BROADCAST NEWS - UK

SKY ONE START DATE/BBC TWO NEWS
ADDED: 20.04.02

Roswell's third and final season will finally start on Sky One on Thursday 6 June at 8pm, in the slot currently occupied by new episodes of Buffy.

This could well be the season's only UK outing as BBC Two have confirmed that they will not be buying season three. Citing the disappointing ratings - well, what did they expect at noon on a Sunday? - for season two, the Beeb have said that the price quoted was far too much for the viewers it would have pulled in. THANKS TO CHRIS B. BACK TO THE TOP

LIES, DAMNED LIES AND THE BBC

09.11.2001 - Electromusications, the monthly magazine from Transdiffusion, has an article about how the BBC has been prepared to lie to viewers over Roswell, and how it has continued to do so even when its lies have been shown up.

I'll probably put it up in the features section at a later date, but in the meantime you an read it here.  BACK TO THE TOP

ROSWELL "MAXIMISES ITS POTENTIAL" ON BBC2

09.11.2001 - The latest BARB ratings figures show that the first Roswell episode shown in the new Sunday lunchtime slot was watched by over a third fewer viewers than the previous episode.

Harvest, broadcast at 6.45pm on Tuesday 23rd was watched by 1.58 million, fewer than most of the other BBC2 shows in the 6-7.30pm weekday block, but comparable with the ratings that the show had been getting in recent weeks.

One of the reasons given by the BBC for the scheduling change was to allow Roswell to reach its maximum potential.  Most people would therefore expect ratings to rise in the new timeslot, but surprise, surprise, they've slumped.  Wipeout, broadcast just five days after Harvest, and the second part of a two-part story didn't even make the BBC2 Top 70 for the week, meaning that it was watched by fewer than 1.03 million viewers.

Of course, I was just forced to point this fact out to the BBC in an e-mail yesterday and any reply will be posted on this page, as will any feedback on my earlier complaint that the "consistency" reason (see below) was an insult to viewers' intelligence.  BACK TO THE TOP

SKY CONFIRMS SEASON 3

07.11.2001 - With any other series, it might well have been regarded pretty much as a gimme, but TV stations seem to delight in making things difficult for Roswell fans, so it's good news that Sky One has confirmed that it has acquired season three.  Although there's no scheduling information at present, expect to see it on Sky One around next February, probably after the muppet BBC has finished showing season 2. THANKS TO SARA ROBEY.  BACK TO THE TOP

MORE BRICKBATS THAN BOUQUETS OVER SCHEDULING

04.11.2001 - The BBC's decision to move Roswell to Sunday lunchtimes has attracted more criticism than praise on Ceefax's Chatterbox page:

Jitendar Canth, Plumstead: "Roswell High gets moved to lunchtime on Sundays.  Not only is it buried in the schedules, but in a timeslot where it will be guaranteed to be edited.  Are you trying to tell us something BBC?"

Another viewer had this to say: "Is this some sort of test or what?  New episodes of Roswell replaced at virtually no notice by repeats of TNG?  I, for one, will be boycotting TNG.  What next, Farscape relegated to breakfast time?  Buffy buried in amongst the the Open University programmes?"

However, Mo from Guernsey was in favour of the change: "I, for one, am quite pleased that Roswell has been moved to Sundays, now they can't move it for snooker, etc."

This last comment echoes the BBC's own lamentable excuse for the schedule change.  In fact, "excuse" isn't really the word since once again, the Corporation has decided to fob off viewers with what is little short of outright lying.

The BBC's official line, which I received in an e-mail this week is as follows:

"Thank you for your recent e-mail regarding Roswell High on BBC TWO.  I apologise for the delay in our reply.  We know our correspondents appreciate a quick response, and it a matter of regret to us that you have had to wait for so long on this occasion.

"Whilst I am delighted that you are a fan of the above programme, I was sorry to learn that you are disappointed at our decision to move Roswell High to Sunday's [sic] at 12.15pm.  Whilst I recognise your concerns, we felt that this series was not acheiving a regular time slot on BBC TWO on Tuesday evenings.  Therefore, in our [sic] to allow it the consistency it deserves and to reach its maximum potential, we feel that the new time is an excellent slot for this popular science fiction series.

"It is not unusual for us to move programmes to different times in our schedule in order to ensure that we are reaching a wider audience.  However, we appreciate that some fans of the show will be disappointed with the recent change.  We regret that this is the case and can only hope that you are able [to] watch and enjoy Roswell High in its regular new time.

"Nevertheless, I will make sure that your valued comments, including your request to change the name we use for the programme, are made available to senior managers in the BBC.  Hearing from viewers helps us to make future decisions about programmes and policy, and it was good of you to let us know how you feel about te current scheduling of Roswell High.

"Thank you once again for contacting the BBC."

The BBC's memory is clearly at fault if it honestly believes that Roswell hasn't been given a consistent timeslot on BBC2 - there were only 2 blank weeks during the series' first run of 21 episodes and the series was only dropped once in eight weeks this time around.  That's pretty much par for the course with the 6-7.30pm timeslot, and certainly no worse than the likes of Buffy and Star Trek.  Naturally, I e-mailed the BBC to point this out, and any reply will be posted here on TCF.

In the meantime, anyone wishing to complain should e-mail info@bbc.co.uk.  BACK TO THE TOP

BBC SHOVES ROSWELL TO SUNDAY LUNCHTIMES

21.10.2001 - The BBC2 ratings for season two haven't been great, but at least they appeared to be on the up after a disappointing start, but any hope of the series becoming a terrestrial hit have all but vanished with the news that the BBC is moving the series to Sunday lunchtimes.

The 21 episodes broadcast from September 2000 through to April 2001 were watched by an average of 1.96 million viewers.  The series' second terrestrial run kicked off on 4 September with season one finale Destiny watched by a disappointing 1.30 million, Roswell's lowest BBC2 ratings at that point.

Naturally, the events of 11 September meant that season two opener Skin and Bones struggled to get any sort of audience, with just 1.06 million tuning in.  The next two episodes saw a slight improvement, but only to just below the level for Destiny.  There was better news for Summer of '47, up to 1.62 million, but with almost indecent haste, the BBC had already made the decision to move the series by the time the ratings were published.

During the summer, I e-mailed the BBC to ask whether they'd be using the correct title for season two (as Sky One did), or sticking with Roswell High.  Their reply can be found below.

Whilst it's very easy to say "I told you so" on this score, it's obvious that retaining the Roswell High title hasn't worked.  Yet instead of admitting they were wrong, the BBC have taken the opposite view and have moved Roswell to a graveyard slot between the end of CBBC and the regional political programmes.

The BBC should have looked at their own lack of promotion (and what there has been as been clearly aimed at young teens), events clearly more important than a TV series and targeting the wrong audience.  In the US, Roswell follows directly after Buffy, yet the BBC have chosen to target a younger audience.

No doubt the BBC will soon be claiming that ratings were too low to sustain even a graveyard slot, just as moving Blakes 7 repeats around in the schedule managed to produce low enough viewing figures to cancel the run outright.

Those wishing to complain can e-mail the BBC at info@bbc.co.uk, use the feedback form on their website or phone 08700 100 222.  THANKS TO GRAHAM HYSTED.  BACK TO THE TOP

SCHOOL DAZE

14.10.2001 - The Daily Express has often highlighted the likes of Roswell and Charmed in its TV section, and the start of season two gained a plug on 18 September (it's just a shame that events the previous Tuesday meant that potential viewers were probably watching the news instead).

Alien invasion

Jan Jurczak discovers just what it is that makes telly's science fiction shows so popular.

In the words of Homer Simpson: "Are you sure this is a sci-fi convention?  It's full of nerds!"  And thereby hangs popular myth about both the appeal of sci-fi programmes and the people who watch them.  In the spirit of research I went to a sci-fi convention in Blackpool, expecting to spot die-hard fans sporting Star Trek uniforms complete with a "tri-corder" gizmo.  Actually, it wasn't nearly as nerdy as all that.  OK, there was the odd Cyberman and I've never danced with a Borg before, but sometimes you have to let reality go a little.  And surprisingly, there were plenty of women of all ages in attendance so the genre is obviously widening its appeal.  So, what is it that makes this otherworldliness so interesting?

As far back as the original Star Trek series in the Sixties, we've been hooked.  Why should that be?  Sci-fi as a genre had been around for years, from HG Wells, via Buster Krabbe's bug-eyed Martians to Dr Who.  Yet the key to Captain James T. Kirk's appeal was his very humanity.  After all, sci-fi shows at their best aren't about aliens.  They're about humans, or more specifically about how humans can interact with an unknown entity (call it "a monster", call it "a fear") and reach within themselves and raise the courage, ingenuity and adaptability to prevail.

In that light, one of the more recent sci-fi shows to have taken the genre into new areas is Roswell High - known only as Roswell in the US - which is based on the premise that the famous Roswell alien crash-landing and cover up of 1947 actually took place.  The idea is that Max Evans (Jason Behr), his sister, Isabel (Katherine Heigl), and his best friend, Michael Guerin (Brendan Fehr) were left behind in "pods" when their spaceship crashed in New Mexico, to emerge as six year olds who were found wandering in the desert.  Taken in by foster families, they have been living a "normal" existence in the town of Roswell, but trying to fit in to society, with their mixed-up biology of human and alien DNA, makes things a bit complicated.

Concentrating more on their human characteristics than weird make-up and special effects, the storyline centres around their problems of fitting in and finding out where they've come from and why they've been sent here.  The pilot series (first shown on Sky then BBC2) saw budding romances, the difficulties of maintaining relationships, child-abuse and baddies getting their just rewards.

Roswell didn't have an easy time of it in the US, largely because it didn't fit neatly into the sci-fi genre, but also because it was a little too steamy to fit into the cosy "teen drama" category as well.  But Roswell has a growing fan base, many of whom are in their thirties and forties, as the TV executives found out when they were thinking of dropping the show.  The fans swamped the studios with bottles of Tabasco sauce, the aliens' favourite condiment (they use it on everything).

I asked one of the stars of the show, Jason Behr, what he thought made Roswell High so popular.  He explained that it was difficult to pinpoint its appeal to just one type of person, but he hoped it was universal.  "Everyone can understand adolescence.  It's something we can all relate to.  It's a time when the world in general, and the opposite sex in particular, seem very alien indeed."  BACK TO THE TOP

BBC2 SCHEDULING NEWS

22.08.2001 - After the less than brilliant 6pm timeslot for season one, the BBC have at least given Roswell a later slot for season two.

Roswell's second terrestrial run, picking up from season one finale Destiny will commence at 6.45pm on Tuesday 4 September, which should hopefully mean increased ratings, as well as slightly fewer cuts than we would have got at 6pm.  BACK TO THE TOP

BBC'S LOW BLOW TO ROSWELL

27.07.2001 - When the BBC's stupidity meant that season one finale Destiny was postponed, one obvious concern was how they would title the run.  Although both BBC2 and Sky One used the Roswell High title for season one, when the latter showed season two, they reverted to the correct title of simply Roswell.  However, with the final season one episode being shown as part of season two (despite the fact that Skin and Bones is set three months later), the BBC were inferring that they would be sticking with the Roswell High title for season two, even though W. Roswell High barely puts in an appearance!

Sadly, this is the case, as confirmed in this excerpt from an e-mail I received from the BBC today:

"As you know Roswell is the title used for the series in the United States.  As this might be a meaningless name to the majority of the British public, and our re-titling would increase the chances of the programme reaching its target audience of mid and late-teens we have decided to retain the full title of Roswell High."

The BBC's logic is badly flawed in many respects.

While the name Roswell might be meaningless to the "majority of the British public", the series isn't being pitched at those viewers.  It's on a minority channel, in the programming block where the BBC air most of what they like to term "cult television".  Assuming the advance publicity made clear that the returning series Roswell was just Roswell High under a new name, potential viewers are unlikely to be confused by the name change.  Yet, conversely, those who came new to the series during season two on Sky may well miss out on the BBC run due to the differin

As for the "target audience of mid and late-teens", the BBC are conveniently ignoring the fact that US viewers will actually see Roswell directly after Buffy next season, implying that the former has at least as much appeal to adults as the latter.

Whilst there's currently no news on an actual timeslot, we're almost certainly looking at 6pm yet again, and the chances of a late-night repeat for those of us who ceased to be mid-to-late teenagers when Doctor Who was still on the air.  BACK TO THE TOP

DESTINY IN SEPTEMBER

23.07.2001 - According to the BBC, Roswell will be returning to terrestrial screens in September.

Due to the BBC's lack of consideration earlier in the year, the run will pick up with the season one finale, Destiny, before moving into season two.

It's currently unknown whether the BBC will be sticking by their threat to continue with the Roswell High name, or whether they'll see sense and give the series a late-night repeat à la Buffy.  It's probably unlikely since Buffy is clearly the flavour of the month with the Beeb, but if you want to see Roswell how it was intended to be shown, why not e-mail them?  It might be worth pointing out that next season Roswell will be following Buffy, so UPN must think that it has at least the same appeal to an older audience as Buffy does.   BACK TO THE TOP

SKY ONE REPEATS SEASON ONE

27.06.2001 - Sky One will be kicking off a repeat run of season one at the less than brilliant time of 5.40pm on Saturday 7 July.  BACK TO THE TOP

PROGRAMME OF THE DAY

21.02.2001 - Skin and Bones was the Express's Programme of the Day today, and this short piece (which contains spoilers for Destiny) accompanied a photo of Brendan Fehr:

Roswell, Sky One, 8pm

The return of the hit sci-fi drama.  An extensive recap of the story so far is included at the beginning of this first episode of the second series.  Anyone not familiar with the characters and the strange alien/human situation they are in will soon be up to speed.  Michael's (Brendan Fehr) reluctant but necessary killing of FBI agent Pierce in the first series soon has worrying repercussions when bones are discovered by a surveyor working in the countryside and the federal authorities become interested.  It is typically slick US teen drama with the weird alien stuff balanced by the moral ingredients of pretty youngsters, moral dilemmas and romance.  BACK TO THE TOP

MORE ON DESTINY POSTPONEMENT

14.02.2001 - A couple variations on the BBC's reply to viewers complaining about the postponement of Destiny have emerged.

Rebecca Kidman received the following, even before The White Room had aired:

The series ended on 8 February [sic] with a 'to be continued' cliffhanger.  This episode was the last in the current run and the series returns in the autumn when the storyline will be continued with the episode Destiny.  It is still too early to provide you with a transmission date for its return at this stage and I can only suggest that you keep a close watch on television listings closer to the time for more information.

Richard Morgan received even more information:

As I am sure you are aware, the BBC share the rights to this series with Sky One.  Whilst we try to plan to show the series for a full run, the agreement with Sky means that we are unable to play episodes from the current run after 8 February.  As a result of having lost some transmission slots to other programmes, such as sport, between December and the end of January, we have been unable to finish showing all 22 episodes.  However, episode 21 finishes on a cliff-hanger storyline with the tag 'to be continued...' and this seems a suitable place to pause the series, enabling episode 22 (the story's continuation) to be a reasonable way of leading into the next series.  Faced with the scheduling difficulties mentioned, we feel strongly that we arrived at the best solution available.

You will be pleased to read that the season one finale, Destiny will be screened in the autumn along with the beginning of the second season.

Unfortunately, the BBC's excuse simply doesn't add up.  Roswell has only lost its transmission slot on two occasions since it debuted on BBC2 back in September, and the most recent of these was 28 December, between Independence Day and Sexual Healing.  If the BBC were actually bothered about showing all 22 episodes is a single run, why didn't they schedule an episode that week?  Or alternatively, why didn't they show The White Room in place of the Buffy episode This Year's Girl, the first part of a two-part story which concludes after a week's break for snooker.  This would have enabled them to show Destiny on 8 February, concluding the series before the rights revert to Sky.

Those Roswell fans who also watch Buffy and have a long memory may recall that when Sky One finally relented and brought Buffy back to its screens, it was due to take over from What's My Line? Part 1, with the BBC showing the first eight season two episodes before this.  Due to the BBC's inability to realise that it would be unable to fit in the required number of episodes in the available timeslots, they fell three episodes short of this target, ending the run on Reptile Boy.

The BBC have stated that they are not seeking to disrupt another broadcast's scheduling (in this instance, Sky's run of season 2 which starts on 21 February), but even the least cynical Roswell fan may find this hard to believe.  With only one blank week since November, the BBC should have been well aware that they wouldn't be able to show the entire season before Sky take over, and could have easily scheduled an extra episode, whether at the expense of Buffy or not.  BACK TO THE TOP

BBC2 DELAYS DESTINY

05.02.2001 - The BBC has confirmed that the continuity announcement at the end of Max to the Max was, indeed, correct, with the news that season one finale Destiny will not be shown until the autumn.

The BBC's response was:

Thank you for your e-mail about Roswell High.

I would like to begin by apologising for any confusion surrounding the scheduling of the current series.  We will be ending this run with the episode The White Room.  The season one finale, Destiny will be screened in the autumn along with the beginning of the second season.  I would like to assure you that our decision is in no way intended to upset the schedules of any other broadcaster (see story below).

I do hope that this information will be of use to you and would like to thank you for taking the time and trouble to contact the BBC.

Whatever the real reason for the delay in showing Destiny, the BBC are surely only going to confuse viewers when it is shown immediately before season two opener Skin and Bones, which is set three months after the end of season one (Destiny follows on from The White Room).

Whilst it's unlikely that the BBC can be persuaded to change their minds (although complaints about the cliff-hanger ending of The X Files season 3 did persuade them to rerun the first two seasons rather than just selected episodes) at this stage, you can still register your dissatisfaction with their behaviour by e-mailing info@bbc.co.uk.

The BBC's decision also got a mention on Ceefax's Chatterbox page (592) on Monday 5 February.  Here's what Julie from London had to say:

Roswell High is the only show that makes Thursday night worthwhile.  So why are the BBC cutting an episode short?  The last one is called Destiny and stars Howie D from BSB.  Please show it, otherwise it won't make any sense.

If you wish to make a comment (although it should be stressed that the BBC Information e-mail address above is the more important one) than you can e-mail box.ceefax@bbc.co.uk or phone 020 8752 7640.  BACK TO THE TOP

BBC NOT TO SHOW DESTINY?

02.02.2001 - If the continuity announcer at the end of last night's BBC2 broadcast of Max to the Max is to believed, next week's The White Room is the last episode of the season.

Although "last episode of the series" is often used by announcers to signify the last episode of the current run, the BBC do appear to think that The White Room really is the last episode of the season, as BBC Information are claiming that it's episode 22.

First rumblings that season one wouldn't end on 15 February as expected surfaced on Tuesday when Liam Smith posted to the AngelBuffyUK mailing list that Superman was scheduled at 6pm.  The announcer's comments would appear to confirm that this and the BBC will be finishing the season one episode short (although BBC Information denied that the BBC would do such a thing).

We hope to have confirmation of what the BBC's plans actually are in the next couple of days but in the meantime, if you want to ask why Destiny doesn't look like it will be shown, you can mail them here.

There's better news for viewers in the Republic of Ireland as season one starts on terrestrial channel TV3 tonight at 8pm (meaning a clash with Buffy if you can pick up Sky One).  BACK TO THE TOP

ROSWELL NOT SO "HIGH" IN SEASON 2

05.01.2001 - Those of us who thought that the High suffix Roswell's first season was lumbered with for season one meant that potential viewers will be pleased to learn that it'll be absent when season two starts next month.

In this month's Backchat on Sky Digital channel 999, Sky's Penny Harrison tells presenter Terry Christian that since the new season has moved away from the high school setting of season one, the series will be known by the "new" title of Roswell (which is, of course, the series' correct title).  BACK TO THE TOP

MAX TO THE MAX ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS

12.12.2000 - Unlike last year, when Roswell High was paired with the likes of Friends in Sky One's Thursday night line-up, the shift to Wednesday sees it forming part of an SF double-bill alongside James Cameron's Dark Angel.

Dark Angel, which stars Jessica Alba (right) as Max, debuts with a two-hour pilot from 9-11pm on Wednesday 17 January.  As we confirmed last week, Roswell's second season starts at 8pm on 21 February.  BACK TO THE TOP

SKY CONFIRMS SEASON 2 START DATE

05.12.2000 - Sky One has announced a start date of 8pm on Wednesday 21 February for season two of Roswell High to begin its run.  Assuming there's only a single blank week between Christmas and New Year the BBC should finish season one on Thursday 15th, allowing for a smooth transition to the new season.  Those with Sky who didn't watch the series on its initial broadcast should therefore have an almost unbroken run of forty four new episodes to watch. THANKS TO ROSS.  Back to the top

TV CHOICE - ROSWELL

24.09.2000 - Accompanied by the same Max and Liz shot (albeit not cropped this time) as the preview of the pilot, Monsters was one of the Daily Express' TV choices for 21 September:

"Teen vampires coming up in Buffy at 6.45pm, but first we're down New Mexico way for the latest from the teen aliens.  Having learned that Max, Michael and Isabel are mot of this world, regular homo sapien Maria is having a hard time getting her head around the news - and Isabel monkeying around with it for a laugh isn't helping matters much.  But will she spill her guts to the sinister Sheriff Valenti?  With less of the tongue-in-cheek knowingness of Buffy, this is shaping up to be an engaging, as well as entertaining, series closer to the X-Men movie's light social metaphor than The X Files' paranoia."

Sunday Express TV Picks

Now that Charmed has finished on Living, the Sunday Express magazine has had to look elsewhere for its TV highlights and it's chosen well with this entry for Thursday which was accompaniedd by a photo of Max and Liz:

DRAMA
ROSWELL HIGH
BBC2, 6pm

If you're a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (following at 6.45pm), you'll love Roswell High.  It's a combination of The X Files and Hollyoaks, involving three survivors from a spaceship crash in 1947, who are now teenagers at the school.  One of the aliens, Max Evans (Jason Behr), brings a waitress back to life after a shooting.  This isn't a wise move as the sheriff is an alien spotter from way back.  Enjoyable.

Seems more likely to encourage people to tune in than the BBC's rather poor trailer.  Shame about the Hollyoaks reference though...  Back to the top

ALIENS LAND ON BBC2!

BBC2 is adding another WB series to its Thursday evening line-up from next week when the excellent Roswell High kicks off its debut terrestrial run at 6pm, immediately before the Buffy episode The Prom.  Let's hope that this start date doesn't mean an early break for the Olympics which start just eight days later, although the 6pm slot does tend to be less prone to breaks for sport than the 6.45pm which Buffy is shown in.

Minor spoilers follow

Based on the Roswell High series of novels by Melinda Metz (read the reviews of the first nine here - don't worry about spoilers for the TV series as the two diverge widely after their respective openers, with only the basic concept in common), the series concerns three aliens - from left to right, Michael Guerin (Brendan Fehr), Isabel Evans (Katherine Heigl) and her brother Max (Jason Behr) whose are put at risk when Max saves Liz Parker (Shiri Appleby) after she's shot during an argument at the Crashdown Cafe where she works.

Other regular characters include Liz's best friend Maria DeLuca (Majandra Delfino), Alex Whitman (Colin Hanks), Kyle Valenti (Nick Wechsler), and his father, Sheriff Valenti (William Sadler).

Buffy fans may recognise Jason Behr from his appearance as Billy Fordham in Lie to Me, while Julie Benz (Darla) also has a recurring role in the series' first season as Kathleen Topolsky.  BACK TO THE TOP