FreakyLinks
FreakyLinks was an American science fiction series that combined elements of horror, mystery, and comedy. It aired on Fox from October 2000 until June 2001, for a total run of 13 episodes. The feel of the show closely modeled that of The X-Files and other supernatural-themed shows that were popular at the time.
| FreakyLinks | |
|---|---|
| Genre | horror mystery comedy science fiction |
| Created by | Gregg Hale David S. Goyer |
| Starring | Ethan Embry |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production companies | Haxan Films Regency Television 20th Century Fox Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fox |
| Original release | October 6, 2000 – June 22, 2001 |
Setting and plot
FreakyLinks centered on Derek Barnes (played by Ethan Embry), who, assisted by his friends Chloe (Lisa Sheridan) and Jason (Karim Prince), ran a website called "FreakyLinks.com" that sought out the dark and forbidden truths behind paranormal phenomena and urban legends.
Derek took over the site after his twin brother, Adam, died under mysterious circumstances. The show's episodes revolved around Derek and his friends investigating supernatural claims for the website and uncovering clues that might reveal the truth of his brother's fate.
Cast
- Ethan Embry – Derek Barnes / Adam Barnes
- Lisa Sheridan – Chloe Tanner
- Karim Prince – Jason Tatum
- Lizette Carrion – Lan Williams
- Dennis Christopher – Vince J. Elsing
Production and marketing
FreakyLinks, originally titled Fearsum until a few months before airing, was developed by Haxan, the creators of the film The Blair Witch Project.
Haxan decided to follow a marketing strategy similar to Blair Witch's and created a website, long before the show was set to air, called "Freakylinks.com," which was cleverly designed to look like an amateurish, home-brew website made by real-life paranormal enthusiasts.[1]
The website was fairly successful and seemed to create some amount of "buzz," but this did not translate into high ratings when the show finally aired. The show went on hiatus for a few months before returning to the air to finish out the season, but it was not renewed for the next fall television season.
However, during its brief run the show developed a devoted cult following. Following the show's demise an outcry arose among the fans, and an online petition, possibly among the first such online petitions, was created to ask the Fox Network to bring the show back for another season.
Episodes
| No. | Title [2][3] | Directed by [3] | Written by [3] | Original air date | Prod. code [3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Subject: Fearsum" "Pilot" | Todd Holland | David S. Goyer | October 6, 2000 | 1AEF79 |
| 2 | "Subject: Threethirteen" | Stephen Cragg | Michael R. Perry | October 13, 2000 | 1AEF02 |
| 3 | "Subject: Edith Keeler Must Die" | David Straiton | Juan Carlos Coto | October 20, 2000 | 1AEF03 |
| 4 | "Subject: Coelacanth This!" | Jef Levy | Russel Friend & Garrett Lerner | October 27, 2000 | 1AEF01 |
| 5 | "Subject: Desert Squid! Myth or Legend?" | Scott Lautanen | Russel Friend & Garrett Lerner | November 3, 2000 | 1AEF04 |
| 6 | "Subject: The Harbingers" | Jay Tobias | Juan Carlos Coto | January 5, 2001 | 1AEF05 |
| 7 | "Subject: Still I Rise" | Joe Napolitano | Adisa Iwa | January 12, 2001 | 1AEF06 |
| 8 | "Subject: Me and My Shadow" | Thomas Wright | Mark Verheiden | January 19, 2001 | 1AEF07 |
| 9 | "Subject: The Stone Room" | David Grossman | Juan Carlos Coto | January 26, 2001 | 1AEF08 |
| 10 | "Subject: Live Fast, Die Young" | David Barrett | Michael R. Perry | June 1, 2001 | 1AEF10 |
| 11 | "Subject: Police Siren" | Randy Miller | Adisa Iwa | June 8, 2001 | 1AEF11 |
| 12 | "Subject: Sunrise at Sunset Streams" | Bill Norton | Russel Friend & Garrett Lerner | June 15, 2001 | 1AEF09 |
| 13 | "Subject: The Final Word" | David Straiton | Mark Verheiden | June 22, 2001 | 1AEF12 |
References
- Higley, Sarah; Weinstock, Jeffrey (2004). Nothing that is: Millennial Cinema and the Blair Witch Controversies. p. 78. ISBN 0814330649.
- From the Writers Guild of America, West catalog: "Signatory Project Confirmation [search: "FreakyLinks"]". Writers Guild of America, West. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
- From the United States Copyright Office catalog: "Public Catalog - Copyright Catalog (1978 to present) - Basic Search [search: "FreakyLinks"]". United States Copyright Office. Retrieved 2017-11-14.
External links
- Freakylinks.com – The original Freakylinks.com website, now part of Haxan's portfolio
- FreakyLinks at IMDb
- FreakyLinks at epguides.com