Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8111 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-10-31
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 18
• Formats: Box set, Full Screen, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 18
• Running time: 999 minutes

Synopsis
Another dramatic sci-fi series from Chris Carter (THE X-FILES), MILLENNIUM is set in the gray and rainy climate of the Pacific Northwest. Lance Henriksen stars as Frank Black, a former FBI agent in Washington, D.C., who is looking for a more relaxed wife with his family in Seattle. But Frank's truly special ability to step enter the minds of serial killer won't allow him to give up the fight of good vs. evil. Soon, he's found himself aligned with the Millennium Group, and a new breed of vigilante justice begins to clean up the dangerous streets. This collector's box contains all the episodes of the series, as well as the 'Millennium' episode from Season 7 of The X-Files.

Customer Reviews

MIDNIGHT OF THE CENTURY
MILLENNIUM is at first a product of its times, a manifestation of the mid to late nineties fear of what Y2K could bring. Its easy to look back now in hindsight and dismiss millennial tension, but there were a great many who had serious thoughts of what could happen and looked for answers. It's also easy to dismiss its innovative mature and sombre tone when it has been copied to lesser effect in the last five or six years with other procedural shows like CSI and COLD CASE.

Chris Carter concieved MILLENNIUM to be like the feature films SILENCE OF THE LAMBS or SEVEN but on a weekly format. No aliens or govermental conspiracies like his X-FILES, but a psychological exploration of the nature of evil, of one man's ability to see into the thought processes of the worst of humanity. Frank Black's gift was not psychic in nature but an accute understanding of the heart of darkness: "I become capability. I become the horror -- what we know we can become only in our heart of darkness. It's my gift. It's my curse. That's why I retired."

Lance Henrikson plays ex-FBI agent Frank Black perfectly, a man who was driven to a nervous breakdown when he realized he could no longer keep his family safe from the evil he was helping to fight. He only returns to work with the help of the Millennium Group and the support of his wife, who realises he can't just sit back and wait for a happy ending. Their symbolic yellow house becomes not just a sanctuary but a fragile treasure in Franks mind, one that is threatened as his investigations continue. Evil takes a personal interest in him, tempting him to join it, and we see the toll his resistence to that evil has on his life.

The psychological aspect is what I believe Chris Carter was more interested in, however when Season two began and X-Files script writers/producers Morgan and Wong took over, they changed the focus away from that aspect and more on the supernatural, and mythological nature of the Millennium Group itself. Over that one season (instead of five whch would have been more believable as a narrative) the Group turned from a noble company of ex-law enforcement agents (like the real life Academy Group) into a fractured quasi-religious cult, founded at the time of Christ's crucifixtion, with an agenda to not just wait for an apocalypse but to pre-empt it. At the end of the second season, the writers introduced a deadly ebola-type virus, supposedly manufactured by the group itself, that apparently wipes out half the world, including claiming the life of Franks wife. At the end of that season, the world has ended, and the writers effectively ruined concept of the show.

Season three, back now in the hands of Chris Carter, starts off without making any real reference to the virus outbreak, with Frank back atthe FBI, until a few episodes in when its revealed it was only a media panic over a few isolated cases rather than the real apocalypse. The SOUND OF SNOW is particulary a heart-wrenching episode where Frank finally deals with his wifes death. Try as they might, despite some exceptional work, the show never recovers from the loss of the Catherine Black character, the loss of the symbolism of the yellow house, or the change of Millennium Group to religious conspiracy cult. After the Group begin to execute those members deemed too dangerous to their agenda, Frank goes on the run with his daughter Jordan. And the less said about the X-Files crossover episode the better.

These DVD's are still a must buy for any fan of dramatic storytelling, because even the worst episodes are better than 90% of current tv. If you like CSI, 24 and all of the other procedural shows, you'll like this. They're excellently put together with commentaries and documentaries, which especially give you a palpable sense of the frustration felt by the actors and Chris Carter of how great the show could have been if allowed to grow at its own pace. Regardless of its faults, MILLENNIUM is a special show, the level of acting and production elevating it over any inconsistancies of series narrative.

As Lance Henrikson says in the documentary, about missed opportunities, MILLENNIUM still haunts him.

So will this, but for all the right reasons.

Bring it Back NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Having bought this box set on the back of only seeinig two episodes back in the nineties on terrestrial tv before it moved to sky I knew I'd love it as much as I loved the X files, this however is a much more thought provoking show and it tends to get under your skin and into your head, after watching the episode Wide Open I always lock my back door when I'm in the living room, watch it and you'll get the idea. The first season was brilliant, however it went a wayward from season two but its still compulsive viewing. Lance Henrikson is excellent as the tormented Black and the supporting characters all fit in well with his tortured soul. All in all you won't be disappointed and on the evidence of todays world events it may make you think deeper. I wish Chris Carter would reprise it even for just one season more. Brilliant!!!!

An amazing boxset and a truly amazing series.
This is one of my favourite t.v series, this was made by the maker of the X-Files Chris Carter and as with the X-Files this is a dark and gritty drama. With Millennium we see Frank Black an Ex F.B.I criminal profiler who has joined the mysterious Millennium group.

Frank has a gift, he can get into the mind of the most brutal and ruthless killers there are, with the help from the Millennium group he hunts down and catches these killers, but as time goes by and Frank becomes disillusioned with the group and begins to think they are a lot more than they claim to be, he also thinks they have been responsible for many murders amongst the death of his wife. Frank then decides to do everything in his power to destroy the group and bring them to justice.

This is a great series, personally series one was the best for me but the others are great too, the only complaint I have was that there was no series four, there where so many stories left to tell, a bit disappointing.

I hope this review was of some help to you.