Are you a writer?

Myself and Troy had a long chat today with Lance. What for? What's the news? We just need to ask: Do you see yourself as a writer?

Watch this space.

BacktofrankBlack list of interviews now complete!

Finally, BacktoFrankBlack has ALL its interviews - audio, written and video on ONE single page, broken down into core cast, core crew, seasons 1, 2 and 3 - plus related elusive interviews regarding fans and media. I do hope to add Seven and One sometime in the future to complete this page. Page can be accessed from the main site's left side bar.

If you find a broken link or believe I missed an interview, please email me at jim@backtofrankblack.com

Ezekiel Editorial: What the hell is BacktoFrankBlack?

Very recently I had a long discourse with a couple of group managers about the nature of BacktoFrankBlack. Not a vitriolic issue, but the conversation highlighted to me a BIG question that faces such a campaign - a question which I felt should be addressed as a general issue.

How is BacktoFrankBlack different from the rest of Millennium fandom? How should it be treated by fans and what should expect from it?

It's a difficult balance for this campaign. On the one hand, we're not another fan group; we're not a cosy den to chat about Millennium - per se. We're here to orchestrate polite but firm pressure on the industry to listen to those who wish to see a return of a product. At the same time, when the sparkle/novelty of such a campaign vanishes, how do we remain interesting to keep fans interest as much as hopes?

This is always a balance that has concerned myself and Troy - and Mark when he was on board. Keeping it fan interesting but not being about the fans, again 'per se'. We are a conduit or platform for the fans, not a fan group.

This can cause issues for those running fan groups. You will get people, casual fans, or perhaps fans who aren't interested in a campaign that much, or fans who just like chatting about their fav old show - finding the updates and campaign drive frustrating - or even invasive to their corner/niche of Millennium fandom. What do such runners do? They are put in the same position as we are - looking for a balance between the simple interest in Millennium and the chance too bring it back.

We certainly don't want to - and can't - force people to embrace the campaign, but at the same time if you're a fan of the show, we ask people to respect the fact that for those fans who want it back, slightly invasive posts will occur.

Campaigns aren't like fandom groups. We can't sit on our blogs or our facebook group. We're not there to do that. We have to fight to be recognized - hell, we have to fight to be remembered - even with our fans. Because its human nature to get used to something, used to BacktoFrankBlack being their in the background until for some it might seem like an annoying buzzing fly. But that's the nature of a campaign - it HAS to buzz, it HAS to pest, it HAS to push into every corner. THIS is who we are.

We're not here to provide a little nesthole for fans to chat about Frank returning (I recommend TIWWA or some of the Facebook fangroups for that!), we're here to MAKE Frank return. To do that we can't sit on this blog and simply enjoy the wonders of DiRT's reviews or Josef's videos or Seven and One (even though we do enjoy them and they do help keep us interesting to fans as I mentioned in the previous paragraph). We need to also push out and get into people's ear. For one person we may annoy, we may touch another two people who hadn't considered the campaign, or wandered into the Facebook profile of a journalist who loved the show or a film industry spokesman. These co-incidences DO happen (they've happened to us already), but the ONLY happy if you push every corner.

So what can I say? All I can ask if for those who support us, don't personally supporters, be you a fan of any creed, publicly support us. Defend what we're doing, because we need your defensive to keep going - we need people to turn and stand up for us when we loose our novelty factor and say "hey, these guys may be annoying but they are doing good work".

Remember, we have made changes. It's BacktoFrankBlack that has been encouraging the lead actor and the creator to bring it back (and both want it back). It's BacktoFrankBlack that has brought on industry names like Brett Hart and John Kenneth Muir. It's BacktoFrankBlack that has helped those who has brought the likes of Klea Scott and Glen Morgan into the fandom. We've got Millennium back into people's minds, not just through magazines and radio with the likes of Fangoria, Rue Morgue and Sci-Fi Now, but through the viral message of its possible return through the net itself (that was very rewarding!).

My point is not 'trumpet blowing' but to say we're WORTH supporting. Not idolising - I'm not asking you to even like myself or Troy, I'm asking you to like and support the campaign - and you all do by reading this.

All I'm saying is, to steal another awareness campaign's slogan, shout it "loud and proud!". We all would love to see Frank return, you, me, Frank, Chris - so don't be afraid to believe in us (and to steal another slogan, "we WANT to believe!")

After all, This, is who we are.

Millennium Group Sessions 21: John Kenneth Muir Part 2

Welcome to the all new, revised BacktoFrankBlack podcast, the Millennium Group Sessions!

This is our twentieth-first podcast and part two of what seems to be a very popular interview. Yes, we're back to speaking to John Kenneth Muir for more on Millennium and associated culty topics!

For those who don't know, John Kenneth Muir is a journalist, award winning writer and director who has been a long term Millennium fan. His interview with Chris Carter has to be read and is one of the quintessential Carter interviews period. His blog, http://reflectionsonfilmandtelevision.blogspot.com/ is a fantastic resource for all cult, horror and science fiction fans. We released part one earlier this week - you can listen to it HERE.

To listen to the podcast, you can listen to our stream by clicking play below:

• Or download our MP3 file directly by right clicking this link and selecting "save target as"

• You can also subscribe to the Millennium Group Sessions on ITunes by searching for the Millennium Group Sessions and selecting subscribe. The latest podcasts will then automatically download to our ITunes player.

Subscribe to our twitter feed, subscribe to Itunes or simply check back each day to this blog to catch part two on release.

Please leave a comment for John in our comments. Thank you!

Ezekiel Editorial: BacktoFrankblack changes!

Hello sweet kittens and puppies,

We've been having a biggg overhaul of BacktoFrankBlack this week (which has admitedly delayed the much awaited John Kennenth Muir podcast follow up - up this weekend!).

The main drive of these changes has been to streamline and cut out what has fallen behind in being updated, or simply is no longer being used. We want BacktoFrankBlack in 2010 to have consistent visual tone and be in a position where myself and Troy can manage it with efficiency. So if you're interested in what this means, I'll break it down.

• www.backtofrankblack.com has had a technical - and slightly visually - upheaval. I've been very concerned about how that beast has been spiralling out of control, with far too many interviews, features and links to keep updated in its current form and how its current form is so webmaster unfriendly. So for now, it's being cut back as I replace the extra content in a more user friendly and webfriendly manner. This means the features, interviews and extras are currently inaccessible (unless you've been sage to bookmark them) as I move the site from html to php. I will gradually return the extra features over time and keep you all updated to their reappearance. The main page is now a more functional news page and Barry Renshaw's fabulous opening artwork will become a free wallpaper - pending Barry's approval (another thing to check!). languages are also offline until we decide how to revamp those as well. The standard information, podcasts, links, FAQs etc remain. The aim is to make the website sleeker campaign tool and ensure all its features are easily updated and in effect, all up to date. So expect the features to return, but for now, I've just trimmed the stuff which was out of date and required offline inspection.
  
• The mailing list is gone for now. The list was far too cumbersome a software to use on a regular basis so I'm considering restarting it or looking at how we use it. It will return.
• Myspace B2FB is inactive - and potentially looking at being shut down. Why? Aside from Myspace often being very buddy and virus laden? Because myself and Troy are very keen to focus our community efforts rather than try and operate too many at once. Myspace is not a big platform these days and as such is really a lower priority than Twitter or Face book.
• Twitter and Facebook BacktoFrankBlack groups have had a face lift bringing them in tone with the main website. We have more consistency across the groups.

That's all for now. A rather dry editorial I'm afraid, but as we work together I believe you should know why and how things are changing this year. We have some more interviews lined up for February, we have a magazine article hopefully in the works and we're talking about another podcast crossover. Expect more from regulars Joesf and DiRT too! Keep sending those postcards!

A big thanks to my long term friend Zach Demeter for his help in getting my technical updated kickstarted. Couldn't have done it without him!

Video Avatar: In Arcadia Ego

Another video montage by Josef for you all to enjoy, and enjoy you will being made from the fan-favourite In Arcadia Ego. Sit back with your coffee/sherry/manly drink and enjoy a little slice of season two presented in Video Avatar form! As with all media, all copyrights belong to their respective owners. No infringement intended.

And please keep those postcards and letters going to FOX. We have had confirmation from a couple of sources they are aware of them, and they are being noticed. So don't give up on this very simple angle. Send to:

STEVE ASBELL
Twentieth Century Fox
10201 West Pico Blvd.,
Bldg. 88, Room 132
Los Angeles, CA 90035

Seven and One: Steven Trotter!

Wotcha Millennium fans! Time for fan to fan to mesh once again in an beautiful display of cult communique. Yes its Seven and One, the fan interview on our favourite subject! Millennium.

This week Steven Trotter is our guest Millennium fan. If you want to be heard, then email us responses to the following questions to the address found at the bottom of the post. And don't forget to show Steven some love and add a comment!

1. About You.
Millennium Fan, Cinema Aficionado, Radio Presenter and General Entertainment geek. I am currently in charge of the Millennium Face Book fan page and have been an “on again off again” webmaster and on-line Millennium community supporter over the years. Currently in an ON period ;)

2. Why are you a fan?
This question is a bit like asking someone why they like chocolate….although aside from the taste, I guess chocolate has little more to offer. I have a morbid fascination with serial killers, forensics and criminal pathology. I used to enjoy the X-Files, but it lost me when the whole alien conspiracy took over around Season 4, so I watched the Pilot of Millennium and was immediately hooked! The writing, direction and design of the series was incredible and like nothing I had ever seen on TV before.

3. How long have you been a fan?
Since the pilot episode aired here in Australia back in the late 90’s. The third season never aired on commercial television in Australia, so it wasn’t until around 2002 that I stayed up until 2:30am every Sunday to watch it on FOX 8 (a satellite pay TV channel) and then of course re-watched it in a more coherent state on DVD a few years after that.

4. What's your favorite episode.
My favorite episode is weirdly the only one not to feature Frank Black….Anamnesis. I just love the interaction between Catherine & Lara.

5. What's your favorite scene or moment?
Only one moment….hmmm tough one....“Say, would you like to come back to my

apartment and take my portrait? Bring a wide-angle lens.” That or the entire Patti Smith track montage from The Time Is Now

6. If a movie was made which characters would you like to see in it?
Frank, Jordan, Lara Means, Detective Giebelhouse, Brian Roedecker & Lucy Butler. (Would have been nice to see a return of Avatar too, but I guess with a number of films now based on the zodiac killer this plot point would seem a little stale)

7. Why do you think Millennium should come back?
For a number of reasons. Firstly, I think the show was very much ahead of its time and now more than ever would suit a return. Secondly, I think fans would like the opportunity to find out what happened….whilst we did get The X-Files cross-over, it did not really go into any details about what happened after the series ended and whilst I wouldn’t expect a film or series to address this, it would be nice to just see that the characters lived on.

1. What are you watching right now?
Currently I am keeping up with Castle, Dexter, Dollhouse and The Mentalist.

Please keep these coming and do not hesitate to send us all your thoughts and queries on anything Millennium and Frank Black related and you do not have to use your real name to qualify. If you would like to complete the brief questionnaire I have listed the questions below for your perusal. Email your "seven and one" profile to info@backtofrankblack.com and we'll share you those responses to the Millennium world!