The Discovery of LEXX

The Discovery of LEXX

It has come to surprise and amaze me that I have found a television show that has compelled me to watch every week, something that really hasn't happened since Babylon 5 (ok, I'll add Family Guy in the list). It came about on a lonely Monday night when NOTHING appeared to be on. So while scanning through the satellite guide I spotted a movie on the Sci Fi Channel that caught my attention. Now this by it self is an amazing thing because I am not known to watch movies on a commercial network for many reasons: 1) They are edited down movies that were in theaters and I would rather rent the unedited versions-sans commercials, and 2) The made for TV movies are usually gin milled out crap with no value on the face of the Earth. But for some reason, I was drawn to this movie, maybe because of the odd title: 'Tales From a Parallel Universe'.

Now I tuned into this movie about ten minutes into the show, so I missed what it really was about, but was struck by the amazing graphics and effects the it had to offer. It was dark, weird and fanciful. I was drawn fully into the movies, and hooked when I found out that this was the first movie of the LEXX series. I was blown away!

Eric, why where you blown away, you might ask? It is simple, this was nothing like I was expecting from LEXX. How so? To start off with, the Sci Fi Channel has been promoting this show as if it was about sex, Sex, SEX! 'Tune into LEXX and get a full hour of heart pumping, groin throbbing, tongue drooling SEX!' This is not the case! How so? I'll tell ya.

LEXX is a dark space fantasy filled with deep dark zen-humor and characters that you can't help but like. So lets meet them:

The LEXX (voiced by Tom Gallant) - LEXX is a living ship in the form of a wingless Dragonfly that was created to destroy the worlds that where not ruled by His Divine Shadow. LEXX, as a living being, can talk, and does so in that eerie HAL 9000 type voice. Very innocent and child-like.

Stanley Tweedle (Played by Brian Downey) - He is a former courier for the Heretics in battle against His Divine Shadow and the League of 20,000 worlds. He was captured and tortured until he gave up his secrets that cause 100 Heretic reform worlds to be destroyed (even though there where only 94 at the time). This caused Stan to become known as 'The Arch-Tratior' and he became a Security Guard Class 2 on the Core world, quickly dropping to Class 4. When the Heretics attacked to take over the LEXX, Stan some how got the key and became the captain. Stan is a coward, self centered and always looking for a date, because the last time he was with a girl was seven years ago when he was with the Heretics. But some how he always does the right thing in the end, even if it does result with Stan blowing up a world with the LEXX.

Zev (Xev) Bellringer (Played by Eva Habermann, and later by Xenia Seeberg) - Zev's childhood was not one anybody should have. She was locked in a box and trained to become the 'perfect wife'. But she rebelled and slugged her 'future husband' at the alter. For this she was sent to the Core world for punishment of 'failing to perform her wifely duties' and 'humiliating her husband in the Temple'. This punishment was to become a sex slave. But while she was being transformed into a sex slave, a Cluster-Lizard (a worm like creature with a nasty attitude and very hungry) got loose and some of its DNA was mixed into hers. Zev managed to get lose before she got the slave programming in her brain that would make her fall in love with the first person she saw. She did this by placing a severed robot head in place of her's. She is attracted to many men, except Stanley, but mostly to the dead warrior Kai. Along the way she was killed and regenerated into Xev by the man eating plant, Lyekka.

Kai (Played by Michael McManus) - He is the last of the Brunnen-G, and has been dead for over 2000 years. His people won the insect war only to be wiped out by His Divine Shadow, who turned Kai as an undead assassin kept 'alive' by proto-blood. It was prophetsized that it would be a member of the Brunnen-G that would kill His Divine Shadow, and being that Kai is the last member, it is up to him. Because he is dead, he doesn't show much emotions, and also shows no interest in Zev's advancement (much to her frustration).

790 (Voiced by Jeffrey Hirschfield) - This is the helpless robot head that got the love slave programming, and fell madly in love with Zev at first sight. He is a smart ass and hates Stanley Tweedle with all his might. He is also very frustrated because he is unable to do anything with Zev because all he is is a head (Even if Zev wanted to, which she does not). All there is to life for 790 is Zev.

LEXX was created by a group of writers known as the 'Supreme Beans', which consists of Paul Donoven, Lex Glgeroff and Jeffrey Hirchfield (who voices 790), and filmed by Salter Street Films in Halifax, Nova Scotia (that's Canada folks, eh). LEXX has a European flavor because it is co-produced and sometimes filmed in Germany, which gives it a flavor that many in the US have not seen since the UK invasion in the 1980's of Doctor Who, Blake's 7 and Red Dwarf. This is important to note because of unique way LEXX is written and filmed. The music by Marty Simon is both eerie and mysterious at the same time, adding that extra level of atmosphere to the show. If you liked Christopher Franke's music in Babylon 5, you'll love Simon's music for LEXX. LEXX also follows a set of rules that keeps the show in line, and they go as such:

1. There shall be no rubber-faced aliens.

2. All creatures possess a sense of humor.

3. There is no Prime Directive.

4. There are no life forms more intelligent than humans, unless and until such a life form does the requisite script writing.

5. All planets worth landing-on have human (or reasonably close) life forms.

6. All humans (or reasonable facsimiles) speak the same language.

7. Humans must physically travel to other locations. There shall be no time travel because it has been done before, and done before, and done before, and donebefore...

8. Technology will rarely work as advertised.

9. No one shall ever defeat an enemy because they are good shots and the enemy are bad shots.

10. Stanley Tweedle shall never lose his hat.

Like many BBC shows, they don't have seasons, but series. The first series was 4 - 2 hour movies titled Tales From a Parallel Universe instead of LEXX with the first movie being called 'I Worship His Shadow'. The second series consisted of 20 - 1 hour episodes that was loosely tied together by an overall story arc that ended in the last episode of that series. The third series consists of 13 - 1 hour episodes and is one giant overall story dealing with two worlds, one fire and one water and a hungry LEXX. At this time the fans of the show are battling for a fourth series with the ever famous letter writing campaign. But why such a battle to keep such an innovative show like LEXX?

As stated before, the US Sci Fi Channel has done a rather piss poor job of promoting the show. They have been pushing the sex aspect of the show, but no one so far has bedded anyone else. Stan is still on a loosing streak, Zev/Xev is still a virgin sex slave, Kai is still dead and suffers greatly from that in the love area, and 790 has no body (But did have a hand for a while, but never got a chance to use it that way). They also aired the second series out of order so that they could have the 'Xev Sex Shows' aired first, and confusing the audience by doing so. It also hurt that the Sci Fi Channel only got the first series of movies in August of 2000 to air on their channel (they where first aired on the Showtime pay cable channels in the US) long after Sci Fi Channel where airing the second series and adding to the confusion.

I also ask if anyone has seen much written about LEXX in Starlog (or should I call it StarTrekLog) magazine, a magazine that was once the king in cult SF/F TV and movies in the US, but now is only a rag for the 'established' SF? LEXX has had allot of press in the UK in such magazines as TV Zone, Starburst, SFX, SCI FI UK, and Cult Times. But when needed for the US boost, the old Log has not been around to do what it was good at a long time ago before. Think of the boost Doctor Who, Blake's 7 and an unknown summer film that was due to be a bomb named Star Wars got by appearing in those pages. Now we only get the seventh interview with the gaffer (what's a gaffer) on Star Trek: Voyager.

Sci Fi Channel in Canada has made it known that they are hooked on LEXX and will air it until the end, but the US is still on the fence as is the UK distributor. This is sad because they are sitting on a gold mine that will change the face of space fantasies/operas. LEXX is truly a one of a kind show, and I must encourage anyone that might have been turned off by the way it was promoted to give it a second chance. Try from the beginning by seeing if your local video stores might have the first four movies on the shelves and watching them. See if it is unique and original. See if you don't find the characters and villains intriguing and likable. See if you are not blown away by the worlds they show you, and most often blow up. If you are tired of the same old - same old offerings that the US studios have been giving you lately, watch LEXX and see what other parts of the world have to offer, even if it is from just over our northern border.

Just a note, while LEXX is not all about sex (In fact, I think Red Dwarf has had more sex in it then LEXX), this is not a show that I would have the younger set watch. This is a fantasy aimed to the adult that still has the kid in them.

For more information on LEXX, you can go to these internet sites:

The Official LEXX Site: http://www.lexx.com

Heretic's Guide to LEXX: http://www.lexxguide.com

LEXX USA: http://www.lexxusa.com

The LEXX FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions): http://thedarkzone.org/faq/ (you can view this site in English, Deutsch, Swenska, or Russkoe if you wish)

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