Survey Results
Okay, the results have now been updated again. Here's how they stand now. Not all voters answered all questions, or gave reasons or details; but where they were given, I've included them. To avoid confusion, any reason or comment that contains the word 'I', does not necessarily refer to my own opinion, but merely what was written on the survey by the voters in question. Any of my own comments will be clearly marked, in italics and a separate colour. Also, it doesn't take a genius to see that the percentages, where given, often don't add up to 100%. This is simply because most voters cross-voted for multiple answers. The percentages are merely out of the total no. of voters, not votes.
If you've sent a survey in recently and don't see your results here, don't panic yet <g>. I've still got a few to collate that came in after this batch. If they're still not up by the next update, then contact me again. The Easynet formfeed has been playing up and it's possible that some have gone astray (but hopefully not.)
1. What is your favourite episode, and why?
Okay, we've got a leader in this category, with a 25% of the voters, and that's "A Jury of his Fears" (reasons given being that it sends itself up beautifully/ is tremendous fun/ is well over the top without ever being camp/ has an always enjoyable retribution theme/ it explained a lot of what the series was about and despite being a later episode, was a good introductory one/ it was predominantly an Arcane episode/ irony that the favourite one is the clip show, although calling it a clip show isn't really fair because the clips are few and short, and totally necessary, & help the story, and there's much more new footage.)
Close behind (17%), in second place is "Walk a Mile in my Shoots" (because it was the first Dr. Arcane ep the voter in question saw and the one that got them into the series)
And behind this, tying in third place (13%) are "Lesser of two Evils" (Because of Arcane being drunk/ it was a very good episode for Graham/Kevin Quigley/ wonderfully over the top episode & great fun, with Arcane both suffering and being in control.), "That's a Wrap" (Lots of wonderful humour, only equalled by "A Jury of his Fears"/ Great parody of the TV industry/ Great episode because it centred on Arcane and Graham for the humour/ good Graham scenes/ very good ending to the series/ One voter liked it best because he appeared in it) & "Mist Demeanor" (great seeing Arcane and Alec as reluctant allies/ Arcane stripping off!!/ Poor Graham having to go out and get the samples.)
Tying in fourth place were:
"Heart of the Mantis" (because it's full of humour and trashes many of the series most overused clichés)
"Tatania" (because Arcane and Tatania belong together/ just really loved the episode)
And sharing the rest of the vote were:
"Tremors of the Heart" (for old time's sake/ for Arcane being in smooth seductive mode)
"Cross-Fired" (It gave a deeper insight into Arcane's character and what he would have been like had he not become so obsessed, and showed a 'human' side not normally seen)
"Night of The Dying" (wonderful camerawork and production values)
"Changes" (gives hope that Alec can become human, and it's cool to see what he looks like)
"Sonata" (same reasons as for 'Changes')
"Death of Dr. Arcane" (Arcane needing Alec to save his life. Mmmmm... warm fuzzies or what!! <eg>)
"Patient Zero" (So many great moments with Graham/ Loved the scene with the hangover. It was cute/ Shows Graham's loyalty well/ Loved watching Arcane playing nice with Parnell (boy can he lie well)/ Loved the elevator scene, which was sweet/ Just loved it.)
"From Beyond the Grave"
"Love Lost"
"Destiny" (Very cool time displacement with the characters)
All Arcane episodes with a retribution theme
No particular favourite episode
Too many to choose
2. What other episodes do you enjoy especially, and why?
Other well liked episodes are (in order of how many times they're mentioned):
"Cross-Fired" (A very good Graham episode, especially in his interaction with Tressa/ a nice turnabout to see a good Arcane (although fortunately returning to normal at the end)/ extremely good humour that rapidly and skilfully turned into a tragedy: Cleverly done/ only for the beginning, before the change in Arcane.)
"Walk a Mile in my Shoots" (A good showcase for Mark Lindsay Chapman to play multiple roles & accents in the same body/ A really fun episode with some sweet moments/ brilliant acting by Mark Lindsay Chapman/ good storyline.)
"Night of the Dying" (Because voter was dying (no pun intended) for a new season, and when it came, Arcane was better than ever/ Good Graham episode/ nice retribution for Arcane episode if spoiled a little by just a few over the top bits.)
Most episodes with Dr. Arcane
"Lesser of Two Evils" (Arcane being a homeless drunk/ Graham lecherously playing on the rack, reminiscing of 'old times' was wonderful; and Carla/Arcane's delving psychobabble was fun/ some great humour/ just a fun episode/ loved seeing Graham in chains.)
"Tatania" (because of the revelations it contained/ a good showcase for Mark Lindsay Chapman/ the moving final scenes & Arcane's wonderful grovelling at the end)
"The Living Image" (A good second pilot episode with good characterisation that got things going much better than the first pilot/ for Arcane's near naked bed scene)
"Yo Ho Ho" (Arcane at his very best in the 'nasty' stakes/ good fun and excellent humour, and even the child wasn't annoying/ priceless/ loved seeing Arcane with a sword/ very good Arcane/Graham scenes.)
"Dark Side of the Mirror" (for the nifty scene with Arcane doing the sword kata)
"Hide in the Night" (Wonderful episode for Graham and Stella: Pity the ending was unclear/ Good, ambitious directing by Andrew Stevens/ good Graham episode.)
"A Jury of his Fears" (Great Arcane episode and funny as hell/ liked seeing Will in a suit/ just generally liked/ Liked Arcane trying to defend himself against the odds/ Graham saving the day.)
"Mirador's Brain" (The humour when Arcane's going nutty as a fruit loop)
"The Shipment" (cackled with malicious glee at Jim being sent to the slave labour camp by Arcane/ good way to get rid of Jim/ good characterisation/ good Sheriff Andrews episode/ bye bye Jim/ good to see a pissed off Swampy)
"That's a Wrap" (fantastic parody)
"Heart of the Mantis" (Great humour and a wonderful play on Poe's 'The Telltale Heart'/ Loved the running joke of Arcane being innocent and nobody believing him/ The lock-picking scene is great, as is the ensuing interplay between Arcane and Alec/ the scene with Graham helping Arcane getting ready for his date and getting clearly jealous is fantastic/ loved the scene with Arcane getting ready/ liked it up to the point where Arcane went to Louise's for dinner)
"Sonata" (good fun episode/ good scenes between Arcane and Ann/ only really liked the scenes with Arcane and Graham, both in the car and at the end; and there was too much of Alec and Ann and too little Graham (and he acted stupid in one of the few scenes he was in.))
"Death of Dr. Arcane" (Superb interplay between Alec and Arcane, and dialogue more reminiscent of the later episodes)
"Changes"
"A Most Bitter Pill" (Because it was almost a complete Arcane monologue and delved deeply into his psyche/childhood)
"Revelations"
"Patient Zero" (Because of the excellent interplay involving Arcane and Graham/ because of the possible Arcane/Graham sub-text/ great fun, but spoiled though by enormous plot holes and an ending that was never mentioned again.)
"Prometheus Parabola" (for the scene near the end with Alec saving Arcane/ not a great episode but the first seen and had the bonus of Arcane running around in leather and tight jeans)
"Touch of Death" (good interplay between Arcane and Alec at the acid pit/ good dialogue)
"Vendetta"
"Eye for an Eye" (More lovely retribution against Arcane, especially at the end/ Not believable, but really funny/ Loved the scenes with Arcane & Graham trying to stop the panther.)
"Mist Demeanor" (Great humour/ any episode with Alec making Arcane strip to his underwear and bathe, then getting him high on swamp leaves can't be all bad....all that and the added bonus that it got rid of Abigail/ Loved the scene when Arcane first learns about the mist/ really funny scenes with Arcane and Alec.)
"The Hunt" (loved the scene with Arcane and Swampy at the end/ liked it, but it was spoiled by not having enough Graham in it.)
"What Goes Around Comes Around" (For Mark Lindsay Chapman's variety in accents, this time a Texan drawl)
"In the Beginning" (Good Arcane/Graham interaction/ loved the opening scene with Graham in the Hawaiian shirt/ Graham got praise for once)
A lot of them; usually the more humour the better
"The Handyman" (Great humour/ Excellent Stella and Arcane episode/ Really good fun)
"Romancing Arcane" (Very good humour again/ Graham's post coitus interruptus with Arcane and Vanessa (more sub-text?)/ Arcane showing a small flash of humanity, but too hurried an ending though)
"Dead and Married" (A wonderful ghost story full of good humour and the poignant bits were well done/ A Nice, ironic twist at the end.)
"Spirit of the Swamp" (Not a good episode (quite the contrary), but a really fun one; and an excellent Arcane vehicle.)
"Specter of Death" (Excellent Arcane vehicle/ another good retribution theme episode/ some very good humour)
"Tremors of the Heart" (Arcane & Sienna were great together)
"Swamp of Dreams" (fun Arcane bits which helped it not be as preachy as it could have been with that subject/ Really nice twist that it's Arcane lecturing Alec, & Alec being flawed and making a mistake. )
"The Burning Times" (Quite a poor episode, but liked a lot because it was a worthy attempt to show Wicca/Witchcraft in a realistic light as a nature/healing religion, and not black magic)
"Special Request" (a good, strong Tressa episode)
"Fear Itself" (stylish direction/ atmospheric/ Almost thought it was going to cover Alan Moore's concept (but glad Alec WAS human in the end))
"Birthmarks" (contains an all time favourite quote from anything: "The only difference between Him and Me is that I do not rest on the seventh day")
"Grotesquery" (not really a good episode for most of the time (too much Jim and Alec just groaning and lying there), but loved the Arcane hypnotism scene; and Arcane squirming badly at the end when he's cornered. Not to mention his interrupted lovemaking in the trailer; and Jim and Alec figuring out how to drive the vehicle. Pity more wasn't made of that whole ending. Could have been a LOT better with more time.)
"Blood Wind"
"Poisonous"
All Arcane Episodes (they were fun)
All the Arcane episodes from the third season
Any episode where Graham is in it a lot
Any episode with a strong, resourceful Tressa
Most Tressa Episodes (because she was liked)
most of the Arcane and Graham episodes, except "Natural Enemy", "Emerald Heart" (which didn't have the characters right yet), "Judgement Day" (not enough Arcane in it.) and "Falco" (Arcane was good in this, but the episode was terrible.)
Any episode where Tressa is strong and resourceful (and not when she's written as more of a bimbo, which happened after a while)
All of them
Too many to list
Ones the work on the bond between Will and Alec (kind of father/son, teacher/student thing)
No especially liked episodes
3. Which is your most disliked episode, and why?
Well, like with the favourite category, there's a clear leader in this one, with 50% of the entire vote, it's:
"Smoke and Mirrors" (because it sacrificed the integrity of the show with a blatant anti-music message/ it was stupid/ it was preaching/ self-righteous without even having a valid enough plotline or theme to justify this/ highly irritating and annoying, as opposed to some of the other poor episodes that are merely boring or silly/ It dumbed down to the audience in the worst possible way (others in the third season did this badly, but this was by far the worst for it) Ewwwww!!!!!!/ Worst of the message shows/ yeah, it sucked big time.)
In second place (19%) is:
"Brotherly Love" (INCREDIBLY , mind numbingly boring/ Caffeine is needed to watch it, or at least a predilection for being a sado masochist)
Tying in third place (13%) are:
"Never Alone" (Boy, was that absolutely stupid and embarrassing to watch!/ Silly and preachy/ Dumb!!/ Embodies worst things about series/ Clumsy 'message' episode.)
"Children of the Fool" (boring and stupid/ As bad as it gets/ sucked.)
Next, tying for fourth place are:
"Pay Day" (it sucked)
"The Burning Times" (for being just plain stupid)
"Fear Itself" (Pretentious, dull, and embodies all the worst things about Swamp Thing's worst episodes)
"New Acquaintance" (no Arcane... lots of Jim, and a dead bunny!)
All the non-Arcane episodes (er, well, because they don't have Arcane in, I guess!)
No least favourite episode
All of them
Can't say because the non-Arcane episodes are never watched and it's one of those
4. What other episodes do you dislike, and why?
Other disliked episodes, in order of the no. of times they were mentioned:
The majority of non-Arcane episodes (self-explanatory reason. Some voters gave examples of exceptions to these, which were nearly always "Dead and Married" (very much liked), and then "Poisonous" (fairly liked), and "Special Request", which although not especially liked (but was a particular favourite among the Tressa fans), at least wasn't hated as much as the other non Arcane episodes ; particularly the later ones, which many felt to be excuses to moralise and preach, or just plain boring)
"The Curse" (Terrible dialogue and way over the top possession scene spoiling it near the end/ awful stock footage/ Dull/ The episode was enjoyable until the last few minutes, which completely spoiled what would otherwise have been a good episode/ silly)
"Treasure" (boring and pointless, although with a nicely ironic final line, but still felt rushed/ Another one that had me begging for Arcane to come back soon)
"Pay Day" (just disliked/ Not a bad episode, just one where the subject matter held no interest)
"Future Tense" (clichéd plot or what!?/ Cliched, pretentious and predictable)
"Children of the Fool" (boring/ Alec's unrealistic double standards at the end in killing Hurly were irritating, inconsistent and out of character/ yet another truly unwatchable non-Arcane episode.)
"Brotherly Love" (Boring, boring, boring *yawn*)
"Never Alone" (Preaching, condescending and *very* embarrassingly silly; not to mention continuity inconsistencies with Alec's wounds compared to 'Specter of Death'/ painful to watch.)
"Eye of the Storm" (Very boring, and irritating in that it cleared the whole Jim arc in one throwaway sentence where it should have been an actual episode in its own right)
"New Acquaintance" (Hideously boring Jim plot/ The bit with the bunny was poignant, if very stupidly done.)
Any Jim episodes/scenes (Didn't mind the rest of those episodes, & enjoyed the Arcane or Tressa bits)
"This Old House of Mayan" (Dull)
"Night of the Dying" (Dull/ Actually thought this was quite a good episode, but the way over the top possession scenes and Duchamp's exorcism made it laughable and spoiled the rest of it/ Good Graham episode.)
"Legend of the Swamp Maiden" (appalling dialogue/ spoiled by being another Jim-fest; although the imagery and the maiden were good.)
"Rites of Passage" (good Alec and Will scenes, and reasonable humour, but not enough to redeem it as the plot was so cliched and predictable. At least cliched, predictable plots with Arcane were still fun. This wasn't.)
"The Hurting" (quite moving in places, but the plot was so obvious and so-so/ don't want stories concentrating on guest character emotional angst)
"Nightmare on Jackson St." (Boring and too cliched, although some of the imagery was nice/ Badly stereotyped characters)
"The Burning Times"
"Destiny" (some good humour and poignant end, but most of it felt lacklustre and totally unmemorable)
"Powers of Darkness" (Fair ending. Pity I had to suffer the rest of the episode to get to it/ Don't want to watch Swamp Thing for teen angst)
"Falco" (Great turnabout idea ruined totally by clumsy, unsubtle direction, with a terribly contrived ending)
"Easy Prey" (Cliched, unoriginal, predictable and boring/ Great Arcane scenes, but too short and too few to redeem it.)
"Natural Enemy" (Ewww... another horrifically boring Jim story. Too little Arcane to save it.)
"The Handyman" (Unoriginal Premise and Arcane was acting less intelligently than usual; but it was redeemed by Arcane somewhat)
"Grotesquery" (liked Arcane's scenes very much, but the whole Alec and Jim thing really spoiled it (except the good bit at the end with them both trying to drive the auto, which more should have been made of)/ Simon was irritating & weird.)
"A Jury of His Fears"
Most episodes without Arcane or Graham (still like ones without Graham that do have Arcane in though)
Episodes without Tressa and/or Arcane
Any episodes that Graham isn't in
Most of the episodes concentrating predominantly on throwaway guest stars (rather than the regular characters, since the regulars were the series' strength)
Any episodes that overuse Swamp Thing himself.
None
5. Which character do you like the most, and why? (regular, guest, and overall)
No doubt whatsoever who the favourite regular character is, with 77% of the entire votes cast, it's:
Anton Arcane (he's stylish/ enigmatic/ intelligent/ arrogant/ empathic/ an over the top villain who is played very naturally, with very real and down to earth mannerisms that make him come across as a real person rather than a two dimensional character (rare for this type of character in these somewhat cheesy plots and scenarios, and gave the illusion that Mark Lindsay Chapman wasn't actually acting the role half the time.)/ Swamp Thing may have been the title character, but Arcane makes the show and holds it together/ ideal man/ brilliant/ gorgeous/ nice enough to be likeable but bad enough to be interesting/ The show would be nothing without him/ Great character/ Totally believable even when in unbelievable plots/ Portrayed by one of the better actors on the show/ really cool character/ best villain in anything, ever/ he has cool lines and big hair/ He was so cool and so much fun/ he made the series wonderful: It was barely watchable when he wasn't in it/ so much fun.)
In second place (28%) is:
Swamp Thing/Alec Holland (He's a tragic figure/ he's the main character, and it's cool to watch him go through his troubles/ portrayed by one of the better actors on the show)
In third place (20%) is:
Graham (Cute, loyal, dependable and hurt in a sweet sort of way... bit like a faithful Spaniel/ He's adorable/ Kevin Quigley is also liked very much in 'Secret World of Alex Mack'/ voter loves an underdog/ the perfect assistant/ KQ plays him very well/ goes so well with Arcane/ )
Back in fourth place (8%) are:
Will (he's more vulnerable/ there is mystery as with Alec, but Will establishes the bond (both mental and with friendship) and makes it interesting/ portrayed by one of the better actors on the show)
Tressa (She's such a babe/ real cute)
Favourite Guest character:
Relatively few people answered this question. It didn't seem to be of interest to most, but a few guest characters did seem to make an impact.
Of those that were mentioned, most popular (45%) was:
Carla Jeffries played by Tyne Daly (wonderfully outrageous and totally over the top villain/ Haven't seen earrings that bad since Servalan in 'Blake's 7'/ a really trippy foil/counterpart for Arcane/ Tyne Daly did a good job playing her)
Close behind, in second place (36%) was:
Stella played by Robin O' Dell (A great foil for Arcane and Graham/ a sweet character and a nice turnabout that Arcane had a nice, pleasant henchperson). This was assuming Stella was classed as a guest character, and not a regular/recurring one. If she was a regular character, one vote would have gone to Carla Jeffries instead.
In third place (25%) there was a tie between:
Tatania (Because she was pivotal to the plot and was nice to look at)
None (Guest character?? Why am I watching them?? It's Arcane I'm watching. No one else!/ One voter was glad because of 'Jury of His Fears' because they thought Arcane was just a guest character after watching 'Mist Demeanour', and that he wasn't going to be seen again.)
And in fourth place (13%) were:
Ian James (because of David Ackroyd, who is such an underappreciated actor/ his dialogue was sharp and good)
Sienna
Daphne and Barry Scott
Favourite overall character results were pretty much the same as for the favourite regular characters, with Arcane well in the lead again.
6. Which character do you dislike the most, and why? (regular, guest, and overall)
Opinion was more divided here than in the favourite category, but there was a clear winner (or rather, loser) with a VAST majority (82%) of the votes:
Jim (bratty/ his acting was more wooden than the tree Alec turned that guy into/ dislike child characters/ simply disliked/ everything he does makes the voter want to smack him and tell him not to be such a dope/ too limiting for the plots/ Made things too kiddified/ Limited decent interaction with Arcane and everybody else/ Limited Tressa's character badly and reduced her to a maternal role/ He was pretty bad for the series/ he was terrible and ruined the show.)
Considerably behind (15%) and tying in second place, were:
Will (stupid/ liked him some of the time, just not when acting stupid)
Abigail (She was supposed to be intelligent, but despite some rare flashes of brain activity, still came across as a complete airhead!/ A great idea for a character ruined by being taken nowhere and acted very badly)
Tying in third place (12%) were:
Alec (not a big fan of his/ One vote wasn't a dislike of the character per se, but a dislike of Alec's human version because of a resentment of the actor portraying him, feeling Dick Durock should have been given this role/ He was used in too moralising a way, although it was good when they made fun of this, and he was good when they brought out his sense of humour/ A goody two shoes/ He ruins Arcane's plans/ Didn't like him on how own but made for good bits with Arcane though.)
Doctor Hollister (Who ought to get a life instead of running Tressa's)
No least favourite character (although one voter didn't like it when Tressa screams and faints, or Graham quivles; but they're not disliked) (*personal note: can anyone please tell me what 'quivle' means?)
WAY behind and in fourth place with just a couple of votes was:
Arcane
And lastly, in fifth place with just a single vote each, were:
Graham (He was kind of stupid since he didn't like being one of Arcane's lackeys, but he didn't do anything about it and he was just dumb)
Sheriff Andrews (A weak and wishy washy character)
Tressa (don't have a reason, just don't like her)
Most disliked guest character:
Tying in first (50%) place were:
JJ Dax (from "Prometheus Parabola") (because of probably the worst acting seen in the entire series; Is his acting that bad all the time... and if so, why does he have a career?) (*Personal note: For interest and posterity's sake, whilst the comments are undeniable -- Dax may have been awful -- the acting fault was NOT Terry Funk's as his voice was looped by a different actor and his role altered in post production. Mr. Funk's performance before the alterations was well up to par.)
Brad (from "Brotherly Love") (extremely irritating character, and very boring)
Tying for second most disliked guest character (25%) were:
Tatania (bad overacting/ too mushy/ diluted Arcane's character/ Quite liked Heather Thomas as 'Kitty' though)
Brydon Kipp (boring character, and he spoiled Tressa)
Anyone who hurts Arcane (<bg> Lotsa people to dislike there!)
All of them (they were stupid)
Most disliked overall character showed no surprises in again being Jim
Tying for second place overall were Abigail, JJ Dax, Brad and Tatania (reasons given above)
7. Which other characters (regular and/or guest) do you particularly like, and why?
Other characters mentioned as being well liked (in order of number of votes):
Graham (for his interaction with Arcane and the depth he added to the relationship and the series/ he was simply a very appealing character and you cared deeply for him/ because he's sweet, loyal and protective to Arcane/ a loyal toady to Arcane/ because he makes one voter laugh because he's a dead ringer for his dentist/ he's a great underdog/ he's Arcane's little crony)
Alec (good foil for humour from the other characters, particularly Arcane and Will/ for the arch enemy type relationship with Arcane/ there wouldn't have been a series without him/ A great character/ only when he's using his sense of humour and not all preachy/ unbelievably merciful to Arcane but that was great to watch/ When he's being funny, or the butt of any flying witticisms.)
Sheriff Andrews (worked well in the context of the series/ Because Marc Macaulay is a really nice guy)
Tressa (only later when her character became more tough and independent. Disliked the early Tressa/ Depended on what she was given to do/ She gave the series stability)
Arcane (A very cool character, even if he has a tendency to make Graham look bad/ He makes the series/ A character who's a lot of fun/ love bad guys/ a total babe/ love his voice and accent/ he's the bad guy/ perfect mad scientist/ )
Ian James (from "Poisonous" and "The Curse") (a VERY rare occurrence, a guest character that worked well and was interesting without the need for Arcane, at least in his first episode. Shame he was killed off)
Will (only occasionally though/ because he works well as a foil for Alec/ Didn't like it when he was in preaching mode, but good as humorous foil/ he's kinda cute)
Duchamp Snr (from "Spirit of the Swamp")
Abigail (she was a nice character/ She is one hot chick/ she was really cool/ not afraid to stand up to Arcane, and not afraid to die helping someone)
Most of the characters (one of the series strengths; particularly the regular characters.)
Stella (from "Handyman" and "Hide in the Night" (& mentioned in "In the Beginning")) (so sweet/ very distinctive character/ different and fun)
Ann Fisk (a perfect plot device and partner for Alec/ simply a good character and foil for both Alec and Arcane.)
Sienna (from "Tremors of the Heart") (Superb, strong female opposite for Arcane who brought out his interesting qualities, unlike the simpy Tatania)
Savannah Langford (she was nice and had a lot of potential. Pity she was gotten rid of.)
Mickey Paradise (from "That's a Wrap") (He was a lot of fun.)
General Sunderland
Duchamp Jnr (from "Night of the Dying")
The Swamp Maiden (from "Legend of the Swamp Maiden") (evocative and erotic character who should have been in it again 3 years later)
Carter Sinclair LaRoche (from "Better Angels" and "Return of LaRoche") (provided good plotlines for the 2 episodes he was in)
Tanda Duchamp (from "Night of the Dying") (exotic and interesting)
Tatania (would have preferred for her to have been revived and merely left Arcane; which would have given more opportunity for growth of character with both her and Arcane, including knowing more about what Arcane used to be like when they were married)
Daphne and Barry Scott (from "Dead and married") (good humour/ well acted, empathic characters/ The only other guest characters that made an episode without Arcane even watchable... and 'Dead and Married' was VERY watchable)
Dr. Hollister
The Caleb Brothers (from "Sonata")
Most of the guest cast for "That's a Wrap" (Superb parodies of the TV business/ very funny)
8. Which other characters (regular and/or guest) do you dislike, and why?
Other disliked characters, in order of no. of votes were:
Oboe (not hugely disliked per se, but very wishy washy and nothing seemed to ever be done to expand his character/ He never fitted in/ He was too old for a sidekick for Jim, and superfluous after Jim left/ He was a spare part for the few bits he was in/ who would willingly go through life with a name like that!?/ what the f**k was he in the series for anyway? He never did anything)
Abigail (what a simp!/ she looked cute, but she was a bimbo)
Tressa (because of her unrealistically nice attitude to Arcane when he's in trouble (presumably in "Cross-Fired" since she detested him the rest of the time): It didn't make sense, but it was cool and all/ She was a weak character)
Nathan Stone (from "Smoke and Mirrors")
Hurly (from "Children of the Fool") (A Boring character/ He was supposed to be charismatic. I've seen more charismatic stuffed toys!)
Guthrie (from "Never Alone") (shame 'cos I like Ray Wise but he couldn't save those lines.)
Rowan (from "The Burning Times") (really liked what her character stood for, but the actress was terrible and spoiled her/ she could have been fantastic with a good actress.)
Will
Jim (Lousy acting/ lack of empathy for a majority of child characters/ he didn't fit into the style of the show/ It was allowed to become more adult orientated after he left/ annoying.)
Dr. Hollister (irritating character/ didn't add to the plots he was in because he took time away from the interesting parts of the story and the characters that were liked/ could have had more depth)
Tatania (irritating/ unrealistic/ Little depth of character/ Bad for Arcane's character)
Simon (from "Grotesquery") (too weird)
Nestor Parkins (from "Smoke and Mirrors", "What Goes Around Comes Around" and "Powers of Darkness")
Debbie (from "Lesser of Two Evils") (because of what she did to Graham)
Many of the guest characters (usually very two dimensional and wasted opportunities for episodes that could have been spent with good interaction with the regular characters/ often poorly acted and not believable.)
9. What is it about the series that makes you like it?
There were many and varied reasons for this. By far the most common (and I do mean by far) was simply Dr. Arcane's presence (He's hot/ had great dialogue/ really believable character (plus the multitude of reasons given under the 'favourite character' section, so there's little point in repeating them).
In second place (which could technically be counted as the same, or at least similar to the first popular reason) was Mark Lindsay Chapman (chewed up the scenery/ without whose performance as Arcane the series would have fallen flat and not been worth watching, as is proven when attempting to watch the abysmal version of him played by Louis Jourdan in the movies/ Made Arcane believable & brought him to life.)
(In fact, both these answers were so popular that between them, they amassed 83% of the entire vote)
Third most popular answer (33%) was that the series was a great deal of fun, and not afraid to laugh at itself. (It was silly and fun/ It was good/ cool fun and didn't take itself too seriously.)
Also in third place is that the series had good characters and character development for them. (they did gradually evolve rather than stay samey & go stale/ good characters/ if the characterisation hadn't been as good as it was, I wouldn't have liked the show)
Iin fourth place (28%) was the interaction between Graham and Dr. Arcane (one voter hadn't seen the show and only read the summaries, but continued to come back to read about it because of these characters/ great character interaction/ good rapport and chemistry between characters)
Also tying in fourth place was that the series had interesting, good plots and storylines (which, like characterisation, were allowed to evolve and not get samey. Even more would have been better/ Many of the plots were very fan orientated & lots of fun/ Lots of fun plots involving revenge/retribution against Arcane, but nothing ever really happened to him in the end & this was cool/ Stories were a good mix of high drama, comedy and good old sci fi/ Even if not always entirely plausible, the stories were interesting/ All those schemes of Dr. Arcane are very entertaining)
In fifth place (22%) was the fact that the series had a lot of humour, but was very rarely camp or hoaky (because the humour was dialogue driven, not slapstick or too visual/ The series was funny, but it really worked because the characters were mostly played straight and just the situations funny/ humour was well done)
Also in fifth place was the extremely good interplay/relationship between Arcane & Swampy (loved Arcane's close hate/hate relationship with Alec/ Shows/stories with a personal grudge thing between hero and an arch nemesis are a winner if the characters are good and it's handled well/ Loved seeing Swampy grudgingly having to save Arcane's butt so often/ Really cool to watch/ great character interaction)
In sixth place is the possible Arcane/Graham sub-text (if it actually existed & if it did could have been done ever so slightly more/ fun to watch).
In seventh place is the friendship between Will and Swampy (sort of like a 'swampkeeper apprentice')
Also in seventh place is Graham's character
Also tying in seventh place is the cool dialogue/banter between the characters
Other reasons were:
It didn't try to copy the comics (comics were good and all but glad the series didn't try to be like them/ wouldn't have worked for me/ Glad it had its own 'TV' style.)
The acting was good.
The series had a friendly, close feel that showed great affection for the characters (almost like a sci fi soap)
It was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise bleak SF/Fantasy environment
It wasn't afraid to use adult themes such as swearing, sex etc. (although a little more would have been still okay)
The series was consistent, with few awful episodes
The series was well done
It was based on a comic book
Tressa, who was a very atypical female character
Swamp Thing, who is a very atypical hero.
Dick Durock (Who is one of the nicest guys one voter has met, and started watching the show because of him)
It was nice to see the Orlando settings
It was the first show one voter worked on out of film school
Anton and Tatania
The struggle between good and evil is always interesting, especially when mixed with power, potions and science.
The FX
Voter into the supernatural, and this was a very cool aspect of the show.
Fairly faithful to the comics
Nothing
10. What aspects of the series don't you like?
Easily the most popular answer (50%) is that there weren't enough episodes with Dr. Arcane in. (Overusing him could have caused the character to lose effectiveness, but with good writing and plots; and his character was already being developed and diversified enough, this should not have been a problem/ Whatever the theories of using him less in the third season, practice showed that with only a few exceptions, episodes without him didn't work too well, if at all; and were wasted opportunities/ Shows without Arcane were usually lousy and even the good ones wouldn't hold the interest for more than an episode or two/ Needed Arcane in to work and he wasn't in the later ones enough, particularly. He's the reason I watch the show, so I'm just not interested in episodes without him.)
Second most popular answer (39%) was that there was way too much preaching in many episodes in a very obvious and unsubtle way (They shoehorned it in a pretentious, self-righteous, moralistic lesson that didn't fit the series/ more prevalent in the later episodes than the early ones/ The message could have been put more cleverly and subtlely/ The series sometimes talked down to you/ was dumbed down which happens too often in TV shows/ tried to be too serious and give a message, and it didn't work/ don't the writers know that less is often more? Too much of this was off-putting)
Third most popular answer (31%) was that many of the episodes were too rushed and could have benefited from a few minutes longer, an hour slot or multiple part episodes (endings rushed/ episodes too short/ needed an hour to get a deep, involved plot)
Fourth most popular answer (17%) was how Alec & the good guys always win, making things too predictable (some voters wanted Arcane to win. Period. Most of the votes, though, said it was good that Alec & co. won most of the time, but to always win was just too tedious and it would have been good if Arcane had won a few eps to keep things fresh and intriguing.)
Next most popular answers were the following:
That there were too many characters with great potential that were only used once... maybe twice if lucky, that could have been great recurring characters (as a result, interesting plotlines, themes or interaction were lost (for example, Stella, Swamp Maiden, Duchamp, Carla Jeffries, Ian James))
That there wasn't enough publicity for the series
Jim (but he's gone, so that's good)
Too many endings were cop-outs (ties in to comments on episodes being rushed and sloppy writing on occasions)
Getting names and facts wrong with the occult/mythological episodes, and doing them poorly (such as calling Athene by her Roman name, Minerva/ Pet peeve.)
A lot of the guest actors were truly awful and not even remotely convincing.
How Arcane was made out to be wrong even when he wasn't, and the facts as seen were twisted (like in some flashbacks in 'Jury of his Fears' etc. Don't mind when he IS obviously wrong & the bad guy, but sometimes it's irritating that he's blamed when he shouldn't be. Maybe it was meant to be ironic but it didn't come across like that and was just badly done if that was the case. It seemed more like bad continuity or plotting.)
Continuity hiccups in the timeline and other background details (such as Alec's ever changing accident.)
Other comments were as follows:
Some of the more far out 'Twilight Zone' style episodes
Important events were started, but never followed up on; and major events were never referred back to on some occasions.
A lot of the reasoning behind some plot devices wasn't thought out properly and just doesn't hold up to even a cursory examination
Some of the plots were a trifle silly
The special FX weren't the greatest
The truly awful lip synching/sound editing in a vast majority of the episodes (probably because of the rush, and not technical competence though)
An awful lot of stock shots were reused, which in itself isn't a problem, but this sometimes caused confusion with continuity.
The direction was a little slack and unsubtle in a few of the episodes, which ruined what was otherwise reasonable acting and dialogue.
Sometimes, the writing was unbearable
Too little seen of Graham
Too little of Tressa later on in the series
That Graham is put down and under appreciated by Dr. Arcane.
Not dark enough. It could have explored more into the dark side of things
Wasn't close enough to the comic books
Nothing
11. A lot of changes were made for the 3rd series. Which did you think worked well?
Relatively few answers in this category. Three factors were favoured most (38%):
More and better ironic humour (played on its own clichés and laughed at itself/ Among others, Heart of the Mantis, Jury of his Fears & That's a Wrap were brilliant.)
Graham was brought more to the fore, and given much more depth (simply loved by many voters/ So nice and sweet and protective of Arcane. Loyal, intelligent and cute/ became more defined/ liked the old jump-suit, but wearing his own clothes was a good change/ he was closer with Arcane)
Arcane was given better motivation and more realism and depth. (More varied uses of him than simply the main danger of the week/ Was made more human without ever losing the qualities that made him really interesting/ had a more varied role/ still the same great bad boy, but more human with it)
Close behind (27%) were the following comments:
Better development of Alec's character (developed more of a sense of humour/ became less imposing and mythical and more accessible & human instead: The mythical feel was all well and good for the comics, but for the style of the TV show they needed an Alec better at interplay with Arcane and Will etc.)
The start of that possible Arcane/Graham sub-text
Next most popular comments were
The show became more personal, like a Sci-Fi soap (Not meant in a bad way/ The character advancement helped with this and they all felt like 'family', even the bad guys and this was really cool. Not believable, but cool! Hey! Who watches 'Swamp Thing' for believability??? <bg>)
The addition of Ann Fisk (Nice character/ She was good for Alec.)
Having Tressa discover the truth about Alec was a welcome relief (great to see them working together at last)
Here are a few other changes that were liked:
The addition of Stella (She was great/Wanted to see more of her with both Arcane and with Graham, as well as Alec.)
Less Tressa
Tressa improved (she stopped being a victim and become stronger)
The series became stabilised
All
Nothing
Don't know, but liked the changes from the first to the second season (with Arcane getting the complex, Graham, getting rid of Jim and replacing him with Will etc.)
One voter got to join production for the third series
12. Same question except which changes didn't work well?
More voters answered this one, and one factor was particularly prevalent, with 82% and over three times the votes of the next most popular answer, and that was:
Far too few episodes with Arcane in (for the same reasons given in question 10)
In second place (27%) was that there were too many moralising or boring preachy episodes that fell flat (could have been spent providing actually entertaining ones, or arc stories pivotal to the main plots/ more of those awful 'message' episodes that I mentioned earlier in this season than any other/ just because episodes were more character driven because of budget, why did it mean we had to have this crap?)
Next most popular (or unpopular) comments were:
Whatever happened to Arcane's dress sense and hairdresser compared to the first two seasons?? (particularly as the series progressed/ His hair went a little bit too wild/weird later on/ His clothing wasn't as good as before. Please don't put him in brown, & bring back the Armani suits.)
Will's character lost its edge a bit and he got too preachy when episodes concentrated on him rather than have him as a smaller part of the plot (he's okay in an episode, but not when it's devoted to him/ Good foil, but not a good enough character to carry an episode himself.)
The reduction in budget showed badly. (Episodes were too rushed/ Did make for better characterisation though (probably because there was no choice because of lack of FX or location money, but whatever, that was good I guess.))
Killing Sunderland and resolving the Tatania situation in one episode, and fairly early on, stalled the series for a while (Sunderland shouldn't have been killed because he would have made a good enemy.)
The little that was left of the vote was evenly divided. Here are the other changes that weren't liked:
Not enough Tressa
Too much use of guest actors in one off plots, to the detriment of the regular ones (The series main strength was the close interaction of the regular characters; and the majority of the guest ones lessened this)
Although the new, more Science Fiction based themes worked well, more reference back to old themes and incidents (both from earlier in the third season, but mainly to the first two) would have been welcome.
None
13. If Swamp Thing were to be revived, what viewing format would you like to see it take (e.g. same half hour show as before, hour show, some other length show, telemovie(s), theatrical movie(s) etc.), And why?
The VAST majority of answers (94%) indicated that a TV show like the original was desired, with by far the most popular suggestion being to have the series as an hour long show (both episodic AND serial elements). Also mentioned was the same half hour format as before, with suggestions that if it had to be a half hour show (as opposed to an hour one which was still preferred by the same voters), that it at least have 4 or 5 minutes more than before; or stories could span multiple episodes. It was widely thought that this or the hour format would give the opportunity for less rushed plots, more character development and background, a better story and a really good ending (many existing stories would have been better as an hour show e.g. Tatania, Cross-Fired, Most Bitter Pill & Walk a Mile in my Shoots/ Would have given more time to get to know characters; find out about their past: What made Arcane go off the deep end? What was the relationship between Arcane and Alec before the accident? Arcane's family? His father: He's NEVER mentioned/ Less rushed sub-plots like in Romancing Arcane etc. love to have a full hour of Swamp thing) One suggestion was for the same as before, because they were used to it and liked it. (The market is out there now for action/sci fi, as with Xena, Herc, Sinbad, Nightman etc. Swamp Thing has a good mix of this.)
Another few suggestions were for a telemovie or series of telemovies (similar to how 'Alien Nation' was done,) with most stating that it was as long as the format, style, characters etc. weren't altered from the original series, or the ending of the movie rounding off/concluding the story, as movies tend to do (the main saga that is, not any one-off plot of the movie, which would need some resolution, obviously.), with some of these suggestions simply quoting telemovie(s) as a nice-to-see possibility alongside an hour or 30 min TV show rather than instead of; sort of like a series with the bonus of extra length telemovie specials every so often. One suggestion said that perhaps a movie/telemovie could be made, just to see if it was still viable and that the magic hadn't been lost; and then produce a follow-on TV show.
One suggestion was for a movie (since they're better)
One suggestion was for a movie (so it could be laughed at.)
More on style than format here, but one suggestion wanted good supporting characters behind Arcane and Alec, so things didn't get dull.
Also more on style than format, a few suggestions wanted a show with the same style as before, but keeping the good points and not the bad (points mentioned were amongst the more popular ones from questions 9, 10, 11 & 12)
What was stated as being definitely NOT wanted by a huge majority was a theatrical movie with new actors and/or different characters, rounded off ending, killing Arcane, etc. The thought of a bigger budget different version with 'star' names etc., no matter how good, was still not wanted in favour of the old series returning, even with its low budget.
14. If revived, what would you want keeping the same as the original show?
As many things as possible or As many of the good aspects of the series as possible seemed to be a pretty common answer, with 57% of the voters; many of whom went on to suggest specific things (which tended to coincide with many of the answers that voters just gave alone as specifics,) which is why I'll treat this answer as separate from said specifics and list them separately, in order of popularity.
WAY out in front as most popular answer (80%) was to keep as many of the characters as possible (in particular; Arcane, Graham, Swamp thing/Alec, Tressa, Will, Sheriff Andrews and Stella were mentioned, in that order, with both Arcane and Graham tied and well ahead with twice as many votes as Swamp Thing, who had twice as many votes as Tressa and Will; and then Stella and Andrews with just a few votes each.) (not changing them dramatically as a movie might; or replacing them with new characters/ & keep their motivations, personalities, relationships & style the same/ Want stability with the original series/ Without this tight-knit interaction of the characters that made the series what it was, it would lose its appeal: The original movies showed that, with very limited appeal compared to the series/ If Will wasn't stupid, Alec a sombre, morose voyeur, Graham as Arcane's henchman, Arcane a vain bastard... it just wouldn't be 'Swamp Thing'!/ Want the same main character: Swamp Thing.)
Many of the voters of the most popular answer also voted for the second one, and it is tied-in with the first. Consequently, it's only marginally behind in the popularity stakes (73%); and this was that as many of the original cast should be kept as possible. The following were mentioned, in order: Mark Lindsay Chapman got a lot of mentions, as did Kevin Quigley who was close behind him. Quite a way behind, Dick Durock, Scott Garrison & Carrell Myers also got a bit of a mention. (wanted same actors, but if it wasn't possible then they should use relatives of the character to fill in, rather than recast; or a clone of Alec that's human etc. etc./ Gotta have Tressa, Dr. Arcane, Alec 'n Graham 'n their actors: The others would be okay but could be replaced.)
Also reasonably popular was to keep the Arcane vs Swampy format (with exactly the same arch enemy relationship as before & same type of interaction between the two of them (but it was good to have some episodes where Arcane wasn't the enemy, so more of that would be good as well (not instead of)/ If not, their banter and interplay would be badly missed/ It's what makes the show so cool.)
Next most popular was to keep the same style of humour as in the series. (Loved some of the sardonic remarks and it wasn't campy/ Balanced the cheesiness of some of the rest of the series and made it fun silly instead of bad silly/ Some great comedy lines, particularly with Dr. Arcane/ Keep it fun, like it was)
Next popular was to keep the same style as the original TV show, specifically not to make it more like the comics.
Alongside this, more generally, was: DON'T have any radical onscreen changes (e.g. don't have Arcane suddenly get married and have 2 little evil twin kids as bad as Daddy, and have the show concentrate on them instead)
Also equally popular was to keep the fondness/affection for the characters that the show had.Other suggestions were as follows:
To keep the continuity of the series and start where it left off.
To keep the original production company (BBK) (since they did such a good job of it before, despite the joke budget... lip synch and stock footage aside :))
To keep as many of the original people involved behind the scenes as possible, since they knew the characters, subtle nuances etc. & showed affection for the series.
Have Judith and Sandra Berg back in a stronger role concerning plots/stories/writing
Try to bring Abigail back (maybe as a clone?)
Keep Dick Durock and bag everything else
Kept in the same area, with the same scenery, only more updated.
Keep the teacher/mentor relationship (between Alec and Will)
Keep Houma as the same small town.
Check up on everyone and see how they're doing
15. If revived, what would you like to see done differently?
There was quite a wide variety of answers in this category. The most popular answer (with 45% of the vote) pretty much backed up many other comments from the survey, and that was that a revival should have far more episodes with Dr. Arcane in (with some of the voters wanting ALL of them with him in, and with half the screen time in each.) (little point in putting comments and reasons. They've all been mentioned before <g>)
Next most popular (33%) was to make the show less wholesome and more gothic/darker in tone. (try taking it a shade darker/ Make the good guys less perfect and a bit more flawed. They're too clean and not gritty or emotionally dirty enough/ Not too much darker but just a shade enough to be interesting/ Not all the episodes: Keep the comedy ones light and same as before, but if going for a serious feel then don't pull the punches and go for DARK/ Vertigo style/ More adult plots and themes and less 'kiddie' based ones: This is a series that should be geared for adults as with shows like 'Sliders', 'Millennium' & others of this genre/ Maybe make it a bit more adult in style: I know it was really but a little bit more would be good/ A little darker but if this would change the characters or style too much then maybe not/ It's still got to be fun as well, but if it could be fun but less simplified in some places, that would be best/ Plots did cover adult subjects but because they were done so 'black and white' and obvious they just seemed kiddified/ Could be darker but don't lose the humour.)
Close behind, the next most popular suggestions were:
To tighten up the writing and make it better (More complex plots with less predictable endings like the good guys not always winning, or only partially winning, & Arcane sometimes winning/ not to deliberately 'dumb down' to the viewer/ less plot holes/ Enough with the appallingly thought out plot devices that don't hold up to even a cursory glance!/ less rushed endings or cop-out endings/ bad writing some of the time/ lousy excuses for things happening that don't make sense/ make the technobabble slightly more credible although this wasn't as bad as some things: It was kind of cute in a cheesy way/ Plot devices wanted to be more plausible: This spoiled otherwise fun episodes.)
Fewer, MUCH fewer moralising, preaching/message episodes. (This was done really obviously and without subtlety and should be toned down or removed in a new series/ There's no need for writing that has a moral lesson that shows things in black and white rather than the grey areas in-between/ We can figure out what's being implied without it being driven home with a sledgehammer. Show good and evil etc., but don't feel the need to tell us how we should think by stating the obvious. Leave the audience to make their own minds up about the actions they've seen portrayed/ Stop trying to teach morality... entertain instead!!!)
To make the show longer. (most wanted to see an hour long show)
Just behind this, the fourth most popular suggestions were
More continuing storylines, some multiple episode spanning stories, and loose ends followed up on. (The endings of many made one wonder what happened to various characters afterwards/ Too many gaps and jumping isn't a good mix with a storyline base. It's okay to leave the main storyline occasionally, but the central themes are what keep people coming back. e.g we can all figure out Alec isn't going to be human, so there's no story base there/ Keep both serial and episodic, but have more serial eps than before/ Don't leave stuff hanging, like in 'Patient Zero' or 'Hide in the Night'. Important events should be referred back to or have implications for the future.)
More episodes centring on Swampy and Arcane together, and more scenes with them together. (that's what makes the show so cool/ Great for both angst, tension and comedy/ Great chemistry between the two enemies.)
Stop dithering in too much ambiguity and have more of the Arcane/Graham sub-text
Next most popular were:
To have more horror based episodes.
To have a bigger budget (but not if that would mean more special effects at the expense of plot and characterisation)
To get much better actors for the guest/minor roles (a lot of them let the series down. Not all by any means, but a significant percentage.)
More scenes/episodes with Alec as a human.
To slot the series between two very popular series (such as Hercules and Xena, working on the 'People are too lazy to turn the channel syndrome'/ would increase viewing figures.)
On similar lines, giving the show MUCH more publicity. (One quoted 'Xena'. They'd only ever seen one episode, but knew what it was since it started because of the publicity.)
Let Arcane win an occasional episode.
Other suggestions were:
Next time, show the episodes in the correct bloody order (criticism NOT aimed at any production people involved in the show, but with the Network that aired it)
Take longer to film the episodes. (2 to 3 a week spoiled the quality of the show and probably near killed the cast and crew! maybe spend 4 -5 days per episode instead, with more time for pre and post production as well.)
Make Tressa a more useful and effective character, otherwise get rid of her.
More episodes with Ann Fisk
More episodes with Graham
More episodes with Tressa
If a bigger budget is available, try to have more episodes like "Night of the Dying" (technically, that is, not necessarily story-wise, i.e. the innovative camerawork (that's not to say the story was bad))
Will's love of the week (please! I thought only Arcane goes through that many women.)
Be kinder to poor Graham and stop hurting him.
Lyrics to the music
More thought narration
Having Arcane always trying to destroy the swamp is old, since Swampy won't kill him; so have General Sunderland bring a dangerous enemy in who Alec doesn't know how to deal with (* note: voter hasn't seen most of third season yet, so this isn't too applicable now.)
Get a good cast of guest/supporting actors so people care about the characters, which will increase viewing figures
More Science Fiction based episodes
A new cast, and Arcane always winning.
Would like to see a version closer to the comics (would seem very interesting if the whole story could be played out, especially if all of the original cast doesn't get involved.)
Arcane's lab should be brighter (how did he ever get work done in those conditions?)
Nothing
16. If revived, what characters WOULD you like to see removed or replaced, and why?
Easily the most popular answer (58% of the vote) was:
None of them (all the characters were important and getting rid of any at all would mess up the relationships/ Liked it as it was/ Wouldn't want any removed, but wouldn't be opposed if any new ones were added)
A long way behind (16%) and tied in second place were:
Tressa (her story had been told and her potential exhausted/ Only to get rid of her if she couldn't be beefed up and improved.)
Will (His story had been told and he'd nowhere left to go as a character/ He could be replaced but not really bothered either way.)
After that, in third place, suggestions were::
Sheriff Andrews (dislike him/ nothing against the character personally, but he resembles Graham too much)
Doctor Hollister (*although he DID actually leave (only in 8 episodes) and never in the first or third seasons.) (Not so much remove him as make sure he doesn't come back!!)
Graham (Don't like him/ he's dumb)
Not really bothered as long as Arcane, Graham and Alec are still in it and not removed (Arcane made the show; Graham had a great chemistry with him (so did Stella but it was a shame she died) and Alec was needed to get the best type of plots with him/ Liked the other characters but they were just extra padding.)
And finally:
Doesn't matter as long as Graham and Dr. Arcane are kept in the series (they're the only characters cared about)
All the good guys, and keep Graham and Arcane
Any of Will's single episode, throwaway, weekly girlfriends
Alec (because he's dumb)
17. If revived, what characters would you NOT like to see removed or replaced, and why?
Well out in the lead with a vast majority of the vote (95%) is Dr. Arcane (he's central to the Swampy Mythos/ there'd be no show without him/ gets good lines/ much loved by almost all the voters/ The show would be nothing without him/ with Graham: wouldn't want to see one without the other) (* a lot of surveys made comments that if a revival didn't have him, or if he were no longer portrayed by Mark Lindsay Chapman, it would lose many of the voters as viewers.)
Close on his trail (74%) is Graham (Provides excellent comic relief/ great chemistry with Arcane/ a 'must' carry-over character/ is a wonderful mad scientist's toady/ much loved character/ gets good lines/ would miss him if he wasn't in it/ with Arcane: wouldn't want to see one without the other)
Behind Graham is Alec (58%) (the show couldn't exist and would be nothing without him/ because Arcane needs a close, personal adversary and Alec is excellent in this role/ Best Arcane plots were with Alec/ Can't see him being removed anyway, since the show couldn't be called 'Swamp Thing' then <g>/ he is the hero)
Next most popular answer (32%) was that No Characters were wanted to be removed or replaced ( * quite a few voters mentioned this, but also went on to name specific characters that concerned them most.)
Next (26%) came:
Tressa
Lagging behind but still with a few votes was:
Will (A good sidekick for Swampy/ good interaction and chemistry when he's used for humour/ because of the father/son bond thing/ cute and witty)
Trailing further behind was:
Sheriff Andrews (he worked well in the series/ Fulfilled a useful role so why replace him with what would only be someone similar?/ The more characters kept, the more stability and continuity to the original series.)
Stella (Okay, so she's probably dead, but bring her back and keep her!)
And lastly...
Ann Fisk (a good character that should have been used more.)
General Sunderland (Greater enemy than Arcane)
18. If revived, is it important to you that the original cast are kept? (If so, please state which actors/actresses you'd like keeping the most)
95% of the voters said that it WAS important that either all or some of the original cast were kept (as opposed to 5% who weren't bothered, and one voter who stated that they actively wanted a new cast.) Many also stated that it was VERY important indeed (the existing cast was their main interest in the show.) A few said that they wanted original cast, but if it wasn't possible, then replacement characters should be used rather than re-casting. Characters were much too established to re-cast.)
For the 'Yes's, the following actors/actresses were mentioned specifically:
By a huge majority (89%), Mark Lindsay Chapman was wanted to play Arcane again (he needs to be kept the same/ anybody else portraying him would be wrong, wrong, wrong/ he was good at playing Arcane) plus lots of other reasons all mentioned before. (feelings seemed pretty strong to the point of many losing interest in the series if he wasn't part of it. Some voters suggested he'd have to lose some of his recent weight gain, although that wouldn't change the need to have him back.) (*personal note for those voters commenting on this: recent sightings have suggested that he has.)
Not too far behind Mr. Chapman was Kevin Quigley as Graham (with 68%) (again, recasting him would be wrong, wrong, wrong/ would still watch the series without him as long as Arcane/Mark Lindsay Chapman was in (wouldn't watch if he were gone), but Kevin Quigley would be sorely missed.)
Quite a bit further behind in third place was Carrell Myers as Tressa Kipp (with 21%)
Next ( with 5%) came Dick Durock as Alec/Swamp Thing, Scott Garrison as Will Kipp (he did a good job), Robin O' Dell as Stella (she was great/ If Stella were ever brought back, nobody else could play her!!), Heather Thomas as Tatania, Marc Macaulay as Sheriff Andrews, and All the cast.
Although the question concerned cast members wanting to be kept, it was only natural that there'd be votes for some who could be replaced. Here are the few suggestions that came in:
Most common suggestion was Dick Durock as Alec. This isn't as bad as it seems for poor Mr. Durock. Interestingly enough, ALL of the votes here suggesting replacing him were from viewers who had voted in the 'yes' section to keeping the rest of the original cast. All of these voters gave similar reasons here, and that was a concern that he might be too old for wearing the heavy prostheses and costume now; and it might be too much. However, it was felt that if he did still want the role and could do it, it WOULD be nice for him to return.
Not quite the same story for the other suggestion here, and that was Jesse Zeigler as Jim. It was thought that if his character were ever brought back, the only way it would be acceptable is if an older & better actor were used.
19. If revived, what particular events, themes or plots from the previous series would you like to see either continued or resolved?
Quite a few varied suggestions for this category. One did emerge most popular with quite a lot of votes (64%), and that was:
To deal more with the background and history of the characters, and give more information about them (More insight as to why Arcane is the way he is today/ More of what happened between Arcane and Alec in the earlier years/ More about Arcane's past & background/ What about Arcane's father, who is never mentioned?/ More about Graham. We don't really know anything about his background/ We should know more about all the characters but especially Arcane and Graham/ What exactly is hiding in Will's past?/ More about Abigail and her past/ Alec's accident and his 'death'/ more detail on the characters/ more delving into Arcane's personal life, and insight into what makes him tick)
A bit behind this, but also popular (41%) was to:
Continue and resolve the situation started in "Patient Zero" (Fix the Patient Zero thing for Arcane: That bugged me/ without killing Arcane. Didn't want it hanging over the character/ Spoiled an otherwise really good episode/ Should have been referred back to/ Why make him more needy of immortality? He was already totally obsessed even without Tatania around since I guess it might have been a substitute for that motivation/ Unnecessary plot if it was just going to be left at that one episode/ Hurting Arcane temporarily was fun & cool, but would really hate to see anything actually happen to the character)
Third most popular suggestion (36%) was:
Deal with what happened to Jim in more detail (a one off guest ep with Jesse Ziegler, or preferably another actor to play Jim, just to round it off and do it properly/ He's disliked, but a properly done finale was wanted for him/ We know he was rescued, but what effect did it all have on him??/ No mention of it. Zip zilch nada!!/ He -- character, not actor -- would be an older teenager or an adult by now, so it could be cool) A couple of suggestions thought that an adult Jim, bitter after what's happened, would be a good new sidekick for Swampy and an enemy to Arcane if Will wasn't in a revival (with the right actor, could be a lot better than Will; but definitely NOT played by Jesse Zeigler/ He could be angry, cynical or whatever/ More complex possibilities there than with Will: More meaty storylines)
Fourth most popular suggestions (27%) were:
Lots more episodes with the theme of Arcane being a victim, hurt, or coming in for retribution (he's good at grovelling & squirming, so let's see some more/ Favourite plots of all/ These were really cool, like 'Jury' and 'Lesser of two Evils' or 'Most Bitter Pill' or the end of 'Tatania')
More horror and/or supernatural plots (including: another Vodoun (Voodoo) one that was hopefully done a bit better this time/ Another plot with the Swamp Maiden (this time with Arcane in the episode)
Fifth most popular suggestions (26%) were:
The continuation of Alec and Ann Fisk's relationship/More Ann Fisk. (continuing, not resolving.)
Jason Woodrue was mentioned in the second season but never seen; so bring him into it as a recurring rival for Arcane (would be neat if portrayed by John Glover, but NOT reduced to the style of the awful 'Batman and Robin' movie. * This casting was mentioned by several voters, with one suggestion of Michael Harris if John Glover wasn't available.)
Resolve the Stella/ "Hide in the Night"situation. (Is stella dead? Was she revived? If it's the former, bring her back a.s.a.p!/ What about the consequences with Arcane and Graham? Come on, Graham. You aren't just going to take all that, are you?)
Sixth most popular suggestions (18%) were:
More hilarious parodies and/or really fun episodes like "Jury of his Fears" and "That's a Wrap"
Deal with what happened to Savannah Langford (what happened to Tressa's mom? How did she die? It sounded a bit odd, like she was killed rather than died naturally (with all that thing with the will and knowing she was going to die), but it was never mentioned again)
What was Tressa's actual reaction when she found out it was Arcane who kidnapped Jim? (none of that was ever dealt with & it was a big event)
More of Tressa and Arcane together (either for fun/comedy or for tension/enmity, but not for sappy romance like in 'Cross-Fired')
More sex
More of the possible Arcane/Graham sub-text
Could the writers please remember that Tressa was a trained research psychologist and not a housewife or bimbo!?
Lastly, other suggestions were:
More of Arcane's search for immortality
More of Arcane's continued search for magical/supernatural powers
Another General Sunderland episode
Could Tressa at least remember the events of 'Cross-Fired' at some point?
Arcane remembering that he is a bio-engineer/geneticist and a couple of mutant episodes (only if they're NOT done in a silly way or done badly)
Another Carter LaRoche episode
Another 'bodyswap' episode along the lines of "Walk a mile in my Shoots" (but obviously different otherwise there'd be no point)
Resolve or clarify some of the continuity errors (e.g. was Alec's mutation 7 or 10 years before the beginning of the series?)
More SF plots
What was that mist stuff that killed Abigail?
What happened to Oboe?
Abigail returns (although Kari Wuhrer probably wouldn't do it.)
Why is Graham so dumb?
Why aren't the characters gritty or emotionally dirty enough (they're too clean)
A remake of 'Mirador's Brain'
More flashbacks of Tatania (Heather Thomas)
20. If revived, are there any particular new or other plots/themes you'd like to see explored?
Fewer answers in this category, and no factor hugely prevalent as before. Very slightly in the lead (33%) was one suggestion, and this was:
Occasional crossovers with other series/books/movies; assuming no legal/copyright/trademark problems with that (two voters had a suggestion for a "Homicide" one, so Arcane can finally have trouble with the cops/ and especially if Arcane gets to mutate or kill Falzone/ Because it's interesting and brings in ratings/ Like crossovers, but only if there's a good reason and they're plausible, like with X-Files. Okay, we know it won't be done because X-Files is Fox TV, but that kind of thing because it makes sense with so many unsolved mysteries around Houma.)
Close behind this suggestion (25%) was:
Some outright horror plots
Plots involving H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos (assuming no copyright problems.) (The comics did use these themes: That's not to suggest the stories want to be more comic-like but just to say that it might be possible to have the Mythos in the TV series/ but what would a horde of rampaging cthonians & shoggoths in Houma do for the budget!? <bg>)
In third place, close behind this (20%) was:
To have Alec's humanity tested (have Arcane do something REALLY bad (okay, the other stuff he did was, but make it actually feel like it was this time), and push Alec to the limit and have Alec in a real dilemma this time about what to do with Arcane because of it: Kinda like if we'd seen the thing with Jim onscreen and Alec knew it was Arcane at the time, or if he'd killed Jim/ Sort of like only his humanity will stop him killing Arcane, but don't gloss over it like before.)
Other suggestions were:
To have a really major storyline that spans a few episodes in a row, where everything is threatened by a huge danger/enemy, and Alec, Arcane and everyone have to work together to save themselves and defeat whatever it is.
A story where Arcane wins for once
Some background and exploration of Graham's character (and let's see him showing a little more intelligence)
A good Swampy meets bad Swampy plot
A surprise daughter/son of Arcane's becoming Alec's student.
What has becoming a plant/part of the swamp done to Alec's humanity.
What is behind the power of the swamp, nature or supernatural forces?
Betrayal
Alec's humanity being pitted against his plant instincts.
Someone's suggestion in question 21 (* final episode question) that went: [Graham, for some reason, deciding to leave Houma and Dr. Arcane's employ after the good Doctor takes advantage of him one too many times. He returns though, just in time to save Arcane from death, himself getting critically hurt doing this. Only Alec can save him, but will he? And what price will Dr. Arcane have to pay?] (Like that suggestion very much, but as a general episode, rather than a final one.)
Bring John Constantine in and have some plots with him.
A new enemy other than Arcane (kill off Arcane, or let them think they did)
The death of Swamp Thing
Some plots from the comic book series
21. Would you want to see the story rounded off or not? & if you had the chance to choose the events for this hypothetical, absolute final episode; what would you have happen/not happen? (doesn't have to be a complete plot; just one or several things you might like/not like to see happen)
Most popular answer by far was that an absolute final episode (in terms of events) was NOT wanted (since that would be a downer ending to the series/ would spoil it/ there wouldn't be a good way to end it with finality/ It would be nice to answer some loose ends that had people wondering about things, but as to actual ultimate fates, best to leave it open ended as "That's a Wrap" did/ Wouldn't really want one if there were still any loose ends and questions/ Would prefer to know that the characters could just continue on/ Some final events could be okay as long as it didn't end the characters or the story in general/ Makes the series feel that it's still there if there's no final ending/ Some series do need final episodes -- Swamp Thing's not one of them!!/ Don't want a finale because it would probably go badly for Arcane.)
Nonetheless, some suggestions were made for things wanted/ not wanted; both by the voters wanting a final ending, and also by those who didn't but still proceeded to list some things that they didn't want to see in particular, or things that they would be okay with happening if it absolutely had to be done.
Among the suggestions that were made if there was a hypothetical final storyline were:
Most popular by a long way (57% of the vote, and twice the no. of votes as the next most popular answer) were comments on what WASN'T wanted, and that was to see Arcane killed, harmed, incarcerated etc. (as is the usual occupational hazard for villains in a final episode, so it would be too predictable/ DON'T KILL ARCANE!! DON'T KILL ARCANE!! DON'T KILL ARCANE!! (* personal note: I get the idea someone's trying to quietly get a point across here! <g>)/ Would be out of character for the series/ Downright depressing/ character made the series so he deserves better/ would seriously mar enjoyment of watching re-runs and tapes/ still upsetting even if its the last episode) (* personal note: I'll stop lurking for a few seconds to say that I'm with this one all the way!)
Second most popular answer (29%) was to make Alec human again (Make him permanently human/ Would be nice to see him finally get his wish to become a man again/ make him human, but in a way that would somehow not effectively get rid of his 'Swampy' persona/ Separate Alec and Swampy's beings, and let each live; maybe vanquishing Arcane in the process by sealing both Swampy and Arcane in some kind of eternal stasis (scientific or otherwise), leaving Alec to return to his humanity/ Don't mind if Alec becomes human since that would be good for the character but wouldn't be a conclusion to him. He could still continue on in the story as a human so I don't mind if that happens as longs as the story isn't more final than that.)
Third most popular answer was that there could be an 'ending' without actually making it final (sort of like 'All Good Things' did in Star Trek: TNG: A nice, fun and nostalgic farewell feel that didn't really conclude the story at all when looked at/ "That's a Wrap" did this: No more final than that, but this would be good/ Should be a fun ending too)
Behind that in fourth place were suggestions that Arcane achieves his immortality (that would render him more benign and probably not a danger (because he'd achieved his goal) but without actually redeeming him as a character, and it would be good to have in an ending without it actually concluding the character or story, or doing anything bad to him/ It would be cool to know he finally did get what he was struggling for/ Thinking about it, if Holland would have shared the formula in the first place, Arcane would have left him alone and the accident wouldn't have happened (okay, we know it had to happen 'cos there wouldn't have been a series otherwise, but...)/ Anton getting his immortality would be great, but don't put a stinger in to take away from the achievement or hurt Arcane in some way.)
Equally popular was a suggestion on what WASN'T wanted, and that was to see Arcane redeemed or softened too much; and his more dubious personality kept intact (doing this would effectively 'kill off' the personality of the character that voters had grown so fond of/ A soft and fluffy Arcane is a scary sight and doesn't bear thinking about!!!!/ It was cute for an episode or two, like in 'Cross-Fired', or little bits of 'Tatania', but any more than that and he stops being Arcane and it isn't fun anymore/ Doesn't matter that it's a final episode. We'd still know he was nice from that point on!! *shudder* Yuck!/ Too stereotyped: If you don't kill a bad guy you redeem him. It's old hat and wouldn't suit Arcane/ Leave him as he is!/ Better than killing him, I guess, but still wouldn't want to see either.))
Also in fourth place was a suggestion on what WASN'T wanted, and that was for Graham to be killed or hurt etc.
And again, tying in fourth place was another WASN'T wanted; and that was generally for the episode to be a downer, or depressing.
And some individual suggestions were:
One wanted Graham, for some reason, deciding to leave Houma and Dr. Arcane's employ after the good Doctor takes advantage of him one too many times. He returns though, just in time to save Arcane from death, himself getting critically hurt doing this. Only Alec can save him, but will he? And what price will Dr. Arcane have to pay?
One was for Arcane to 'change' and become more redeemed (similar to in 'cross-fired')
One wanted to see Alec losing for ONCE!
One suggestion DIDN'T want Alec becoming human (would be too stereotypical)....
..... or Alec being killed (again, it would be too stereotypical.)
One suggestion had a grand comic book style finale with Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the entire Justice League helping Swamp Thing against Arcane and Darkseid (*personal note: That one should prove interesting to the special effects budget!!)
One suggestion wanted Arcane to kill Swamp Thing and take over the world.
One suggestion was for a relatively okay/pleasant ending for all characters, and nobody killed.
One suggestion was for an Armageddon type of ending. Kill off Alec and Arcane, and have Will left to tell the final chapter of what happened; and make so that the show couldn't be brought back, like they did for M.A.N.T.I.S.)
And of course, let's not forget the suggestions that weren't meant to be taken entirely seriously! (I think...<g>)
One was for Arcane and Graham to be having wild passionate sex when Alec falls through the roof and squishes them!
Another went with the majority and didn't want a final ep, but if it had to happen, it could be something like this.... *takes deep breath* ...
... Jim comes back to town, toting a musty volume bound in suspicious looking leather that he picked up while mucking about in Africa after escaping from the work-camp. Tressa's cleaning his room and stumbles on the book, but before she can read it, Jim comes in and kills her. With her dying breath she calls to Alec for help. Alec comes running over and catches Jim in the middle of some blasphemous incantation. He smacks Jim upside the head, but Jim just cackles evilly and keeps chanting. Alec has no other choice but to snap Jim's neck, but by then it's too late. The ground starts to shake, causing the porch to collapse and impale Will on the neck of his guitar, and also causing the reactor at Arcane Industries to melt down. Sensing that death is imminent, Graham confesses his deep and enduring love for Arcane and gives him a big sloppy kiss, but just then, Great Cthulhu rises out of the bay and eats them both. Alec picks up the Necronomicon and starts looking for a spell to banish Cthulhu, but there isn't one, so Cthulhu eats him too, and rampages through Houma, crushing Sheriff Andrews as he cowers under his desk. Bruce Campbell then rides into town in his Oldsmobile, yells 'KLAATU BARADA NICTU', and sends Cthulhu packing, then drives off into the sunset with Ann Fisk!!!! As Cthulhu evaporates into another dimension, a not-yet-digested Arcane, Graham and Alec plunk to the ground, covered in unspeakable goo (tho' in Alec's case, it's kind of hard to tell the difference <eg>). A very concerned-sounding Graham asks Arcane if he's all right, to which Arcane snidely replies something like "I don't need any more mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, if that's what you're thinking!" and Alec just shakes his head and lumbers off, cursing his luck. Everybody else is still dead, though :)
(Oh my!!... I'm not sure if anyone could top that! :-))
And one ending that was genuinely wanted, but didn't think it would happen...
Holland brought Stella back to life, and she and Graham continued their relationship. They get engaged & Arcane becomes jealous & possessive. He starts an argument with Graham, who shows uncharacteristic backbone & quits. In a desperate bid to keep Graham, Arcane lies to him and tells him that he (Arcane) is infected with the Zero virus; & tells Graham that he needs his help & that he can't continue without Graham's support. Graham is torn. He loves Stella, but loves Arcane more. He only needs a little push either way. Arcane stages a collapse to get Graham to take care of him. They have to be put in isolation, where Arcane tells Graham of his 'true' feelings. He times it carefully, giving Graham a kiss, just when Stella is in a position to see. She breaks off the engagement and runs off. Graham's now back with Arcane, Stella is gone, and Arcane got what he wanted. (of course it would never happen, but I can dream, can't I?)
Thank you VERY much to everyone who sent in surveys. To anyone reading this who hasn't yet, please do. Your feedback is most wanted, even if it's just a few of the questions answered with little or no detail or elaboration; or if you have any comments and suggestions for the survey itself. Just do as much or as little as you want.
Quite a few of you who filled it in when you'd only seen a few episodes have since sent revised versions in (and the questions were also slightly different in the early version as well). Anyone wanting to either revise their opinion, or wanting to add or remove things are more than welcome to send new versions, or just the bits concerned. (you still only get the one vote, but you can change or modify it as much as you like. :-)) (but please be sure to let me know which survey is being modified. I have had quite a lot, and keeping track of individual ones isn't entirely easy)
Thanks again for your time and effort.
To the voter who made the comment on Linda Holland's grave, that was explained, but it may have been in an episode you didn't see. If you want details, or any other info on eps you haven't seen, just email me.
To the voter who wrote in with simply '12' and '15' for the 'liked episodes' comments; if you're reading this, could you confirm whether you intended that to be 'From Beyond the Grave' and 'Dark Side of the Mirror'? Many thanks.
And also, to the voter who put 'Swamp' in the favourite character section, were you referring to Swamp Thing, or the Swamp itself? (since you'd also put Alec in the same category already). I've taken it to mean The Swamp, but if I'm wrong, let me know and I'll correct it.