The Forever Knight List of Myths Unearthed In the Hope That A Mixture Of Facts, Opinions and Wild Guesses Will Bring New Blood To This News Group. This Incarnation Is Dated March 15, 1997 "He was brought across in 1228. "Preyed on humans for their blood. "Now he wants to be mortal again. "To repay society for his sins. "To emerge from his world of darkness. "From his endless forever night." Thanks to the following enforcers for their help, advice, suggestions and cordial threats: Kay the Red Enforcer Jackie Richard Slobod Robin E. Baylor Tigon the Bouncing Tigger Nancy Debretsion Allison Percy Janet A. Dornhoff Susan Bennett Jean Graham John Gorno Eliz Palmer 1: Premise 2: Members of the Night Shift 3: The Mortal/Immortal Phrasebook 4: Your Visit To Toronto 5: The FK Vampire Operator's Manual 6: Special Effects and Format 7: For A Good Time Call . . . 8: Soundtrack, Music and Novels 9: About this News Group Note: For those of us in the USA, Forever Knight is currently being rerun on the SciFi Channel on cable TV. The show is not being aired anywhere else in the USA, due to the exclusive contract that the SFC signed with Sony. WARNING! If you haven't seen the series, this FAQ contains significant spoilers. Fortunately, the show is so good that you can know what's coming, and still enjoy it. {1} Premise Nicolas de Brabant, knight and Crusader, became a vampire in A.D. 1228. After a brief struggle with his conscience, he came to revel in the life of the undead, killing and otherwise doing as he pleased. His conscience slowly returned to haunt him, however, and he began to question and finally moderate his murderous behavior. About a century ago he swore to never again hunt humans for their blood, although he remained willing to kill anyone he judged worthy of it. By the modern day he has foresaken his evil ways and vowed to do penance for his sins, although he remains a vampire. Going by the name of Nicolas "Nick" Knight, he works the night shift on the Homicide Squad of the Toronto Police Department, where he uses his intelligence, vampiric talents and seven-plus centuries of experience to help solve murders. Although he no longer wants to be a vampire, the evil side of his nature still draws him toward this existence. {2} Members of the Night Shift Not counting the Rick Springfield pilot movie, Forever Knight ran through three seasons. Some of the continuing characters (or at least characters who have made appearances as something more than one-time guests) are: Nick: Nick Knight, also known as Nicolas de Brabant. Played by Geraint Wyn Davies. A vampire trying his best to get along in the mortal world. He has a bad habit of making poor moral decisions, although lately he's improved. (GWD, as the actor is sometimes called, made a guest appearance on "Highlander" in its "Turnabout" episode. His name is pronounced Gair-int, with a hard "G" and the second syllable rhyming with "pint;" emphasis is placed on the first syllable.) Nick plays the piano (and knew Beethoven, as established in "Night In Question") and paints. His paintings seem to reflect his feelings-- despair at being a vampire, hope of seeing the sun again. (He sometimes uses cow's blood to thicken his paints, a technique he learned from Raphael, as mentioned in "Close Call"). Over the past several decades he has held a variety of occupations in the mortal world--resistance fighter in Occupied France, police officer in Chicago, university professor in history. Before he was brought across in 1228, he was a Norman knight who served as an aide to a Church official. Sent to Wales to help stamp out a pagan cult ("Queen of Harps"), Nick was unjustly accused of murdering the cult's high priestess. As penance for his "crime" he was ordered to go on a crusade to the Holy Lands. This was presumably the Fifth Crusade (1218-1221), which ended disastrously. According to one report, James Parriott has said that Nick was captured by the Muslims during this Crusade, and was held by them for several years. It's possible that his experiences left him disillusioned--an inviting target for LaCroix. Lucien LaCroix: Played by Nigel Bennett. LaCroix started life as a Roman general named Lucius. He survived the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of Pompeii (August 24th, AD 79) when his daughter, Divia, turned him into a vampire. He later turned Nick and Janette into vampires. Nick seemed to have destroyed him in the pilot episode at the start of season one, but LaCroix returned at the start of season two with the explanation that he was much too old and powerful for Nick to destroy (how *did* LaCroix survive? He won't tell). Currently resides in Toronto, where he tries to persuade Nick to give up his quest to regain his mortality. He does a nightly talkshow ("The Night Watch") on station CERK, under the name of the "Night Crawler." At the start of the third season he took over the Raven nightclub, and started doing his show from a booth on the premises. He has a father-son relationship with Nick which is very complex--sometimes tormenting Nick in an effort to turn him away from his quest to regain his humanity, yet rescuing Nick when he gets into trouble. LaCroix might be described as a dysfunctionally loving father. His Internet nom de plume is "Rosebud." Nigel Bennett won a Gemini award (the Canadian equivalent of the Emmy) for his role as LaCroix. Dr. Natalie Lambert: Played by Catherine Disher. A pathologist for the Toronto Police Department, she is the only regularly-featured mortal who knows the secret of Nick's vampirism (and that of several other vampires as well). Evidently a brilliant and dedicated scientist, given the way she keeps coming up with ways to treat Nick's vampirism--and the fact that she was twenty-eight when she met Nick (somebody that young, with an MD degree and a job that demands a lot of experience, has to be very good--and something of a workaholic). She and LaCroix seem to represent good and evil, respectively, in the battle for Nick's soul. She appears to be strongly resistant to the vampiric power of hypnosis. Her phone number is (416) 555-2269, but that's only for emergencies. For the gourmets among us, her blood is type AB-negative. Janette: Played by Deborah Duchêne. Born around a thousand years ago, brutalized and abandoned by her family, she survived through prostitution until LaCroix converted her to vampirism; her first victim was the pimp who had brutalized her and other women. She was instrumental in LaCroix's effort to bring Nick into the vampiric fold. She had an up-and-down relation with Nick through the centuries, and during the Renaissance they lived together as man and wife for ninety-seven years (during which time someone, presumably Leonardo da Vinci, painted a portrait of her). She ran the Raven (a Toronto nightclub catering to vampires and other social misfits) from about 1975 to 1995. She then left Toronto, and the show, at the end of the second season--although she made a return appearance in one third-season episode, in which she had regained her mortality. At the end of this episode ("Human Factor") Nick turned her back into a vampire. Although there has been debate on whether or not Nick actually did this (we never see Janette as a vampire again), GWD has stated that this is what happened. It seems probable that, if the show returns from the dead, Janette will return with it. Donald G. Schanke: Played by John Kapelos. Nick's partner during the first two seasons. In his late forties, Detective Schanke was something of a straight man for Nick, but was a good detective who could supply the occasional reality check. Nick could never decide whether to pronounce his name "Skank" or "Skankee." His wife was named Myra, and his grade-school-age daughter was Jenny. His favorite TV show was "I Dream of Jeannie;" he was especially fond of souvlaki. He was killed when a mad bomber blew up the airplane he was riding. Tracy Vetter: Played by Lisa Ryder. Twenty-five and recently promoted to detective after five years in uniform (!), she's still learning the ropes. Apparently concerned that people will think she got her position through the influence of her father, a member of the police commission, she sometimes takes risks to prove she's a good cop. She replaced Schanke as Nick's partner at the start of the third season. She is a resister, that is, someone who is immune to the vampires' power of hypnosis. She doesn't know that her partner is a vampire; Nick has gone to great lengths to keep her in the dark--both out of fear of revealing his own secret to anyone, and out of fear of endangering her (most vampires do not approve of allowing mortals to know of their existence). Ryder also played Angela Moser in the second season episode "Beyond The Law." Her car's license plate is OSA 123; the car itself is a compact that gets great mileage, has ABS, and is a screaming fine ride. Tracy never answered Vachon's question of whether or not her parents picked it out for her. Javier Vachon: Played by Ben Bass. A one-time conquistador, Vachon was brought across in 1531 by an Incan vampire. He serves as Tracy's friend, guardian, and potential love interest. His relationship with Tracy seems to have made him grow as a person; before he met her he was somewhat irresponsible, and spent over four centuries running from the obligations placed on him by his master. He was pursued by another vampire, known only as the "Inca;" their relationship seems reminiscent of that between Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Vachon (as Tracy almost always called him) joined the show at the start of the third season. Screed: Played by Greg Kramer. A Cockney-accented vampire and friend of Vachon. He may be a carouche; at least, he prefers rat blood to other kinds, although he has been known to go for human blood on occasion. Good-humored and good-natured, he spends much of his time in the tunnels and sewers below Toronto, hunting for rats. He was a sailor before he was brought across. A third-season character, he was the first victim of an unusual disease--an experimental AIDS cure which was harmless to humans, but potentially fatal to the undead. Urs: Played by Kristin Lehman. A nineteenth century chanteusse of New Orleans, brought across by Vachon; another third-season character. Not seen very often before she was killed by LaCroix's evil daughter Divia, she did bring the occasional comic touch to her role. She was haunted by her mortal past, in which an abusive father (who eventually abandoned his family) figured prominently. A scene in "Ashes to Ashes" and a comment made by LaCroix in "Black Buddha" ("An innocent goddess named Urs") suggests that she and LaCroix were lovers. Divia: Played by Kathryn Long. LaCroix's daughter, she fell ill one day in Pompeii, and was brought across by a very ancient vampire who recognized and appreciated her evil; she paid him back by destroying him when he attempted to impose his will on her. When Mt. Vesuvius erupted she saved her father's life by turning him into a vampire, thereby becoming his master. Twenty years later she attempted to seduce LaCroix, after revealing she had destroyed her master--a definite breech of vampiric etiquette. Outraged, LaCroix destroyed her and entombed her remains, but after some nineteen centuries she was able to recover. Released from her tomb, she tried to take vengeance on her father. Divia (which is Latin for "little goddess," and also the feminine form of the root word for "devil") only appeared in only two episodes, but she made a lasting impression in both. Joseph Stonetree: Played by Gary Farmer. Nick's captain at the 27th precinct during the first season. He was the man who paired Nick and Schanke as partners. By all accounts he was frequently exasperated by Nick and Schanke's behavior, and was probably glad when they transfered to the 96th Precinct sometime between the first and second seasons. He may have entertained certain suspicions about Nick, but it's not known if he thought Nick may have been a vampire, or if he just thought there was something fishy about his background. In either case he kept quiet and didn't risk losing a good detective. Amanda Cohen: Played by Natsuko Ohama. Captain of the 96th precinct during the second season. A no-nonsense cop. Frequently exasperated by Nick and Schanke's behavior. She was killed in the same airplane explosion that claimed Don Schanke. A framed picture seen on her desk in "Black Buddha, pt. 1" suggests she was married, but nothing is known of her private life. Joe Reese: Played by Blu Mankuma. Captain of the 96th Precinct during the third season. It was meant to be temporary duty, but it became permanent when Cohen died. He described this assignment as his "big break," so it may have been his first time as a precinct captain. Frequently exasperated by Nick and Tracy's behavior. Apparently Reese was an American expatriate; his older brother, Jordan, was killed in Viet Nam. Reese himself is a big hockey fan and likes to watch nature shows on TV. Has a wife (Denise) and two children (names, age and sex unknown). Occupies office 2-9, formerly Amanda Cohen's office. Sidney Lambert: Natalie's cat, a large grey tabby seen only in one episode ("Only the Lonely.") Handsome and dashing as only a cat can be, Natalie has claimed that he has his own phone ("He's in the book"). A bit of trivia from the "Only The Lonely" script that didn't make it onto tape: his name was meant to be Sidney Greenstreet. (You'll have to watch "The Maltese Falcon" to understand this reference. Incidentally, Vachon quoted a few lines from that movie when he was on-camera in "My Boyfriend Is A Vampire.") Grace, Eddie & Dr. Zang: Grace is one of Natalie's lab assistants; Eddie is the orderly who brought Nick's body into the morgue, on the night Nick and Natalie met ("Only the Lonely"). Dr. Zang is an intern working as a pathologist ("The Fire Inside"). Miklos: A bartender at the Raven. He may or may not be a vampire. The Cadillac: A 1962 convertible, with Ontario license plate number 35H MV6. Actually portrayed by two cars, both 1961 models. Nick drives it because "it has the largest trunk of any car made in the past thirty years." When he gets caught away from home during the day, he takes refuge from the sun by climbing into the trunk. The radio seems to be permanently tuned to station CERK, which features LaCroix's Night Crawler talkshow. Its police-radio call sign is 81-kilo. Its convertible top and interior are white; the body is painted a shade of green which is ordinarily banned by the Geneva Conventions. The Enforcers: Vampire police, unseen since the first season. Their duty is to make certain that no mortals discover the existence of vampires--or if they do, that they soon display the trait which defines them as mortals. Vampires whose behavior endangers the community's secrecy are also targets for the enforcers. Carouches: A lower form of vampire, usually an animal which feeds on vermin. May also be a human who acquired a taste for animal blood (Nick generally drinks cow's blood, but is not a carouche). Richard Lambert: Natalie's brother, a Crown Prosecutor. When he was gunned down by criminals ("I Will Repay"), Natalie persuaded Nick to save him by turning Richie into a vampire. Unfortunately Richard went out of control and had to be destroyed. The Loft: Nick's current home. A multi-story brick building. The best guess is that Nick uses three storeys of this place. The first level is a parking level; various episodes have shown the Caddy driving into one of the garage doors at the rear of the building. The level above that is reached by a freight elevator (established in "Ashes to Ashes") with a sliding metal door. This level contains the dining room, kitchen, fireplace, entertainment center and grand piano, and seems to be where Nick does his painting and parks his motorcycle. Its windows have metal shutters which operate by the same remote control device that runs the entertainment center and ignites the gas flames in the fireplace. The upper level, reached by a staircase, holds the bedroom, bathroom and ("Killer Instinct") a tanning booth (used as part of Natalie's therapy for him). It has skylights as well, and an intercom between the main floor and the front door. Its address is mentioned in "Father Figure" as 101 Gateway Lane. The Raven: The nightclub favored by Toronto's vampire community. Run by Janette (seasons 1 & 2) from 1975-1995; she gave it to LaCroix when she left Toronto. Its name is variously given as "Raven" and "The Raven." Has at least one small apartment, probably down in the basement. It serves blood to its vampiric patrons, although it also stocks alcoholic beverages for mortals. Some of its guests are definitely mortals. It's sheer speculation on my part, but some of them seem like vampire groupies. Others have come to the Raven for refuge; Janette was once a prostitute, and showed sympathy to them, as well as to others who didn't fit into mundane society. The Raven is noted for such features as the wall of chains, the trays of glasses hanging upside-down from the ceiling, blue lights, and the singing of Lori Yates. In the third season LaCroix started broadcasting his Nightcrawler show from the premises, over radio station CERK (no, I don't know its frequency, or if it's AM or FM). {Okay, so the Caddy, the loft and the Raven aren't exactly characters. However, they do have character.} {3} The Mortal/Immortal Phrasebook: Brought Across: (or "brought over") turned into a vampire; "brought across" from the land of the living. The Code: The vampiric laws enforced by the enforcers. Its exact formulation is a mystery, although it seems to be meant to protect the existence of the vampiric community from discovery by mortals. Dinner: See under MORTAL. First Hunger: As described by Vachon, a vampire starts his or her career so thirsty that it will take the first available blood. That can be the blood of a friend, lover, enemy--anything. One acquires a strong taste for the blood of whatever species its first victim belonged to. This happened to Screed, who described his first meal as a "squealer," presumably a rat. Master: The vampire who turns another person into a vampire. The master expects a certain degree of loyalty from his or her servants, although this is nowhere near as strong and lopsided as the master/slave relationship Dracula has with his brides in assorted movies. Mortal: Lunch, or at least a snack. Also a potential vampire, should someone decide that said mortal is suitable material for the world of the undead. All too often, however, a mortal is a Coppertone addict who will resist being brought across (not to mention being fed upon), and who shows a deplorable fondness for sharp sticks, crosses, garlic and flames. Move On: Eventually mortals begin to grow suspicious. They may notice that people have started turning up "many quarts low," as Natalie described one victim of a vampire. Failing that, they may grow suspicious of someone who doesn't eat, avoids the sun, and doesn't appear to age as the decades pass. It's then best for a vampire to "move on," leaving this area for less suspicious territory. Old Ones: The original vampires, unseen but hinted at. They predate human history, and may have co-evolved with the human race. Divia was brought across by one of them. Resisters: Mortals who are able to resist vampiric hypnosis. Not necessarily immune to hypnosis; Tracy and Natalie have both been show undergoing hypnosis, but only with their cooperation. Vampiric hypnosis seems to work best on those with a weak will . . . a very weak will . . . I'm getting very, very sleepy . . . {4} Your Visit To Toronto Forever Knight takes place in Toronto. Voted "the most multicultural city in the world" by the UN, the capital of the province of Ontario plays host to a culture not known to most of its citizens: vampires. Not exactly what you'd expect to find in the home of the Blue Jays and Anne Murray . . . For those who wish to visit Toronto, you can get all sorts of help by calling: Metro Toronto Convention & Visitors Association Information Services Department Suite 590 207 Queen's Quay West M5J LA7 Toronto, Canada Phone: (416) 203-2500 Toll Free: (800) 363-1990 (North America) Hours: Mon to Fri - 8:30am to 5:00pm, Sat - 9:00am to 5:00pm, Sun - 9:30am to 5:00pm Fax: (416) 203-8625 (24hrs) E-Mail: mtcvainf@pathcom.com There is an FK fan in this office, and they can help get discounted hotel reservations, suggest general touristy sights to visit, etc. They speak English, and American, and best of all, they have a Forever Knight fan on their staff. More information about Toronto can be found in Houghton-Mifflin's "Insight Pocket Guide" (see section 8 for information about this). Filling in the show's background is difficult work. Some episodes appear to contradict one another (what, precisely, is Nick's home address?). Some things are seemingly impossible (Aristotle the vampire thanked Nick for saving him at the Battle of Hastings--in AD 1066? Long before Nick was born?). Some things are unexplained (How did LaCroix return from the dead?). Also, footage which appeared in the Canadian versions of the show's first-season episodes was often snipped out to make room for American TV to show more commercials. The addresses given in the episodes use the names of real Toronto streets, but the show's locations aren't always "really" there. For example, in "Black Buddha Part 1" Tracy placed the 96th Precinct at Queen and Spadina. There's a post office there, but no police station. On the other hand, the coroner's building is, indeed, at 26 Grenville, and is just across the street from the police department's gift shop. The show began its life, or whatever, as a 1989 made-for-TV movie called "Nick Knight." It starred Rick Springfield as Nick, and was set in Los Angeles; John Kapelos co-starred as Don Schanke. The Caddy was a black 1959 convertible. Nick's pathologist-friend was a man, Dr. Jack Brittington, played by Robert Harper; Jeanette (that's how my source spells it) was played by Cec Verrell. Michael Nader played a young-looking LaCroix. Nick's real name was "Jean Pierre," not Nicolas, and he was only four or five centuries old. The series started in 1992 as part of CBS's "Crime Time After Prime Time" series. The first two episodes were a remake of the Rick Springfield pilot, with major changes in the cast--so major that John Kapelos was the only familiar face, and Jeanette became Janette. The show was moved to Toronto, where production expenses are lower than in the US. An unexpected bonus of this move was the marvelous Canadian cast. As in the original movie, LaCroix was killed by Nick at the end of the premiere double-episode. LaCroix continued to appear in flashbacks throughout the season. The show was cancelled at the end of its first season, but rose from the dead in 1994. Not to be outdone, LaCroix matched this feat and returned to life at the start of the second season. How he recovered from a flaming stake in the heart is a mystery with no known explanation. How the show will recover from its current cancellation is equally mysterious, but just as certain. The vampires get together at a bar/nightclub called the Raven. It was owned and operated by Janette during seasons one and two; LaCroix took over at the start of season three, and began to broadcast his Night Crawler show from a booth on the premises. Nick worked out of the 27th Precinct in the first season, then transferred to the 96th Precinct. His badge number is 16596 (a different number is given in the CD liner notes; apparently both are correct). His phone number is (416)-555-4762. Nick's personal fortune is worth $478,000,000.00 (Canadian) ("Blood Money"); he appears to speak English, American, French, Latin, German, Vietnamese, Spanish, Italian, Chinese (both Mandarin and Cantonese), Russian--plus Screed's Cockney. Us Yanks can understand him, too. How did Nick and Natalie meet? Natalie was working late on her twenty-eighth birthday when a body was brought into the morgue. That was Nick, who had been blown apart by a pipe-bomb. Before Nat could autopsy him, Nick healed up enough to move around, drank some blood he found in the lab's refrigerator, and revealed he was undead. Although this is atypical behavior in a cadaver, Nat took it in stride. She professed a scientific interest in Nick's condition, and offered to help cure his vampirism. Here's one doctor who gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "never say die!" What is the nature of Nick and Natalie's relationship? It's complicated. Sometimes Nat is impatient with Nick's behavior, and thinks he still wants to be a vampire. At other times she teeters on a romantic relationship with him. However, if they get too involved LaCroix will intervene and do something to hurt Nick's feelings--such as kill Natalie or turn her into a vampire. What's with LaCroix, anyhow? He's Nick's "master," that is, the vampire who turned another person into a vampire. This is something like the parent/child relationship, and he feels a painful sense of rejection because Nick no longer wishes to be a vampire. LaCroix is convinced that being a vampire is an excellent thing, and he does everything he can--no matter how cruel--to persuade Nick to give up his pursuit of mortality. He also fell in love with Nick's sister Fleur, shortly after he turned Nick into a vampire. Fleur felt equally attracted to LaCroix, and LaCroix almost brought her across. Nick dissuaded LaCroix from doing this, and while LaCroix accepted Nick's argument that vampirism would destroy the things LaCroix loved in Fleur, LaCroix was still hurt. He vowed that some day he would hurt Nick as badly as the loss of Fleur had hurt him. Nick has persuaded LaCroix that he is merely using Natalie to his own ends, and manipulating her by appearing to love her. If LaCroix ever sees proof that this isn't true, Natalie is history. Has Nick always been this angst-ridden? Doesn't he ever lighten up? He felt remorseful about his first killings, but after a while he revelled in his vampirism with only the occasional pang of conscience. This "Nick Dark" epoch lasted from about 1240 (just a rough figure) until the nineteenth century (more or less). He made a few fumbling efforts to regain his mortality (see "Let No Man Tear Asunder"), but by and large he was a cheerful chomper. His conscience became a significant factor some time in the nineteenth century, and LaCroix tried to bring him back to the vampiric fold through some dirty tricks. One backfired so badly that Nick swore he would never again kill for food (although for a long while he remained willing to feed on people whom he felt deserved to die anyway). Hasn't anyone ever guessed what Nick is? In one episode ("Close Call"), Schanke caught on. Fortunately, LaCroix carefully hypnotized him into believing that his "discovery" was a delusion brought on by exhaustion and nervous tension. This was fortunate for Schanke, because the vampire community tends to kill mortals who discover their existence. In other episodes, Nick has revealed himself to certain trustworthy people--a man trying to escape his connections with organized crime, a woman whose life he saved through his vampiric strength, a victim of the Spanish Inquisition. And, of course, Natalie Lambert, M.D. Other people have seen Nick as a vampire, and have either died right away, or been hypnotized into forgetting what they know. Tracy is convinced he's allergic to the sun and most foods, and has somehow developed a blind spot to his oddities. Those are special cases. Why haven't people in general noticed? Because Nick is good at keeping his secret. He explains that he's allergic to most foods and to sunlight; hence, he is never seen eating or drinking, and he stays out of the sun. Because "everyone knows" there is a medical explanation for his behavior, they don't look any further. C'mon, everyone knows there's no such thing as a vampire! As for the other vampires, they don't get as involved with mortals as Nick, and they are much less trusting--with rare exceptions anyone who learns the secret is either killed or brought across. There are mortals at the Raven, but either they don't know, or they may be involved with the vampire community--groupies and wannabes? It's possible that LaCroix runs the Night Crawler show to recruit blood donors for the vampire community. The show has never said anything about this. Why are vampires so uptight about being discovered? Okay, picture this exchange on "Jeopardy:" Contestant: "I'll take 'Grounders' for $200, Alex." Alex Trebek: "The answer is, 'Stick a cross in its face and pound a stake through its heart.'" Contestant: (ding!) "What do you do when you meet a vampire?" Vampires think we are as prejudiced as we are delicious. How did Nick join the Toronto Police Department? He was transferred from the Chicago Police Department, where he may have begun his police career. The show never gave any details of this transfer, however, or of how Nick got past the medical examiner. Presumably he was supplied with good records by Aristotle (the vampiric forger par excellence), and hypnotized anyone who asked too many questions. When he came to Chicago (as shown in a flashback sequence) he represented himself as a transferee from Glasgow, but he showed a certain lack of expertise. He claimed this was because the Scottish police were different from their American counterparts--but after his partner was almost killed due to his inexperience, he allowed himself to be sent to the police academy for training (where he must have taken night classes). This incident occured in the 1950s, and Nick went to Toronto in 1989 at the (official) age of 31, so he may have left Chicago for a long while, then returned after a couple of decades, when (presumably) nobody would associate the new, young guy with the Fifties Scotsman. This guy was born around 1190. Doesn't that look a bit funny on his birth certificate? How do vampires get along in this bureaucratic age? They manage. One vampire, known as Aristotle, is an expert at not just forging ID, but at generating entire backgrounds for a person. If a vampire needs to start a new, er, life, he will create the proper papers and records, and place them in the appropriate files. These records may not be perfect (he can't put your picture in every copy of your alleged high school yearbook) but they're good enough. What about money? A vampire named Feliks Twist is a financial wizard. He can arrange trusts, transfers and dummy corporations, so that a vampire can hold onto a fortune throughout the centuries, and not have mortal financiers (or government agents) become suspicious. Presumably the existence of automatic teller machines (ATMs) allows vampires to do their banking at night, without the need to accommodate themselves to bankers' hours. Do vampires, er, become, how shall I phrase this, romantic, and let's see you phrase this as delicately as possible. Okay, but why don't you go off and do something repulsive with a carouche? This is a topic of no small debate. Natalie has expressed a certain impatience with Nick over this matter, and from her words we might assume that male vampires, at least, fall short in this department. Nick seems to have become passionate in "Blackwing," but this may have been a dream sequence. Janette fell in love with a mortal in "Human Factor," and both he and she appeared untroubled by her low body temperature, lack of pulse and lack of blood pressure. According to one source, James Parriott has said that FK vampires can become, ah, fully physical, if they first drink some of their partner's blood during the festivities. LaCroix recounted a vampiric myth in "Baby, Baby," which suggests that a female vampire can become mortal again by giving birth to a child fathered by a mortal . . . if the mortal dies during conception. However, in "Let No Man Tear Asunder" Nick mentioned to a doctor that he would have to "give up the ladies" if he became a vampire. The most romantic thing two vampires can do with one another is to drink one another's blood--a dangerous thing for mortals in this era of AIDS, hepatitis A through Z, and other diseases. Tasting blood can give a vampire a deep experience of another person's life, memories, feelings and so on--a truly intense experience. They get this experience with the blood of mortals as well, but overindulgence in this experience can be fatal to the mortal. Apparently mortals can feel something of the vampire's personality in return when they are bitten. When Vachon told Tracy how he was brought across, he said that he could feel his master "flowing" into him; Nick's last and most renowned victim seems to have received his memories of many of the victims he killed--an event which definitely quashed whatever romantic aspects she might have found in their little exchange. It's unclear as to why vampires would need to have physical sex. They reproduce through biting other mortals, and draw intense pleasure from tasting the blood of their victims. Physical sex seems redundant. (One similarity between human sex and vampiric reproduction is The Talk, whereby the master instructs the servant on how to, er, Do It. LaCroix has alluded to The Talk: "I have cautioned you against taking too much, Nicolas!") If Nick doesn't feed on humans, how does he satisfy his hunger for blood? He usually drinks cow's blood, which he somehow obtains from slaughterhouses, and stores in wine bottles in his refrigerator. Most of the other vampires think his diet is gross. Cow's blood? Ech! The undead equivalent of soy flour. What makes vampires burn? It appears to happen upon exposure to ultraviolet (also known as UV) light, which is a component of sunlight. UV light is only partly blocked by ozone, clouds, rain and snow, so it isn't safe for a vampire to go out during the day. The longer, less-intense wavelengths of UV (known as UV A) also penetrate glass, so windows don't protect them (as seen in "Blackwing"). UV A is also produced in small amounts by fluorescent (neon) lights, although Nick doesn't seem to have a problem with overhead lighting and neon signs. Feliks Twist, vampiric gardener, mentioned the danger of sunlamps in "Blood Money," which lends credence to my theory that UV light is the vampire's *bete noir.* How do other vampires feed in the modern day? Carefully. Few of them actually kill their victims. Evidently they seek non-lethal sources of human blood: taking only a little from their victims (voluntary or otherwise), or buying (or stealing) donated human blood. Given the prevalence of police departments and the media, not to mention people who have seen every "Dracula" movie ever made, they have to be extraordinarily careful about not attracting attention. What are Forever Knight fans called? Lots of things, including "Forever Knight fans." LaCroix's devotees are called "Cousins," after the nickname LaCroix was given on the FORKNI-L and FKFIC-L listservs (more about them later on); they called him "Uncle." (According to one account, two of LaCroix's fans had the same last name, which led them to wonder if they were related; they finally decided they were cousins, and LaCroix was their uncle. NB's willingness to autograph pictures of LaCroix as "Uncle" helped.) "Nick Lights" want to see Nick regain his humanity and live happily ever after, whereas "Nick Darks"/"Dark Knights" would like to see him give into his dark side, or at least relish his past exploits. "Cousin Lights" are few in number, but insidious in their powers and determined to convince an unsuspecting world that LaCroix is not a creature of unalloyed evil. {WHAM! Sound of FAQ-writer getting staked, then scorched.} Some other nicknames from fandom are: Fans of are called Janette Ravens/Ravenettes Natalie NatPackers Don Schanke FoDs (Friends of Don, pronounced "Foods," in tribute to his culinary proclivities) Amanda Cohen Cohenheads Vachon Vaqueros/vaqueras Sidney the cat FoSiLs (Friends of Sidney Lambert) Tracy Vetter Perkulators Joe Reese Reese's Pieces Stonetree Stonetrees Divia Diviants Uncommitted Die-Hards (to any one character) {5} The FK Vampire Operator's Manual FK vampires can fly like Superman, move with enormous speed, have great strength and agility, are immortal and unaging, are immune to almost all natural diseases, heal quickly, have extremely good hearing and can see in the dark. Cold weather and poison gasses don't bother them. They don't have to sleep in coffins by day. They can cast reflections in mirrors (although in one first-season episode Nick mentioned that he didn't always cast a reflection). They can hypnotize most people, although some people (known as resisters, a group which includes Natalie Lambert and Tracy Vetter) are immune to this power, apparently in varying degrees. On the other hand, the show's vampires are vulnerable to sunlight and can be destroyed by the traditional stake through the heart, as well as by decapitation. Fire can also destroy them, and they are highly sensitive to garlic. Along with the cross and holy water, they are repelled by the sacred objects of other religions. They don't transform themselves into bats, wolves, mists or other entities. They don't eat. Well, Natalie's treatment of Nick has given him the ability to choke down a little raw hamburger, and he has tried french fries, but he doesn't enjoy eating. Vampires subsist on blood, although Natalie has developed a blood substitute that Nick sometimes drinks ("Father Figure"). They can drink wine when it's mixed with blood, and they seem able to drink a few other liquids. Curare has an intoxicating effect on them. One time when Nick had amnesia ("Night In Question") he ate some food, but he complained about the taste and later became violently ill. You've heard of lactose intolerance? This is food intolerance. Evidently they need a smaller quantity of "food" (read: blood) than a mortal would need on a day-by-day basis. This may be because cold-blooded creatures have slower metabolisms than warm-blooded creatures. Alternatively, their metabolisms may be fantastically efficient (which would help explain their enormous strength). Despite their limited diet they never seem to get scurvy or other conditions caused by vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Possibly there is some mystical/magical component to their diet. Natalie is of the opinion that they can eat, and doing so would be a big step in curing their condition. She believes that vampirism is at least in part a psychological addiction (although Perry the vampire dog might disagree). Whatever the basis of their need for blood, LaCroix has stated ("A More Permanent Hell") that vampires will starve and eventually die if they do not feed. A vampire's strength and social standing seem to depend on his or her "generation" as well as actual age. (An Old One is more powerful than Divia, who is in turn more powerful than LaCroix, who is more powerful than Nick). Masters are always more powerful than servants; for a servant to destroy a master is rare and socially unacceptable. Nick and LaCroix have both done it, but the circumstances were unusual, and they didn't talk about it much. Servants usually accomodate themselves to their master's will; they share a psychic bond which allows them to sense one another's presence. However, this bond is not a form of slavery. As to why the older generations of vampires are more powerful, it's been suggested that the masters don't always teach their servants all the tricks of the undead trade, so that a bit gets lost here and there. Are they supernatural creatures, or can they be explained on purely scientific grounds? Both, and neither. Nick and LaCroix are both repelled by crucifices. Is this because they are evil beings who cannot withstand the power of God, or because all holy symbols represent some undefined power of good inherent in the universe, or because the cross reminds them of the load of guilt they carry (consciously or not) over all the people they've killed and terrorized? Was that really the Devil in "Sons of Belial," or just a manifestation of Nick's emotional turmoil (complete with poltergeist activity?) That's a matter for debate. Dr. Lambert has found that their cells contain extra nucleotide sequences, and these appear to be related to the vampiric condition. On the other hand, there's no good scientific explanation (yet) for how they can fly. And a recent episode which involved reincarnation ignored scientific explanations, although you could come up with one. A good theologian could no doubt combine science and religion, and that's a whole 'nother debate. How does one become a vampire in the FK universe? According to Michael Levine, a writer/producer for the show, a vampire's fangs can inject a vampire's blood into a victim. This causes an infection; it could explain how Perry the vampire dog brought across his mistress despite a lack of experience. Mr. Levine admits that FK vampirisms were a bit unclear during the first season. It may be that the infection can only turn one into a vampire when the body has been weakened by great loss of blood; healthy people have been contaminated with vampiric blood, but any effect (for good or ill) has worn off soon (see "Fallen Idol"). Weaken the body too much, however, and the victim dies before the "infection" can run its course ("I have cautioned you against taking too much blood, Nicolas . . . "). There are practical reasons behind some aspects of FK vampire behavior. One has to do with money: special effects cost. Hence we never see Nick turn into a bat or Janette morph into a wolf. Nick says that he sometimes casts a reflection in a mirror, evidently because he's regaining his humanity--and showing him in a mirror saves the need to do a special-effects whatsit to remove his image from the mirror (and, as a continuity error, we see Vachon reflected in Tracy's bathroom mirror in Black Buddha part 1). (It's my opinion that too many special effects are gimmicks which hold up the story. FK has never suffered because of its dearth of effects.) Another practical reason has to do with storytelling issues. In many vampire canons, the undead become immobile--in effect, dead--during the day. This would make life (er, death--er--well, you know what I mean) hard for Nick if he literally dropped dead during the day. Imagine explaining *that* to Schanke! ("Man oh man, talk about being dead on your feet!"). Some vampires, such as Dracula, feed only on the forbidden vintage. However, it would cost Nick much of the viewers' sympathy, and weaken the intensity of his moral struggle, if he still drank human blood on a regular basis. Thus, he drinks cow's blood. It's unknown as to why the stake through the heart will destroy them, as there is some question as to whether or not the vampiric heart works. In "I Will Repay" it's stated that a new vampire's heart pulses once every ten minutes or so, but it isn't clear if this activity persists. In most vampire traditions the stake through the heart is a symbolic act, which pins the vampire into its grave. Why doesn't FK always stick to the grand vampiric traditions? Simple. There's no such thing! (You *knew* this was a trick question). There are all sorts of traditional ways to destroy a vampire, and all sorts of traditional ways for them to behave; all of these traditions are based on different ideas, and some aren't consistent with Forever Knight. For example, before the development of optical science it was commonly believed that the image in a mirror was "really" an image of your soul. As vampires were supposed to be re-animated corpses, they by definition did not have a soul, and thus could not show up in a mirror. It's a pity that no one bothered to test this theory by examining an actual vampire in a mirror; it might have speeded the advance of science. {6} Special Effects and Format Special Effects Flying. The first season showed vampires in flight, with the actors dangling from a wire rig and harness similar to the get-up used in the Fifties "Superman" TV show. People who saw it say it didn't look convincing. Now the "flying" is all implied. The vampires start to jump into the air; there's a blur and a "whoosh" sound as they take off, and then we're shown a vampire's-eye view of Toronto at night as the vampire flies the friendly skies. (These views are shot from a small radio-controlled plane). This costs a lot less than the flying-rig business, leaves more room to exercise our imaginations, and saves the actors from the tedious business of getting into the flying rig (plus the risk of accidents). Mirrors. When mirrors are present, FK vampires show up in them. Why? Because special effects cost money and take up production time, and aren't always convincing. So in "Father Figure" Nick mentioned to Nat that he sometimes casts a reflection; we're left to assume that, when the camera isn't looking, he may not show up in a mirror (which would explain those episodes where Nick sports that grungy beard. Shaving without a mirror sometimes leads to, well, shaving nicks). Blood. Sometimes they use an imported black currant liquid called Ribena, which is very thick--and so sweet it makes you ill if you drink too much undiluted. At other times they use a type of stage blood called "Kensington Gore." Neither looks exactly like blood--but then, real blood doesn't look real on camera, either. If you want to make your own fake blood for parties, mix three parts cranberry juice to one part grape juice, and thicken by stirring in honey or corn syrup until well-mixed. It still won't look right. A small fortune may await the special effects artist who comes up with something that looks, flows and splashes like real blood, and doesn't make actors throw up when they have to drink it. (Oh, and don't try red food coloring. It stains). Ribena is supplied in the USA by Gilway Company, Ltd. 299 Forest Ave. Paramus, New Jersey 07652 I don't have any ordering information. They strongly advise diluting it before drinking--dilute it at a ratio of one part Ribena to six parts water for children, as it can evidently be very nasty when taken straight. When Screed bit into a rat (a prop which the actor, Greg Kramer, nicknamed "Smokey") he ended up drinking a different type of fake blood which had a strong mint flavor that he grew to hate. Fangs. Your basic fake teeth, held in place with denture adhesive. As anyone with new dentures or braces can tell you, it's hard to talk clearly when you've just had a bunch of stuff jammed into your mouth, so lines have to be re-recorded after a fanged scene is filmed. Eyes. Contact lenses. The yellow ones used in the first season had a major drawback; they were extremely painful, so anesthetic eyedrops had to be applied to the actors' eyes. These drops risked damaging their eyes. The glow came from having somebody off-camera shine a light in the vampire's eyes. The lenses used in the last two seasons would reflect light better, but were almost impossible to see through, and still caused pain that required the use of eyedrops. All of the lenses were expensive and had to be installed by an expert. If you want to costume yourself as a vampire and, for some reason, feel that you *must* stick foreign objects in your eyes, you can find special-effects contacts offered at http://www.contactlenses.com along with links to other costume-providers. Prices range from $89 to $129, with one mirrored set at $249. Personally, I think this is one costuming idea you shouldn't consider, unless you already have experience with wearing contacts and health insurance. Smoke. When exposed to the sun, vampires smoke, then burn. Coppertone doesn't help; this is worse than being Irish. Early on, the show simulated smoke by mixing ammonia and vinegar. This is hard on the actor's skin (both chemicals are irritants, and the reaction produces a lot of heat). Later on, smoke generators were used; I don't have the details, but they were *not* like the smoke bombs sold at American fireworks stands for our Independence Day. I do *not* recommend that you try making your own smoke. Hypnosis. They amplify the sound while the actor speaks in a whisper, while dubbing in a loud heartbeat. You already guessed that. Format A typical episode runs forty-two minutes or so, not counting time taken up by commercials, credits, previews and other items. The show starts with a "teaser," a brief sequence which generally shows the crime that Nick will be investigating this week. This is followed by five acts, broken up by commercials, and a "tag" in which the loose ends are wrapped up, the bad guy gets his just desserts, Nick has an unpleasant moral lesson rammed home, and so on. During the show's first season, the version of each episode shown on Canadian TV generally ran several minutes longer than the American version. While the shorter versions undoubtedly lost something, it's interesting to note that the stories still hung together quite well. Somewhere, some unsung editor did a very good job of trimming the episodes without butchering them. A major feature of almost every episode is the flashback sequence. This is normally a string of events from Nick's past which parallel events in the modern-day story. At times we have seen events from other characters' pasts (LaCroix in Pompeii as Vesuvius erupts, Vachon bringing Urs across). Once the cast members fantasized that they were characters in a popular vampire novel ("Stranger Than Fiction;" look for Schanke's take-off on LaCroix . . . ) ("Stranger Than Fiction" was something of a tribute to Anne Rice). The flashback sequences are almost always historically accurate, and can usually be dated by close examination of Janette's (or other women's) costumes; women's fashions change markedly from era to era. Major historical flubs are rare (you don't want to hear me kvetch about the Russian scenes in "Strings"). The accuracy is usually impressive (Adolf Hitler in "Jane Doe"). Another distinctive feature is LaCroix's "Night Crawler" broadcasts, which always have a point--one meant to jab Nick. Nigel Bennett has said that he speaks these lines (and almost all of LaCroix's lines) in a quiet voice to imply something of LaCroix's power. That restrained near-whisper effectively implies the great power that the ancient vampire must keep under control. {7} For A Good Time Call . . . Here's a list of fan clubs taken from the FORKNI-L FAQ. Please remember that fan clubs are run by people who are doing this because they want to, not because they're trying to make money. Dues rates aren't listed here because I don't have recent info on them. Dues are necessary--printing and postage cost money. Please include an SASE with all postal inquiries. Also, this information is old (late 1994), so write first and make sure they're still in business (and updates are always appreciated). For those who don't know, an SASE is a Self-Addressed, Stamped Envelope--write your address on it, and put a stamp on it. If you're writing to someone in a foreign country, you can't use one of your nation's stamps; you'll have to go to your local post office and get an IRC (International Reply Coupon) and include that with your return envelope. Forever Knight Fan Club c/o Lora Haines P.O. Box 1228 Boston, MA 02130-0011 {Lora Haines was, er, immortalized as the suicide victim in the opening of the "Last Knight" episode} The First Forever Knight Fan Club of Canada c/o Tracy Essam 302 Roselawn Avenue Toronto, Ontario M4R 1G1 CANADA Les Enfants de LaCroix 1680 44th Street, SouthEast Number 88091 Grand Rapids, MI 49518-0091 The Geraint Wyn Davies Fan Club c/o Rosemary Shad 4133 Glendale Road Woodbridge, VA 22193 The Nigel Bennett Fan Club P.O. Box 55572 Hayward, CA 94545-0572 Contact: S.URIOSTE@GENIE.GEIS.COM The John Kapelos Fan Club c/o Cal Lynn P.O. Box 11617 Alexandria, VA 22312 Fax: 703-671-8786 Contact: JKFCprez@aol.com Annual membership is $15 US / $18 Canada / $20 everywhere else in the universe. (US funds only, payable to Cal Lynn, please.) Deborah Duchêne Fan Club c/o Peggy Religa 960 Junesong Way San Jose, CA 95133-1120 Contact: JReliga@AOL.COM Ben Bass Fan Club c/o Ms. Laura Waskey 2312 Riverview Road Baltimore, Maryland 21221 e-mail to either Laura Waskey Waskey2312@aol.com or Leslie Remencus Laremyb@aol.com So far, Catherine Disher doesn't seem to have a fan club. One may be in the works; for information e-mail vmeachum@freenet.scri.fsu.edu There are other sites around the network that have information about Forever Knight. Some have links to other sites, which will take you directly to other places with Forever Knight stuff. Here are a few web addresses, with some comments in brackets (and if you have any information about new sites, please e-mail me at wrthomps@ix.netcom.com so I can add them to the list. Also, I try to remove outdated sites, but it's hard for me to keep track of these things--especially because I'm on NetCom, instead of a *real* Internet Service Provider): http://members.aol.com.GWDFC/index.html {The GWD Fan Club} http://fk.portup.com/FK/Episodes/episode_guide.html http://www.mtl.net/solidarite/mrhappy/fk.htm http://www.hemi.com/~lashoka/fk.html http://www.glue.umd.edu/~sdragon/sos.html http://www.inwap.com/u/mae/fks.html {fanzine info} http://www.phoenixgate.com/fk.html http://www.psnw.com/~lars/fk. http://www.evil.org/FKFIC/ {fan fiction site} http://www.hu.mtu.edu/~gjwalli/fktoc.html {all sorts of useful links} http://members.aol.com/CuznJamiMR http://www.escape.com/~rmazzara/dark.html http://www.spe.sony.com/pictures/tv/forever/forever.html {Sony's website} http://www.scifi.com/fknight {the Sci-Fi Channel; has their schedule for the current month's reruns} http://www.intex.net/~perridox/knight/fanfic.html http://www.ualberta.ca/~dzatzov/knight.htm http://assets.wharton.upenn.edu/~percy91/toronto/welcome9.txt {FK filming sites around Toronto} http://users.lanminds.com/~callalily {Ben Bass information} http://members.aol.com/Theresa63/home.html {has a Forever Knight section} http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/soulseek {lots of good stuff, including many links} http://www.clark.net/pub/moser/fkfanfic.htm http://assets.wharton.upenn.edu/~percy91/fklists {for info on fanfic} http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/8125/ http://www.primenet.com/~vampir/divia.html http://www.fkfanfic.com/ http://www.evil.org/fkfic/jadfe.html {JADFE--James And Darkangel's Forever Erotica list. To join, e-mail diogenes@jbx.com, and tell them you are 18 or older--and don't fib} http://members.aol.com/BouncerFK {blooper script info} http://www.mtl.net/solidarite/mrhappy/soundtrack.htm {for info about the soundtrack} http://www.mtl.net/solidarite/mrhappy/fk/lyrics.txt {for lyrics to "The Hunger" and three other songs from the show} For info about the first FK novel: http://www.putnam.com/putnam/plug/bigplug.html {includes an interview with Suzan Sizemore} http://www.vitinc.com/~susang {Susan Garrett's website} http://www.primenet.com/~mefein/bennett.html {Nigel Bennett stuff} http://www.primenet.com/~mefein/divia.html {for Diviants} To join the Forever Knight Mail Loop, which supplies news about the show, books, actors, and so on, e-mail Mickey at mickey@cybercomm.net Using FTP, try: ftp.fkfanfic.com to subscribe to the FK Fan Fiction mail list: send e-mail to: listserv@psuvm.psu.edu message: subscribe fkfic-l Your Name to subscribe to FK Discussion list: send e-mail to: listserv@psuvm.psu.edu message: subscribe forkni-l Your Name DO NOT fill anything in the subject line DO NOT include a sig You will get a message asking to confirm your subscription. After confirming you will get instructions on how to sign-off, set no mail, set to digest, etc. Keep those instructions for future reference. FK Fan fiction is available on the FORKNI-L ftp site ftp to ftp.cac.psu.edu look in the directory pub/people/lms5/fkfiction. The network being what it is, these things are subject to change. If you don't get through the first time, try again later. If you're on CompuServe, log on there and type GO SFMEDTWO. They have a section dedicated to FK. If you want to look into vampiric gameplaying (role-playing games or RPGs), have a lurk at alt.games.whitewolf alt.games.vampire.the.masquerade For information about vampires in movies, books, and so forth, try alt.vampyres alt.horror alt.books.anne-rice Please bear in mind that these places (and the other sites you will find by reading their posts) are not dedicated to Forever Knight, and their members will not be amused with anyone who tries to turn them into Forever Knight sites. Nor will they appreciate being told that FK is the best, and only fools watch anything else. Anyone who has had the displeasure of seeing the Babylon 5/Deep Space 9 squabbles on rec.arts.startrek.current knows how unappealing and pointless such arguments are. And there is fan fiction, in the form of the "virtual fourth season," which is being posted to the email list FKV4S-L You can subscribe by sending the command in the body of the message: Subscribe FKV4S-l to: listserv@PSUVM.PSU.EDU Episodes are posted every two weeks and it web page can be found at: http://www.clark.net/pub/moser/v4s/v4s.htm A group of FK fans has volunteered to put together a Virtual 4th Season of Forever Knight, in the form of stories posted to FKFIC-L every two weeks and picking up where "Last Knight" left off. The project is open to all FK fans. If you want to participate by writing, editing, etc., drop a note to vanguard@packet.net {8} Reruns, Soundtrack, Music and Novels In the USA, the show is rerun only on the Sci-Fi Channel, thanks to an exclusive contract signed between SFC and Sony. For those who have the SFC on their cable systems, it is run twice on Monday nights. Tapes are not yet commercially available from Sony, but there are reports that some will be released by this summer; more will follow if sales justify it. The soundtrack has been released by GNP/Crescendo. If you can't find it, or get your local record shop to order it, you can buy it directly on tape or CD. The address is: GNP/Crescendo Record Co., Inc. 8400 Sunset Blvd. Hollywood, Calif. 90069 The tape costs $8.98 + $3.00 shipping & handling. The CD costs $12.98 + $3.00 shipping & handling. California residents must add 8¼% sales tax. Overseas, add $4.00 per item for airmail (1-2 weeks delivery) $2.00 per item for surface mail (4-8 weeks delivery) The tape's serial number is GNP5-8043; the CD is GNPD 8043; the full title is "Original Television Soundtrack: Forever Knight." The CD's liner notes and photographs are more comprehensive than the ones that come with the casette. If you have Visa or MasterCard you can order over the phone. Call toll-free 1 (800) 654-7029. It's been asked if Lori Yates, the Toronto singer who appears on the GNP/Crescendo album and sings the songs heard in the Raven, has released any albums. Stephen Fellows reports that her first album is "Breaking Point," from Virgin Records, released in Europe in 1994. It doesn't seem to be available in the USA. There is a country singer named Lori Yates, but I don't know if it's the same woman (hey, there are two singers out there named Anne Murray). Berkley/Ace plans to issue a series of Forever Knight novels, beginning in March of 1997. The first novels will be set in the third season. Three books have been contracted for so far; the first, "A Stirring of Dust," is authored by Susan Sizemore, and its ISBN number is 1-57297-238-6, and is now on sale. The second, "Intimations of Mortality," by Susan Garrett, will be out in October 1997. Number three, "These Our Revels," by Anne Hathaway-Nayne, is scheduled for March 1998. Further books depend on how well the first three sell. Also, Nigel Bennett and P.N. Elrod have coauthored three vampire books; the first, "Keeper of the King," is now out in hardcover from Baen Books, at $21.00; the ISBN number is 0-671-87759-3. If you're looking for a quick reference guide to Toronto, Houghton Mifflin publishes a series called "Insight Pocket Guides." One of the guides is for Toronto, and includes a good-sized map of the city and its surroundings, as well as photos, historical notes, descriptions of different neighborhoods--but nothing about vampires (looks like the enforcers were on the ball for a change.) You can order this book at your local bookstore; it's $12.95, and the ISBN number is 0-395-69966-5. *Highly* recommended. Video shops usually carry taped tour guides of cities around the world, including Toronto. International Video Network does a thirty-minute "Video Visits" series which includes "This Is Toronto." It gives an interesting look at the city; the only thing wrong with it is that it shows Toronto during the daytime, which will look decidedly odd to the dedicated FK fan. It's copyrighted 1986, so it's germane to the series' time period. If you can't rent the tape you can ask about buying it by contacting IVN at 3744 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette, Calif., 94549, USA, or at 24 Scala Street, London WIP ILU There are undoubtedly other, similar video tour guides out there, but I haven't run across them yet. If you're looking for cast and production photos, and can't get to a good science-fiction, fantasy or horror convention, there are various stores around the country which specialize in these things. You could call Jerry Ohlinger's Movie Store 242 West 14th Street New York, NY 10011 212-989-0869 A new place, http://www.tvshowstuff.com/showstuf/ is currently selling some 8x10 photographs of GWD, and plans to add more FK items to its catalog. It will also sell the FK novels when they come out this year. You could also post a note on rec.arts.sf.marketplace and ask for whatever it is you want, although I make no guarantees about results. Rick Forsayeth worked as Geraint Wyn Davies's stunt double, and was the show's stunt co-ordinator. However, GWD did his own piano playing. In "Night In Question" he sat down at the keyboard and performed Beethoven's "FÜr Elise" from memory. In other episodes he played moody works by Fred Mollin, the show's musical composer. {9} About This News Group 9.1 What it isn't. Everyone here enjoys talking about Forever Knight. That doesn't make us vampires, Satanists, or lunatics. If we were, would we be fascinated by a character whose most noteworthy feature is that he feels guilty over the evil he has done, and no longer wants to be a vampire? Please confine discussions of religion to anything relevant to the TV show--analyses of plots and character behavior, for example (If you're a Christian/Jew/Muslim, you'll swiftly note that the show has a moral tone that isn't incompatible with your faith. Whatever FK's lapses, evil is not shown as acceptable; good is shown as a desirable state). This isn't the place to discuss Dark Shadows, role-playing games, movies, documentaries or other material about vampires--unless there's a direct connection with FK. Shifting the focus from FK only annoys the people who want to discuss the show, and eats up their connect time while they download and read irrelevant posts. DO NOT offer to sell, rent or lease video tapes of the episodes, even "at cost." The episodes are all copyrighted, and the production company will not appreciate it if you do something that cuts into their profits. You could end up in serious legal trouble. By the same token, do not offer to sell merchandise (T-shirts or bumper stickers with the FK logo or other images) that Sony/Columbia-Tristar-et-alia have not licensed for sale. Copyright infringements are a serious matter--the production company and its employees make their living by selling the show, and these infringements cut into their livelihood. (I don't know what the legal position is on lending episode tapes to friends for private use, but we'd all be a lot happier if Sony put the uncut videos on the market for sale or rent, hint-hint-hint.) 9.2 What it is. This is a place to critique episodes of Forever Knight, analyze characters, point out or explain away discrepancies among episodes, supply historical footnotes for the flashback sequences, post information about the show's actors, writers and production staff, announce "tie-ins" (soundtracks, FK novels, and other merchandise), ask for and offer video tapes of episodes for private use, discuss ways and means to help revive the show, ponder the inscrutable decision process which led to the show's cancellation, and generally shoot the breeze with people who enjoy a terrific show. 9.3 What to do/not do. This advice is probably unnecessary for the people on this news group, but here it is. Posts: Please post only messages here. Some people are on systems which insist on downloading *everything,* and if you post a big image or sound file, they have to download the whole thing. That's time-consuming, and if they're paying by the hour for their connect time, it costs them money. It's doubly annoying if they already have them, don't know how to decode them, or can't play them. It's triply annoying if they have an old, slow modem. Sound files (character voices and music from FK) should be posted to alt.binaries.sounds.tv; picture files can be posted to alt.binaries.pictures.misc or to alt.binaries.gothic. Impress people. Do this by saying "This was good/bad *because*--" and then give your reason *why* you thought an episode was especially good (or a scene was absurd, you liked a particular actor, you thought a plotline was outrageous). This gives everyone something to discuss, which is the whole idea here. Edit! When you're replying to a post, snip out everything that isn't germane to your reply. Large posts take longer to download and read, and your point could be lost in all the excess verbiage. Be considerate and express yourself clearly. This group plays host to US citizens and non-Americans alike; Canadians are understandably well-represented here. Certain American terms are lost on many non-Yanks (such as using "PC" for "politically correct," or "grounders" for "a question so stupid that anyone can see the answer, the same way a shortstop can easily catch a badly-hit baseball"). In some countries "IMO" is a name, not an acronym, so bear in mind that not everybody will know what those cryptic letters and smiley-face symbols mean. And will you Canadians please quit showing off with all of those well-spelled, perfectly grammatical posts? It's bad enough that your national anthem sounds better than ours and is easier to sing, but this really hurts. Don't post a notice meant for this group on another newsgroup; make sure that the heading for your posts says *only* alt.tv.forever-knight. If you're responding to a post, either edit out the headings for other groups, or (if it isn't an appropriate FK posting) consider responding by e-mail. People on other news groups don't care about our opinions, and will flame us in return. When the group gets spammed, ignore it. "Spam" is garbage postings, the Internet equivalent of billboards and junk-mail. More often than not it's a chain letter. When something like this shows up, sit back and feel secure in the knowledge that the spammer will soon be reported to the appropriate Internet authorities (and if you want to do it yourself, LaCroix's Internet handle is "Rosebud"). Trolls (obnoxious, egocentric creatures) are best ignored; they usually go away when they don't get the attention (or chaos) they geek--er, seek. They're easily recognized by their favorite paralogical devices, which are technically known as well-poisoning, special pleading, the ad hominem, presumption, and lying. Plus, their spelling and grammar bite dead gophers, they fake their e-mail addresses, and they live in richly-detailed fantasy worlds which have no connection with reality--and they're goddam boring. --Bill Thompson Nick: "Why would he do this?" Nat: "Because--he's evil?"