The success of WB (WSTR-TV 64 here in Cincinnati) among its target demographic (18-34 year olds) could have been the undoing of one of their newer, and perhaps best series, Roswell. Based on the Roswell High series of books written by Melinda Metz, the program debuted back in September, behind one of the network's flagship programs, Dawson's Creek.
Roswell has set itself apart from its sister shows in that it's not only about the relationship between a set of young people, but the mystery and suspense of trying to keep an important secret.
While seven of the eight-person cast are under 25 years of age, one actor skews a little higher, as they say. William Sadler plays Sheriff Valenti, a man determined to unlock the secret. The 7-inch edit goes something like this. Max, his sister Isabel and their friend Michael are aliens. They attend high school in Roswell, N.M. You may recognize the name.
In the late '40s something crashed in the desert outside of town. Some say weather balloon. Others say alien spacecraft. Still others guess experimental aircraft.
For the sake of dramatic license, the producers of Roswell opt for alien spacecraft. OK. Late 1940s, and these kids are 16. Hmmmm. It's partially explained. In the pilot episode, Max tells us that they were found in the desert in 1989 and, at that time, they were already six years old. Not even they can explain the discrepancy, but they hope to find the answer.
Valenti's father, meanwhile, discovered something odd in 1959 and immediately began hunting for an alien. He was summarily laughed out of town. Valenti himself was among the skeptics, but now that has changed, as he finds himself in a similar situation.
These kids are in high school, but that's really secondary to the overall plot. "The idea of building a series around 'Does he love me? He doesn't love me' didn't interest (the producers)," Sadler says by phone from his home in Los Angeles. "For the sake of keeping themselves interested [there had to be more]." That's proven to be the show's fulcrum.
"The shows are getting stronger and stronger," offers Sadler. "At least that's my perception." He's come to the series after a 30-year career onstage and in feature films. That's longer than any of his castmates have been alive, but he's very comfortable with it all.
"I'm finding it very satisfying. The question is, when you're acting with (a young actor) do the sparks fly? Is there a connection? Is there a work ethic? And what I'm finding is that what they lack in experience, they make up for in talent and drive."
He likens acting to tennis, with each actor having to volley back and forth. "I'm happy to report there are a lot of good tennis players on our court."
In this X-Files meets Dawson's Creek, one wonders how much the cast knows ahead of time. Sadler laughs, then explains. "The fact of the matter is we aren't told very much at all about the direction that the series is going in. Or at least, I'm not." He has been told he will find out about the secret, but is not privy to what his character will do with it once he finds out.
It seems, also, that if you're doing a show about people in Roswell, it would behoove you to know about the events of 1948. " '47," Sadler corrects me. "I actually know a fair amount about it. When I got involved with this project, I started reading up on the actual events of 1947. For better or for worse, we don't spend a lot of time on what happened in 1947."
Roswell goes back to 1959 to begin its mythology. That's when Valenti's father finds a dead John Doe with a silver palm print on his body. The younger Valenti finds out that a girl, Liz Parker, who was shot and miraculously healed by someone, had just such a mark, where the bullet struck her. This starts a relationship between alien Max and Earthling Liz, and also sets Sheriff Valenti off on his quest for an explanation. More importantly, it's a chance to vindicate his father. As an added bonus, we got to meet his father in the episode slated to run on Jan. 26. The sheriff's father is played by John Cullum, the actor who was Holling on Northern Exposure.
Liz and Max do have a "Will they or won't they?" dynamic, but everyone's main concern is keeping the true identities of Max, Isabel and Michael secret, lest they be whisked of to Wright-Patt and dissected.
As the first season draws to a close this spring, fans may wonder if there will be a cliffhanger. "God, I hope so," says Sadler. "But I'm in the dark. We're just mushrooms. They keep us in the dark and feed us." ©
