Dr.Jones said:
I never truly knew why, but I never "got into" Chronicles like the films. Perhaps it is because a lot of the episodes focused on drama instead of action and adventure. Or maybe it was because I never cared for the actors portraying Jones (although I liked them moreso than River Phoenix). Either way, I always stayed out of Chronicle discussions to avoid this opinion. Is anyone else as curiously turned off?
I guess that back in the 90s there was one fraction of the fans who tought that the series is "boring" and that soon it will be forgotten. That clasificiation from my opinion is out of the real epic sensibility that Young Indy has. But the situation that probably has astonished that fraction of fans is how the series has grown over the years like a underground phenomena.
Even the Rick McCallum during one conference where Warvick Davis was a moderator has stated that the most common question that he receives is "when the Young Indy series will be available on DVD". I have that clip in my archive...I will upload that in the next few days for other to see...Anyway during the years people started to discover again the lost treasure of Young Indy...
Also Young Indy was a great antidote for all the skeptics who has attacked Lucas during the prequels. When I have brought out that it is all the question of context of filmaking and that the great evidence of Lucas sensibility is Young Indy they would walk away without anything to add because that was an insecure ground for them to talk about. It was totaly out of the paradigm with personal attacks towards the Lucas at the time.
It was a beatiful TV production all over the world with great presentation of human spirit, naivity and romanse and with wonderful score of Rosenthal and McNelly - I have all 4 volume soundtracks that were released. It is a great representation of Young Indy as a naive boy with idealism - proloque to sarcastic Indy with experience.
Unfortunately the series was a flop in US but Lucas was consistent to finish the project so the later episodes after ABC were made with Family Channel. Anyway the show had some success in Europe.
But as I have stated it become big over the years - it become underground legend and it was hard to get the copies - until now - finaly it is released on DVD.
And here is also one beatufil example of aproach towards the Young Indy from the person who was involved directly at the sets:
Source:
http://tinyurl.com/2ddbkk
start of quote
______________
News group: rec.music.movies
From: [Parke... @ aol.com (Capt.Damage)]
Date: 28 Oct 2002 15:58:09 -0800
Subject: Re: Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
I actually had the opportunity to work on this series many years ago,
and agree that it's a shame this type of programming doesn't get made
more often. The reason, of course, was that Lucas financed it entirely
out of his own pocket, and was determined to bring together the best
writers, directors, and composers he could find for the project. This
is where he began his longterm relationship with EP1 and EP2 Producer
Rick McCallum, EP2 & EP3 co-writer Jonathan Hales, and also where
Frank Darabonte got his directing start (read his screenwriting
biography sometime for a few surprises).
And since 'Young Indy' was independently financed, Lucas was
determined to finish it at any cost (and the cost became
considerable), whether a network picked it up or not. He was making a
project close to his heart, and (for once) didn't care about the
profit. So when ABC canceled it after 32 episodes, and it moved to
cable in expanded form, Lucas was already eyeing an eventual video
release to reach the audience he really intended: history classrooms.
The whole idea was to bring history alive by re-enacting it through a
familiar hero's eyes.
Fortunately, I think the spirit of feature-quality storytelling (and
score composition) for television continues in such efforts as HBO's
"From the Earth to the Moon" and "Band of Brothers".
To answer your question about music, though, the two principal
composers for the entire series were McNeely and Rosenthal. Fred
Talgorn and Curt Sobel were brought in to score some of the later (and
expanded) episodes that aired once the series moved to cable - I don't
think any of their music has been released yet.
More info than anyone probably wanted, sorry. I really enjoyed the
series, thought it deserved a bigger audience than it got. I'm glad
it's still playing in other countries.
-Capt.Damage
>News group: rec.music.movies
>From: [Jostein Hakestad <joh... @ online.no>]
>Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2002 00:30:42 GMT
>Subject: Young Indiana Jones Chronicles
>They're showing this series here on a channel called TV3, and I'm VERY
>impressed by it. The series is being aired two episodes at a time, glued
>together to make series of TV movies, if you will.
>The production value, the acting, the stories presented in this series, are
>all marvellous. The past few episodes have been dealing with the horrors of
>the first World War, and they have been as gripping and horrifying as
>anything seen in cinema. A couple of the episodes have had Saving Private
>Ryan-esque sequences 6 years before that movie was even made. There's also a
>lot of humour and romance. For example, Indy becomes involved with Mata
>Hari, and there was also a "Great Escape" -like episode where Indy was a
>prisoner in a war camp.
>Anyway, the scores by such talented people as Lawrence Rosenthal, Joel
>McNeely and Frederic Talgorn, have all been excellent so far. It's some of
>the finest TV scoring I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. The episode I
>saw today (about Indy being a motorcycle courier for the French army) even
>had a big choral cue, which worked very well indeed.
>I'm one of the people who missed this show when it aired in the early 90's,
>so it's an absolutel delight to be able to watch it now.
>--
>Jostein H
end of quote
_______________
When you go deep in the series you can notice that there are so fantastic moments that are equal to the big screen - Indy in the Verdun playing with the small ball and with the epic tourning when the soldier calls his name: "Corporal"...Indy dissapears in to the night after the night walk with Vicky...His journey to find the meaning of life....
It is going beyond of every expectations of the TV productions. Young Indy is a great filmaking on the TV screen...The journey of finding yourself...
_____________
The Alternative Is Unthinkable