Global Frequency (2005) (TV)

Director:

Nelson McCormick

Writers:

Warren Ellis (graphic novel)
John Rogers (writer)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Tagline:

There are rumors of a conspiracy called the Global Frequency. A group of spies, experts, and ordinary people... They save us from threats that no one else sees or understands. The Global Frequency is real.

Plot:

The Global Frequency is an independent, illegal, covert intelligence agency determined to prevent international...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Comic | Based On Novel

Cast

Michelle Forbes	...	Miranda Zero
Aimee Garcia	...	Aleph
Josh Hopkins	...	Sean Flynn
Jenni Baird	...	Dr. Katrina "Kate" Finch
Brian Jensen	...	Richard Jenkins (Radioactive Man)
Bill Dow	...	Oscar Cergeyev
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Heidi Iro	...	Nadia Kretchin
Elizabeth Thai	...	Liz McKenna
Ian Thompson	...	Firefighter

Runtime:

45 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Tollin/Robbins Productions

Trivia:

After viewing the pilot, executives at the WB television channel decided not to put the series into production and it was shelved. The pilot only saw the light of day when it was "leaked" onto the Internet and distributed using the Bittorrent protocol (incidentally the first time an unaired pilot television program was released to the public in this way). Despite campaigning from fans, the WB stuck by the decision to pass on the series.

Soundtrack:

My Sundown

Died before its time

For those who don't know the background story, this pilot episode was never meant for public eyes. It was dropped by the network, as many other series are, after only the pilot episode was produced. However, a DVD screener of this show somehow made it out of the studio, and was uploaded to the Internet. It has now been downloaded millions of times and continues to be downloaded a full year after its initial appearance. Just search for it on the torrent sites.

It diminishes the enjoyment of a show somewhat to know there will never be another episode. That being said, this was an outstanding pilot.

The special effects were extremely good for a pilot. When I think back to other pilot episodes for similar series such as X-Files, The Collector, and Supernatural, I'm amazed those shows ever got out of the gate. Global Frequency makes a much better first impression.

While not deviating too much from the comics, the show needed a more familiar base. So much of the pilot is spent introducing Sean Flynn, a police officer suspended from the force, who accidentally stumbles upon this secret network by finding one of their phones. Sean is decent, but not a very bright guy, so all of the science fiction elements of the show require translation into layman terms. This would have ensured a broader appeal than just comic book geeks.

What I found to be a real departure, and a refreshing change, was the fact that Miranda Zero--a woman--runs the show. Action/adventure shows (particularly those touching on science fiction) rarely feature a female lead. Tilting the scales even further, the two other starring characters, Kate Finch and Aleph, are both women.

Taken for what it is, it's certainly not science fiction's finest hour. But it's easily as good an hour of entertainment as anything on TV these days. The fact that you're not even supposed to see it makes it even more appealing.