@ Yet the Highlander experience is far from over. There is the rest of

~
@
A semi-regular newsletter about the Highlander universe in its many forms. Contributions are welcome. For
the time being The Buzz is free to anyone interested in receiving it. If you would like a copy of the next issue,
just send a stamped, self-addressed A4 envelope to :
Sonja van den Ende
11 Perrett Street Bundamba Old 4304 (07) 3282 4220.
sonjav@powerup.com.au
@
l'
As I write this, it is early on Sunday 30th November and on the other side of the world in Paris, Highlander:The
Series is in its final of filming. In only a few hours, the lights will have been switched off on the set for the very last
time.
Yet the Highlanderexperienceis far from over. Thereis the rest of Season6 to see, the movie to wait for and the
newspin-off seriesto hopeon. Most importatltly,Highlanderhasso muchleft for us to discuss. Long afterthe last
setis dismantled& long afterthe show's creators,castand crew havemoved on to new careers,the productof their
work over thesepast6 yearswill continueto intrigue,to challenge,to provokeand simply entertainus.
Highlander has been one of the very best series on television. Its scope had beenwide and stimulating. We have had
charismatic characters, comedy, romance, spirituality, adventure, sword fights, soul searching discussion,
outstanding costuming, cinematography worthy of the silver screen, Roger Bellon's superb music and much, much
more. Everyone involved with the series has something to be proud of and I salute them one and all.
It's beena kind of magic. It is 2!ill magicaland will be so for a very long time, Sonja
~
Highlander's final episode is a two-parter called To Be and Not To Be. The cast list includes (among others)
Elizabeth Gracen, Roger Daltrey, Peter Wingfield, Valentine Pelka and Stan Kirsch.
Season6 wasthe first time the Parisepisodeswere filmed during summer.Oneunexpecteddrawbackof this was that
the bargewas like an oven& very uncomfortableto work in. The last 4 episodesof Season6 were filmed out of
orderdueto Adrian Paulhaving othercommitments.
Claudia Christian of Babylon5 fame gueststarsin the 6th seasonepisode,Two of Hearts in which Duncandoesnot
appear(dueto AP's unavailability). ClaudiaChristianis!1Q!one of the four spin-off seriescontenders.Theseappear
in the episodes,Sins ofthe Father,Patient #7,Justiceand DeadlyExposure.
Roger Daltrey has hosted a documentary called Pirate Tales wherein he also appears as William Dampier.
Donna Lettow's novel, Zealot has beenreleasedand another4 Highlander novels have beenconfirmed. These
include: one featuring Darius by RebeccaNeeson,who wrote The Path,one featuring Fitz by Ginger Buchanan,a
Methos novel by JosephaShermanand anotherbook by Donna Lettow which also featuresDarius. Also under
(tentative)considerationis a Highlanderanthology.
A HighlanderEpisodeGuide, including comprehensiveinterviews, is in the making. Expectedreleasedate(as yet
unconfirmed)is mid-late 1998.
Adrian Paul will make an appearance on the Keenan Ivory Wayans Show on 3rd December. Watch for an interview
with him in Dreamwatch #39. This has been released OS & should reach us in the new year.
~
~
»
We're going to enjoy2 daysof non-stopHighlandercelebrationwith panels,
discussions,Guestpresentations,autographs,competitions,displays,merchandise,
previews,andjust good 01' fan interaction.
~.-
Do you havea programmesuggestion?Let meknow. All ideasare welcome
PETER WINGFIELD will do Q&A sessions & sign autographs.
Peter will also join a panel discussion on Methos & his place in the Highlander story
(Peter's attendanceis confirmed:professionalcommitmentspermitting)
-Mercure Hotel, Brisbane 28-29th March 1998
c,~-~.'.~.",~~-=-.
«
THANK YOU ADRIAN
Carmel Macpherson
I.
Physically.
OK -it won't be hard to find a male or female who is easyon the eye. But what made Adrian stand out is that it is his whole
of life philosophy that results in his amazing physical health and stature. TPTB would never have had to waste one minute
worrying about their star running to fat or getting lazy. He thrives on the addage "...a sound'
in a sound body..." and despite the grueling schedules also seemed to find time for some type
workout. His whole of life attitude towards his diet (extreme though it appeared to be at times egg whites and potatoes for breakfast!) also ensured that for 117 episodes he never once
turn up due to illness (even when he was clearly ill). He clearly has a terrible cold/flu in Chivalryironically, you can see it most clearly in the famous nude scene where he was made to get'
of that tub time after time.) The concept of Immortality leaves no margin for error -your star cannot have any broken
bones, any sprains that show -any obvious cuts that can't be camouflaged. And he carried this off for 6 years!
And the price for him has been high. In Oreamwatch #29 he says that his body is shot. He suffered a serious injury during
the shooting of Testimonythat left him with severe neck pain for over a year. He has had numerous cuts requiring stitches
and heavy make-up or gloves. But even with the most potentially dangerous ones, in The Modern Prometheus, when he
could have lost his right eye he simply had it stitched on set and carried on with the directing and the acting -facing that
swinging sword again. A lesser person might have been off immediately demanding the best plastic surgeon in France. To
my knowledge this was the only time they actually lost a couple of days in actual filming due to Adrian's injury which
ended up swelling and bruising so badly that they couldn't camouflage it. Two days over 6 years -pretty good average.
Summary: The outward form isn't going to be good enough.. They need a star who lives
breathes good health and fitness and has erotic magnetism and who couples this with
risk-taking in their private life hobbies and pursuits.
2.
All round skills
(i)
Language. Highlander is a bi-lingual production and any spin-off series would be the same. Adrian speaks fluent
French, Italian and gets by in Gennan and Spanish. There is no doubt that Adrian's being able to be understood in French
and to understand it would have made an enonnous difference in tenns of the frustration levels on the set. It meant that the
Producers just never had to worry about this aspect of their star. Directors could simply be themselves without breaking
the creative flow while translations were conducted by either themselves or others. The energy and flow could always be
kept because no-one had to actually stop and take lack of language skills into account.
(ii)
Acting/Directing Because Adrian is English the producers were able to give themselves added flexibility by using
him as a Director and not having to worry about the Content rules concerning the number of nationalities that can be used.
In Adrian they had a star who cared enough about his craft to spend hour upon hour after grueling long days to sit in the
looping rooms and the editing rooms and question the Editors and Directors on .'!Y!!.Y
they were doing what they were doing.
He spent three years learning and adding to his skill base before taking on the new challenge of not only starring in
Highlander but also directing it. And not just any show that might be able to be hidden in the middle of a season! His
acting commitments meant that hi§.episodes were very high profile first episodes (Homeland) of the seasonor of the second
half of the season-or the famous IOOthepisode.
To do this spoke of enormous faith and trust on the part of the Producers and an amazing capacity for hard work and putting
himself on the line on Adrian's part. It meant they had a star who was happy and willing to spend countless hours burying
himself in the concept of the immortal universe -living it and breathing it. It was proof that they never had to worry about
keeping their star's interest up, or in *jollying him along* with repeated wake up calls. Anthony De Longis (Blackmail and
Duende) had the following to say of Adrian's professionalism -and this was concerning the 103rd episode, not one of the
early ones:
"...Adrian actively involveshimself in all aspectsof the production. In this instance,he'dreviewedthe notesthat I had sent
regardingthe historicalbackgroundof the MysteriousCircle. He's also looked over my ideasto createa particularstyle
with the episode...inother words, Adrian had done his homewok,as usual. He was here to do somethingdifferent and
makethe most of the week'sopportunity. A lot of guys who do a weekly seriesjust go throughthe motionsand havethe
attitude of, 'What are we doing this week? OK, I'll be in my trailer, so get my double.' Adrian nevermissesa chanceto
make everyepisodebetter " (TV Zone. #93. p.36).
(iii)
martial arts. The lead in such a show will have to not only be physically fit but also skilled in a number of martial
arts, including swordplay. In Adrian they had a star who is naturally gifted in a variety of forms of the martial arts but who
also practices them because they are an integral part of his belief system and approach to life. Thus, they are not an extra
that *has* to be fitted in and practiced for the show. This means that the producers never had to worry about his skill level
or his dedication to keeping himself skilled and safe. Again, De Longis (a highly skilled swordsman himself) sums this up:
",..Adrian prefers attacks targeted directly at his head and body, centre mass. He has the skill to play this dangerous game
and it offers the advantage of a direct line of energy to intercept and manipulate. But it leaves almost no margin for error.
Only an artist with Adrian's skill and training should ever attempt this technique " (TV Zone. #93. p.39).
So it means that F Braun.Ash and the producers can strive for different, highly skillful and more creative flair than might
otherwise be the case. And it also means that F Braun can spend much needed time on and with the guest stars -to make
them look at least believable, since he does not have to spend an inordinate amount of time with the star.
Every season Adrian would speak of a new challenge that he had set himself in order to keep Highlander, himself and
Duncan fresh. Thus, in Season6 we have Chi Gung. In Season4 we had Philippino stick fighting; we've had him integrate
Korean, Chinese and Japanesesword fighting techniques. His katas have been a thing of beauty and wonder but I doubt
anyone but Adrian has ever put them together. Somewhere he finds the time to create what is needed for those few minutes
of the script and everyone has just come to expect that he will always deliver -that he will always just pull a complex and
beautiful kata out of a hat. And, of course, he always has. The kata at the beginning of End of Innocence is a case in point.
He spoke about how pleased he was with how it turned out because it was something he created (and the beautifully
formalized and ritualized one in Shadows, of which he was particularly proud.) What a canvas for the Roger Bellons to
create their music upon.
He has pursued and shared with us the spiritual side the martial arts. He has thus given the writers a gold mine in terms of
the scope to pursue different story lines and dimensions of the character. The Kung Fu line of Season#2 was stopped at
Adrian's insistence that it was selling the Highlander concept short and not utilizing the range of his martial arts talents. But
ifthat's.!!l! your star can do then you have limited choices. This was never a problem for them with Adrian as the star.
(iv)
dancing. Adrian was a very proficient dancer and choreographer before coming to Highlander and this could only
have been a wonderful bonus for his further explorations of choreography in the sword fights and in his overall Direction.
Again, however, because it is something that is an integral part of who Adrian is, the Producers would never have had to
worry about the time it would take to teach *the star* this added extra. So they always had that there to give variety and
flair to an episode. Who will ever forget the tango on the Eiffel Tower? The SpeakEasy dance with Peggy -those
Charlestons and Black bottoms, the quiet waltzes -and *that* flamenco! And did they have to set aside time for Adrian to
learn it? No -he did it all in his own time because of his innate philosophy of continuous improvement...and next tl}ing you
know he's learning Spanish!
(v)
acting rapport and empathy. Certainly when Season#1 commenced Adrian had no pretensions concerning being a
brilliant actor. But we have travelled with him as he has perfected his craft and watched him, with no benefit of any of the
famous theatre Schools or Acting Schools, teach himselfby private study and observation of people and co-stars he clearly
admires. Just watching his face with Mikey in The Innocent is a case in point. When he is talking with Mikey, holding
Mikey's face in his hands, watch his eyes and the way his face just falls into what Mikey is feeling. He is a very empathetic
person and *feels* so strongly and then really builds on those feelings. His rapport with Elizabeth, Alexandra, Stan, Jim
and particularly Peter demonstrated amazing growth as an actor as he learned from these very talented people and returned
in spades their gifts to him.
Some of the most outstanding scenes in Highlander have been with these people -i
scene with Peter by the 4 wheel drive in Comes a Horseman, the Luxembourg
Garden scene in Forgive Us Our Trespasses;Richie's death scene in
wonderful scene with Peter in the loft at the beginning of The Messenger when
mirror and follow each other across the Loft. And of course those amazing
Duncan moments -particularly in Deliverance.
There are just so many wonderful scenes and snippets and looks that say so much, rolling down through the years -the
swallow of the throat when he is frightened, -the twinkle, mischievous smile, all those small physical reactions that are so
pregnant with meaning. And he has to be one of the best natural prop actors around. Watch the way he naturally takes over
the props in a scene -fiddling with coasters, smoothing out a rug with a totally natural kick of his foot, reaching across a
table to grab a clean glass -he uses his hands *very* naturally so that he never seems ill at ease in an acting situation.
And what I have always particularly loved is the way Adrian is so open and honest, particularly in PEACE, about how he
is constantly trying to improve his acting. All I know is that whomever replaces him will have a hard act to follow in terms
of their ability to capture us emotionally and make us *want* to journey with him and cheer him up when he is so down,
and laugh with him when life is good. The Producers will not have difficulty finding a good actor -it's getting one that
comes with the rest of the package that will require thought.
Flashbacks: -I'll include these under the acting category because I think that's where they really belong. Many (if not most)
of the other actors in Highlander fail to differentiate their characters and personalities in the flashbacks. In effect we get
;
-we
do in the late twentieth century. In Adrian, the
have someone who takes a malicious delight in sending himself up, so that his ego doesn't
if he looks silly and sounds silly if that's how Duncan was back then. he was gauche and just so
for much of the 17th century and he makes us believe it. His first Quickening is so poignant
its brutality for the young totally confused exile. His mastery of different accents, languages,
with the clothing, riding, really made the flashbacks believable. We should never feel as if
we are simplywatchingthe star play dress-ups.
In summary: The words of one's peers are always the best indication of perceived worth. Apart from the Producers and
crew, who are famous for their statements concerning the wonderful *feel* on the Highlander set and how everyone
wanted to work on it, Adrian's acting peers are also generous in their praise.
Peter Wingfield has spoken at length about how much he has enjoyed working with Adrian and
a gifted Director he is, particularly his eye for visual detail. Tracey Scroggins, in
, spoke of what a generous actor and Director he is -never taking an unfair share of
time or camera angles -in fact, she argues he is quite the opposite, being overly generous
.She also spoke of the generous amount of time he gave her to ensure that she was
on the set and with the over-all concept of the episodes she was in. Stan speaks of
amount of time Adrian gave him in terms'
.
with Directors and producers. All speak of him as a hard task master and of being very
but also of never asking more of anyone else than he does of himself. Just look at the way
filled out and grew over the time he spent with Duncan and convince me that Adrian didn't
direct influence on this. And, of course, they are all good friends which clearly comes through in
obvious rapport between them all in the episodes.
So, when lining up a replacement for Adrian Paul, the Producers have a very hard act to follow. I would suggest that they
and we have been spoilt in terms of the over-all calibre and professionalism of the man they have worked with for the past
6 years. I really wish them the best in finding a new Immortal to continue what they and Christopher and Adrian have
started and picked up and run with.
I don't believe they will find a *replacement* for Adrian and shouldn't even try
So, Adrian, thank you for 6 of the most incredible years of my life. I hope the Producers truly appreciated what an amazing
combination of passion, professionalism and skill and charisma they had in you.
As long as their replacement is physically charismatic, fit, healthy, skilled in a wide variety of martial arts, a gifted dancer
and linguist, a choreographer with a fine appreciation of how productions come together, willing to put the benefit of the
show ahead of personal predilections, whims and desires, high order inter-personal skills and conflict resolution skills,
assertive without being aggressive, an ability to keep their private life private even to their detriment, so that Duncan
MacLeod always remained the focus, extraordinary time management skills and a willingness to work any number of hours
and days to get the show looking like it should; a fine actor who can make the character so believable that the line between
their own character and the lead is blurred, so much of themselves have they put into it, a person whose entire approach to
the show and concept acts like a consistent thread in pulling together all the rich and multi-textured layers of the set
designs, clothing, backdrops, plots, characterisation -so that it constantly spoke to us and drew us so naturally into that
world with all of its fascinating complexities.
believe that it was Adrian who was the glue that really heid this wonderful universe together
Yep -if they get someone with all the above then they're home and hosed.
Of course, we all see examples of very popular and lucrative shows where the lead has very few of these attributes.
Highlander had them all and still couldn't pull the audiences and money it needed to. You can see why people get
depressed. But at least with the above in place the Producers are not going to be wasting hours *dealing* with the
inevitable number of things that will go wrong. Without the above Highlander would probably never have gotten beyond
Season#2.
Because Highlander is a bi-lingual production, reliant on the believability of its flashbacks and because it attempts to create
a far more complex world than does Xena or Tarzan then the above attributes are very important. Of course, if they decide
to simplify this world markedly, then they can afford to drop off most of the above attributes. My greatest fear is that if
money is the driver this may well be the direction that is tempting.
At least,throughpeoplelike David Abramowitz and his team of writers, they have createda universethey can be very
proud of. And Adrian canbe very proud of the quality of this body of work.
Thus endeth the Lesson on why I should be Adrian's agent!
Thanks to Lynda Dennis for this excerpt
A tragicfemalefigure of Greekmyth,a daughter ofKing Priam ofTroy and his Queen,Hecuba. A seerand a priestessshe
reveredthe oracular God;Apollo; whogave her the gift ofprophecyand hopedto becomeher lover. Sheacceptedthe gift
but rejectedhis advances,and the disappointedApollo, amendedthe gift asfollows: Cassandra'sprophecieswould be
accurate,but no one would believethem. She warnedthat the child Paris would one day bring disasterto Troy, that his
voyageto Sparta (wherehe met Helen)would havedire consequences,
and that the woodenhorse left by the Greeksmust
not be brought through the gatesinto the city, but all of her warningsfell on deafears. Cassandrawastakento Mycenae
as a slave and soonmurdered. A templewas erectednear Amyclaewhereshe was buried under the name of Alexandria,
the templewas actuallydedicatedto Alexandria. In short,a 'cassandra'is a person whoseprophecieshoweveraccurate,
go unheeded.
'
From: Biedermann,Hans.The WordsworthDictionary of Symbolism.,1996.,
WordsworthEditions Ltd., Hertfordshire
A Toast to Highlander
Nancy Melito
[With the end of the series in sight, I thought it timely to include a virtual toast to just some of the people, real and fictional,
entertained us over the past 6 years. My thanks to Nancy for sharing her (occassionally ireverent, but always sincere) feelings.
who have
Sonja]
To Gregory Widen, who came up with this idea years ago, and the Producers, who, much as I would like to smack them
sometimes, have, after all, given me a new lease on life. Thank you, gentleman. ::whap!:: :::gulp:::
:::new glass::: To Adrian, may you always find fulfillment in whatever you do. I wish you success,happiness,and a very
long career. Thank you, dear heart, for bringing Duncan to life for me, thereby restoring my ownjoie de vivre. Thank you
also for seeing beyond the money and fame, for trying to stay honest and go for the higher ideal rather than simply
wallowing in self-absorption.
:::newglass::: To Duncan,for restoringmy faith in myself and helping me touch that part of God that I missedso terribly
much. May your swordalwaysfind a readysheath. May you live on in moviesand fiction and fanfiction forever. Thank
you for being my light at the end of the tunnel.
:::new glass::: To Richie, for bringing those angelic blue eyesinto my living room and opening up Duncan'sstubborn
heart. Thank you for your sacrifice,I know it is not in vain. My one comfort is that you now rest in the heartof the one
who loved you best,andwho helpedyou to be morethan you everthoughtpossible. Although short,your life hereaffected
all of us, and continuesto throughfanfiction. Thank you for beingthe child Duncanneverhad.
::chantingbegins--FlashBACKS!FlashBACKS! FlashBACKS!::
::new glass::Hmm, new bottle, too, almost :) :: To Stan, thank you for your hard work and all those knocks on the head. I
nev~r realized just how brilliant Richie's smile was till you stretched out your hand to n1ine in that line two years ago. I
wish you successand happiness, and someone wonderful to hold you through the night.
::new glass:: To Tessa, who gave me a tv show that actually made sense and mirrored my own life. Well, sort of1 Your
grand heart will never be forgotten, and your passion will inspire me in many pages of fiction. Your life affected Duncan
and Richie both, giving us caring considerate men instead of the fools so often shown on tv. You kept Duncan human for
us, and gave Richie the mothering he so rarely had. May we all have the courage to go where our hearts lead us.
:::new glass,*definitely* newbottle
nyah nyahnyah! :Pphhhhhhhhtttt!
To Alex, who gaveus Tessa. Thengave it up to becomebiggerandmore famous.
:::newglass:::To Peter,who gaveus Methos and one of the most interestingcharactersever. Thank you for taking the
plungeand giving yourselfto us fansso tirelesslyand genuinely. May we alwaysbehaveourselvesandmake you glad to
be part of us.
:::new glass::: To Methos, you sly, calculating sonofabitch. Thank you for having the interest to look out for Duncan's
head, even against your survival instincts. We may never know what fuels your twisted mind, but we're having great fun
speculating!
CASSANDRA:
:::new glass::: To Roger Daltrey, who agreed to be Fitzcaim and gave us all a grand romp. I've never beento one of your
concerts, but I certainly think of them fondly now. I hope you have enjoyed yourself as much as we have enjoyed you.
:::newglass::: To the writers,whoeverthe hell you are,becauseof the stupid "content"rules. Thoughwehatewhatyou've
done at times, mostly we are greatly in your debt for having given us 6 yearsof controversy,passion,caring,and multifacetedpersonalities.Mediocrity was neveryour goal,and we have your backgroundto thank for giving us a placewhere
the actorscould play, and the directorscould embellish. Bravo,and may you alwayshavefond memories,aswe do, of a
magicaltime in our lives.
:::newglass::: To F. Braun McAsh, May your heartalways be even bigger than your arsenal,and may you have many
moreyearsof beinga guardianangelfor not only the actorsbut us fans aswell. Thankyou!!
:::newglass::: To ElizabethGracen,who gaveus Amanda. May your endeavorsbe worthwhile and may you alwaysvalue
your conscienceabove all else. Here'sto your daring and conviction. Thank you for giving to us fans the way Peterhas,
and maywe alwaysbe thoughtfulandconsideratein return.
:::newglass::: To Amanda,who lovesour Duncanalmostas muchaswe do. May your smile alwaysget you out of trouble
and may your nimble fingers and fleet feet get you into Duncan. May your beautynever fade,and may you never get
caught.(Pssst! Stayout of Turkey!)
:::newglass::: To Jim Byrnes,whom I don't understand,but who hascome througha hell of a lot to getto where he is.
May you alwaysstandby your insistencethat you areno different from anyoneelse. And may you alwaysfind showsthat
arewilling to be worthy of your fiery presence.
.
:::newglass::: To Joe Dawson,friend, confidante,guardianand honorableman. Watcherin the finest senseof the word.
No one could ask for a truer friend. Duncanis lucky to haveyou. Thank you for showingus how to be a friend, and may
you live on in moviesand fiction. And quit peeking!
:::VERY LARGE GLASS::: To all the peoplewho havemadeHL a reality for me, and have fueled so many friendships,
creativeendeavors. Your work is hard to pick out personby person,and intentionally. You have made Highlandera
seamlesspresentationeachweek,giving us the highestquality tv we've had in...well,ever! I can'tbelieve it's over, but I
wish you all professionalrespect,steadypaychecks,andexciting work where you are free to do your best.
The Clan Cruise
Report by Sharon Gobioff
On 15th & 16th November, cast & production members joined 300 fans on a cruise to the Bahamas. Below is a report by Sharon Gobioff
which was originally posted to Highla-l. Sharon's report has been edited and reprinted here with her kind permission. Sonja
We're back. We had a great time!!! The guest list included Jim and his band, Peter Wingfield, Liz Gracen (and her fella),
David Abramowitz, Gillian Horvath and Donna Lettow.
The cruise got off to a great startwith a private concerton Friday night by the Jim ByrnesBand. We were all up on the
dancefloor (how could we not be?). Betweenthe concertand dinner,we were out on deckaswe pulled out of Miami with
Donna,Gillian and Peter,leaningoverthe rail, admiringthe view. Some,more thanothers! <bg> Then it was off to dinner.
Our table was next to the band's and one away from the special guests. :-) It made for a very good view! <vbg We were
in a separate section of the dining room, all 300 of us. God knows what the other passengersthought when we all started
cheering as Liz went down the section with her video camera!
After dinner, we all went back to our cabins to change and then met at the cinema for a special screening. Donna and
Gillian had brought the Euro version of Unusual Suspects and Justice. To say we were an enthusiastic audience would be
an understatement! Think Rocky Horror. We all recited Jim's opening monologue and sang along with Queen. Everyone
cheered at "There can be only one." When I told Donna and Gillian, they thought it was hysterical. The episodes were
shown in two theaters and nothing unusual happened in the theater they were in!
Some of us (Sharon) went to bed at this point (lAM). Others, just kept going. Saturday morning there was a group Q&A
with everyone on the panel. Sandi Hutchinson brought us up onto the stage to present the "Paws for a Cause" book.
Needless to say they were all very impressed. Jim, in particular, was very moved by the donations and mentioned it to
Nancy many times during the cruise. There were discussions about Spin-Off girl, the movie (Peter said that, according to
Adrian, Chris Lambert had signed), David Abramowitz explained why Richie was killed (They wanted to take Duncan to
a new level and the only way to do it was to have someone he loved die at his hand).
Peter was asked about "Noah's Ark" and he responded that he would do another season if it is renewed but didn't see
himself going beyond that. He also said he would miss "Highlander" because of the diversity of the shows. Actually, most
of the questions and comments were pretty astute. Not your normal, run of the mill questions. When Peter was talking
about the shooting 'shedule' everyone, including the panel, razzed him about it. His response, "Hey, I'm from the UK! "
Someone asked him about being Welsh Trampoline champion and Liz's ears perked up. She said she didn't know that, and
he said she did. She said that she usually didn't listen to him and is seeing him in a new light. When Peter left the panel
for a minute, Jim said we should all ask him if he washed his hands. Well, when Peter came back in, Jim yelled, "Did you
wash your hands?" Peter responded that immortals have needs too and "yes, but I didn't dry them!" as he started wiping
them on Jim's shirt.
They were asked about their favorite directors. Everyone agrees that Dennis Berry is crazed. Duane Clark is Dick's son.
After talking about the episodes that Adrian's directed, Peter said, "I really hate to say this, but he's right up there."
They were talking aboutthe new blooperreel. The singing group consistsof the crew and productionpeople.
The song
was adaptedfrom a songfloating around in cyberspace,so,asGillian saidto us, "You wrote the song."
Saturday afternoon was spent in Nassau,shopping. Before dinner, there was a photo shoot. Donna, Gillian, Liz, Jim, Peter
and David were all sitting down with an empty seat for us. We, the cruisers, were all dressed to the nines for the Captain's
Cocktail Party and Dinner (it was formal night) as were the three ladies. The guys... well. My comment to them, especially
Peter, was that they hadn't "cleaned up" for us. He said, "Excuse me?" He when I explained what I meant, he said that they
were going to dress for dinner. Not to imply that they were grungy. I was basically just kidding. At dinner, the
photographer came around to take pictures at the tables, couples and group. When they got to the band's table, Jerry and
Bill were mugging for their 'couple' shot. One of the dessertswas Cherries Jubilee, flavored with Kirsch. The entire Clan
Denial table ordered it in honor of Richie and Stan.
Sundaymorning was Donna and Gillian's 'Dog and Pony Show,' "From Script to Screen". They're always funny and
interesting. Theyalwayshave behindthe scenestidbits and anecdotesto tell us. For example,once Petercame out with
the line "We get our own show" (from the blooperreeland Forgive Us Our Trespasses),
he and Liz were unableto do the
scenewith straightfaces. They also showedmore of that sceneand believe me, the blooper reel doesn'thave the best
version. The first takehad Peterturning to the camerawith an evil sparklein his eye. Gillian spokeof Adrian's dedication
to detail, whetherasa director or anactor. Shecited Home/and;the first episodehe directed. If you remember(and you
should)whenDebrafalls overthe cliff, Duncandropsthe bracelethe gaveher. Adrian did take aftertaketo getthe bracelet
to fall right. The amazingpart was that *he* kept droppingthe bracelet,not someprop guy. And he picked it up in the
nextscene.Continuity.
The afternoon was spent on the island of CocoCay. It's an island in the Bah~mas that is owned by the Royal Caribbean
Cruise Line. We were transported by tender from our ship and arrived for a barbecue and fun in the (overcast) sun!
Eighteen lucky cruisers had won lunch with either Peter or Gillian and Donna. After lunch, Gillian and Donna held a
"Stump the Experts" trivia contest. It turned into more of an anecdote telling session. Everyone was able to do their own
thing. There was a volleyball tournament, the band was going to kick some butt (or so they said). I wasn't there, so I can't
tell you what happened. When I know, you'll know. I asked Peter if he'd sign my copy of his new calendar and he said
sure and told me the FBI and CIA were after him about it. There's this picture of him leaning on the podium in the White
House Press Room I met Jim's wife, Robin. Liz handed out autographed photos. She stopped me to read my
"YKYBWTMHW"
shirt
We bumped into everyone up on deck and, as we were walking over to them, Peter was doing the limbo to the piped in
Caribbean music. I wanted to say goodbye and to thank them for joining us.
This morning we had a fonnal breakfast seating while the ship was clearing customs. The cruise line was constantly calling
names and cabins numbers for people to settle their bills with the Purser. When they called, Mr. Peter Wingfield, Peter put
his hands over his head in a "Yes!" type of position and grinned ear to ear. Of course, we *all* cheered! Our luggage was
color coded and we weren't even able to have breakfast before our color was called. We did stop to say goodbye again.
for one,certainlyhopethatthe cruisebecomesan annualevent. had a blast.
Sharon
gobioff@mediaone.net
Seemy setvisit at http://www.cybennontage.com/paris/paris.htm
Modern Prometheus
Review by Sonja van den Ende
I feel my immortalitlj overS'lveep all pains, all tears, all time, all fears, -and
my ears, this truth, -thou livest forever!
Byron (1788-1824)
peal, like the eternal thlmders of the deep, into
Modern Prometheushasbeencriticised by fans on two levels. Firstly for its useof historicalfigures in Lord Byron andthe
Shelleysand secondlybecausethe characterof Byron is too similar to Gregorwhom we met in the secondseasonepisode,
Studiesin Light. Both Gregorand Byron are suffering for their immortality. Gregorhas lost the ability to feel emotions
while Byron has lost the fire of creativity. Both seekto regain lost purposein a seeminglyendless& increasinglypointless
life.
While I would prefernot to seehistoricalfiguresusedas fictional characters,Byron seemsto lendhimself to the series.The
lines quotedaboveare not his only referencesto immortality.
As to the second criticism of Byron's similarity to Gregor -Is it valid for the series to deal with this topic twice? I believe it
is, and more so. The slow erosion of direction and purpose in life must surely be the most insidious and thus most dangerous
of perils faced by immortals.
Perhaps, rather than being compared to Gregor, Byron should be likened to Claudia from Timelesswho lost her genius when
she lost her mortality. The flame that bums twice as brightly cannot also bum twice as long. When one considers the scale
of Byron's genius, the intensity of his poetry, then it is little wonder that the Byron of 1997 is lost and hurting. Witb Byron,
however, there is also an element of malicious power at play. He enjoys the control he has over others. He revels in the
power he holds over the music industry, his staff and his fans, even causing the death of one fan for no other reason than that
he can. All to no avail. None of it can satisfy his hunger.
Yet, as fascinating as Byron is, this episode is not about him as much as it is about Methos. Modern Prometheus gives us
some intriguing insights into Methos' own struggle against the deadening weight of endless life.
We have been given three glimpses at Methos' life. We have seen him as one of the Horsemen, as a member of Lord Byron's
exclusive set in 1816, and in the present day. In each of those instances, we see him move in the orbit of someone who is,
on the surface at least, more powerful than he is and who provides him with challenge and stimulation. With Kronos it is
most overtly power itself that is the attraction. With Macleod it would appear to be more complex, a mixture of designs for
The Game, redemption through association with goodness and just plain friendship. With Byron, the attraction is brilliance.
Byron's genius is a shining light in Methos' endless drift through the ages.
Byron offers intensity and a sense of self that transcends the morals of the day. His conversation is intellectual &
challenging, his pursuits hedonistic. They invigorate and fascinate Methos, sometimes repulsing him, sometimes tempting
him to acts of selfishness -and thus pleasures- long abandoned.
Underneath it all, lies the power games which are most clearly seen after Mary Shelley's opium-induced collapse. While
nursing Mary, Methos is gentle and supportive. His soft whispers of comfort as she returns to her troubled sleep indicate an
empathy with her distress even while they offer a saddening glimpse at his own fears. Yet when Byron enters the room, the
power attraction slips into place again and for several telling moments, Methos contemplates following Byron to Mary's
rape.
When decency wins out over temptation, Methos is cautious, even hesitant, in his opposition to Byron's plan. As Byron's
hand runs purposefully over Mary's unconscious body it is plucked at by only the very tips of Methos' fingers. Methos
suggests rather than demands that they leave Mary be. He tries to lead by example, getting up from the bed and turning to
leave, only to be ignored by Byron. Only when no other avenue is left to him does Methos take hold of Byron and pull him
away, still always gently and with a quick resort to psychology when Byron shows anger at Methos' intervention. A
potentially dangerous moment is diffused with humour and mock submission. Byron is in charge again -but Methos has
won.
In 1997, the situation is similar. Methos is again in the orbit of a strong figure, but this time one whose attraction outweighs
pleasure and poetry. Macleod's flame may be a lower light than Byron's, but he offers redemption, stability and hope for the
Prize. When Byron's desperate search for stimulation & fulfilment runs foul of Macleod, Methos is caught in a no-win
situation. He must lose either Byron or Macleod for neither man will compromise with the other and confrontation is
inevitable since Byron is as incapable of mastering his hunger as Macleod is of refraining from playing the avenger.
Methos follows Macleod to meet Byron, listens as Macleod promises retribution if Byron a mortal friend and then, in one
of those striking visual statements that are the hallmark of Adrian Paul's directing, appears from behind Macleod to silently
hand Byron a skull. Is Methos making his choice between the life offered by Macleod and the death that pervades Byron's
world? Is he warning Byron that Macloed does not lie?
After 5000 years, the brilliant light of genius must seem a rare and precious thing. For Methos, it is worth more than a
mortal life. He argues for the preservation of Byron's gift to literature, even at this high price. But Methos argues from a
detachment born of a life so long it has outlasted civilizations. Macleod The Avenger sees not the art or the genius or the
literature, but a single mortal boy whose life has been taken unjustly & prematurely. In the end, his warnings for Byron to
flee as ineffectual as his pleas for Duncan to relent, Methos has nothing left but to stand aside while one light extinguishes
another.
Modern Prometheus becomes more fascinating with each viewing. Certainly, it is not without faults, the greatest among
them being the ham-fisted scripting when Mary uses immortals as model for her monster, but it also has moments of
excellence, the greatest of these being the exceptional tag scene when Duncan rejoins Methos and Joe after killing Byron.
Here again we are treated to one of Adrian Paul's superb visual statements. Three men sit sharing the moment, together yet
alone. Joe is in the background, a friend, but separated from the two immortals by a gulf that can never be completely
crossed. Side by side at the table, Duncan and Methos are bound by friendship and its occasionally dreadful costs, by
purpose and by accepiance. Yet before the camera fades to final black, Methos has turned his back slightly toward Duncan.
The acceptance hasn't been without price.
"Highlander-The Series,Volume Il"(Music And SongsFrom Seasons4 & 5)
[This comes from composer, Roger
email and I'll send one out. Sonja]
Bellon.
If you have received this issue without the mentioned
order form, contact me by phone or
To all fans of "Highlander-The Series":
After several! !THOUSAND!! personal requests from fans of "Highlander-The Series" asking that I release another CD,
and especially, overwhelmingly, asking for "Bonny Portmore" (the "hauntingly beautiful" traditional Celtic song used in
season4's first episode 'Homeland'), I am entirely pleased to announce that "Highlander-The Series, Volume II" is finished
andreleased!!!
This new CD contains 25 exciting compositions II of which are songs. Featured, of course, is Laura Creamer's wildly
popular vocal performance of "Bonny Portmore". In addition, there will be several other songs featuring vocal
performances by Laura Creamer, Daniel O'Brien, M.C. Tuga, and (Famed Oriental Diva) Rose Petal.
Many of the pieces heard on this new CD were requests by fans like yourself. To avoid confusion, please note that all the
music contained on this CD is from seasons 4 and 5, with the exception of "Heart Come Back", a sensual jazz ballad
wonderfully sung by Laura Creamer from the third season'sepisode "Methos".
To obtain your copy of "Highlander-The Series, Volume II", please use the text order form at the end of this message. If
you have a printer, you can print it out and mail it in, or just us:: it as a reference and send in a letter outlining what you
want. If you wish to visit my web site, you will find my online order form.
Thank you once againfor your interestin "Highlander-TheSeries'
Please Note: All of the music contained on "Highlander-The Series, Volume II" is original, composed by me, with the
exception of any traditional tunes, Celtic or other, which I arranged. Two songs were co-composed. One with Highlander
producer and brilliant lyricist Bill Panzer, and the other with famed harmonica player Harlan Collins.
If you are a fan of Queen, Kansas, or any other popular group or perfonner featured on "Highlander-The Series", I am sorry
to say that I am not able to include any of these artist's music on my soundtrack albums. For info regarding any of these
artists, please visit my web site. On my site, I have infonnation pertaining to "who played what", as well as a vast database
of musical info pertaining to every episode of "Highlander-The Series" seasons 1-5. The databaseis soon to include season
Sincerely,
Roger Bellon
Composer "Highlander-The Series"
http://www.bellchant.com
.jealous
Highlander's Most Compelling Moments
Carmel Macpherson
[continuedfrom Issue7]
# Leader of thePack:
(i) the look on Duncan's face as he seesTessa's killer and his girlfriend together loading a truck. Duncan stops himself from
going over to them and watches from a distance. The look is one of longing and confusion.
(ii) the tag, whenRichie ragesat Duncan couldn'tkill him! Where'sthejustice in this?" And Duncansays:"There'sno
justice, only mercy,"
# Reunion:
(i) the nurturingbedscenewith Amandawhensheis determinedto wakeDuncanup to askifhe thinks shewould havebeen
a good mother;
(ii) the Duncan pouting scene at the breakfast bar when he behaves like a spoilt 2 year old.
attention he is getting from Amanda.
of Kenny and the
#11 SomethingWicked
Playing with Richie on the Bridge on their way to meet Koltek, pretending to toss Richie over the rail.
#10 Deliverance -Where to start? The entire show
(i) The speechto Dominique when she has the gun on him, orally caressing that bottle, telling her about how it feels to kill;
(ii) the first church scene with Methos -the first where he awakens from death and bears no resemblance at all to the
Duncan we know. This Duncan is no respecter of anyone or anything -even Holy ground (though he fears it when
reminded that he is about to kill on it);
(iii) the entire speechto Sean, leading up to the killing of Sean and that incredible confrontation with Methos. The scene
takes on even more poignancy once Comes a Horseman has been viewed. Evil Duncan asking Methos in Deliverance
whether he knows what "true evil is?". Oh yes -Methos knows!
(iv) as Duncan desperately searches through his possessionson the Barge, trying to find something to link him back to who
he was and who he cared about. But he trashes the Barge and screams out "Nothing...nothing
nothing
". there is no
way home that he can find all is gone;
(v) the second Church scene with Methos. Once again we find Duncan seeking out Darius, calling out to him to save him
-or stop him. Methos comes to him and reaches out to touch his heart -and gains Duncan's trust.
# End ofInnocence:
The Knife Kata -I swear I've never seen anything as beautiful as that man's body when he moves in dance and song. Of
course the music is equally compelling -but when he throws his leg forward and lunges -it is quite extraordinary. Now
WHY did they have to go and put the bloody TITLES allover it!
# Glory Days:
The end, when Joe asks Duncan why he brought the football, Duncan shrugs, then Joe picks up the ball and gets such a look
on his face He's remembering what it was like to be young and strong and whole and the star of the football team with the
most beautiful girl on his ann, yet not really regretting the turns his life took. And then he says: "Go long MacLeod" and
Duncan says "really?" and Joe says "Oh yeah" as Duncan leaps over the back of the couch to catch the winning pass. This
scene speaks volumes to me about Duncan and Joe's relationship.
# TheMessenger:
What a glorious Duncan/Methosmirroring of eachotherscenewe had at the beginningwhen Duncanarriveshome in his
Loft to find Methosdoing his famous sprawl allover Mac'sbed. We then follow Duncanfollowing Methos right back to
the kitchenand backto the loungechairs. Beautifullydone!
#.DramaticLicence
Tag scene,asBonny Portrnoreplays in the background, Duncanand Amandahavea rare in depthdiscussionabout each
other.
# Comesa Horseman:
For compelling
try the confrontation with Methos by the 4 wheel drive. Both Adrian and Peter consider this one of their
finest scenes. "Ves -oh yes..."
Merchandising, Clubs, Sites
Jim Byrnes Appreciation Place
http://www.svlug.orgi-chrisd/iouise
Jim Byrnes fans should check out this page for an extensive array of information, pictures, articles etc. When you have,
the authors invite you to drop them a line to say what you think of the site.
Noah's Ark web page
An excellentsite containingepisodesynopses,photos& extendedinfonnationrelatingto PeterWingfield's newseriescan
be found at: http://www.troth.demon.co.uk/pages/noahsark.htmi
For Peter Wingfield merchandise, check out:
Sarah Mae Gronseth's site at: http://www.cyberrnontage.com.cmpd/pw.htm
And the PWFC site at: http://www.lightlink.com/hilinda/pwfc/
For some great cast photos from Syndic on check out Nora Jones' page at:
http://www2.ilstu.edu/-najones/duncan/raesyndi.html
Richie fans should check out a fantastic montage at http://www-student.furman.edu/users/j/jmartin/richie_montage.jpg
Peter Wingfield will appear at Chronicles 98 in Manchester in early March. This is the UK's first exclusively Highlander
convention. Details can be found at: http://eleceng.ukc.ac.uk/-sd5/ukcon/
Adrian Paul has recorded an answering machine tape. The tape features messagesin Russian, French, Scottish, African
accents as well as AP's own voice. Tapes are $14US to PEACE members, $18US to non-members. Check out details at
the PEACE site
A wide range of zines and photos is availablefrom Greycloud Services.
JanetEllicott, 43 BrooksbankHouse,RetreatPlace,Morning Lane,Homerton,LondonE9 6RN, United Kingdom.
Large number of fanzinesalways available on every subject from A Teamto Zarro (esp all things Star Trek). Janet
publishesher own zines:Adzine,~,
~
& ~
Charge,and is agentfor Bill Hupe & PegKennedy,Nut Hatch
Press,PipedreamPublishers,Bjo Trimble andBernice Russell,as well asUK editors. Shealsohandlesa lot of secondhand
zines. Sendlarge (at leastA5) SAE for a copy of Janet'slist. Fromthe US send$2 <cashor stamps>to coverpostage.
Highlander Tapes
Season I -3 (tapes only -no extra goodies) are available through order at Comics Etc, 107Elizabeth
Street Brisbane Phone 07 3229 4446. Be warned, they are not cheap, but at least you won't be doing
battle with Fusion. These tapes are in the NTSC [onnat.
Minatour Comics in Melbourne (039639 1155) will also import Highlander tapes on order. [thanks to
GregTaylorfor chasingthis up]
I ~::';"r.'::~;"::';;-:';~!~"~
I Adrian Paul features in Dreamwatch #39 (due for release in Australia early in the new year
I ;c!;::=,~:O:.:;;:;::"..
~::~: I A new publication called Retrovision features Highlander in its first issue and promises more in
"'~;.. ,~~,. ,..~j~- ~ r, I
upcoming issues [thanksto Karen Scottfor this]
I '-.0..""
~""' ro
,
I
The next meeting will be Sunday, 18 January 1998