Dark Skies: The Write Stuff

This blog has received a phenomenal amount of attention due to the "Star Trek" Re-Boot post from last week and, as a consequence, a lot of "Dark Skies" fans have  sent e-mails asking for updates on what amount to three questions:

1. Will there ever be a DVD set released?
2. Will the Sci-Fi Channel re-air the series again?
3. Will the full story ever be told?

I'll get to those answers in a moment. First, for those of you who are scratching your heads saying, "Dark What?," a quick refresher.

"Dark Skies" was an NBC series with just possibly the most off-the-wall twist on the UFO phenomenon that you've seen. We constructed an entire premise -- and shot 20 hours of episodes -- laying out the case that John F. Kennedy was assassinated because he was going to tell the nation the truth about UFOs if he was re-elected to a second term. It got weirder from there.

NBC -- 20 hours -- 1996-1997
Created by Bryce Zabel & Brent V. Friedman

In the course of that first and only season, we told the story of the years from 1961 to 1967. Characters who had a personal encounter with flying saucers included Ronald Reagan, Carl Sagan, Timothy Leary, Jim Morrison, Dan Rather, Bobby Kennedy, Jack Ruby and others, and we told stories set in Vietnam, the Civil Rights movement, the Space Program, etc. Man, was it fun.

In order to sell the series, Brent Friedman and I created an ultra-classified "Briefing Book" which laid out the entire history of UFOs going back to 65-milion BC through our present day. It was sealed with a gold foil seal and wrapped in brown paper tied in twine and stamped "Top Secret." The essence of the pitch was that Brent and I had met a man named John Loengard who wanted to get the truth out about UFOs and felt that telling the story as fiction was the only way. This led to the so-called "Loengard letter" which was the centerpiece of the notebook. Click on it to see a larger version if this isn't readable on your screen:

Is John Loengard a real person? Did he really write that letter? We always said that he was and he did.

Alright, then, let's answer those questions:

Will there ever be a DVD set released? We live in a world where everything will some day be released so the short answer is probably yes. Will it be soon is a tougher question. SONY (previously Columbia Television) owns the rights and has to make that decision. If fans want the DVDs, they will have to lobby SONY for them. If the company does  make them, however, Brent and I kept all kinds of extras and goodies to put with them. For example, there were two versions of the pilot two-hour episode produced. Over the years, I've soft-lobbied several powers-that-be at SONY to let these out, but if people keep a steady stream of fan lobbying up, they may move it up the pipeline.

Will the Sci-Fi Channel re-air the series anytime soon? I have no inside knowledge of this, but I'd bet probably not. Sci-Fi did air the entire series run many, many times in the aftermath of the NBC cancellation. Maybe if they do an alien invasion week or a similar theme, "Dark Skies" might be a part of it. Again, if fans want this, they need to lobby the Sci-Fi Channel directly.

Will the story ever be finished? Tough question. As I said, Brent and I did arc out a five-year plan to tell the story that, at the time, moved from the pilot opening in 1961 at the beginning of the "New Frontier," ended the first season in 1967's "Summer of Love," and envisioned catching up to the present day near season five. We used to say that if we were cancelled we'd finish telling the story even if we had to stand on street corners and hand out photo-copies, but families and other jobs have kept us from finding a real way to go forward. I'd like to think that "Dark Skies" would make a fine comicbook series, or a perfect series of two-hour movies for the Sci-Fi Channel but, honestly, I can't say I'm optimistic about either of those options. It's a shame because we were looking forward to telling the story of the Hive's invasion of Earth during events like the moon landing, Watergate, Reagan firing the air traffic controllers, Clinton's impeachment and even the War on Terrorism, that kind of thing.

So that's what I know which, admittedly, is not much. For those of you who would like to read the original pilot script, we've put it together as a PDF for easy download:

Dark Skies, "The Awakening".pdf

As fans already know, this script was co-written with the amazingly talented Brent Friedman, someone who I'm friends with and collaborate with to this day. One of our main characters, the head of Majestic-12, Frank Bach, utters the line that became our mantra: "The truth is overrated." This is our JFK episode film.

And here is the script for my favorite episode, a solo sample, "Prey in Darkness."

Dark Skies, "To Prey in Darkness".pdf

This script deals with the New York City power black-out of 1965 and how it ties in with the death of columnist Dorothy Kilgallen and her investigation into the death of John Kennedy. Both Jack Ruby and Dan Rather have speaking parts. It's pretty crazy stuff, but I like it.

I hope you enjoy reading these as much as we enjoyed writing and producing them. As we said in our main titles (which won an Emmy) --

"They're here. They're hostile. And powerful people don't want you to know."

Comments

[Brent Schultz]

AS AN ADVID FOLLOWER OF THE SERIES, RUNNING ALONG SIDE OF THAT OF THE X-FILES I WAS CURIOUS IF ONE OF THE SERIES PRODUCERS, BRENT FRIEDMAN WAS HE RELATED AT ALL WITH THE FAMOUS UFOLIGIST STANTON FRIEDMAN? LIKE HIS FATHER MAYBE. THE SERIES WAS VERY DIFFERENT AN UNIQUE IT HAD A SCRIPT OUT OF SOMETHING LIKE THE LATE WILLIAM COOPER MAY OF INFLUENCED REGARDING STORY LINE. I JUST WONDER IF THE GOVERNMENT DID HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT'S CANCELLATION. GREAT SERIES, RERUNS WOULD BE AWSOME. PLEASE FEEL FEE TO E-MAIL ME WITH RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS, THANKS BRENT

[Micha]

Dear Mr. Zabel,

thank you for providing us with this informations and the script.
I still think, that "Dark Skies" was one of the best SciFi-Series ever made, and I liked it even more than "The X-Files", because "Dark Skies" was much more frightening and innovative.

I really hope that we can get it on DVD soon, including all the goodies you mentioned (and of course the wonderful matching original soundtrack), and I hope that, one day, you'll be able to tell us the rest of the story.

[ROBERT DYKE]

Thought you might be interested in seeing my "What if JFK had lived" feature. If so, check out TIMEQUEST .... stars Ralph Waite as the time traveler. Other notable names/faces are Bruce Campbell, Barry Corbin and Larry Drake.

-Robert Dyke (writer/director)

[Barry]

Hi, just found your blog while looking for info on the DVD set. Found a website in N amarica selling the DVDs but cannot use my UK credit card to buy :(. Anyway, I'll get it another way! What I wanted to ask is this: Is there any truth in the rumour that Dark Skies was going to come up to date at the turn of the Millenium and coincide with X Files with Mulder and Sculley meeting John Loengard and joining him in the fight against the Hive and Majestic 12?

One more thing, please finish it! :)

[Curt Dickinson]

Dear Mr. Zabel,

Frist, let me thank you for a show that stands out in my memory, even 10 years later.

To help fans lobby Sony for release of the series on DVD, how about adding a link where we can send e-mails.

Also, even if the show will never be on again (a sad thought), what about doing a novel version? To cover that time period, you would probably need several volumes, or one 'Stephen King' length book!

I can't speak for others, but I know I would buy it.

Thanks again.

[Douglas]

Mr Zabel,

It's been a while, we used to communicate a lot back in the day of Dark Skies (I was the guy in charge of the UK Dark Skies Fan Club).

Anyway Hope you are well, glad to see that someday DS might get finished off. I did wonder if you'd want to do it as a book - only as a "history" book - not a novel. Similar to the original pitch document.

Anyway take care and good luck.

[Diane Manning]

Just wanted to say that Dark Skies us one of my all time favorite SciFi shows. Loved the premise and the weaving in of real events and footage. I'll be lobbying Sony to get it released on DVD (and not just in the US). Hopefully we'll get at least a 2 hour SciFi special someday.

[lynn]

Any hope on the Crow:STH ever seeing the light of day on DVD, or is it caught up in the corporate confusion that doomed the show? It was very a sad, premature end.

I have to admit I mourn the end of the Saturday afternoon action hours in general -- there was admittedly a lot of junk, but also a few unique shows you didn't find anywhere else, shows that tried to combine the action with genuine storytelling.

And has your son pursued his acting career?

regards
lynn

[Germano]

Hello Mr.Zabel!
I'm glad to have found your blog,i was the founder of the Dark Skies Italian Fan Club,do u remember me?
I don't think so,anyway i'm still waiting an ending for one of the best Sci-Fi series ever done.
I hope that soon or later DS will rise again as a arabian phoenix.
Please talk more about "behind the scenes" of DS.U know i own a DS bible i won on Ebay,so i know very well many things about DS.
Please i would like to be in contact again with you by e-mail.
Take care.
"nothing is all true...it depends who do u talk to.."

[James Baker]

Thanks for this entry. I loved Dark Skies, and was very disappointed that you didn't get to finish your story.

But take heart... If Mr. Peepers can get released on DVD, Dark Skies should be a breeze.