SGRoA: Forever Knight Special Features Edition

Good morning/afternoon/evening, Snowflakes! I spent my morning doing some volunteering at the Aurora History Museum, looking through issues of the local paper from 1957 and 1958. I didn't find the article I was looking for - something about a plane on display at a park - but I did find a lot of weird local history, including the bizarre practice of announcing one's engagement by giving one's friends a five-pound box of candy. Though since I'm on board with giving candy for any occasion, I couldn't say I disagree with the practice.

And speaking of history, it's time to learn a little About The Show, and get answers to fans' questions! Let's get crackin'!

"About The Show" gives us our favorites, Geraint Wyn Davies and James Parriot, jawing about FK. James got a script from a friend, but he says that the friend hadn't read Interview With The Vampire, but he had, so he credits Anne Rice with giving him the ideas to really flesh out the show. Also, he got to work with her, about which I admit I am jealous. She may have some flaky ideas about "bullying" these days, but Anne Rice is why I write vampires, too. My copy of Interview is falling apart and absolutely packed with margin notes.

Geraint asks if Anne ever saw the show, and James says, "Yes. She saw a few episodes, and she liked it."

They made the original movie with Rick Springfield for the prime-time fall schedule for CBS. Obviously it didn't work, but the flashbacks weren't in the original concept. Geraint thinks the flashbacks are the most fun part of the show, but he also looks ridiculously sunburnt, so I don't know if I trust his judgment.

The Canadian running time was 48 minutes, but the US running time was 42, which is odd, because all the ones on these discs are 43-45. They thought they'd cut out the flashbacks for the US show, but apparently they cut other stuff because they were just. so. good.

They're on a tangent about Jeanne d'Arc. They do not mention the fact that she went on to star in her own vampire show (which will be recapped here next year!).

Man, Geraint's really shiny. Did they have no makeup people around? Although, I'm guessing they didn't really have a crew, considering they're wearing over-the-ear mics.

Now they're talking about the guest stars. Carrie-Ann Moss, specifically, whose episode I covered with a bunch of Matrix jokes. Oh, and now about Colm, from last week's episode, and the fencing. Geraint. We just heard about this. Move on.

James is talking about Jeanne d'Arc again, and how much he likes the episode. Geraint mentions the one with Nat's brother. They both like ones with Janette, Lacroix, and Nick's relationship as the center.

John Kapelos is the only person who was in the original movie that stayed in the show. Well, of course. Geraint says the movie was hipper, and had rock music instead of Fred Mollin's "gothic" music. Can you not hear it when Mollin tries to do rock, Geraint? Because it makes my ears bleed.

Geraint says the whole show was really fun, which I wish he'd brought to his character. Nick is many (okay a few) things, but fun isn't one of them. He also mentions that since there's not a lot of us fans out there, it's like we're all in a little club together. Aw. It is. I love you, my fellow club-members.

So CBS got David Letterman, and goodbye late-night lineup. They went into syndication for the second season (though it was still on CBS for me), and then there was a letter-writing campaign to save the show. Only the CBS execs were pissed about getting so many letters, and Parriot had to go to the internet to ask people to stop writing. And then, of course, they went to SyFy, but they don't mention that.

OMG THERE ARE FOREVER KNIGHT NOVELS WHAT. From Wikipedia:

Novels

There have been three novels written based on the series:

• Susan Sizemore (1997). Forever Knight: A Stirring of Dust. Boulevard Books. ISBN 978-1-57297-238-4.
• Susan M. Garrett (1997). Forever Knight: Intimations of Mortality. Boulevard Books. ISBN 978-1-57297-313-8.
• Anne Hathaway Nayne (1997). Forever Knight: These Our Revels. Boulevard Books. ISBN 978-0-425-16491-4.

*runs to Amazon* *runs back* OMG YOU GUYS YOU GUYS AMAZON HAS THEM WHAT WHAT WHAT.

I see book reviews in our future, Snowflakes.

And that's where "About The Show" ends. Onward, to "Questions from the Fans"!

Who was Nick's greatest love? 

Geraint says Janette or Natalie. Janette because she's a partner; Natalie because she represents what Nick can't have. James says it's Natalie, no question.

What was the theme of the show? 

James: Redemption. Theological questions and moral issues. Geraint: Morality and mortality.

Why did Nick and Natalie not end up together?

Geraint: The show got cancelled. But mostly because one of them would have to change, and that would change the dynamic of the show. James says he wanted them to end up together, and then die, but he says they couldn't die because SyFy wanted them to leave the ending open? But I totally remember them dying, so...I guess we'll see, won't we? In about 25 weeks.

What happened to Nick's car?

Geraint: There were 3 Caddys, and all three were purchased by some dude in the US, for like 28K. FOR THREE CARS. WHUT.

How did the show get its name? 

It was going to be called "Nick Knight", but because of Nick At Night and another character in Crimetime named Nick, they had to change it. They had the cast and crew submit names, and Geraint won.

What would the show be like today? 

They've talked about bringing the show back, or move it somewhere else so Nick would start fresh. I WOULD WATCH THAT IN A HOT SECOND, but I'm sure I don't have to tell you that. James would bring Schanke back as a vampire. Geraint thinks it would be much darker.

And that's the end, Snowflakes! Next week, we'll get into the really depressing stuff - but also Vachon! And Tracy! And wacky hijinks because Tracy knows vampires but doesn't know Nick is a vampire!