Roswell

From TeeVeePedia, the Internet TV Encyclopedia.

Roswell (1999-2002) was a teen sci-fi show on the WB and UPN networks that told the story of a small group of teenagers in New Mexico who were infested with a mutant alien virus causing various physical and mental deformities. The virus affected each teen differently: siblings Max and Isabel Evans developed enormous, intimidating chests (as the "alien king," Max also received elephant-like ears and the proclivity to inappropriately touch small children during the holidays); Michael Guerin was inflicted with increasingly horrifying hairstyles until a mullet overtook him and led to his untimely death in 2000; and Tess Harding slowly lost the ability to speak without sounding vaguely Australian.

The show's intriguing premise inspired a fervently loyal audience of 12 dedicated fans who fought tirelessly to keep the show on the air through two networks and three cancellations. They achieved this by pouring large vats of Tabasco sauce onto the heads of network executives, who were then unable to move or breathe long enough to issue cancellation orders. Eventually, the network execs triumphed by writing a storyline in which Max impregnates fellow alien Tess, angering fans of Max's long-term relationship with cyborg girlfriend Liz Parker, whose programming glitches rendered her incapable of properly pronouncing any word ending in 'g'. Once the Max/Liz relationship was over, the "Dreamers" (a support group for fans suffering from mental disorders) gave up their campaign and allowed the show to be cancelled in 2002.

The show ended with the aliens' secret identities being revealed, forcing them to leave Roswell . Max escaped with boytoy Kyle Valenti, causing ex-girlfriend Liz to cry until her body rusted over and was scrapped for parts. (This touching robot-human love story later inspired producer Ron Moore to create the hit SciFi Channel show Battlestar Galactica.) Isabel Evans left Roswell to pursue her dream of being a surgeon, changing her name to Izzie Stevens and accepting an internship at Seattle Grace Hospital. Tess Harding, having successfully faked her own death in 2001, retreated to a deserted island where she raised her child and amused herself by mindwarping a small group of locals into believing that they had recently survived a plane crash.

Roswell won seven Emmys, three Golden Globes, and a Peabody during its run.