?

chris_carter_live: I believe that scene was a surveillance scene, and if that’s the one you are talking about, it would have been on video.

sat964 asks: Did you expect viewers to hate Diana so much?

chris_carter_live: We hoped that they would. Which is unfortunate because we like Mimi Rogers so much.

oddra67 asks: Is there any truth to the rumor that George Clooney is going to appear in an XFiles Ep?

chris_carter_live: That’s an obscure rumor. I haven’t even heard it!

gmautz59 asks: Chris, were you influenced by David Lynch’s tv series Twin Peaks, and if so did you like David Duchovny’s small role as an FBI agent in episodes that he was in

chris_carter_live: I loved Twin Peaks, but like most people, those first eight episodes were the most important to me. And I get nervous seeing David in a dress.

UberKate1013 asks: Has the real FBI been receptive to the show (XF) or are they indifferent?

chris_carter_live: They are unofficially fans. And they think that the X Files has been very good promotionally for the FBI.

cathleenr13 asks: Do you plan to explain the mysterious hold Krycek has on Skinner?

chris_carter_live: Yes. It’s been somewhat explained, but there is more to come.

prometheus8 asks: It seems that acknowledging the existence of aliens has limited where the X-files can go. Can you comment?

chris_carter_live: Now what we have to determine through the characters and the show is what the aliens are up to and when they might be up to it. Actually it’s just a natural evolution of that story line.

ciila asks: Did you see the Blair Witch Project? What’s your opinion about it?

chris_carter_live: I haven’t seen it yet. Unfortunately. But I have many opinions.

tigger324 asks: what happens if someone dies in the real world, do they also perish in Harsh Realm?

chris_carter_live: If you die in the real world your character is alive in Harsh Realm but can never assume your consciousness.

outlaw_torn721 asks: What software do you use for the special effects in harsh realm?

chris_carter_live: I have no idea. It is done under the very capable authority of Mat Beck. Who does his work away from our main offices here. And keeps his trade secrets to himself.

rishi81_1999 asks: why have u limited yourself to America in Harsh Realm?

chris_carter_live: It’s only the first season. But we plan to do Harsh Realm downunder for season three.

OlenskaL asks: Is there a subject you haven’t treated yet on an episode that you’d like to explore?

Yahoomc: Assuming that’s an X-Files question

chris_carter_live: I’m assuming that is an X Files question. The show really could go on indefinitely. There are so many stories left to tell. But we have certainly mined all the obvious subjects, and robbed all the obvious banks.

orville_third asks: My first question is: What books have influenced your work on the X-Files? (Robert Anton Wilson’s for example.)

chris_carter_live: Definitely Robert Anton Wilson. Colin Wilson for that matter. But the number of books is too great to list. But many of them are science books rather than science fiction. That Ann Simon, the science researcher on the X Files, has just written a book called The Science of the X Files. In bookstores. And I think it is a terrific addition to the show.

Agent_DesiLu asks: Do you ever read Fan Fiction?

chris_carter_live: I have read fan fiction but I don’t regularly. I’ve never lifted an idea from the internet, but my favorite tend to be the more lurid subjects. Or I should say the more lurid tales.

lemon_head_2000 asks: How far ahead did you plan the story arc of the X-Files?

chris_carter_live: If you look at the first two episodes, the pilot episode and Deep Throat, and then look at the Erlenmeyer Flask, you really see the basis of the larger mythology.

brendan2003 asks: PLEASE! I NEED SPOLIERS!!! Can you give any?

chris_carter_live: Mulder and Scully have a very nice New Year’s Eve.

hyperscly asks: Are you in LA or in Vancouver right now doing this live chat? Or are you in some obscure place being held hostage by the gods of Yahoo forcing you to answer questions from rabid fans that you don’t know. . .

chris_carter_live: Stark naked.

Outryder asks: Is there any particular ration you try to achieve between continuing conspiracy shows and non-related investigation shows for the x-files?

chris_carter_live: There is a balance, but it is the non-related shows that outnumber the mythology shows three to one.

Ottid123 asks: In the X-Files: Are there any secrets you wish you hadn’t told to the audience yet?

chris_carter_live: No, we’re very happy with how little we’ve told them, even though in some cases they think we’ve told them more than we should.

Yahoomc: Getting back to Harsh Realm…

T_E_L_E_C_A_S_T asks: pleese answer if it is OK for a 5th grade person to watch your new show. My mom knows you and won’t let me watch unless you say it is OK. can I watch it tonight?

chris_carter_live: Tell your mom it’s a free country. To leave the room and give you the remote control.

cainer_14 asks: Are you a fan of Buffy The Vampire Slayer? For a suggestion, maybe a crossover episode?!

chris_carter_live: I’ve watched Buffy, but I’m too busy to be a fan. I have never even considered a crossover. Nor do I think they’ve considered a crossover either.

pohlner asks: Are you into Star Wars? Have you ever talked with George Lucas?

chris_carter_live: I am into Star Wars but I’ve never had the pleasure of talking to George Lucas.

renyuan_wong asks: What is the biggest challenge that you face in making the X-files

chris_carter_live: Keeping it fresh and new each week. Through the talents of unrelenting competitiveness of the writing staff.

Ultimus_Terra_Maximus asks: What happens if a living person dies in Harsh Realm? Do they go back to the Real World just as they were?

chris_carter_live: No. Your brain is destroyed and you are left comatose in the real world.

Dawn_311 asks: Are all the episodes of Harsh Realm filmed already? Or do you continue to film throughout the season?

chris_carter_live: We are only finishing right now episode three. So we are right smack up against our deadlines and air dates.

nyctos asks: Do you find any parallels between the Prisoner and Harsh Realm?

chris_carter_live: Yes, I think there are parallels. But I think this show benefits from the use of a technology which has now become familiar to everyone who owns a computer.

britney_duchovny asks: Do you think all the UFO and extraterrestrial stuff is real? Or are you a none -beleiver?

chris_carter_live: I’m a skeptic.

crysteen20 asks: You have such a creative mind, how do you sleep at night?

chris_carter_live: I don’t.

wooly1960 asks: Some people have compared you to the late Rod Sterling…Do you agree with that comparison?

chris_carter_live: I have no idea. He and I both created shows about the unknown. But he distinguished himself beyond that show with works like Requiem for a Heavyweight. So I have a long way to go to ever be compared.

Angel_Babe254 asks: everyone in this room thinks Scully should kill Diana

chris_carter_live: So much for limiting violence on TV!

jazzmynp asks: What’s the scariest thing is in your fridge?

chris_carter_live: The emptiness.

felkor_2000 asks: Have you ever been told you had to “tone down” an episode because it was too graphic?

chris_carter_live: Every week.

outlaw_torn721 asks: Are their aliens in Harsh realm?

chris_carter_live: There may be.

lauraanddan asks: Has there been, or will there be an X-files on bigfoot?

chris_carter_live: Big Foot was referenced but there has never been an actual Bigfoot episode.

carneo asks: do you got plans to make cartoons?

chris_carter_live: We’ve considered it and talked about it, but we have no plans. But I think a Saturday morning X Files cartoon would be fun.

chris_carter_live: Thanks for indulging me and watch Harsh Realm!

Yahoomc: Thanks for joining us Chris!

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Posted in Interviews: Online | 4 Comments »

Oct
08
1999

Chris Carter on the Kevin & Bean Show

Oct-08-1999
Chris Carter on the Kevin & Bean Show

KROQ 106.7FM Los Angeles

[Transcribed by Keyg]

K: Kevin

B: Bean ([1]recently moved to Seattle and co-hosts from his home)

L: Lisa (third co-host/traffic reporter)

K: This is the world-famous KROQ, 106.7 K-R-O-Q. Kevin and Bean Show at 8:12.

B: I don’t know if this is true or not, maybe I’m just assuming, but I like to think that we’re a good luck charm for Chris Carter. That’s why he comes in to see us every time he has a new project.

K(laughing): I’m sure that’s it.

B: With each new launch.

K: …I’m sure that’s it. Chris, welcome.

C: Thank you very much.

K: Always glad to have you on KROQ.

B: Chris, I’m glad I’m in Seattle[1] now cause I don’t have to go down and do that thing in your car like you always make me do. (laughing)

B: Ya know what I mean?

Lisa(laughing): …tgeez, Bean, hehheheheh…

B: …it’s nice. How, uh, how you been? What cha been up to?

C: Uh, you know, I’m working hard, I’m doing X-Files and this new show, Harsh Realm. So, uh, plenty of work, that’s for sure.

B: …plenty of work. That’s the thing about you. You never seem to take a vacation for very long.

C(laughing): No, I don’t.

K: Wh– H-How– Why?

C: Uh, you know, it’s–

K: Take the business when it’s good or–

C: –Contracts and you– You ride the wave till it crashes.

K: Yeah. And when it crashes, are you gonna go, “Wooo. That was a hell of a ride.”

C(laughing): …probably so…

B: Maybe you ought to just start making crappier shows. (laughing)

B: I mean, that would get you out of the contracts faster.

C(laughing): That’s the Hollywood way.

B: Yeah. You could just relax. You could go, “All right, I tanked that one, now if I could tank one more, then I’m free.”

K: Now, let’s start, let’s start with The X-Files. Cause there’s a lot of X-Files, uh, talk about Duchovny not being around, blahblahblah… You still have two more years of The X-Files. Is that right?

C: Uh, we don’t know. Uh, this could be the last year of The X-Files. There’s– There’s lots of stuff that, uh, needs to be decided before we can really, uh, make that decision.

K: And what is some of that stuff?

C: You know, there’s– There’s contracts. I don’t have a contract. David doesn’t have a contract. Gillian has one more year left in her contract. Uh, but, uh, you know, there’s this, uh, this lawsuit hanging out there. So things need to be resolved right now.

B: Now, the lawsuit is, uh, is Mr. Duchovny has actually sued you.

C(laughing): whoops,uh (laughing)

C: No, he’s not– I’m– I’m actually not–

B: You’re not named.

C: No. no.

B: It’s the suits.

K: He sued… What’s the story? He sued Fox for selling it?

C: It’s a contractual dispute. So it’s, uh, you know, it’s– business. Heheh.

K: That you can’t talk about.

C(laughing): yeah

K: All right. I understand.

B: But here’s the thing though. If the show is going off the air after this coming season — I would imagine you’re already several episodes in to the new season, right?

C: Yeah. Uh, yes.

B: So you’re going to have to start wrapping up some loose ends over the next ten episodes that you write or whatever it is.

C: Yeah. We have to kind of decide sooner or later, probably, you know, round middle of, uh… first of the year, uh, you know, what we want to do, uh, if this is going to be the last season and to wrap up the Mulder, you know, mythology, uh, to do with the sister and stuff.

K: I know you’re gonna– That’s the plan, if this is the last year, you’re going to wrap up all–

C: Well, no. Heheheh.

K: Cause if you tease, to wait for a movie, I’m going to have to beat you up.

L(laughing): And yet I sense that’s exactly where he’s going. Yeah.

K: That’s the thing, right? You’re still planning on doing movies.

C: Yeah. Well, that’s the big, you know, uh, hope is that we can turn this TV series into a movie series.

B: Like they did with the Star Trek

K: Next Generation.

C: Yeah, sort of like that.

B: What do you hope happens, Chris? How would you like to see it play out?

C: I don’t know right now because, uh, (laughing) it’s, uh, what is it, October, and we’re already, you know, just scraping the Christmas to get two weeks there and to scrape to April to finish the work, so right now, all I’m trying to do is to make this season good. Um… You know–

K: You tired of it?

C: No, I’m not tired of it. Actually, what’s the great thing about X-Files and, I hope, about Harsh Realm is that they are really good vehicles for telling stories, and so you never get tired of that cause if something works, it makes it fun, it makes it fun to write for the…

K: But don’t you just sit there sometimes and go, “All right, let’s see, I used bees in the movie…”

K: “…and I got the alien with this and that, and there’s people who can tell the future, and… I come out.”

B: I think Chris has twelve hundred post-it notes on his refrigerator.

B: That’s what I think. And that’s how he keeps all the plotlines straight.

K: You ever come to a point where you think, “I can’t think of another interesting idea.”

C: You don’t because, uh, what you realize is when you really start to think about it, it’s kind of limitless, you really could go on forever, but it does get harder– Your mind– Sort of easy subjects and genre, uh, but, uh, I think, actually, the stories get better as you go because it’s stuff nobody’s ever thought of.

K: And do you feel that you’re getting stronger as a writer working this hard at it for so long?

C: You– You develop by the instincts, and you start to trust them more.

B: It also does help when you get to a point where the, uh, the characters are so well established that you can do a lot of things with them that the audience will understand.

C: Right. Uh, so, there’s a lot of shorthand, and you– Actually, the thing about a show like The X-Files is that it’s very elastic, you know, it can parody itself, it can make fun of itself, in a way that, uh, only a show that feels confident of itself can do.

K: I’ll tell you what’s cool is that you are good at writing those moments that blow people away. And one of those moments is one of my favorite movie moments from the X-Files movie when the guy sits down in front of the Coke machine and just sits there till it explodes.

C: Yeah.

K: I mean, that kind of thing is just great.

C: Yeah. yeah.

K: Is that part of the fun of writing a series like this or…

C: It is. Of course, you can’t do that on TV, so you know, you have to wait until the movies to do, you know, the real, uh, good stuff.

K: Do you have an idea of what the next movie is uh…

C: Yeah, we have an idea. We want to do a stand-alone, just really good scary movie not something that’s tied into the mythology of the show.

K: oh really

C: Yeah.

B: Can Gillian Anderson be a Catholic school girl who smells her armpits?

K: That’s already taken care of. That’s “Superstar.”

B: Oh yeah, that’s right. That’s the Saturday Night Live movie. I’m sorry.

K: What does that look like?

B: …bad thing…

K: Let me ask you two more casting things about The X-Files then we’re going to move on to the new show. One is we heard Lance, our friend, Lance Henriksen from–

C: yeah

K: –late of “Millennium”–

C: yes

K: –is going to be on The X-Files in some capacity. Is that true?

C: He’s going to play Frank Black on an episode of The X-Files that actually, uh, is our millennium (laughing) episode. So we actually get to sort of wrap up that character and, uh, something very significant is going to happen on New Year’s, as you might imagine, between Mulder and Scully.

K: oh, interesting…

B: That really, uh– It occurs to me, although we haven’t seen you officially since “Millennium” was pulled off the schedule by Fox, but that really sucked that they didn’t give you another six months to actually carry it through to May of 2000 which was such a central point for the program.

C: Yeah, uh… The show went three years and it wasn’t really a big ratings getter, so I was happy to have it on for that long. But, you know, uh, it would have been a tough year to do that show because the climate, right now, is very sensitive, uh, to, uh, that kind of drama.

K: yeah

B: Yeah, I was going to ask you what you thought about that because– We haven’t even talked about this on the show– but you probably know that NBC has this movie that is going to portray a whole host of end-of-the-world problems–

C: right

B: — with the electricity going out, the ATM machines not working, and people looting. And they have just been lambasted by people who say how irresponsible it would be to put that on the air prior to the millennium and kind of get everybody worked into a frenzy. Do you run into situations often where you kind of can’t tell a story because of what the audience will do?

C(laughing): No. That’s exactly what I want to do, uh, is I want to, you know, create hysteria.

K: That’s why you’re our kind of guy.

B: You’re going to whip everybody into a needless frenzy as much as possible. And Terry O’Quinn, who is also from “Millennium”, he’s going to be on The X-Files this year, too, right?

C: Yeah. Terry O’Quinn, uh, actually, yeah, right, he was on the X-Files Season Two, I believe, and, uh, then had a reoccurring part on “Millennium”, and was actually in the X-Files movie too, so he’s now a big part of our show.

B: He is one of the most underrated actors on television. That guy should be a huge star. He is great.

C: He is great. My– My wife has a big thing for him.

K: Oh, is that right.

B: Mine– Mine too.

K: …doesn’t everyone. All right, Chris Carter is in the studio. We do need to take a quick break. But when we come back, you have a brand new series that debuts tonight.

C: yeah

K: It’s called “Harsh Realm”. And we’ll find out all about it when we come back on KROQ.

K: This is the world-famous KROQ, 106.7 K-R-O-Q. It is the Kevin and Bean Show at 8:27.

B: play the music now [music]

B: There it is. That’s the theme song for a show that you’ll see for the first time on the FOX network tonight, 9 o’clock. It’s called “Harsh Realm”. Our friend, Chris Carter, is in the studio. He created the show. And, uh, we talked to D.B. Sweeney, one of the stars, a couple of days ago, and, let me tell you, the way that he described it, sounds pretty ‘f’ed up.

K: I’m gonna describe it from what I remember. There’s video games and the guy gets sucked in and somehow his subconscious fights the battle and he’s in a coma…

L(laughing): Kevin, that’s pretty bad.

K: What the hell’s going on with that show, Chris?

B: It’s an alternative universe, right, Chris?

C: …another dimension.

L: …virtual reality.

K: Explain it to us.

C: Well, it’s a, uh, it’s like a virtual reality game where you plug your mind in to it, and, uh, then you are virtually in it, and, uh, everything’s real, uh, and the consequences to every action is real. So it’s a duplicate, or parallel, of this world.

K: And you’re– I think he explained it, you’re in a coma–

C: right

K: –when you’re in the game–

C: right

K: –cause your mind is not here.

C: Yes, you’re laying on a slab.

K: Dude, that’s pretty cool.

C: Yeah.

B: Here’s what we were trying to figure out — and I think we asked D.B. this, but I’m not sure what he said — are there any kind of– If you do something in the real world, does it affect the alternate universe and vice versa?

C: Uh, yeah, there’s consequences for action on both sides. We’ll learn as, uh, as the show progresses, we’ll learn that, actually, Harsh Realm may be all that exists in the end.

K: All right, let’s say that they take my mind, and they put me in to Harsh Realm and I get, uh, my left arm cut off.

C: yes

K: Then what happens in real life? Is my left arm gone?

C: No, your left arm is not gone.

K: oh

C: But uh–

L: But it hurts like hell?

C: It hurts like hell.

K: Where did this idea come from? Is this a comic book?

C: Yeah, there’s a comic book called “Harsh Realm”, but we just kind of took the title, and then, uh, went from there, really.

K: And where did the idea come from? Have you always wanted to do something with the virtual reality?

C: I’m interested in the virtual reality, and the funny thing is, we were making the show, and we kept seeing trailers for this really cool thing called “The Matrix”.

K: Yeah.

L: Yeah.

C: So, obviously, other people are interested in it too. But it’s a good way to tell stories, and it’s not a new way of telling stories, it’s telling stories about another dimension, a parallel dimension, which is equivalent to ours where you have a double, and, uh, these are sort of staples of science fiction.

K: So we all have doubles.

C: Yeah. Kevin and Bean are in Harsh Realm.

K: Are they funny in that realm?

C: Yeah. They’re– They’re really funny.

L(laughing): …as it turns out…hehehaha…

B: So it’s an opposite universe.

B: They’re also immensely popular.

B: Uh, you– I know that you’re a guy who seems to be comfortable with science, and you don’t mind doing the research. Uh, where do you see this headed for us other than 1999? I mean, they are developing virtual realities all round the world.

C: right

B: What do you envision in the future we’re going actually be able to do?

C: heheh

B: I mean, already, there are suits that you can put on where you can simulate sex with somebody on the other side of the computer, you know–

C: right

B: But, I mean, now are we going to get to a point where it’ll seem like we’re walking around in our house or going on a– driving a car or whatever.

C: Yeah. I think that will all happen, I think, in the not-too-distant future. Actually, I was just listening to something last night about artificial intelligence, and they said that machines will actually be voting pretty soon, and I bet you they’ll do a lot better job than us.

K: heheh. Well, that’s a little scary.

C(laughing): …it is scary.

K: Um, so– But the plotline in this is that there’s some kind of a killer… that he’s going after– Do you want to or not go into–

C: Yeah, I’ll tell you the whole thing. The whole thing is that there’s a guy named Santiago who’s gone into the game, and he’s a decorated combat veteran. He’s taken over Harsh Realm, and he’s going to become the sort of King of Harsh Realm. And they send Hobbes in to take him out, like a game, but what we realize is that Santiago actually wants to control– not just control Harsh Realm for his own purposes, uh, to control it, but because he wants to destroy the real world. If you will.

K: How different does the alternate universe look than the real universe on the TV show?

C: It looks exactly like it, except that– Imagine all the rules are taken away, and it’s survival of the fittest, uh, you know, the strongest survive.

K: What do you mean by all the rules are taken away? Like, they can… fly?

C: Well, there’s no, uh, government in place that– It’s really just, uh–

K: Chaos.

C: It’s chaos, and, uh, this guy Santiago though, has created this emerald city. He actually has created a utopia, but you have to play by his rules. So he’s kind of a fuehrer, if you will.

K: That sounds great.

B: Will Kevin understand it at all?

L: heheheh

C: It’s actually– it’s really easy. I think that some people think it’s difficult because it’s science fiction, and, uh, you know, once you get in to it, the rules are real simple.

K: If I don’t, can I call you and…

C: yeaheheh

B: heheheh

C: …hotline…

B: Chris Carter Cliff Notes?

K: heheheh

B: Now what is– What’s the deal they’re doing? They got it on tonight, but then they also have it on Sunday night–

C: Yeah. They–

B: What is– What is your real time slot going to be?

C: Friday nights at nine, which is actually where the last three shows I’ve done have premiered, so, uh–

K: Isn’t that a tough time slot?

C: It’s a tough time slot because, uh, a lot of people go out on that night.

K: yeah

C: So you have to really– You can’t steal an audience, you really got to build an audience.

K: Why do they keep giving you Friday night at nine?

C: Well, you know, I–

K: Is it a curse?

C(laughing): It’s a blessing and a curse.

B: It seems like you’ve earned the time slot that you want.

C: Yeah. But it’s– It’s not a bad time slot. It really is, uh– We did well with The X-Files, and when we went to Sundays, we became this giant hit.

K: right

C: Uh, but, uh…

K: So you should say this time, “Hey, I want to be on Sunday.”

C: Well, you know, I’m– I’m happy to be here, and hopefully, we can do the same thing as X-Files.

B: Let me ask you about one more show because one of your friends is behind this “Roswell”.

C: Yeah.

B: One of the guys who worked on The X-Files.

C: David Nutter.

B: When I saw that show this week– It was so X-Files-like. I don’t know if you’ve had the opportunity to watch it or not, but, man, it seems like a show that you should have been doing.

C: heheh

K: heheh

C: Uh… heheh. M-Maybe.

B: Did you like it? Did you see it?

C: You know, I saw the beginning of it. Uh, and I read the script, so, um, I knew what the subject matter–

B: The kid walks in. He’s an alien and heals someone by putting his hand on her, on her wound, and I thought, well, doesn’t that look familiar.

K: Hey, I saw that on The X-Files.

C: Season Three.

K: heheheh

B: Have we seen that before?

K: heheheh

C: hmm…

B: It’s weird. And I don’t know if it has anything to do with what you were talking about a little bit ago about the pre-millennium tension that seems to be in the air, but people seem to really be in to sci-fi right now.

C: yeah

B: I mean, it seems like a great time for the genre because you could have gone a lot of years on television schedules in this country, and there wouldn’t have been any shows about science fiction.

K: That’s true.

B: And now it seems like, thanks to the success of The X-Files, that there are a bunch of shows that are out there that are doing it for who like this sort of thing, so “Harsh Realm” is coming at a good time, I guess.

C: Uh, I hope so. I mean, it’s more science fiction than I’ve ever done, so, uh, it’s– It’s something new for me.

K: Does it feel weird to you to be named Time Magazine’s, like, one of the Most– What was it? One of the Most– 25 Most Influential People?

C: Yes. Heheh.

K: Is that just like–

C: Yeah. I–heh–

L: …cause he’s out surfing in the morning.

K(laughing): Yeah, you know, what the hell.

C: It’s weird.

K: Do you pick– You know, do you pick up chicks and stuff with that?

K: Time! Time Magazine! I need a table! Time Magazine!

B: How many copies of that do you have in your truck right now that you need to pass out, know what I mean?

K: Front of the line! Disneyland, front of the line! Time Magazine!

B: Chris, by the way, is going to be doing a live chat for folks who have their own questions for him. Certainly, you can do a better interview than we can. Uh, that’s going to be next Friday at 7 o’clock on www.fox.com. That’s next Friday. And your birthday is next week too, Chris.

C: yes

B: What are you going to be doing for that?

C: Uh… (laughing)Nothing.

B: Just working, aren’t you–

K: –working.

C: Work, like every year.

K: …man, oh man… Well, you know what fans we are of you, and we don’t just say that cause you’re sitting in the room. We always support your shows. We always talk about them cause they’re really quality television. We’re going to be tuning in tonight, 9 o’clock, for “Harsh Realm”. And, as usual, we thank you for coming into the studio today.

C: Thanks.

GA: Hi, this is Gillian Anderson from ‘The X-Files’ with a warning from the government. If you listen to the Kevin and Bean show, you will die. Good luck.

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Oct
07
1999

New York Daily News: A Peek Into Fox' New 'Realm'

Oct-07-1999
New York Daily News
A Peek Into Fox’ New ‘Realm’
David Bianculli

When Chris Carter unveiled “The X-Files” in 1993, it premiered with little fanfare and no expectations. Tomorrow, when Carter’s newest series, “Harsh Realm,” debuts on Fox, things will be a little different – but, Carter insists, they will also be quite similar.

“The trick,” Carter said earlier this week, “is going to be to get people to come to the show and hook into it.

“Because it has, like ‘The X-Files,’ a mythology that is important to it, but it will also have good stand-alone stories to tell as well. I’ve always said [that] on Friday nights [the original home of “The X-Files”] you had to build an audience rather than steal one. And I think that’s going to be the case here again.”

Last time, critics and viewers were on their own as the “X-Files” – involving vaccination conspiracies, extraterrestrial hybrids, killer bees and black oil – slowly and puzzlingly unfolded.

This time, Carter and co-executive producer Frank Spotnitz took the unusual step of trying to explain their show before the fact.

The premise has a good-guy Army lieutenant named Thomas Hobbes (Scott Bairstow) sent to a virtual-reality version of Earth to find and capture a messianic renegade named Santiago (Terry O’Quinn), whose ultimate goal is to rule the real world. In the alternate reality, Hobbes links up with a reluctant hero named Mike Pinocchio, played by D.B. Sweeney.

Hobbes and Pinocchio. Think Scully and Mulder.

“It’s Scully and Mulder who really make people want to watch ‘The X-Files,’ as fantastic as the cases are they investigate,” Spotnitz said. “And I think the same is going to be true of ‘Harsh Realm.’ If it’s a success, it’s going to be because people come to love and care about Hobbes and Pinocchio.”

So what is the mythology, and what are the rules?

“Because it is a digital world and it is the construct of programmers, or one programmer,” Carter said, “you get a chance to have an almost sort of Greek mythology, with the gods above and the subjects below. And they will be able to walk into any kind of world the programmers decide to throw at them.”

Early episodes will explore the city and outlying area controlled by Santiago, but soon the characters will venture to other cities and effects – digital facial makeovers and a lake whose reflection can clone people are only two. Unlike a video game, though, the rule is when you die in this digital world, you’re dead. No replays. No extra lives.

Carter also offered a more concise outline of “Harsh Realm” than he ever provided about “The X-Files.”

“Harsh Realm [the computerized alternate reality] is exactly like our world, circa 1995,” he said. “Everything was scanned in. Every building, every person. All of us are there in Harsh Realm in a digital form.

“Except that in Harsh Realm, a nuclear bomb went off in 1995 in New York City, leading to the chaos that Santiago has now capitalized upon to build his dictatorship.”

Hope that helps. “Harsh Realm” premieres tomorrow night at 9 on Fox. In this reality, anyway.

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