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Original title:Millennium
Category:TV Series / Crime / Drama / Horror / Mystery / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Actors:Lance Henriksen,Megan Gallagher,Terry O'Quinn
Duration:45min
Video type:TV Series

Rating 8.1: Votes 147

Lance Henriksen Megan Gallagher Terry OQuinn

Short summary

A former FBI profiler with the ability to look inside the mind of a killer begins working for the mysterious Millennium Group which investigates serial killers, conspiracies, the occult, and those obsessed with the end of the millennium.

A former FBI profiler moves his family from Washington DC to Seattle, where he joins the Millennium Group, a mysterious organization of former law enforcement officers, committed to battling a crime wave which grows as the turn of the millennium approaches.

Trailers "Millennium "

Such was Chris Carter's standing with the FOX network at the time, that he was given an entire month to shoot the pilot with little or no network interference - almost unheard of indulgences for a brand new show.

Whenever Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) enters a crime scene, his jacket or coat is always buttoned up to the very top and stays that way until he leaves.

Frank, Lara and Peter all get pass-phrases to use for the voice identification of the Millennium Group network. All are references to classic science fiction movies: Frank's phrase "Soylent Green is people" is taken from 'Stanley R. Greens' Soylent Green (1973), while Lara's pass-phrase "Open the pod bay doors please, Hal" refers to Stanley Kubrick 2001: Kosmoseodüsseia (1968). Peter's is "My God! It's full of stars!!" from 'Peter Hyams' "2010: The Year We Make Contact" (1984).

Although the series was canceled long before the actual millennium occurred, the story of Frank Black was (more or less) resolved in a 1999 episode of The X-Files entitled "Millennium."

The show's level of violence sparked a short-lived call for curtailment of violence on television.

The FOX network considered casting William Hurt as a more well known actor in the role of Frank Black but Chris Carter was adamant that the part should go to Lance Henriksen since he wrote the character of Frank Black specifically for Henriksen. When Hurt confirmed that he won't do television, Carter's choice of Henriksen was green-lighted by the studio.

During a 2016 interview on Kumail Nanjiani's podcast "The X-Files Files," "X-Files" writer and "Millennium" showrunner Glen Morgan said that because "Millennium"'s ratings were low, they had the idea to do a "Millennium" episode involving the Peacock family characters from the "X-Files" episode "Home," for which Morgan was the cowriter. The Peacocks were a reclusive, heavily deformed, murderous family that had sustained itself by inbreeding for many generations and that kept its limbless matriarch under a bed. The original airing of "Home" had been controversial; it was the first "X-Files" episode to receive a TV-MA rating, and FOX refused to allow it to be rerun. But since it was also one of the highest-rated and most-talked-about "X-Files" episodes ever, Morgan thought the return of the characters might boost "Millennium"'s ratings. They cleared the idea with Peter Roth (then the head of FOX TV) and Karin Konoval, the actress who played Mrs. Peacock, but then Roth called Morgan back and said that "News Corp, FOX, lobbyists in Washington...somehow got wind and said 'those characters never appear on television again.'"

The title sequence in the first season includes the words "Wait", "Worry" and "Who Cares?". This changed in the second season to "This is Who We Are" and "The Time is Near". Season three combined the two, with "Wait", "Worry" and "The Time is Near".

Frank Black's yellow house is different in the rest of the series from the pilot as the original neighborhood didn't want a film crew camped out there on a semi-permanent basis. The replacement house was the same house as used in the second ever episode of "The X-Files".

In the season one episode titled "The Judge", the Judge mentions the Biblical story of the demon Legion. The Judge says "When Jesus of Nazareth cast demons from a group of enchanted hogs...". This is inaccurate. First of all, Legion was inside of a crazed man. Jesus cast Legion from the man INTO the hogs. There was nothing enchanted about the hogs. Also, Legion explained to Jesus, "My name is Legion for we are many." This implies that many demons had possessed the man and the strongest of them spoke as if they were all one entity.

Mark Snow's dark theme music was partly inspired by a traditional Irish track that Chris Carter sent him and the opening to Kylie Minogue's "Confide in Me".

In the opening title sequence, and in many promotional materials, the word "Millennium" was spelled with two upper-case M's (MillenniuM) The Roman numeral MM means 2000, the year which marks the turn of the Millennium.

Reportedly, the character of Lt. Bob Bletcher was written out of the series (in the episodes "Lamentation" and "Powers, Principalities, Thrones and Dominions") because of an on-set feud between Bill Smitrovich and Lance Henriksen.

The fictional address of the Black's 'yellow house' is: 1910 Ezekiel Drive, Seattle, Washington 98924 (tel: 206 555-1130). Their previous address was 108 Mariner Lane, Seattle.

The poem that the Frenchman recites to the stripper in the pilot episode is by William Butler Yeats.

Having no real formal education, Henriksen saw Frank Black as a character much smarter than him and studied various books on psychology, the FBI and profiling for the role trying to capture the essence of such a well-versed character. He's still amazed that he pulled it off.

Chris Carter named the main character Frank Black after the former lead singer of Indie/Rock band The Pixies.

Lance Henriksen had always insisted that his character of Frank Black is not psychic, arguing that having to use intelligence or naturally developed skills to solve something is more interesting than having some supernatural power that makes everything easy like a cheat. He always believed that Frank's unusual talent comes from his photographic memory, honed skills of deduction and deep understanding of the dark side of human psyche as well as the vast experience he got from working in the field instead from an office or a desk.

According to Lance Henriksen, there were two main reasons for the increasing inconsistencies in the show's main story arc throughout the seasons. For one, the show's creator Chris Carter is notorious for refusing to answer all of the questions his stories present. The other reason is that the show would regularly get new writers who all wanted to add their own ideas to the show and would ignore or abandon the previously set threads of the main story arc, in the process.

According to Lance Henriksen, the fact that he was nominated for Golden Globes for his role of Frank Black each year the show was on but never actually ended up getting the award probably means that he was nominated in the first place thanks to the writers who wrote a good character for him and not his acting.

Whenever Frank's pager is shown receiving a message from the Group, the caller ID reads "2000".

The series' significant shifts in tone over its three seasons were mainly due to the fact that creator Chris Carter ran the show for its first season, but then took a backseat as he was busy making The X Files (1998). Executive producers Glen Morgan and James Wong took over as showrunners, moving the show away from its serial killer theme to include more occult and supernatural elements for the second season, in the hope of attracting more viewers. Carter did not like this new direction, so he took back creative control for the third season, while Morgan and Wong left the series to pursue projects of their own. Carter was hoping to boost the show's ratings by putting less emphasis on the supernatural and returning to a detective-themed show, but could not prevent the show's cancellation after the third season.

User reviews

Author: Kamuro

Very few people understood what Millennium was about, but for its fans, it remains a very stirring drama. A lot of critics misrepresent Millennium as some kind of gloomy police drama, when the cases that Frank Black investigated during the course of season one were merely vehicles in which to explore the grayer shades of humanity.

Only about half of the twenty-two episodes during the first season were concerned with just serial killers--far less than critics like to think. Look closer and you'll see that episodes like the pilot, "Gehenna," "The Judge" and "Sacrament" had supernatural/apocalyptic elements to them, which make them far less mundane than some might initially think. ("Gehenna" even had visuals of a winged beast, or Legion as the fans dubbed him, descending from the sky.)

Regarding those other, say, eight or ten serial killer episodes, Millennium addressed the big questions: What made these men? What can society do to stop them? You won't hear the investigators on CSI or Law & Order ask these questions, unless in a glib, sarcastic way. Those programs are all about police procedure. To me, *that's* depressing. When Frank looked 'into the minds of killers,' he was trying to understand them, sometimes even sympathize with them. These killers weren't evil people. They were tragic people that did evil things--most were victims themselves. Millennium gave human faces to ghastly perpetrators.

The latter season one episodes stray from the serial killer motifs. "Force Majeure" involves a man in an iron lung who preaches about a planetary alignment that will have cataclysmic consequences. "Walkabout" sheds light on Frank's past when he participates in a clinical trial for an experimental drug that might suppress his 'gift.' "Maranatha" takes Frank to the Russian district of New York in pursuit of Yaponchik, who may be the Antichrist. And then there's the stunning "Lamentation"/"Powers, Principalities, Thrones and Dominions" two-parter, in which devils and angels aren't merely a concept, but physically exist alongside Frank and his colleagues!

Millennium also isn't relentlessly gory or downbeat. Look at the endings of "The Well Worn Lock," "Powers," or especially "The Wild and the Innocent"--still one of the most uplifting hours of television I've seen to this day. A lot of the show's early work is about criminals taking responsibility, victims learning to heal, and how Frank, and his family and friends, come to an understanding about Why Bad Things Happen. Don't be so dark, critics. Millennium--seriously!--is not.

Season two of Millennium is nothing short of brilliant, but the foundation is laid here. Strong scripts, talented actors, exceptional production values, and timeless themes (the tolls of work on family life, humanity's struggle with evil, temptations of the Devil, faith and religion, corruptions in governments and organizations) make all three seasons of Millennium a MUST BUY. Don't let mistaken critics, or lackluster DVD sets (a show this rich needs more commentary!), dissuade you from owning one of the best shows of the 90's, nay, of all time.

Author: Freaky Hook

Singers or rock bands will release an album. It may be their first and sometimes that album can be very successful selling copies by the bucketful and then when it comes to their follow up they disappoint. Sometimes the quality of that second album is higher than the first, but the case is the mainstream are either disappointed, or not interested. So it is with Chris Carter's Millennium, the second series he made after the mammoth success of his breakthrough series The X Files. Whereas The X Files is about how their is light at the end of that dark journey you may journey, Millennium was always about the opposite and thus the tone of the show was set and it may have led to the disappointing ratings and a sudden cancellation after three seasons. This is a shame as this was undeniably one of the finest television dramas ever created, giving us one of the best central performances in a television drama series and giving us sixty odd episodes of thought provoking if very disturbing drama.

Whereas The X Files gave the audience a quirky set of characters in the shape of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, Millennium gave us the dark, secluded and world weary Frank Black, a man who investigated cases of serial killer using a unique, almost clairvoyant like ability to see what the killer was able to see. This set up was fantastic and like The X Files paved the way for over twenty mini movies a season. The stories were frequently clever and very well told and the main performance from Lancer Henriksen, the most underrated actor if there ever was one, was a sight to watch. The series was frequently disturbing, offering some of the most graphic images on mainstream network American television, the stories were hard hitting (incest and child molestation was dealt with at one point) and even the dip into X Files-esque waters worked as the paranormal element usually had something to do with the end of the world thus sometimes facilitating an explanation as to why so many bad things were happening in the world all of a sudden.

The thing was viewers were not prepared for this in light of The X Files. While both shows had the same creator and the same writers and directors, there was no break from the inherent darkness of Millennium. The X Files would counter balance the conspiracy and horror stories with episodes of light humor and whimsical comedy, but here there was not. Even the odd comedy episode had darker elements. A cross over with The X Files would see the character of Jose Chung appear. He was dead at the end of the episode he appeared in. It was story developments like these that let one know that this was not show of optimism and hope, even if the title sequence tried to tell us that. Nope, Millennium was dark, hideous and violent, but it was still a great show that was never given much of a chance. The critics outside of horror and science fiction circles didn't like it and audiences found it too much, but there was denying that this was a superb show.

Like The X Files the visual level and production values were superb and the moody Vancouver locations worked a charm, whilst there was rarely ever a bad episode. Here's hoping time will catch up with this fantastic show and that maybe some day an audience will appreciate it fully.

Author: Kizshura

I don't think I've ever fully gotten over the cancellation of Millennium. Re-watching the old episodes on the FX channel, you can really see how well written most of the episodes were and the characters were all memorable and likeable. Right up until the very last season, where I personally feel the writers ruined the series. The two episodes, the cliffhanger before the last season, were incredibly well done, I'd even say masterpieces, titled "The Four Horsemen" and "The Time is Now". But they missed the point when they came back the next season. We were expecting to see the series go in the direction of Frank and his daughter trying to survive a holocaust and instead they copped out. We could have had an amazing survival story there. What a shame. But, I highly recommend watching the reruns of this series if you can. It really was so much better than the X Files. And it will forever be sorely missed. The character of Frank Black did guest star on an X File episode after Millennium was cancelled and I'm still hoping for at least one more appearance. It's so hard to let a good character go forever.

Author: Geny

Fantastic mixture of drama, suspense, action, horror, and mystery. Raises the bar of Television to a whole new level. The masterful combination no-tell-all driven plot and detailed personal characters creates a canvas on which great things have come. The dark photography and surreal flash scenes surpass current mystery and horror series. The detailed historical and mythological connections interwoven within the story line is commendable. This series does not rely on a physical monster, but the monster within everyone. The horror of pure evil and the evils of mankind. The music of Mark Snow is an excellent backdrop to this type of setting. His use of synthesized strings in thick chords compliments the dark visions of the drama. Snow also uses sounds and alterations of the human voice to set effect. The use of a solo violin in the main title and though out the series reflects the struggle of a single man (Frank Black) against the undeviating force of evil in the world. Together, Carter's vision for a dark, artistic drama has come to life.

Author: Steep

in having been impacted so profoundly by this television series. I so looked forward to Friday night and hadnt watched television on Friday night since Dukes of Hazzard and Incredible Hulk was in the lineup. Millenium was awesome television and what more can I say about Lance H. Amazing actor playing the role he was born to play. Yes, season 3 was definitely weaker but that doesnt prevent this from being one of the best shows on television. I couldnt believe how unceremoniously the show was taken off of the air, announcing right before the episode that this was the series finale. Millenium, Frank's Place, and Sports Night go down in history as my 3 most under-appreciated, phenomenal shows

Author: Dreladred

This is undoubtedly one of the most intelligent and thought-provoking series that has come out in a long time. If we were able give it a vote, I would give it a 10/10.

Author: Swift Summer

How do you make a great, spooky television series? Well, here is one recipe for success. Take a pound of flesh from the 1995 movie 'Seven', with Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, add a little demented serial killer from 1986's 'Manhunter' with William Peterson and Dennis Farina, and place it in an industrial sized microwave oven for a few minutes. Then add a slice of 1992's 'Silence of The Lambs', some fava beans and pop the cork on a nice bottle of Chianti. With this recipe, you have the hit Fox TV series that ran from 1996 to 1999 Years before TV shows like CSI' or 'Cold Case Files' and 'Law and Order SVU' were even thought of, there was this remarkable show. It was called MillenniuM.

MillenniuM was a series about a profiler named Frank Black. He could see into the mind of serial killers and offered us a glimpse at the world of the criminally disturbed. He worked for the Millennium group, an investigative firm that worked in the private sector. Every week, violent crimes, as well as the disturbing images they create, were the primary focus on this great series. The first season was superb. We all got to meet and know Frank, Catherine, and Jordan, who lived in their big yellow house in Seattle, WA, and we could almost feel the dampness and heavy rain that Seattle is famous for. However, after the haunting opening theme and the awesome boomp-boomp that led us into each segment with the white screen, we all immediately looked to the bottom of that screen to read the type-writer font, and see where this week's episode was taking us to. We would usually meet a member of the Millennium group within the first 15 minutes, and usually that character was Peter Watts. Looking like a Marine and always in control of his emotions, he quickly learned to trust Frank's feelings on most issues.{Peter Watts was played by Terry O'Quinn, and now stars on the ABC series "Lost" as John Locke.}These two made an excellent team, as well as the others from the group, and these relationships really made the show. Frank also had his demons, as all great heroes do. He was in search of a way to suppress his gift, for the love of his daughter, who may also be cursed with the visions. Frank was also working on his marriage, which was, as most marriages are, a daily battle. Frank Black was uncomfortable with his chosen profession, but he also knows it was his destiny to do this job, which he did so well.

That's enough about the show. If you are reading this review, you are already a big fan. Let's talk about the DVD's.

Besides the fact that I want to tell Fox thank you and it's about bloody hell time, this DVD set is great. All 22 episodes are in crisp, clear and in vivid color, and that awesome theme song before each episode. Sweet! I highly recommend this DVD to anyone who is a Chris Carter fan, as well as CSI fans and any fan of current TV programs that review evidence and solve crimes. Give it a try. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks, Brian R. Collins {BC}

P.S. As I am writing this the date is September 1, 2004 and I just received word that MillenniuM Season 2 will be released in the UK on September 27, 2004. So it can't too far behind for the good old U.S. of A.

BC

Author: Goldfury

I'm just not sure I get it completely. On the surface it's a standard cop vs. another serial killer. A real gem in season 1: The Wild and the Innocent. Then Chris Carter's plan goes into second gear. The thing that hooked me was the fact that there was a real war between good and evil. Lucifer was coming ring the bell at 2000 and Frank Black was witnessing all kinds of signs. Could he stop it? Season 2 Wong and Morgan took over the show and ran with it. Pretty far I have to say. At the first viewing I felt cheated. This was not why I bought the DVD. But after the initial shock I went back for a second viewing, I became to appreciate what Wong and Morgan were trying to do. I guess it's pretty out there and I really don't think that making the Millennium Group a dark conspiracy group was the best move (come on... this isn't the X-files!!). But the division within the group was something I could believe. Like most religions, this does happen. I do like the "weird" shows (Somehow Satan Got Behind Me). Again, only after the initial shock I saw the brilliance. Also there are some funny references in this season to other shows (X-files and Space: Above and Beyond). But I guess people think that this show must not have humor or black comedy and I tend to agree.

I am halfway through Season 3. The episodes are good, not great. And I still get the feeling that these episodes require multiple viewings. The best so far is I think The Sound of Snow. The worst: Forcing the End. I still think it would have been more interesting if the line of Season 1 was followed and The Millennium Group was a force of good people (perhaps a cult) fighting evil. Now it's more like the X-Files: evil conspiricies and stuff.

Wong and Morgan declined being interviewed on the extra's, I guess they were not amused being dogged like that by the others.

To wrap it up: despite all its flaws, this show is still better than 80% off the other crap (CSI anyone?) that's out there. I give it a 7 out of 10.

Author: Mr_Mole

Millennium is one of those true gems which outshined everything else, but burned out too fast. Lance Henriksen as Frank Black is one of the greatest acting jobs ever attempted. The writing, directing and producing are second to none. It's a shame that FOX canceled Millennium before its time. If your a fan, you know what I mean. If you have never seen Millennium, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Author: DrayLOVE

I remember when word came about the new series X Files. It was going to be big, everyone said, and it was. I never liked it. Not once. Then Carter comes along and tries to make a second success, and this time, for me, he hits it right.

Call it what you want - it may be the way they filmed it, the way they paced it, Lance Henriksen's presence (he's exceptionally good in this one) - but it was very, very good.

And it's typically ironic that some of the better shows such as this one don't get the staying power and the studio backing that the more mediocre shows get. But that's life. C'est la vie. It's a shame it disappeared as quickly as it did, but if it didn't it might not be remembered so fondly today.

Highly recommended - very gripping, very well made series. Whether or not you're an X Files fan doesn't matter: odds are you will like this one a lot.

Author: Goodman

**MAJOR SPOILER ALERT!!!**

"Millennium" was one of the strongest dramas in the history of television. It went where no show had dared to go before. The acting was superb, the sets were remarkable and the writing was generally well above the norm. So what happened? The producers themselves admit that the show never knew what it wanted to become. Chris Carter's original vision led to the startling Season 1: the grisly crime scene, the etched face of Frank Black as he takes us into the mind of the killer, and the introduction of the mysterious "Millennium Group." It was an amazing first season.

The ratings, however, weren't that great, especially when compared to that pop sensation "X-Files", and Fox put on the pressure. So new people were put in charge of the direction of the show, and led us into Season 2, which many consider the best season, but I consider the season that led to the demise of the show.

I personally love the first half of the second season, with the emergence of Laura Means, the great depth of the Group, the strong contributions of Peter Watts, and the clearer lines between good and evil, heavenly and satanic.

Again, however, the ratings were disappointing, and the second half of the second season is turned on its head. The Millennium group becomes suspect, Laura Means goes insane, major characters are killed, and in the final episode it is suggested that 80% of the worlds population are going to die of plague.

Season 3 tries to bring the show back to where it began, but it was too late. The Black family chemistry is never the same, tho Jordan (Brittany Tipplady) continued to shine, Laura Means left a huge whole in the show when she left, Peter Watts is suddenly the bad guy, and the Millennium Group are now responsible for the worlds great evils. Chris Carter came back on board in Season 3, and in his own words says he didn't really know what to do with the pieces that pieces that were left.

That being said, Season 3 was still a very strong season, and contains some of my personal favorite episodes, in particular "Through a Glass, Darkly". Klea Scott (Emma Hollis) filled some of the vacuum left by those that were killed off in Season 2. The writing was superb, and except for a couple of weak episodes (ie. the notorious "KISS" episode!) the season stands up very well.

But again, it was the wavering of purpose and direction and leadership that finally put the hole in the waterline and sunk the show. If the producers and writers had only stayed true to the original purpose, and not buckled to the pressure being exerted by the network, the show might have seen its core audience grow and developed some longevity. There was certainly enough substance there for at least 6 or 7 seasons.

So many opportunities missed. The relationship of Lance Hendriksen and Peter Watts, the growing character of Laura Means, the unfolding of the "true" purpose of the Group, and even the continuing struggle of the Black family, of Frank and Catherine, to deal with Frank's "gift". Lucy Butler, Frank's nemesis, virtually disappears in Season 3, appearing in only 1 episode.

I own all 3 seasons and they hold a treasured place in my DVD collection, but its easy to get melancholy thinking about what might have been.

Author: Coiriel

Lance Henrikson's Frank Black characterization is probably one of the greatest acting jobs one is likely to see. Not only was "Millennium" the most realistic, thought-provoking series ever produced (especially the second season), but Henrikson as Frank Black created a living, breathing human to counterbalance the paranormal aspects of it: strength and intelligence in his work as an investigator, loyalty and protective care above all to his wife and his child...sustained through the first two seasons, when Morgan and Wong wrote a huge chunk of the series, lost forever when the 3rd season began.

The second season set up a scenario in which Frank Black comes into direct conflict with the private agency he contracts for, the Millennium Group and his contact Peter Watts whose ambiguous role reveals the true warring factions behind all the borderline paranormal activities Black has encountered. The waring factions, both anticipating the Biblical endtimes, are the Owls and the Roosters, differentiated by their beliefs in the coming Apocalypse (Owls remain watchful, ready, protective of the mundane world faced with the building supernatural forces, while the Roosters are reactionary militarists zealously assured that the Apocalypse has already begun, and only they have prepared...). Frank Black's discoveries culminate in one of the most horrible living nightmares ever suffered by a fictional character in any medium, as a biological weapon is released in Washington state, a wind-carried plague similar to ebola, only more severe and instantaneous in its effects.

That second season ended with Frank Black and his family taking to the hills, cutting themselves off from humanity as this Blood Plague consumed the cities. When the final episode ended, the full unrelenting horror of Frank Black's existence was unforgettably etched: he had lost one of his most loved to the plague, and he was slack-faced, hair turned white, isolated in a cabin with the whole world succumbing to this unstoppable disease. This was the most devastatingly shocking thing imaginable, not a hallucination, not a dream. Real was the horror, and everlasting.

Then Morgan and Wong left the show with this impossible scenario to either solve, deal with, or simply ignore by cancelling the show altogether. There was no way to go back. Truly, this cataclysmic ending to the second season was the most uncompromising, gutsy move ever, on television especially. Of course, considering the fact that the huge audience for Morgan and Wong's other affiliation, "X-Files", did not watch "Millennium", nor did anyone else, it really was not a gutsy move to end the second season with a full-blown Apocalypse, since this wasn't Fox Mulder watching Scully's blood explode from her body through her pores as Plague devoured her. The public never would stand for an Apocalypse, a change so radical, in something so popular as "X-Files", though many would argue that's exactly what "X-Files" needed and still needs..

"Millennium" did not survive its own Apocalypse, for the greatest cop-out in any film or series occurred when the execreble 3rd season began, and the Blood Plague became an isolated event, Frank's loss bypassed by "six months" in which he'd spent under psychiatric care. Gone was the Millennium Group, Peter Watts, Lara Means, the Apocalypse...replaced by bad writing, cliche stock characters, and a complete loss of any kind of respect for the complex themes and issues of the human condition raised in the first two years.

This series came along and revealed truths about human motivations and monstrosity, as well as the depths of loyalty and deception, centered around one of the most well-crafted, solid series protagonists to be found in fiction. To this day, and probably as long as I live, I will be haunted by the questions raised during that last episode of the second year, concerning a non-existant character in a television series who had been shattered by events he could not avoid, left clutching what remained while all the demons and monsters he'd always feared and fought against slowly and inexorably engulfed the Earth. The effect of Frank Black and this series cannot be measured, personally. But the second season is as close to a legitimate masterpiece of writing, acting, and direction to be released in the last twenty years, in film or television, in my mind.

Author: Nejind

The TV series Millennium is a highly intelligent and thought-provoking show about the nature of evil and how it manifests in consensus reality.

Spanning over three distinctive Seasons, Millennium dared to shock us with graphic imagery of serial killings, torture, mutilation, supernatural appearances and destruction. Yes, Millennium is dark and brooding from its initial start but the viewer should be aware that there is indeed light and hope embodied in each and every episode. This is often depicted metaphorically as a "yellow house" or simply being close to those that understand. It was this important element that kept Millennium from becoming a total gut-wrenching and depressing show.

Each episode of Millennium feels like a mini-movie thanks to the outstanding production qualities ascribed to the show. The characters in Millennium, especially Frank Black, were people one could really relate to - even so for the perpetrators themselves to some extent since many of them were simply misguided souls that were led astray by negative forces.

Millennium itself is really nothing like the X-Files and any comparison between the two can't really be made. Millennium is a far more realistic and frightening show than the X-Files and doesn't have that "amateurish" feel which made the X-Files a bit tongue-in-cheek at times.

Millennium pioneered the "flashback" technique which showed glimpses of a killers thoughts as the main protagonist comes within the vicinity of a murder scene. Shows like CSI: Name Your City & Cold Case etc completely ripoff ideas such as this but fail in the delivery. These new crime shows are nowhere near as good as Millennium since they are designed to appeal to the bubble-gum and MTV generation. The ones with 5-sec attention spans and an eye for pretty people with no substance.

One final thing to say. The main character in Millennium - Frank Black, as played by Lance Henriksen, would have to be one of the greatest heroes in any TV show. I mean this from a true "hero" perspective - someone that is selfless and believes that the needs of society as a whole should be served first over one's individual agenda. Frank Black was this and more. A man who had been through hell and back yet never gave up despite insurmountable opposition and suffering.

Author: Gnng

When Millennium first aired on television, I was 12 years old and a huge fan of The X-files. I didn't pay much attention to the series, I guess, because in a way, the series was different from The X-files. Recently I re-watched most of the episodes on cable TV for the first time in 10 years, and it caught my attention in a way that it hadn't before.

I can say that I re-discovered Millennium. It is undoubtedly a wonderful show, comparable to The X-files. The writing is superb, especially on season 2,my favorite season, the acting is great, the characters are totally likable, Mark Snow's score is wonderful as always. I think James Wong and Glen Morgan did a terrific job on season 2, with memorable episodes, such as: "The beginning and the end", "Monster", "The curse of Frank Black", "Midnight of the century", "The time is now", among others. And season 3 also has it's memorable episodes, such as: "Borrowed time" and "Antipas".

I think it's sad the show only lasted 3 seasons, in my opinion The X-files should have ended earlier, maybe on season 7, but Millennium had the potential to go on, I believe the series ended prematurely. Chris Carter created a masterpiece with The X-files, and he did it again with Millennium, creating another unique series on the history of TV, and a classic, no question about that.

Author: Umge

I have only seen Series 1 of this series, but I must say that this is an excellent series. What is interesting about 'Millennium' is that it is set in the same time and space as the 'X-Files'. This is due to the Millennium Episode that is featured in X-Files Season 7 where the character Frank Black helps Mulder and Scully solve a case involving undead individuals who were members of the millennium group coming back to life.

But in the Millennium series, Frank Black helps the FBI investigate Serial Killers and Cult groups in a different location in America while Mulder and Scully who are FBI Agents investigate Paranormal and Horror etc in other locations.

But Millennium is a very dark series, much darker and disturbing than the X-Files with far more stronger and believable characters and far more stronger and believable story lines and really gripping music.

I strongly recommend this series to anyone who is a fan of the X-Files as you will not be disappointed.

Excellent.

Author: Frlas

Ever since the pilot I knew this would be something special. Seeing Lance Henriksen in his own TV show was a dream come true. He was always a favorite and is my own personal favorite actor of all time. The Man with the Golden Voice. This show was too heavy for the era it came out. All the crap TV want to be's like profiler, CSI, closer, etc... what garbage. Even law and order took the two opening notes from millennium (wonder if Chris carter figured that out!). I have all the episodes and watch them constantly. I hate how the great shows get sent away then they come up with new crap (and crap it is) that isn't near as good and fails in every way. Millennium was the darkest and most intriguing show with the most intense character (henriksen) i've ever seen on TV. I wish people would take note of the crap they watch. I say go out and get what every crime show today has copied off of and will never be able to duplicate: Millennium. This Is Who We Are

Author: Cobyno

Basically this is about code breaking. All religions are the mother of theology is about breaking the codes. This is a show about breaking the codes shown in the cracks between profane life, the soul and the scrapheap antimatter in between.

It is a pity that this show followed after The X-Files and was compared to it.

Most criticism this show has gotten comes from people who don't seem to understand it. It's one of those shows you understand very little of if you don't see all episodes and that is just great.

Personally I can't stand TV-series with one evening resolutions like that godawful CSI or relentless crap like "lawyer shows".

Apart from all the brilliant TV-series made by HBO Millennium is one of those shows I real hate not being able to watch anymore. In fact it's so good and one of those shows you wish you never saw so you could see it anew.

I am a high school teacher and teach religion, I spent three and a half years in the theological faculty and wrote me bachelors degree about the end of the world, i.e. apokalytica. The studies about the myths of the end of the world.

Millennium digs down in the huge pile of myths and present a true and horryfying version of it set in modern society and really makes me remember the collective anxiety regarding the coming of the new millennia.

The illness of the world and what aisle the human psyche is constant in the show and it makes you feel uncomfortable. TV4 in Sweden, like most of the time managed, to screw this show up, by airing it on different times or around midnight workdays and changing the airing days - their trailer for the show said it was about a former cop hunting serial killers. It's not, it's about the hunt for the truth in the obscure and sometimes the bizarre. The Swedish public expected to see a cop show and soon turned away thus banning it to airing times 2 o'clock in the morning between a Monday and tuseday.

There are some episodes and elements that'll stick to you. As many others have said the episode namned The Curse of Frank Black is amazing. The scene in the lodge when the plague hits is also very good. Legion is a scary figure and sometimes it's presence makes me think of the best show ever on TV Twin Peaks.

The Millennium group and the webs of conspiracies leaves the viewer with intellectual speculation and that is how I want to be left after viewing a show and not with some damn fingerpointining and sugarcoated morality Hoartio Caine style.

Why this show was canceled is a damn shame but it's understandable. Most people are not into active viewing, they want sitcoms, reality shows and cop shows, but I tip my hat to the creators of Millennium and celebrate their work because we, who like to think for ourselves, should have som shows to watch too.

Author: Umrdana

I've recently purchased all 3 seasons. I am a huge horror/thriller fan, and this series has it all. It is legitimately scary, This show is great. Lance Henricksen plays his character to a T. The show has a lot of supernatural and religious connotations which only serve to drive the story forward. There are so many aspects of this show that can only be described as wonderful. I haven't been this pleased with a show in a long while. My sister actually told me about this show when it was on television and I had ignored her. My mistake !!! At least by buying the DVD's I won't miss one episode !!! The character development is top notch, as you come to care about them, even some of the conflicted killers. If you can pick Millennium one up I highly recommend them. You won't be disappointed.

Author: Dammy

Now that all the three (3) season have been released on DVD, it's time to look into this Chris Carter show always overshadowed by The X-Files.

I always thought Millennium was always more realistic of the two. Sure, sometimes there was some paranormal stuff going on, but not in a way that in x-files. Millennium has more of a horror-thriller-like vibe, where The X-Files focuses on UFOs and extraterrestrial activity.

There IS a sort of a continuous storyline included, so i totally recommend getting at least the two first seasons, and watching as many episodes in a row as possible. Definitely darker, and more violent than the X-Files.

Author: lolike

It was dark, it was brooding, and it was intelligently written. I'm amazed it lasted as long as it did. Lance Henriksen was soulful and even sexy. Too bad for Megan Gallagher that her part was so small, but "Hero's Wife" has never been a star turn. The best episode of them all was "Somehow Satan Got Behind Me,"where four demons all recount their exploits in damnation and their encounters with Frank Black. That's one of the funniest things I ever saw.

Author: Thetalen

Millennium is one of my favorite shows ever since I first watched it a few years ago. I was initially drawn to it because I am an X-Files fan and remembered it being on back in the day. I had never watched it though because it seemed a lot scarier than X-Files and I was scared enough as it was by that show. But years and desensitization later I decided to give the show a try.

The Pilot episode is possible one of the most memorable pilots I have ever seen. It immediately lets you know that this is nothing like The X-Files. This show is going to be much darker and scarier. Frank Black is an ex-FBI profiler, who know works for the Millennium Group doing consulting with law enforcement who need extra help with their profiles. The idea for the show as explained by Chris Carter came from three concepts. The episode "Irresitible" from The X-Files second season, the movie "Se7en", and an actual group of ex-law enforcement who actually do profiling consulting called Academy Group Inc.

Season 1 was very dark and followed a SKOTW (Serial Killer of the Week) format. It was very similar to the show Criminal Minds and was an early precursor to many of the darker True Crime shows that are so popular today. The main character, Frank Black is masterfully played by Lance Henriksen and his friend and group mentor is Peter Watts played by the wonderful actor Terry O'Quinn. Season 1 takes some time to get any deeper story going but eventually we are introduced to the character Lucy Butler who will feature prominently in the series as Frank's nemesis.

In season 2, Chris Carter was taken away from the show to focus on The X-Files Fight the Future movie and left the show in the care of Executive Producers Glenn Morgan and James Wong of Final Destination fame. In an attempt to spark more interest in the show and in response to complaints that season 1 was too dark for some viewers, they decided to delve deeper into the history of the MIllennium Group and began to set up a very interesting mythology based on religion and philosophy and the nature of good and evil. Season 2 produced some of the better episodes, however, ratings dropped and they were under the impression that the show was going to be canceled. Because of such they decided to end the season with an end of the world plague.

Season 3. Morgan and Wong had now left the show and Chris Carter came back having little to no idea what kinds of story lines they had set up or where they were going with it. The plague was written off as a minor outbreak in a remote area of Washington and an attempt was made to switch the show back to the SKOTW format. While this did produce some great episodes in the third season, including some very creepy Lucy Butler centric episodes, unfortunately the show suffered from a sporadically changing mythology. Frank's attempts in the third season at investigating and exposing the Millennium Group is just frustrating and at times very uninteresting. The show ends on a cliffhanger type ending as Frank and his daughter drive off to who knows where leaving everything behind.

An attempt was made to conclude or pay homage to the series through a cross-over episode of the X-Files entitled "Millenium" in season 7. But despite having one of the show's better writers on the case (Vince Gilligan) he had no experience with the Millennium series. The co-writer Frank Spotnitz did but apparently not enough to realize that this was a poor homage to Frank Black. It works well as an X-Files episode. But it is terrible as a Millennium episode.

The hope among many fans, especially with the resurgence of The X-Files with "I Want To Believe" coming out last year, is that Millennium will get a movie tribute as well. Wouldn't it be interesting if both The X-Files and Millennium got a movie in the year 2012, each to explain and wrap up their end of the world mythologies? Even with its flaws and tragic history that led to its demise after three short seasons, this is a show worth checking out. I give the series a 10 out of 10.

Author: Jugore

Millennium. A dramatic-thriller series which delves into a multitude of genres from serial killer investigations, government conspiracy, biblical prophecy, and even some supernatural elements. A quite dark series on top of that, created by Chris Carter and aired by Fox, a small-yet-incredible piece of The X-Files universe that stands on its own. Starring Lance Henrikson, his show differs from its sibling series' long run, being cut short at three seasons (with a 'coda' crossover episode). In its entirety, this is the story of Frank Black and his daughter Jordan. And you know what...

I absolutely love this show! I've only recently gotten into Millennium, with big thanks to the Chiller cable channel, and am now proud to say I own the series DVD set (showing both my love for the series and support for a future feature film). This mark in thriller television history took some most interesting and unexpected turns, overseen by different writers and figure-heads, but always given the blessing and support of its creator. Millennium is, as I view it, unique in that it's primarily a "family show" which happens to involve serial killer investigating and some rather blunt violence & realism, forcing me to suggest it just for adults.

As I'm quite sure others have pointed out, each season clearly has its own distinctive style and scope. Season 1, being the first year where the cast and writers have to find themselves, serves as a pure gritty (and at times shockingly violent) 'serial killer investigation' drama, being mostly stand-alone "killer of the week" while also supplying an underlaid over-all arc with a certain stalker of Frank's. Season 2 kicks things up a huge notch by exploring the mythology of the show's namesake Group in near-epic ways, where the conspiracy and biblical material the show can be known well for brings out all the stops. Then with Season 3, Millennium's main city venue makes the move from Seattle, Washington to Quantico, Virginia where Frank gets back to his roots and lets his feelings for the Group be very clear as he starts working with a new partner.

While I love Seasons 1 and 3, Season 2 may in fact by my favorite of the show. I know the story heads and main writers, Morgan & Wong, get a heck of a lot of flak for their new direction to the show, but dang... The stakes to Frank's journey are raised so considerably and the turns Millennium takes in its mythology exploration are downright breath-taking, displaying its best overall season arc IMHO. I'm not gonna knock off Season 3 though, while its own new direction may take some getting used to at first, it continues to elevate the rising stakes in a more subdued and yet continually intriguing manner as the clock to the year 2000 seriously ticks down. I also get a joy out of the complex Emma, whom while I don't like as much as Frank's wife Catherine, becomes a great partner to Frank and thus holds quite a shock in the series finale.

Other pivotal characters include, as already mentioned, Frank's wife Catherine. A more stunning and brilliant actress couldn't have been selected, 'nough said. The character of Peter Watts, whom ultimately goes from Frank's liaison to the group to his best friend, is in my view the most fascinating character of the series. While there's a considerable gap to his character development between the second and third seasons, his development and evolution proves to be extraordinary and for where his story ultimately ends up, it doesn't disappoint IMO. Frank and his perfectly-cute daughter, Jordan, serve as the two main characters from the very beginning to the very end, therefore I'd argue Millennium is just as much their story as anybody's, I'd say their relationship is one all fathers to young girls could admire.

On the whole and in the end, Millennium is a very dark series that like other fantastic shows such as Angel, Firefly, and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, was canceled in its prime long before its time. It really wasn't afraid to hold anything back, pulling no punches if ya' wanna put it that way, as any character could die. I am absolutely in love with it and would be on cloud 9 if a feature film were made, as there's always more room to explore. I always somehow get tears in my eyes, and yes I'm a guy, when watching the last few minutes of the series finale, "Goodbye to All That". Even though the show finishes months before the year 2000, "May 21st, 1999" to be exact, it's just such a poignant and beautiful moment during the final exchange between Frank and his little girl.

Luckily, while there aren't yet any feature film plans, we did get a sort of continuation and conclusion beyond the series finale. The X-Files Season 7 episode, appropriately titled "Millennium", features the return and final appearances of Frank Black (and his daughter Jordan, though really only a cameo in her case) approximately 7 months after the finale as the year 2000 is finally reached, a 'coda' crossover that's beautifully enough included on Season 3's last disc. Now this episode gets more than its fair share of flak IMO for how matters with Frank, or rather the Group mostly, are handled. However, I was surprisingly pleased, enjoying the episode on more than one viewing, even if it may be on a X-Files level of weirdness. It offers some decent enough closure beyond the show's finale in my view and that final scene between Frank and Jordan... it's just absolutely perfect to finally see them together, without the threat of the Group on them, and no longer having to go on the run.

The saga of Frank Black is not to be missed if you value unbelievably profound, beautiful, & gripping story telling. I fully recommend it, 10 stars~

Author: Magis

This was by far one of my favorite shows in the late nineties. From the pilot which is one of he best ever made, as shows struggle to get their feet under them, this one came out blasting. I bought the disc last week and even thirteen years later, this show is still rocking. The story lines, the people, the themes, etc. were and still awesome. It went up against Profiler which was awesome in its own right. Chris Carter really put an awesome show together and even though it fizzled and ended after three years, it was still awesome. I wish Fox had put as much effort in this show as The X-files, it would have lasted longer. Lance Henrickson was great as Frank Black. Some of the shows were very thought provoking, one of my favorites is the "Judge". Also, the one dealing with the Zodiac killer is a classic and should go down in the books as "Rocking". If you have not given this show a shot, DO!!!1

Author: Twentyfirstfinger

I've been a fan of Lance for a long time, but since HBO came along I haven't seen many network series, so I missed this one. I would love to have Lance in my next film, so I've started watching it on the Chiller channel and it's great! This is CSI before CSI. Actually it's like Manhunter the series... Which as I've watched CSI, I've realized that's basically what it is. The lighting and tone of the shows is very similar as are the two leads. Lance's Frank Black is very reminiscent of William Peterson in Manhunter then of course CSI, but Millennium came before CSI.

Seems like this one was just a little too ahead of its time Great show! They should definitely make a film!

Author: Gavirus

If someone were to come up to me and ask me: "What can you tell me about the TV series Millennium?" I could go on forever.

One of the nice effects about the series is that the overall dark plot of the series revolved around the end of the world coming in the year 2000. And it was produced before the year 2000. So the affect of making people wonder and turning heads worked well.

Firstly, I loved the dark atmostphere that is employed in the series. You had your conspiracy episodes revolving around the Millennium Group, who and what they are. There was so many questions going around and so many strange and painful events. The discovery of the Crucifixion cross, The Marbug Virus and the Prions, the death of Catherine Black, children being killed and going missing, the strange and undying evil of Lucy Butler. Oh my god....

Chris Carter started a legend with The X Files which I used to watch religiously, but then he went a step up and did something even better than X Files. Millennium.

I watch all three of the series's all the time, and always put it on when I am writing or just in general. I never get bored of "Owls" and "Roosters" - the two part myth arc where the Millennium Group was split right down the middle when the cross of the Crucifixion was discovered and a battle for its possession soon began. Part of the reason is that the same dark music used from the two episodes "Patient X" and "The Red and the Black" from The X Files (5th season) were used as well. And that was the other nice thing. The same creator - two different series and you can find the same music in and around parts.

Another huge aspect I love about Millennium is the Family story within it as well. Frank and his daughter, Jordan. I love that despite everything that had happened to him, Frank was still there for his little girl. And in the third series episode "Borrowed Time", I nearly cried at all the emotions displayed and felt so sorry for Frank - a single father going through the possibility that he was close to losing his daughter (and he had already lost his wife). The family aspect is amazing and heart-warming to see. Lance Henriksen and Brittany Tiplady did some fantastic acting and performances.

Millennium is an experience that NO fiction, horror and thriller fan should EVER go without. It is a pity that no films have been made based on the series...

Complete series cast summary:
	Lance Henriksen	-	Frank Black 67 episodes, 1996-1999

	Megan Gallagher	-	Catherine Black 45 episodes, 1996-1999

	Terry O'Quinn	-	Peter Watts 41 episodes, 1996-1999

	Brittany Tiplady	-	Jordan Black 39 episodes, 1996-1999

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