(2) - THE CHARACTERS (2.1) - Who are the main characters in VR.5? Section 1.1 contains descriptions of most of the characters; this section serves to provide some extra information and to summarize the list of characters. (Some of this information is from a FOX press release , via Todd Palino . William A. Wood provided the information about Dr. Frank Morgan. Kenneth Higa provided the information about Samantha Bloom.) Sydney Bloom (Lori Singer) - The main character in the series Duncan (Michael Easton) - Sydney's protector; a childhood friend Dr. Joseph Bloom (David McCallum) - Sydney's father Nora Bloom (Louise Fletcher) - Sydney's mother Dr. Frank Morgan (Will Patton) - Sydney's contact with the Committee through the first three episodes Oliver Sampson (Anthony Head) - Sydney's contact with the Committee after the third episode Samantha Bloom (Tracey Needham) - Sydney's sister as an adult, in "Reunion" In the first three episodes (the pilot, "Dr. Strangechild," and "Love and Death"), Dr. Frank Morgan (Will Patton) was Sydney's contact. (See section 2.4 for more.) (2.2) - Who plays the characters? Haven't I seen [...] in [...]? Below are mini-biographies on the main characters, from a FOX press release , via Todd Palino . LORI SINGER (Sydney Bloom on VR.5) Following her cello training at The Juilliard School in New York at 14, Singer began performing with orchestras. Moving to acting, she started her career as a lead in the television series "Fame." After her first season on the show, she starred in the television movie "Born Beautiful," winning a Silver Halo Award. This was followed by rock concert tours in England and two "Kids from Fame" albums on which she sang and played cello. After her second season on "Fame," she made her feature film debut in "Footloose." Keeping busy ever since, she also co-starred in "The Falcon and the Snowman," "The Man With One Red Shoe" with Tom Hanks, "Trouble in Mind" and, most recently, her Golden Globe Award-winning performance in Robert Altman's "Short Cuts," in which she played concertos from Victor Herbert and Dvorak. She also starred in "Equinox," "Warlock," "Made in USA," "Storm and Sorrow" and "Roxy," which she co-produced. She just completed filming "F.T.W.," with Mickey Rourke, to be released in the spring of 1995. Singer was born June 11 in Beaumont, TX. She is bi-coastal, living in New York and Los Angeles. MICHAEL EASTON (Duncan on VR.5) Born Feb. 15 in Manhattan Beach, Calif., Michael Easton is best known for his role of "Tanner" in the serial "Days of Our Lives," which lead to his selection as the only daytime performer recognized in People Magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" of 1992 issue. His other television credits include the mini-series "Dazzle" and the movie "Shadow of a Stranger." Aside from acting, Easton likes to write poetry and screenplays. This form of self-expression comes alive in "Drift," a collection of thoughts written during a ten-month journey through New Mexico, Louisiana, New Orleans, Florida and New York. His screenplays include "Monty," which portrays the life of Montgomery Clift, and the now-in-development "Sadness of the Moon," the true life story of a teenage girl unjustly institutionalized and her one-year battle to get out. Easton received a degree in English and History from UCLA. He is single and resides in Hollywood. DAVID McCALLUM (Dr. Joseph Bloom on VR.5) Born Sept. 19 in Glasgow, Scotland, David McCallum has enjoyed an extensive career on both sides of the Atlantic and is best known to the American audience as Illya Kuryakin in "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." His long list of television credits includes guest starring on the series "Murder, She Wrote," "seaQuest DSV," "Matlock," and "The Father Dowling Mysteries" and in the movies "Shattered Image," "Behind Enemy Lines," and "Hauser's Memory." In feature films, he most recently appeared in "Hear My Song" and "Dirty Weekend." His theater credits include playing Lewis Carrol in "The Hunting of the Shark" at the Prince Edward Theatre in London and King Henry II on a tour of the United Kingdom in "The Lion in Winter." McCallum lives in New York with his wife, Katherine. He has four children: Paul, Val, Peter, and Sophie. LOUISE FLETCHER (Nora Bloom on VR.5) Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Louise Fletcher ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) was born July 22 in Birmingham, Ala. In addition to VR.5, she has a recurring role on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Her numerous television credits include starring in the mystery series "The Boys of Twilight"; co-starring in the mini-series "In A Child's Name"; and guest starring on the series TALES FROM THE CRYPT, "The Twilight Zone," "Playhouse 90," "Yancy Derringer" and "Perry Mason," among others, and in the television movies "Can Ellen Be Saved?," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery" and "A Summer To Remember." Her feature film credits include "Brainstorm," which was the first movie about virtual reality, Robert Altman's "Thieves Like Us," "The Cheap Detective" from Neil Simon, "The Boy Who Could Fly," "Two Moon Junction" and "Blind Vision." She's also in production on "Virtuosity," which stars Denzel Washington. Fletcher lives in Los Angeles. She has two sons, John and Andy. ANTHONY STEWART HEAD (Oliver Sampson on VR.5) Known to the American television audience as the charming neighbor in the award-winning Taster's Choice coffee commercials, Anthony Stewart Head was born Feb. 20 in Camden Town, North London. He trained at the London Academy of Dramatic Arts. His first role following graduation was Jesus Christ in the national tour of "Godspell." Additional theater credits include "yonadab" at The Royal National Theatre in England, "Chess," "Lady Windermere's Fan," "The Heiress" and Frank N. Furter in "The Rocky Horror Show" in the West End revival. Most recently, he received critical acclaim for his performance as Rupert Cayell in "Rope." While he has worked on many British television productions, he's also appeared on the American series "Highlander" and in the feature film "Royce," with Jim Belushi. Head and his companion, Sarah, live in England and Los Angeles with their two daughters, Emily Rose and Daisy May. Lee Lefler wrote this in response to the information on Lori Singer from the above FOX press release: Fox missed at least one. 'F.T.W' has already been released. It's also called 'The Last Ride', (FTW are the initials of Mickey Roarke's character), and was on cable several months ago. I did a search on one of the movie web pages and it listed the movie as being released in 1994. Here's Mark Gerl's take on Lori Singer: As someone already suggested, she had her start on the TV series of "Fame" from '82-'83. But my fond memory of Lori Singer is from her non-blond part of the wild Pastor's daughter Ariel in Footloose. She also had a memorable role in Warlock (cool movie btw). Her movies also include: Equinox, F.T.W., Falcon and the Snowman, Ladybugs, Made in USA, Man with One Red Shoe, Short Cuts, Summer Heat, Sunset Grill, and Trouble in Mind. Ian Philip Schechter added this tidbit on Lori Singer: She is also the sister of Marc Singer the star of the BEASTMASTER series and the short lived V TV show. David Shaler found this information at the beginning of May 1995: Lori Singer is in this week's People Magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people. So is John Grisham, who isn't in VR.5, but looks a hell of alot like Oliver. Terri Ann dug up some additional information on Anthony Head that FOX didn't share. (Thanks to her for sending it.) The following comes from the 20 May 1991 edition of People Magazine (U.S.; "Sex by the Cupful" by Tim Allis, Laura Sanderson Healy, and Lorenzo Benet; pp. 94-95): According to the article, Anthony Head was born on 20 February 1954 to Seafield Head, a documentary filmmaker, and Helen Shingler, an actress. He was raised in Hampton, which is near London. Unmarried, he lives with his companion Sarah Fisher, who is a former theater administrator. His daughter Emily was born in 1989, and his daughter Daisy was born in 1991. His brother, Murray, is famous for the lead in the musical "Chess," a role which Tony later took over. Terri added: And I don't know how much stock to put into this, but according to the Cardiff Movie Database, Tony Head also played the role of "Anton" in "Lady Chatterly's Lover", a soft-core porn flick starring Sylvia Kristel that was filmed in the late 70's/early 80's. There's more on Lori Singer. Thanks to Ed Sarfeld for sending in the following article, transcribed and distributed by Pinar Miski and from Mahmut Miski : "Tuned in to virtual reality" By Eirik Knutzen A cellist of great talent and promise, Lori Singer was accepted at New York's famed Juilliard School at the age of 14. Juilliard's youngest undergraduate student, the daughter of a symphony conductor and a concert pianist, made her debut as a soloist with the Western Washington Symphony a year later. At 17, Singer was flown to Venezuela as a soloist for three performances with the Caracas Symphony, and as the first cellist of the Juilliard Concert Orchestra was in great demand all over North America. She loved her instrument, but inspired by her actor brother Marc Singer-who starred as Mike Donovan in the sci-fi series "V" (1984-1985)-she took a few acting lessons on the side. The extracurricular activities paid off a couple of years later when she was cast as the tall, blond and leggy cellist Julie Miller in the TV version of "Fame" (1982-1987). She managed to get out of her contract when "Fame" left the ABC Network for the first-run syndication in 1983 and promptly began her feature film career in "Footloose." It was followed by a number of good and bad films, including "The Falcon and the Snowman," "Trouble in Mind," "Summer Heat," "Warlock," "Sunset Grill," "Short Cuts," and "The Last Ride." Singer, 33, was perfectly content to divide her time between classical music and motion pictures (she played the cello on the soundtrack of "Short Cuts") until "VR.5" came along. The story and the lead character, originally written for a man, simply "looked too interesting" to pass up. The science-fiction/drama series executive-produced by John Sacret Young ("China Beach") and Thania St. John ("Life Goes On") airs on Fox (Channel 29) Fridays at 8:00 p.m. The show revolves around Singer's character, Sydney Allen Bloom-a telephone worker by day and super-hacker by night. Wonderfully weird and obtuse in every way, including the brilliant special effects, "VR.5" chronicles the life and times of Bloom, as her jury-rigged supercomputer taps into telephone lines and allows her to enter the subconscious minds of unsuspecting nerds who come in contact with her via modems. At "VR.5" (VR.1 is basic technology employed in video games), she has moved into a state of virtual reality unknown to mere mortals. But somewhere in the remote reaches of cyberspace, she encounters The Committee-a quasi-government agency seeking to control her powers for its own dark purposes. The 5-foot-10 actress towers over her supporting case who include David McCallum as her late neurobiologist father, Dr. Joseph Bloom, and Louise Fletcher as her catatonic mother, Nora. Sydney, who is haunted by a car accident 17 years before in which she may have lost her father and twin sister, is comforted to some degree by her lifelong friend Duncan (Michael Easton), and the guidance of her dashing-yet-dangerous mentor from the Committee, Oliver Sampson (Anthony Stewart Head). All live in the realm where nothing is real. Singer, who rates herself computer literate, says she's "fascinated by the whole process of making 'VR.5' because I find the whole idea of virtual reality compelling. Not only could it stimulate everything from surgical procedures to space exploration, but it could be the drug of the future if it indeed could penetrate the subconscious. I guess it would be like LSD to certain people in the 60's. We're taking artistic license here, I guess. I don't think you can step into anyone's subconscious, but you never know." [Whether the show will have a chance to gain a wilder fame remains yet to be seen. "Some people in Fox love it, and some others think it's too far out there," producer Young said recently. "Its numbers, while starting fantastically, have gone down to where 'X-Files' was when it first came on."] Singer, the daughter of Leslie Singer and the late Jacques Singer, was born near Beaumont, Texas, and reared along with three brothers (including her violinist twin, Gregory, and Claude, the writer) wherever her father took up a baton. Her childhood stops included London; Portland, Oregon; and Vancouver, British Columbia. Immersed in music since birth, Singer fell in love with the cello the first time she heard Leonard Rose play the instrument as a soloist for one of her father's symphony orchestras. "I was just a little kid when I first heard Leonard Rose play, but I took up the cello right away in public school," she says. "When I felt that I was ready to study with him at Juilliard, my family happened to move to New York City. It was all fate. And I received a tremendous education there for five years before moving on to 'Fame' and the movies. I'll always keep my hand in music, like the work I did in 'Short Cuts.' And in a few months, I'm scheduled to record got a French subsidiary of Virgin Records." An ardent New Yorker, she rents rooms in Westside hotels while working in Los Angeles. The Southern California climate, perhaps counterbalanced by the threat of earthquakes, is not enough to lure her away from Manhattan's rain, sleet and snow. "L.A. is a tremendous place to work; New York is a place to live because of its diversity," she says. "I feel closer to my background there, closer to Carnegie Hall as wall as Europe. It's a city where you feel anything is possible, which makes life fun and interesting." Singer's mother teaches at New York's St. Thomas Choir School, and old school chums and new friends from music circles seem abundant in the no problem if I want to play chamber music at home. I just call a bunch of friends over to my apartment. We usually start at about 9 at night and finish up about 2 in the morning. It's fantastic; it's a creative world I can't do without." Singer, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Daryl Hannah and several other blonds on the big screen, claims to have no personal life at all while spending "what seems like 20 hour days" on the set of "VR.5." An intensely private person, she deflects all questions about her romantic life gently, but firmly. "Let's just say I'm involved with someone," she says. Alan Light doesn't agree with the article, though, which (written in 1995) said Lori Singer was 33 years old. Alan sent this in: Lori Singer is a relative of my former college roommate. 10 years ago, she was 4 years older than me (I'm 33). Somehow in the last 10 years I've aged 10 years while she has aged only 6. I wonder how that happened? Jonathan Gan checked the Internet Movie Database for the "definitive" answer -- a very comprehensive collection of information about movies, actors, and actresses, compiled by folks on the Internet. It's available on the World Wide Web at: http://www.imdb.com The information in the Internet Movie Database gives these birthdates and birthplaces for some of the main characters in VR.5: Lori Singer (Sydney Bloom) born 6 May 1962 in Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.A. Michael Easton (Duncan) born 15 February 1967 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. Will Patton (Dr. Frank Morgan) born 14 June 1954 in Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.A. Based on that information, Singer is 33 in 1995. And who was Tracey Needham (Samantha Bloom as an adult)? Erik, "The Mad Poet" wrote: Tracey Needham played Paige Thatcher (the eldest daughter) on "Life Goes On." I think she was the second actress to play the part, but I'm not sure. Anyway, she was playing the part when the series was cancelled. She also played Bonnie in a made-for-TV remake of "Bonnie and Clyde." In "Reunion," we discovered that Oliver Sampson had a "keeper" -- a sort of adviser and mentor -- called Abernathy, who later died in the episode. SLefever recognized the man who played Abernathy: In rewatching reunion last night, I noticed that Abernathy was played by Tuhan Bey, a childhood idol of mine. He made about 30 movies in the 1940's, my favorite being "The Mummy's Tomb." Great Saturday morning TV viewing. He's Czeck and Turkish and played a lot of mysterious and villainous roles. He should be about 75 years old now according to Katz's Film Encyclopedia. Donna Solomon and Vikki Godwin noticed Turhan Bey (Abernathy) had appeared in the second-season, Hugo Award-winning episode of Babylon 5 entitled "The Coming of Shadows." He played the part of the Centauri Emperor. If you're an Anthony Head fan, Terri Ann writes: Ladies, consider this a major VIDEO ALERT for a certain coffee man/transvestite/dangerous secret agent/etc....if y'all can, rent "A PrAayer for the Dying". Granted, Mr. Coffee only had a small role, but trust me, it'll be worth the $3.00 plus tax to your local Blockbuster (or other favorite video store) once you get to the end of the movie. I won't spoil it for you all, but let's just say I hope our Taster's Choice can swim. ;) PS -- Bonus prize for anyone who can figure out if that's a tattoo or a scar on his left shoulder! Anthony was in a first season episode of Highlander. Vikki Godwin wrote: I found the answer to my own darn question from earlier. Anthony Head was in a first season episode of Highlander. It was called "Nowhere to Run." He played the part of Allan Rothwood. According to the plot synopsis on the Highlander web page that I stumbled across, the obligatory guest-star Immortal is a mercenary. This Immortal's step-daughter is raped by a diplomat's son. Duncan then has to defend everybody (including the diplomat's son) from the mercenary Immortal, who is not too happy about the situation and plans to do something about it. The plot synopsis included some mysterious numbers at the top of the entry. I'll assume they were production numbers of some sort. The numbers were 1.21 and 92125-2. And those mysterious numbers? Grail answers: 1.21 is the episode number and season - episode 21, season 1. 92125-2 is an incomplete production code. Since "Nowhere to Run" wasn't the second episode, I think it was probably 92125-21 or something like that (the episodes were produced out of order). According to RavvitEars , you can find Will Patton as the bad guy in "No Way Out" with Costner and Hackman, and in "Desperately Seeking Susan." Erin noticed that Kimberly Cullum (one of the young twins) was a frequent guest on the 1995-1996 sit-com "Bless This House." Erin also notes that Cullum appeared in an episode of "Home Improvment" that same season. (2.3) - Where are they now? LORI SINGER To the best of our knowledge, Lori Singer is currently not working. The New York Post reported on 17 January 1996 that she was involved in a legal battle with her estranged husband over custody of their child. Unfortunately, there has not been a follow-up article, and so the outcome remains unclear. John Sacret Young also reports that he heard from her after his last series, "ORLEANS," aired, to wish him luck. ANTHONY HEAD Anthony Head plays librarian/watcher Rupert Giles on the WB's new hit drama "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." He also reports that more Taster's Choice commercials are coming, but refuses to give details. MICHAEL EASTON Easton starred in the syndicated one-hour drama series "TWO" in the 1996-7 season. He played twins - the evil one having framed the good one for a series of murders. I maintained the FAQ for the series which can be found at http://www.nic.com/~augie/two/two.htm TWO lasted one season and was cancelled. Katherine D. Chyla reports that Easton also did a guest role on CBS' "Diagnosis Murder" in the 1995-'96 season. WILL PATTON Patton was seen in the Summer '96 movie "Fled" with Laurence Fishburne. Before that, he played a police officer in the movie "Copycat" and scientist Dr. Graves in "Puppet Masters." He's now co-starring in the upcoming Kevin costner film, "The Postman." A press release about the movie is available from Warner Brothers: http://pathfinder.com/@@ZWJ7YAcAKawyVRKv/Corp/officialword/wbpr/postman.html TRACEY NEEDHAM Needham quckly picked up work on NBC's "JAG" series. NBC then cancelled the show and CBS picked it up as a mid-season replacement for the 1996-97 television season. A JAG home page reported the following: ----- Latest News (Thank you to all AOL members for the news: SuzRose, Jenny, and others) Please remember however, that this is from internet sources and has NOT been mentioned in the media (so keep your hopes up!!) btw, thanx Suzanne :) With many people (including myself) disappointed that TN is no longer on the show, maybe we should start a write-in campaign. The combined total of mailing list members and AOL JAG board members would be about 950. Anyone interested, see below for addresses to write to. Tracey Needham was not fired from the show she left in mutual agreement with Mr.Bellisario. (9/4/96) Tracey Needham is no longer with JAG. Harm has a new partner named "Mac", played by actress Catherine Bell (played the woman who Harm was accused of murdering in "Skeleton Crew/Death Watch") Filming for the new shows started on August 19 and should start sometime in October as a mid-season replacement on CBS. (9/2/96) They are replacing Meg with a new character because of in-fighting between Donald Bellisario (creator) and NBC. With the move to CBS, DB wanted to have Kate back but was forced to add a new character. Also, Lt JG Roberts, who was in the pilot, returns in the new season. (9/2/96) It seems that the rumor is true! (NO!!) A Marine major named "Mac" will be assigned to JAG and become Harm's new partner. No report of whether Tracey Needham was fired, or quit, or what! (9/1/96) There has been an unconfirmed report on the JAG AOL board that Harm is going to get a new partner and there will be some new cast members. Hopefully this isn't true. Also, it seems that CBS will not be showing the season one finale "Death Watch" when it is picked up as a mid-season replacement. (9/1/96) ----- She is currently slated to star in a new Steven Bochco drama to begin airing in Fall 1997 on Saturday nights. DAVID McCALLUM Erin reports that McCallum hosted "Ancient Prophecies," an NBC special opposite the Grammies on 28 Feb 96. LOUISE FLETCHER Fletcher continues her role on Star Trek: Deep Space 9, and played a role in the summer '95 flop, "Virtuosity." In connection with that movie, she made an appearance on the Conan O'Brien show. VR.5 was not mentioned at all. JOHN SACRET YOUNG VR.5's executive producer, JSY created CBS' "ORLEANS" starring Larry Hagman, which lasted all of six episodes before being cancelled itself. JACKIE BLAIN Blain, the writer of the complex "The Many Faces of Alex," just recently became an "executive story editor" with the CBS show, "Diagnosis Murder." Expect her to also pen a couple of episodes. (2.4) - Is Dr. Frank Morgan still alive? The VR.5 writers shocked fans when Sydney saw Jackson Booth stab Dr. Frank Morgan (Will Patton) in an alley, in "Love and Death." Dr. Morgan was Sydney's contact with the Committee and a main character in the series. The next episode, "5D," however, showed us Dr. Morgan's funeral, Sydney's new contact (Oliver Sampson), and the revelation that Dr. Morgan was "on ice" -- he was cryogenically frozen. Any questions as to who did this, why they froze him, who was killed in the alley by Jackson Booth, and why Morgan hasn't been thawed out remain unanswered. And Morgan's last words, "It's not what you think," tell us that there's something more to the story than we know. J Scalia had a theory: Dr. Morgan is probably a DNA experiment and that is why he's on ice. He was probably the prototype that the railroad guy was talking about. He probably never knew it, but was getting close to the truth and therefore needed to be terminated. If you'd like some *real* information on cryonics, check out the Cryonics Frequently Asked Questions List, by Tim Freeman . It's a fascinating compilation of information about the scientific and moral aspects of cryonics, and it's a *must-read* for all VR.5 fans. (2.5) - Why doesn't Duncan die in VR? Dr. Frank Morgan tells Sydney early on in the series that people have tried to go into VR.5, but all have died except Sydney. Speculation in alt.tv.vr5 (based on some clues found in the series) is that Sydney's father manipulated the DNA of Samantha, Duncan, and Sydney, giving them the ability to go into VR.5. For more on this, see section 6.5. In "Reunion," we finally learned that Dr. Bloom had set up a system to scan the retina pattern of anyone trying to go into VR. Anyone without the same retina pattern as one of those programmed in (Sydney's, Samantha's, and Duncan's) would, presumably, die. (2.6) - What do the characters do for a living? It's established in the pilot that Sydney is a lineswoman for the local telephone company, Tel-Cal. In "Simon's Choice," we find that Duncan earns a living as an artist recycling junk into abstract sculptures. (Thanks to for this information.) Finally, Oliver Sampson works for the Committee. For all of the first season but the season finale, Nora Bloom was a vegetable and several other recurring characters were dead and seen only through VR or in flashbacks. In "Reunion," the final episode in the first season, Samantha was found to be alive; Nora Bloom was rescued; and we saw Dr. Bloom outside the house, hiding in the bushes. (2.7) - Is it true that Sydney was originally supposed to be male? Yes, according to Tom Scalf . He'd read an article on 16 April 1995: The 4/16 Washington (DC) Post TV Week 'zine has an interview/feature article on Lori Singer and VR5. In the article, she says that in the original concept and scripts, Sidney was a man! The sex change occurred when she got the role. Gender neutral names are great aren't they. (-; That, of course, also helps explain why Sydney is spelled the way it is. Obviously, before Lori Singer got the role, Sydney was supposed to be spelled, "Sidney." (2.8) - What does Duncan call Sydney? "Syd." It's not explicitly spelled out anywhere in the show, but the folks on alt.tv.vr5 have decided to use this non-standard abbreviation of "Sydney." (2.9) - Have members of the VR.5 cast and crew been interviewed? Yes! John Sacret Young was interviewed on 3 May 1995. Brian Mayberry wrote this announcement: The producer of VR.5 is going to be interviewed on "Fresh Air" by Teri Gross(?). The radio show is a product of National Public Radio and should be available on public radio stations. Mike Dowd told us what happened in the "Fresh Air" interview. He wrote: John Sacret Young (VR5 producer) was on Fresh Air (on NPR) today. He revealed that, as many suspected, Sydney's ability to enter VR5 is linked to her brain (and her father's brain) rather than to some strange function of antique acoustic modems. Michael Easton (Duncan) spoke about the show on 12 May 1995. Terri Ann posted a transcript: The following aired Friday, May 12th on the Fox station WTTG in Washington, D.C. Michael Easton tends to stutter and stammer a lot, so portions in brackets are my interpretation of what he was trying to get across. Excuse any typos in advance. Tracey Neale: Earlier tonight many of you watched the season finale of Fox's new sci-fi hit VR.5. Not since the X-files has a series generated so much interest and so quickly become a kind of cult favorite. TN Voice-over: The 1 hour science fiction drama follows an ordinary woman named Sydney Bloom, played by Lori Singer. Sydney works on telephone lines and tinkers with the technology of virtual reality. She is enlisted by a secret organization to aid in assignments that require more than conventional solution methods. Former Days of Our Lives heart-throb Michael Easton plays Sydney's skeptical next door neighbor. Michael Easton: Whereas Syd is sort of...into the VR and really methodical, Duncan is sort of [a crazy eccentric neighbor] who is reluctantly getting involved in...in virtual reality. He's sort of very standoffish. I mean, Duncan would be, uh, 'Hey, you wanna' go bunjee jupm, you go bunjee jump. You don't do it in a computer.' But now he's slowly sort of seeing the benefits of virtual reality. So I think he represents that segment of the audience that's sort of spooked by technology. "It really came out of left field. I mean, it's a tough sell to show. I mean, it's challenging, it demands a lot from the viewer. And, uh, we've just been really overwhelmed with the response, you know? To get the critics and sort of, the audience alike has been a real, like, double blessing. "I think people are really bored w/ stuff that's going on, and it's just [it's right] to try and bring in a new audience. Umm, I mean, it doesn't appeal to everybody, I don't think it will. "We're at a level where it's no longer computer generated graphics. Uh, VR.5's a level where you're entering into people's subconscious. So therefore, the things you see back [in the goggles], uh, resemble more your dreams. Uhh, colors are distorted, the fim moves faster, some of it's in black and white. So aesthetically it's unlike any show I think you'll see on television. "[It's] like the mind is like the last great frontier of capitalism. I mean, people will be exploring it and seeing where you can go with your imagination." TN: No word yet on plans for VR.5 on Fox for next season. But if you like it, keep your fingers crossed. Background clips came mainly from "Simon's Choice" and "Many Faces of Alex". There were also some scenes between Syd and Dunc that I couldn't tell where they came from. Phousel said Michael Easton was listed as a guest for the "Jon Stewart Show" for Monday, 3 April 1995. Karen posted her reaction to Michael's appearance: Okay, his performance on the "Jon Stewart Show" wasn't stellar, but Stewart didn't really ask him any stellar questions either. Where was he going with the Spring Break/50 Most Beautiful People line of questioning? Did he really expect Michael to say, "Yeah, I'm hot, I get laid all the time"? Phousel agreed: I agree with the analysis of the Jon show. I think it was his 1st appearance in about two years. Michael gets very nervous about those things. He did seem to loosen up in the second segment. ...and Miss Angst agreed with both of them: Yeah, I was wondering what was up with him too, and then he lifted the mug to take a sip and his hands were visibly SHAKING!!! so I forgive him. SwagSu wrote this on 14 April 1995: I saw an interview last week with David McCallum sounded very enthusiastic (sp) about the show. Did say his own children couldn't watch the drowning scene (too real) Please see section 2.19 to find out how to get transcripts of online conversations between the cast/crew and fans! (2.10) - Why was Dr. Morgan written out of the show in "Love and Death?" We know that Jackson Booth killed Dr. Frank Morgan (Will Patton) in an alley, in "Love and Death." (See section 2.4.) But is there a "real life" reason for Patton to have been written out of the show? Mark Koldys wrote: The producers didn't care for the chemistry (or lack thereof) with Lori Singer, and thought the new guy had more potential for developing, possibly in a romantic vein. One of the writers posted something to this effect on CompuServe. John Sacret Young, when asked about Will Patton during a 28 May 97 chat appearance courtesy Sci-Fi Channel, played very coy. It wasn't hard to read into what he said that Patton and he had some problems on the set. (2.11) - What happened with Oliver and Alex in the past? "The Many Faces of Alex" raised questions about Oliver Sampson's past life, introducing Alex (Markie Post) as a spy and Oliver's former lover. Ashley Majzels speculated: Oliver was a federal agent, and Alex was a Committee agent although Oliver didn't know that. After the decoy was shot, Alex went off to rendevous with the Blooms (Dr and Sam). Dr Bloom VR.8'd Alex, giving her Sam's personality (and the ability to VR, one would suppose) John Dobbin tried to explain Alex and Oliver in the context of the episode's storyline: Two weeks ago I suggested the possibilty that Dr. Bloom and Samantha were still alive. It seemed a good bet. One thing is clear about the most recent show and that is that Alex, Oliver's partner and romantic interest, was going to meet Dr. Bloom and his daughter at Berlin Station following her meeting with the decoy. The murder of the decoy caused her to flee without so much as a word to Oliver. It is likely that she kept the rendezvous with the Blooms but that wasn't shown. Oliver was oblivious to the fact that a decoy was being used and when Alex disappeared he had no idea where to look. Lisa Cunningham wrote: I also think it's safe to assume that Alex got drawn into the Committee through her involvement with Oliver, probably via Abernathy. And while I agree that the VR episode that Syd takes Oliver into unawares sure seems to imply that Oliver and Alex were married - well, I would hazard a guess that had anything that official occurred, the Committee would have known about it. Remember that when Syd says "If they know you two were partners, they know everything about her", Oliver's response is "Partners, yes, but not the rest." Clearly he believes that the Committee did not know they were lovers. But Abernathy probably did, given the length and depth of their relationship (as evidenced by the apparent affection in the use of the term "Ollie" and the fact that he doesn't want to kill Oliver and apparently tried twice to get him to leave). (2.12) - Was Oliver Sampson a federal agent? John Dobbin thinks so. He answered the questions surrounding Oliver and Alex, brought up by "The Many Faces of Alex:" It is now confirmed. As previously conjectured by me last week, Oliver Sampson was indeed a federal agent. The authority he commanded during the hostage taking incident in "Control Freak" made me suspect that he was indeed a former federal agent. In the episode of May 5, Oliver Sampson admits that he was once a federal agent (most likely with the Cental Intelligence Ageny but that is unconfirmed). Surprisingly, Sampson was *not* with The Committee while he served as an agent. This means that he has only been with the Committee for five years (1990-1995). Oliver Sampson's partner as an agent was Alex who in 1990 disappeared in Berlin following the murder of a scientist that Alex was helping to escape to the west. Alex was Oliver's romantic interest and it was suggested that the two were married but that remains ambiguous. Oliver described Alex as being like a chameleon and it was hinted at that Alex may have been involved with the Committee long before Oliver was. Lisa Cunningham thinks differently. She writes: FEDERAL AGENT???? Oliver a US FEDERAL AGENT? Since when did the US Feds start hiring foreign nationals, particularly for their most sensitive operations divisions? In case it's escaped everybody's notice, OLIVER IS ENGLISH!!! The accent is a dead give-away. He says that he and Alex were working for AN agency - they were doing an "inter-agency transfer". It seems to me that it is safe to assume that the US Feds are not the only "agencies" that would control sensitive operations and important people world-wide. I'll buy an argument for him operating through MI6 or some other sensitive operations British unit. But federal agent? I don't think so. He never "confirms" that he was a federal agent - at least not in my memory and as already stated, regardless of what Oliver may HAVE THOUGHT, I think it's become increasingly clear that he has been connected to, if not actively working for, the Committee all his life. Lisa added that she'd worked for the U.S. government; in her experience, the government strongly discouraged hiring foreign nationals to work for them. (2.13) - Is there a pattern to the landscapes Sydney went through in VR.7 when trying to rescue her mother in "Reunion?" Vikki Godwin first raised a question about the significance of the types of landscapes and terrain that Sydney went through when trying to rescue Nora Bloom. She wrote: I noticed something about the VR7 sequence in "Reunion." The landscapes that Syd went through became progressively more desolate. At least, they looked that way to me. Anybody else? The first landscape was a forest with lots of greenery, then later there was a swamp, some scrublands, desert dunes, and finally the sterile halls of the labyrinth. Here's my idea: perhaps these landscapes became more desolate to represent the state of Nora's mind. She's pretty much been in a coma all these years, cut off from reality, isolated - the terrain in VR7 refected that isolation, the desolation of a mind unable to contact the outside world. She added: Samantha said that VR7 stimulated different parts of the brain. I think that the terrains were representations of the different parts of the brain (consciousness) that Syd had to traverse before she reached the place where Nora's mind (consciousness) had been locked away all these years. Instead of the active portions, that interact with the real world (represented by the forest), Nora had withdrawn (or was pushed) into a deeper part of her own mind, and unable to interact with the outside world through normal channels. > I think the sequence of landscapes was set out the way it was > because maybe Syd had to travel over various types of terrain > in order to reach the "prison" where Nora was being kept. This is pretty much the idea that I proposed earlier, except I saw the terrains as being symbolic of various levels of consciousness rather than as actual physical landscapes or landmarks. The "prison" in this case, was within Nora's own mind. Interesting thought...Since Nora's coma seemed to be induced by the malfunction of the memory erase program, which mixed the good memories with the bad, perhaps the Committee's symbol serving as the labyrinth represented Nora's own entrapment by the Committee. The Committee exerted control over their lives in various ways. Dr. Bloom's work (and probably some of her own work in psychology) was funneled into the Committee, for its own goals. After the Committee took away her husband and one of her daughters, Nora used the memory erase program in an attempt to prevent the loss of her remaining daughter and Duncan. I can see where she'd feel a little trapped by the Committee, "enmeshed in its toils," as it were. (In this case, literally trapped in the labyrinth which is, itself, the Committee). She can't escape. Even the attempted escape (memory erasure) didn't work. Once you're in the Committee, you never get back out... Lisa Cunningham thinks differently: The sequences in VR7 - I thought they were meant to represent a regression into increasingly more desolate primordial landscapes, a sort of route into the primordial brain where Nora is apparently hiding. (2.14) - How do I write to the cast members? According to Lori Singer during an online conference on CompuServe (see section 2.10), you can send mail to her, request pictures, and also get other promotional material by writing to her via PMK. PMK Public Relations 1776 Broadway 8th Floor New York, NY 10019 U.S.A. Lori says she answers her mail personally, and she "may get" an e-mail address. You can reach Michael Easton via his last show, "TWO" at TWO PRODUCTIONS c/o North Shore Studios 555 Brooksbank Ave. North Vancouver, BX CANADA V7J3S5 As the show has been cancelled and production is finished, it is unknown for how long this address will be good. And SEHZUCKI posted: You can send mail to all involved with VR.5 to: Television Programming Fox Broadcasting P.O. Box 900 Beverly Hills, CA 90213 U.S.A. (2.15) - Where can I find the novelization of Anthony Head's UK "Gold Blend" coffee commercials? According to Linda Willard , coffee commercials were produced -- with Anthony Head -- and aired in the U.S. under the "Taster's Choice" brand name. In Britain, they were aired under Nescafe's "Gold Blend" label. Linda wrote: In the British commercials, he has a certifiably English accent; here, it's somewhat mid-Atlantic. The mania over the commercials was even more widespread in the UK, leading to the publication of a novelization that dealt with ad lovers' relationship. My English friend tells me that the original couple has since been replaced (no doubt allowing ASH to take on a somewhat more challenging projects--like Oliver!), and ASH and Sharon Maughm (who played the *other* charming neighbor) "went off into the sunset together," as she put it. Appalling stuff, I admit (but, yes, I ordered it)--you should have heard the clerk's voice when I asked him if the book was available! As you might imagine, it wasn't thought very highly of by the "discerning" public. The softback novelization is available. It's titled "Love Over Gold," it's written by Suzanna James, it costs 3.79 British pounds (plus shipping/handling), and it may contain pictures of the two neighbors. Linda reports that you can special-order "Love Over Gold" from Books, Etc. by calling +44-171-379-6838 (country code - city code - phone number). (2.16) - What's been the relationship between Oliver and Sydney? Linda Willard posted a brief summary of Oliver and Sydney's tense relationship: She hasn't ever *threatened* him to my (uncertain) knowledge. She certainly resisted him in "Escape," going so far as to try and shove him away when he was interrogating her in the refrigerated room--and got a smack in the chops for her efforts. (Didn't he look just wonderfully evil there? :)) I did admire the continuity connecting "Escape" to "Facing the Fire." Syd keeps a safe distance from him at all times, managing to put a table between them (a distance that Oliver respects--watch how he leans across the table to hand her the file in the beginning) and the gate in her loft, which she rudely closes in his face in the endpiece (and he makes no effort to step through, though he has the opportunity). Compare that body language to her off-hand physical abruptness with him in "5D," when she shoves his feet off the table, and beside Morgan's coffin, when she gives him a solid push demanding "Can't you leave him alone even when he's dead?" Following "Escape," she's come to recognize that the man can be dangerous--even if it wasn't really *he* who hurt her. The next time you see her really angry with him is in "Control Freak," at the end, when she's learned that there was a bomb under his seat, and she wrongly assumes that it was Oliver who placed it there. GG wrote: I was very interested in the following quote from my psych testing: "G.G. appears to have quite a bit of conflict within herself in terms ot her relationship to her husband. On the one hand, she wants him to be very attentive and supportive of her and on the other hand, she would enjoy it if he were a somewhat selfish, slightly dangerous sort of male figure." Sound like anyone you know? Actually, Oliver seems to embody both these diametric qualities. Charlotte Bronte did it first in Rochester. Has anyone seen BBC adaptation of Jane Eyre with Timothy Dalton? A must see for Samsonites. The ultimate Byronic hero, which is, of course, what Oliver is. Is Sydney attracted to Oliver? Lori Olson wrote: It seems clear that Oliver is touched and amused, even attracted (in a surprised, unexpected sort of way) by Sydney, from the episode "Control Freak", when Sydney is talking about the control tower being as secure as a "box of Cheerios", and Oliver smiles gently. I will review the other episodes as well, when I have a chance, looking for this dynamic. Lisa Cunningham agreed: Yeah, I think so. I think it surprises her but I think she is. It happened slowly as their relationship became less combative. And the realization that he was scarred and in need of a friend had a lot to do with it, I think. He stopped being the enemy and became her only ally besides Duncan. And Duncan doesn't know whatOliver does so she finds herself turning to him more and more. She learns to trust that he really is looking out for her - he saves her life repeatedly. She becomes more dependent on him to handle things. And I think a grudging (at first) respect develops between them for their relative skills in dealing with the situations in which they find themselves. Attraction in this instance seems a natural outgrowth of all they are being forced to share with each other and the emotions it is causing in both of them. And I think Oliver is attracted to her as well. He does not seem to be a man who trusts easily but he starts to trust her and they become easier, more relaxed with each other when he does. I think Oliver rather naturally has some walls up against involvement but I think he finds himself inexorably drawn to Syd, almost against his better judgment. Protecting her becomes much more important than a job to him - it is now someone he cares about. Why else would he take on the Committee in the opening of Reunion? Certainly he has enough experience with the Committee to know that he will also be a target if he fails in this task. He does it because he is emotionally involved which for him has to be a first step in any attraction. And what about Dr. Morgan? What was the relationship between Morgan and Syd? And what was the relationship between Morgan and Oliver? Lisa Cunningham posted: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- >We'll never know. Morgan just hit most of the wrong buttons with me. >Comments like "You played the VR game out at the mall, your boyfriend >felt you up and you didn't like it" just grated on my nerves. It could >have been part of his attempt to warn Syd away from further investigation >of VR, but it just seemed crass. Somehow, I don't see Syd falling for >every man who crosses her path. >True, but I never saw any tension in the other episodes he was in, >either. I only had the one tape handy for reference. When I watched the >other episodes Morgan was in the first time through, there seemed to be a >developing working relationship, possibly a friendship, but no major >romantic chemistry. Maybe Morgan was trying to develop something >romantic, and Syd wasn't responding - this would be especially >interesting if it turned out to be some Committee effort to draw Syd into >further involvement with their organization through personal >relationships (sort of like the "family ties" ideas we've been throwing >around). While I don't think Syd is in the habit of falling with every man she runs into either, I *do* think that particualrly at the beginning, she may have a tendency to become *dependent* on the men in her life. And there is some acknowledgement of sexuality - note her continual embarassment at his sexual commentary or how she almost falls over when he walks out without a shirt. Syd is not particularly skilled with men, at least at the beginning and this puts her at a disadvantage emotionally. I think Dr. Morgan recognizes that in her and doesn't take advantage. He is more interested in her mind and what she can do. I think Syd views him as a technological mentor. Remember her reaction to his death after smashing her computer equipment - she says to Duncan "He was the only one who understood me. The only one who understood what I can do." She needed his knowledge and guidance because this is all so frightening to her and she is, at the time of his death, just coming to terms with the first hints that the Committee may not be her friend. The Committee has no conscience. But Morgan carred deeply about what he was doing and the lives that were damages. Syd could understand that - they had an affinity in this area. And I think this increased the gap between Oliver and Syd when he arrived - he was dyed-in-the-wool Committee and apparently just as unscrupulous and usury. I think that made Syd rebel all the more against Oliver because he failed so miserably in comparison to Morgan in the emotional department. >Oh, I'm not ready to count him out yet. I think a permanent death would >have far more impact than reviving him would, unless it was handled very >carefully and creatively. And, considering the high quality of the shows >we've seen, I think VR5 could pull it off if they wanted to. I wonder if >Morgan knew that his driver was in TC? As for interaction between Morgan >and Oliver - THIS could be interesting! Especially considering that >Oliver, although he works to protect Syd, has also (until recently) kept >her very involved with TC, whereas Morgan did everything he could to keep >her out of TC to begin with. Although Oliver's recent disenchantment with >TC might give them more common ground...Hmmm... I think Oliver and Morgan already *were* interacting. Remember the phone call Morgan makes to update his superior on Syd and try to get her out. he person on the other end is very abrupt with him - much as Oliver is with Syd when he arrives on the scene. I think Oliver was Morgan's Committee contact. After all, Oliver did say that he "rather liked him, actually". Clearly, they knew each other. Oliver is very distressed *not* to find Morgan's body at the cemetery - there must be some relationship there to elicit that level of emotional response. If you think about it, Oliver and Morgan represent two kinds of mentor and protector for Syd: Morgan mentors in the technology, the academic, the learned knowledge and Oliver mentors in street skills like survival, discovery and eluding the enemy. They represent different aspects of her growth and, as such, are both vital in the development of her chracter. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (2.17) - Why does Alex's hairstyle (in "The Many Faces of Alex") change so much? In response to some comments that Alex's hair would change frequently during "The Many Faces of Alex," Vikki Godwin posted: Earlier, someone speculated about Alex's constant changes of hairstyles, and I finally figured out my two cents' worth. Even though she's on the run, she still found time to change her hair (from loose, to crimped, to a bun-lookin' thing). However, she was always "a chameleon," according to Oliver. She could easily assume new identities, and part of that would involve minor cosmetic changes like hairstyles, make-up, glasses, etc., not only to camoflague her own appearance, but to help her assume a new role as well. Even in the VR sequence, after the decoy was shot in the train station in Germany, she took time to duck into a restroom and change her hair and add glasses. Perhaps the changes in her reflected images also represented her change of personality and identity as she did this. So, I think that Alex's constant changes are due in part to her old habits as an agent as well as an effort to make herself slightly harder to recognize. Either that, or she's getting a kick-back from Vidal Sassoon... It is also important to note that only those who have had their retinal patterns scanned by Dr. Bloom are able to change their appearance in a VR experience. The implant-gone-wrong of Samantha's personality is shown here, too. (2.18) - Can we trust Samantha? Folks have brought up the question of whether or not we can trust Samantha. Is she really Sydney's sister or was she planted by the Committee? Is she on Sydney's side or on the Committee's side? BBurs63388 posted a segment from "Reunion" that made him suspicious of Samantha. He wrote: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- There was a thread earlier about mistrusting Sam, and I wanted to add one thing that immediately aroused my suspicions during "Reunion." When Syd and Sam were setting up the computer equipment in the lab, Syd was talking about her memory retrieval in VR, and the following bit of dialogue ensued: SAM: You mean like old memories resurfacing? SYD: Maybe. SAM: You know, that's what daddy's experiments were about: unlocking the mind. I think you call it VR . . . (she pauses) SYD: VR.5 SAM: VR.5 SYD: Right. SAM: Daddy's gone much farther. But not very often. He's worried about the effect prolonged exposure is having on him. SYD: What's happening? SAM: He's gone much farther than we have. Where did Sydney get her VR terminology? In calling it "VR.5," I'd always assumed she was using the terminology her father used. This bit of dialogue makes Sam sound like she's less informed about VR than Sydney. However, this wouldn't make sense, because: 1) She's worked with her father all this time and has had 15 years (I exposure to VR technology. This would make her more of an authority on it than Syd. 2) The line "He's gone much farther than we have," plus her knowledge of the gear, shows that Sam has been "inside" VR. She should know at least as much as Sydney knows, if not more. Was Sam just testing Sydney, or was she milking her for the terminology? This may be unimportant, but this bit of dialogue stuck with me, and I hadn't seen it mentioned here yet. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- (2.19) - Have members of the VR.5 cast and crew gone online with fans to chat about the series? Yes, and the chat sessions result in a wealth of information about VR.5! Jon Gan maintains a separate document with transcripts from all of the online conferences that've happened between VR.5 cast/crew and fans -- some arranged by the VR.5 production team, and some arranged by Virtual Storm. All of the conferences are fun and all are very informative. The document's available via anonymous ftp at the Organic Computer, maintained by Stanley, "Spokesman for the Committee" . You can get it at: ftp://archive.egr.msu.edu/pub/vr5/vr5conf.txt If you don't have access to ftp, send an e-mail message to with the following in the body of the message: open archive.egr.msu.edu chdir pub/vr5 get vr5conf.txt quit You should get the document via e-mail as soon as the server is able to process your request. If that site is busy or down, try previous FAQ maintainer Jonathan Gan's FTP site: ftp://ftp.eskimo.com/u/r/raquele/archive/vr5conf.txt (2.20) - How do I get pictures of some of the cast? PMK Public Relations will send you pictures of Lori Singer if you ask. See section 2.14. You can also find pictures of most of the cast on the various VR.5 World Wide Web sites. The biggest source of pictures online is the Organic Computer. See section 7.4. Finally, Vikki Godwin posted: Those of you looking for photographs of the stars, check out: Jerry Ohlinger's Movie Material Store, Inc. 242 W 14th Street New York, NY 10011 (212) 989-0869 You might want to give them a call, but here are a couple of the catalogs they offer. Their poster catalog says you should send a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope (it says "legal" envelopes only). #25 Male and female stars color stills, $3.23, 400 pages #44 TV and movie science fiction, horror and fantasy stills, $3, 112 pages Apparently, they have a pic of ASH as Oliver Sampson, as well as pics of Syd and Duncan. That's all I know, since I got this info from another list. (2.21) - Where on the WWW can I find more info on cast members? WILL PATTON (Frank Morgan): http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/9637/ MICHAEL EASTON (Duncan): http://www.michaeleaston.com