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the dead zone the complete first season | Year: 2001 Classification: Television Actors/Actresses: - Anthony Michael Hall Fan from the beginning I have been hooked to this TV series since it's pilot in June of 2002. As a big fan of Stephen King, the author of the book The Dead Zone, I had to at least give it a try. I wasn't disappointed! Week after week, it's spellbinding and never fails to please. When I heard the first season was coming out on DVD, I had to get it...and did! Now I hear that season 2 is coming to DVD June 8, 2004 and WILL be getting that as well. Season 3 starts June 6, 2004 and I'm ready to begin watching it again. Actually I was ready with the season finale last year. I HIGHLY recommend this DVD set, as well as Season 2, to everyone. And be sure to catch the new season!!! Stephen King's novel is turned into a pretty good TV series Of all of Stephen King's novels "The Dead Zone" is probably the one has the strongest potential for being turned into a television series, mainly on the strength of the character of Johnny Smith. Many years after being adapted into a theatrical film, in which I thought Christopher Walken was miscast as Johnny, we have a television series based on King's novel, starring Anthony Michael Hall, that finally gives us something to replace "Quantum Leap" and "Morning Edition" among cult television fans. Created by the father and son team of Michael and Shawn Piller, there are several significant changes and additions to "The Dead Zone" premise: (1) The night of his accident Johnny and his fiancée Sara (Nicole de Boer) conceived a child, so when Johnny comes out of his coma this time, he learns more shocking news than Sara being married. (2) Sara is now married to Sheriff Walt Bannerman (Chris Buno), another character from the original novel, who is now given a more prominent role. (3) Johnny now has a sidekick in Bruce Lewis (John L. Adams), who starts off as his physical therapist and becomes a confidant, true-believer, and good friend. (4) In this version Johnny's father died when he was young and his mother (Anna Hagen), now a wealthy woman, died while he was in the coma. The bulk of her state has gone to the Reverend Gene Purdy (David Ogden Stiers), who has used it to fund his religious organization. This plays off of Vera Smith's fundamentalist beliefs in the novel, but gives the whole idea of the spiritual significance of Johnny's "gift" to the Reverend. (5) The other key supporting character is reporter Dana Bright (Kristen Dalton), who not only becomes a true believer but is interested in Johnny romantically as well. Consequently, Johnny has a much stronger support group in the television series. Once Sheriff Bannerman becomes a true believer that helps to eliminate the tired element of Johnny having to convince skeptics he is not a lunatic. (6) Finally, Greg Stillson (Sean Patrick Flanery), Johnny's ultimate antagonist in the novel, does not pop up until the 13th and final episode of the first season, setting up what will be the main conflict of season two. If there is a fundamental flaw to the series it is that it is pretty much impossible to come up with a "normal" episode for the series. "Quality of Life" would be one such episode, where Johnny takes a job as an assistant hockey coach, touches a kid, and knows that he is going to drop dead on the ice if he keeps playing. Of course, nobody wants to believe him. Fortunately "The Dead Zone" is one of those relatively new fangled series like "The Sopranos" and "Six Feet Under" where a full season is a dozen episodes, so that the series is not overwhelmed by more and more tales stretching the limits of Johnny's power (e.g., "Shaman"). The best episode of the first season is "The Siege," where Sara is caught in a bank robbery and Johnny joins the hostages in an effort to figure o A Standout Show That Only Gets Better! I was mildly interested in the DVD set when I saw it in a local store. Until then I had never heard of it. I FINALLY picked it up and was totally blown away by the great writing, good acting, and uniqueness of this show!! DEFINITELY worth EVERY dime!! Buy The Dead Zone The Complete First Season at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on The Dead Zone The Complete First Season Search with the Priority Search Engine on The Dead Zone The Complete First Season This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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