Post by Melissa Kane on Dec 16, 2006 20:25:48 GMT
Has anyone seen this amazing series? Its currently showing in the UK, weekdays at 12noon on the Sci-Fi channel. For my own part, I'm hooked and have taped every episode so far! The series only ran for two seasons, from 2000-2002 (hmm, as we say often on here, many of the really great get cancelled far too soon ), with a total of 43 episodes, and was a joint American/Canadian venture. ;D
The basic premise is a college lecturer, Declan Dunn (played by the lovely Adrian Pasdar), who, in his spare time investigates what he calls Miraculous Phenomena. His deep interest in all things miraculous stems from the fact that his life was saved by a miracle once. Along with his sceptical psychiatrist friend, Dr. Peggy Fowler (Rae Dawn Chong) who is convincd all is simply coincidence and one of Declan's gothic students, the science whiz named Miranda Fiegelsteen (Alisen Down), Declan investigates everything from people coming back from the dead, or those surviving unsurvivable situations, ghosts, amazing coincidences angelic visitors and shamanic holymen.
The thing that surprised me most is how touching the characters and stories are - from the get-go, you care about the characters because they are played so real. There are several episodes requiring the Kleenex treatment as they simultaneously amaze and tug at the ol heartstings.
Declan is played with such sweet intelligence and enthusiasm that you'd totally believe complete strangers would let him into their homes to talk about things which have happened to them (heck, I would!! ) He's like an overgrown puppy, always inquisitive. And Peggy's level-headed, sceptical nature is a total counterpoint to Declan's childlike enthusiasm, though this is gradually eroded to the point where she is still the voice of reason among the group yet not a totally closed book. And the wonderfully deadpan Miranda, who herself sometimes the unwilling "vicitim" of some of the phenomena, beavering away in the college laboratories seeking to prove and disprove any findings Declan brings her way, is such a sweet girl once her defences are breached.
Though this sounds a lot like the X-files, and I guess in some ways it is, its whole approach couldn't be further away. Declan and his friends always look at the "miracles" objectively, using a mix of intuition, science and Peggy's scepticism to keep their investigations in check. In most episodes, they reach a logical scientific explanation....only for a shadow of doubt to rear its head seconds before the end credits roll.
I'd recommend it to anyone - though give it a few episodes to get to know the characters as there are some hit-and-miss episodes among the series. Can't wait for the whole thing to come out on DVD.
'Lissa.
The basic premise is a college lecturer, Declan Dunn (played by the lovely Adrian Pasdar), who, in his spare time investigates what he calls Miraculous Phenomena. His deep interest in all things miraculous stems from the fact that his life was saved by a miracle once. Along with his sceptical psychiatrist friend, Dr. Peggy Fowler (Rae Dawn Chong) who is convincd all is simply coincidence and one of Declan's gothic students, the science whiz named Miranda Fiegelsteen (Alisen Down), Declan investigates everything from people coming back from the dead, or those surviving unsurvivable situations, ghosts, amazing coincidences angelic visitors and shamanic holymen.
The thing that surprised me most is how touching the characters and stories are - from the get-go, you care about the characters because they are played so real. There are several episodes requiring the Kleenex treatment as they simultaneously amaze and tug at the ol heartstings.
Declan is played with such sweet intelligence and enthusiasm that you'd totally believe complete strangers would let him into their homes to talk about things which have happened to them (heck, I would!! ) He's like an overgrown puppy, always inquisitive. And Peggy's level-headed, sceptical nature is a total counterpoint to Declan's childlike enthusiasm, though this is gradually eroded to the point where she is still the voice of reason among the group yet not a totally closed book. And the wonderfully deadpan Miranda, who herself sometimes the unwilling "vicitim" of some of the phenomena, beavering away in the college laboratories seeking to prove and disprove any findings Declan brings her way, is such a sweet girl once her defences are breached.
Though this sounds a lot like the X-files, and I guess in some ways it is, its whole approach couldn't be further away. Declan and his friends always look at the "miracles" objectively, using a mix of intuition, science and Peggy's scepticism to keep their investigations in check. In most episodes, they reach a logical scientific explanation....only for a shadow of doubt to rear its head seconds before the end credits roll.
I'd recommend it to anyone - though give it a few episodes to get to know the characters as there are some hit-and-miss episodes among the series. Can't wait for the whole thing to come out on DVD.
'Lissa.