MovieChat Forums > Bugs (1995) Discussion > I Met Craig!

I Met Craig!

posted 17 years ago by robugs
26 replies | jump to latest

I have some unbelievable news, but first I'll just tell you about a little trip I took to Southampton to The Mayflower to see 'Irving Berlin's White Christmas' starring? You guessed it: Craig McLachlan. He was always my favourite character in the TV series and it was really good to see him live on stage singing, dancing and of course acting. The highlight though was when we decided to try and get an autograph and were told to wait outside by the stage door and we might, just might, get one.
Eventually the great man came out and he was really friendly, just like his on screen persona - he was a really good advert for himself. He was very happy to have photos taken with us and sign our stuff, as well as showing an interest in 'BUGS'.
Now here's the big deal: he asked us if we wanted to hear a secret about the series and we thought it would be some story about his time on the series, but he came out and said they might be making a new episode! Unbelievable I know, but he said he'd know more next month! Just check it's not April 1st. Okay? Don't get your hopes up as it may never happen, but just imagine if it did!!!
Bring Back 'BUGS'!

Rob

[–] LiamABC 17 years ago

You lucky devil!

A new episode, eh? Well, I'll not believe it until I see it, but if that did happen, it would be good - at least to just resolve the cliffhanger at the end of season 4! That would be nice! If nothing else, they should do that! There should be a policy that if they're going to end the series with a cliffhanger, they should make the episode to resolve it and store it, and if the series is picked up for another run, fine, if not, just air that episode on the end, because you're bound to know by that time!

[–] wixa-247 17 years ago

Wow. That would be amazing. I'd love a Christmas special. Wonder how they'd do it - a new stand alone story set ten years on where they just make reference to the cliffhanger ("Hey, remember when Ros and Beckett got kidnapped by Jean-Daniel at Alex's wedding? Soon sorted THAT one out.") or one set straight after? The actors aren't so old it would be impossible.

Fingers crossed.

[–] robugs 17 years ago

Yes, it throws up all sorts of questions doesn't it. There are all kinds of things they could do... When Craig told us, he definitely said 'a couple' so it could be a big two-part episode. Of course it may never happen, knowing TV land, or maybe they won't be able to get all the actors schedules to fit, but I really hope it does. He said he'd be hearing more next month, so that's almost here. Maybe they'd be filming in March or April, who knows, it could even be out in the summer!
What would be your ideal scenario for the episodes?

Rob

[–] wixa-247 17 years ago

Beckett waking up and realising season four was one big long bad dream!

Seriously...I don't know. The Bugs team coming out of retirement to save the world one more time? I'd really love an answer to that cliffhanger though.

It's probably easier to say the things I'd want to see in it than the scenario - Craig back as Ed for definite. I'd like to see Dent or Wence again but not sure if they could fit them in - Jean-Daniel too, obviously, as the best bad guy there ever was.

I'd also want them to resolve the Ros/Beckett storyline. Not necessarily as a slush-fest, I never wanted Bugs to turn into a soap opera, but they made a real mess of their relationship in series four. Jaye and Jesse worked really well together and considering they were the only original actors left they should have made the most of that. The characters barely had any interaction at all and Christa was a pain in the behind too. I don't think they handled Beckett's motivations for that well at all, especially towards the end of the series.

Don't want much, do I?!

What would you most like to see?

[–] LiamABC 17 years ago

Actually, it's recently occurred to me that given how many series keep resurfacing these days for one-off specials, Bugs could be next on the hit-list. As for how it would be done, who knows?

Perhaps we could have it that they're still trying to resolve that cliffhanger after all this time? I don't know.

Alternatively, they COULD say that the kidnapping part of the cliffhanger was a practical joke (although not the shooting part, so that would be a problem). I don't know.

One thing's for sure - if they are going to do anything new, then it would have to be even better than the original to get as much recognition . . . such is the pressure of greatness. John Cleese put it best when he described the pressures of writing the second series of Fawlty Towers - about how the three or four REALLY great moments, the absolute creme de la creme, was being taken by the fans as the standard to live up to. Hence, they had to pull out all the stops. And did very successfully, I might add! Series 2 is better than series 1 for me, overall.

[–] robugs 17 years ago

Yes, that's very true about how people expect more. That's perhaps another reason why S4 was unsuccessful. I have formulated an idea for how to set the episode eight years later, but still have the episode cliffhanger resolved there...

Rob

[–] wixa-247 17 years ago

Yeah, it's a tall order for whoever gets (thinking positively here) the job. I don't know if they ever could write an ending that would satisfy everyone and answer all the unanswered questions. I like to think I'd be so happy to see it back that I'd be satisfied with whatever they gave us, but I'd probably find a few things to moan about!! If they could imitate the tone of series three (by far my favourite series) it would be a good start.

I'd love to know what your idea is, Rob!

[–] LiamABC 17 years ago

"I'd be so happy to see it back that I'd be satisfied with whatever they gave us, but I'd probably find a few things to moan about!!"

I think I'd be the same!

Personally, I prefer series 2 to series 3, but certainly the scope of the series would make it necessary to stick with the style of the two later series. Unless Jan gets killed off early on, in which case they would be able to work a bit more independently, but that wouldn't be very constructive.

[–] robugs 17 years ago

Personally I like Season Two best, mainly because of the JD arc - while I enjoyed the Ros and Beckett unrequited love arc in S3 it wasn't as gripping or sinister if you know what I mean! I would admit that Season Three has the longest period of consistent quality in the whole series for it's last five episodes, all of which are brilliant!
My idea was that JD actually survived the explosion in Technopolis tower (as suggested by SSD in 'Fugitive'), but Cassandra did not. He was mentally scarred from that and Cyberax, but managed to escape. I'm not quite sure how Stefano comes into it, but perhaps it was he who found him. Anyway, JD, now has another reason to hate the 'BUGS' team, and secretly builds a new complex. By the end of S4 it is ready for his nefarious plan. He kidnaps Ros to recreate Cyberax, the remnant of which is buried deep in her brain. He will use her fondness for Beckett to coerce, and then they will both be plugged in to create a master brain in which Cyberax will grow. But it will take years...
In the present day Ros and Beckett are set free and 'found' by a new Bureau agent who has recently joined. What they don't know is that at any moment R and B will carry out JD's plan and Cyberax will control their actions putting Ed in danger!
I'm not sure about Adam's death, but perhaps he knew something about Stefano that he didn't want to get out, and the only way to be certain Adam wouldn't talk was if he was dead...
What do you think? Show me the flaws, I'm sure there are plenty!
Rob

[–] wixa-247 17 years ago

I really like it! Sort of an inverse Roland Blatty. I'd love to see Beckett and Ros wandering around like ticking time bombs, completely unaware JD is pulling their strings from beyond. And then they turn on Ed....would be amazing!!

Seems a bit mean to have Beckett and Ros locked up for eight years though! What if they got rescued quite quickly, Stefano got locked up, they never realised it was JD and they put it all behind them as just another day on the job....until we get to the present day where JD finally has all the pieces in his plan in place, ready to strike!

I think Adam/Stefano is the hardest part to fit in properly. Although come to think of it Stefano did look a bit like Jean Daniel and all his relatives that kept popping up in series two....sort of....if you squint... Maybe JD went to France to recuperate/mastermind a new evil plot with the one Marcel family member who wasn't in jail....who just happened to go to university with Adam and be called Stefano?!

'Personally I like Season Two best, mainly because of the JD arc - while I enjoyed the Ros and Beckett unrequited love arc in S3 it wasn't as gripping or sinister if you know what I mean!'

Totally! JD rules! Funny thing about series three though, when I first watched the show as a kid I hated all the slushy stuff, but ten years on I think it really adds something special. They got the mix of action and emotion just right and developed the characters really effectively. In series four they messed it up, and I don't mean just the Beckett/Ros stuff (was he supposed to still have feelings for her or was he actually meant to be in love with Christa The Walking Plot Device? Ros pining for him was made very clear but I couldn't work out the Beckett bit).

The original three just seemed to stop talking to each other and went off to sulk bad-temperedly in separate corners instead. They don't feel like so much of a team in series four, it's like they're just going through the motions and I hate that. Maybe it's the Steven Houghton factor but I have a hard time believing even Craig McLachlan could have made some of Ed's arc convincing *. I especially hate the part in Absent Friends where Beckett is refusing to believe Ros is dead and is looking for support from his colleagues to go off and find her. Ed just turns around, shrugs, and says "sorry mate". No WAY would Ed have done that.

* I wish he'd stuck around to try though....

[–] robugs 17 years ago

First on Season Four: you've got the flaws spot on. The whole thing with 'BUGS' was it's feelgood nature of three friends taking on outside threats, but in S4 there was way too much bad feeling between characters. You can see how they got to that state though - with S3 proving popular they decided to include more character stuff, and to be honest it's got some fascinating insights into Ros and Beckett's past, it's just the present that's the problem! I think they just took it too far into soap territory, where they should have continued playing the laughs. Think about it: how many times do you see main characters having a joke in S4?
I think that if Craig McLachlan had stayed he would have been more believable, even if he'd had the same lines to say. I remember him being sad, but a realist in some episodes, and he could have pulled off the 'Ros is dead, give it up Beckett' stuff, and seemed more sympathetic. You have to admit that it does give Beckett the chance to be a really tragic character and leads up well to his heart-rending cry at the episode's end. I'd like to think that Craig would have got them to change certain pieces of dialogue so Ed didn't seem so unhelpful too...
I too wasn't too keen on the romance of S3 when I was younger, but seeing it when you're older makes you appreciate the rounding out of the characters and gives depth to the situations they are in. But again, S4 took it too far providing two of the least likeable characters in the whole series! We always make the point about Craig leaving, but it's also important to note the departure of Stephen Gallagher, who wrote some of the best episodes in Seasons 1-3. If he'd stayed they would have had probably three episodes of a much higher quality. At the same time S4 wasn't commissioned until relatively late so they had less time to sort out the scripts. And the budget was lower...
I always thought Beckett was secretly still in love with Ros, but pride got in the way after she became so unfriendly. And then she regretted it. (We need a last episode to get them back together. End it with a wedding, only this time no one gets kidnapped, yeah?).
Thanks for the comments on my story idea. I suppose Stefano could be related to JD, he certainly had a large criminal family! Perhaps Adam knew of the connection and had to die? The reason I had R and B locked away for eight years was so that JD could take that long to do his nefarious experiments. It would also be quite interesting to see what would happen to the Bureau if their agents just turned up out of the blue. Alternatively you could have it that Ros and Beckett were found in a coma and are now kept under constant monitoring in the basement of Bureau 2. Only to awake... What do you think?

Rob

[–] wixa-247 17 years ago

'The reason I had R and B locked away for eight years was so that JD could take that long to do his nefarious experiments. It would also be quite interesting to see what would happen to the Bureau if their agents just turned up out of the blue. Alternatively you could have it that Ros and Beckett were found in a coma and are now kept under constant monitoring in the basement of Bureau 2. Only to awake...'

Creepy, I like that idea too! You're right, it would be interesting to see the reaction if Ros and Beckett just turned up out of the blue, they'd probably have given them up for dead long ago. But would they remember anything, or think they'd woken up the day after the wedding and not realise eight years had passed? Would they have developed Stockholm Syndrome and actually be working undercover and wanting to help JD? Not likely but you never know!

'We need a last episode to get them back together. End it with a wedding, only this time no one gets kidnapped, yeah?'

LOL, they never had a wedding that didn't go off without some kind of drama, did they? Shotgun Wedding, Happy Ever After (I think was the title?), The Enemy Within.... That would be a great way to end the show officially, are you listening BBC??!

'I think they just took it too far into soap territory, where they should have continued playing the laughs. Think about it: how many times do you see main characters having a joke in S4?'

You're so right, a complete lack of humour and it really hurts series four. I think the old Ed would have had a few choice things to say on the subject of Christa, for instance! I don't think he would have been moping around about Alex and Adam either. Craig probably would have made a better job of saying the same lines though, as he had the chemistry/backstory with the other actors that was badly needed for them to pull off what was a not too convincing avenue for his character to take. 'Ros is dead? No problem! Position of Bureau Chief's going begging? Great, I'll take it!'

I suppose they deserve some plaudits for trying to do something a bit different with the characters in series four - I never thought Alex would get married for instance! But it doesn't pay off, for me anyway. I don't know, maybe if they'd had Ros return and her or Beckett decide they couldn't be involved with each other at the same time as working together it would have been a more realistic way to split them up/create some soap opera tension - I mean look at Beckett's reaction in Absent Friends (which is a great emotional episode for his character, I totally agree) when he thinks she's dead!!

Beckett secretly still in love with Ros....yeah, that works for me, he really was a stubborn one. It just confuses me a bit. He's really quite cold towards her in Jewel Control when she suggests they go to Sorrel's party together, in Twin Geeks he completely denies it when Christa suggests Ros still has feelings for him and when she's on the operating table in the final episode he doesn't seem to be that bothered, when he was practically hysterical about her almost dying in the Cyberax arc in series two! I just thought it was a bit inconsistent and confusing. It's probably just me though!

[–] LiamABC 17 years ago

Interesting thoughts from both of you, I find myself agreeing with most of this. Although I must confess, my memories of season 4 are not as strong as yours, it's the series I've seen least - particularly the ending. I went through the DVDs once all the way when I got the box set, about a year and a half ago now. I've been through the first three episodes again since then, but that was still a while back . . .

[–] cow-facts 17 years ago

sorry to be so delayed in reading this! but wow! that wud be great if they do even one more episode! esp. if criag is coming back for it!

[–] robugs 17 years ago

Inconsistent and confusing - I'd say that sums up Season Four quite well. It's more of a 'fan's' season I think. We learn more about the characters, have more recurring characters and have more links to the past, than any other season. It's just a shame the quality of the stories and the level of excitement couldn't be maintained. Who knows, if S4 had been as rich as S3 perhaps a Season Five would have been a given. I've read in articles from the time that there was talk on set of another season. Even Houghton was asked in interviews if he'd consider staying on, and seemed to be quite positive about it! If S5 could have been made, well, it could still be going now - we'd be building up to Season Twelve at the moment!
Actually I'm doing a short feature on what could happen in an ideal world. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on what you'd have liked to see had the series lasted for years. It's for my mini magazine which I make, called 'Bureau 2'. So far I've done three issues (one on each of the main stars), and for my current issue I'm doing about Jan Harvey. If you've got any info on her, I'd love to know! If you want a copy of my most recent issue I'll be happy to send you PDF's (it's purely for fun, not profit, so there's no charge).

Rob

[–] wixa-247 17 years ago

Season Twelve - imagine! I wonder how many of the main cast would have stuck with the show if it had lasted that long. Shows these days (Spooks for instance) seem to have such a high turnover of cast, and Craig leaving turned out to be a fatal blow so it does make you wonder how they would have coped without Jaye or Jesse. On the other hand it would have been interesting to see what kind of new characters would have come in to replace them - preferably ones who were better thought out than Adam or Christa!!

I suppose the obvious route to go in terms of character development, for me, would have been Ed's background. I'd like to have seen Beckett's father again too (he could get together with Jan! They are married in real life...they could have started another love triangle between Jan, Matt Beckett and Sir Anthony Fairchild!). Alex, well obviously the grieving for Adam stuff and maybe a bit more emotional trauma that's consistent with the character. Wasn't she supposed to be the only survivor from the Bureau of Weapons? You'd think she'd have a few issues about that, but they don't really go into them apart from when she meets her Cyberaxed ex-colleagues in Renegades.

The 'will they won't they' storyline was getting old in series four so they really needed to have resolved the Ros/Beckett stuff one way or another early on in series five, and found a new arc to pursue. Personally I think they should have married them off and had done with it but then I suppose that leads to more soap-opera style storylines that we learned from S4 don't fit very well in the Bugs world. I can't see Ros pushing a pram around the Bureau for instance! Although I do think Beckett had a lot of father issues still to deal with that might have been interesting to explore in that context....maybe....

I think they needed to deal with the Bureau 2 thing as well. They got a bit too settled and entrenched in the government ethos in series four. Let's not forget Jan blackmailed Beckett into joining it in the first place! It would have been good to shake that up a bit. Dent as DOIC could have made an interesting story arc if they'd pursued it - maybe the team would have rebelled and gone freelance again, even if only for a few episodes, until they were lured back somehow.

Just a few thoughts - I'm sure I'll have more, look at the size of my posts, I clearly have far too much time to spend thinking about this stuff, LOL!

I'd love to see your magazine if it's not too much trouble. Can you get my e-mail address (the Yahoo one...I only signed up for it so I could join the Bugs group!) from the mailing list or do I need to PM you through here?

[–] robugs 17 years ago

Wow! Lots to reply to today... Starting with my mag, I'll try and get it to you next week.
The casting issue was one the makers of 'BUGS' were thinking about during the series. I remember in one of the articles they were talking about the future and saying how the main cast members might want to move on after two or three seasons, but that it was a franchise that could work with replacement characters coming in. They saw it as continuing for at least five years back then. I think it would have been healthy to introduce new characters and have old ones leave because the old favourites could still pop up from time to time to provide interesting stories, and new ideas could come from the new situations and reactions of new people.
How about a spin-off called 'Gadgets' starring Adam and Christa in their continuing struggle to be real people...
It would be really nice to see more about Ed's past, but at the same time keep the mystery of the character by not revealing too much. It would be really great to see Matt Beckett again - I think he was one of the best new characters of S4 - though I suspect that jolly old Sir Anthony might be a bit too old. I like the idea about Alex's links to the old Bureau. As you say, very little was ever mentioned about that, and it seems ripe ground for new stories. What if there was another Renegade that we don't know about, only this person rejected Cyberax and has some kind of mental immunity which they then exploit, creating an inverse villain who can use their strengths against the team?
Let's have Ros and Beckett marry. It would give greater peril to their acton scenes as Beckett would be even more attached to her (and she him). We don't need to have marriage angst, just make it a happy marriage (but don't forget Beckett's Dad's words...).
The Dent thing seemed sort of resolved at episodes end in S4, but I think that was definitely a way to shake the series up a bit like in S3. A boss they don't get on with is just what's needed, and it would give them the chance to prove themselves to him.
Some good ideas you've got there. Just make sure you get into televsision, then in a few years we can all get together and produce it!

Rob

[–] wixa-247 17 years ago

'Let's have Ros and Beckett marry. It would give greater peril to their acton scenes as Beckett would be even more attached to her (and she him). We don't need to have marriage angst, just make it a happy marriage (but don't forget Beckett's Dad's words...).'

'Two agents don't work', wasn't it? Good line, but it annoyed me a bit. Not only is this NEVER mentioned as a concern during series three when the Bureau are pursuing each other all over the place, but since when does Beckett take life lessons from the father who abandoned him the day after his mother's funeral and supposedly betrayed Queen and country??

'I like the idea about Alex's links to the old Bureau. As you say, very little was ever mentioned about that, and it seems ripe ground for new stories. What if there was another Renegade that we don't know about, only this person rejected Cyberax and has some kind of mental immunity which they then exploit, creating an inverse villain who can use their strengths against the team?'

Great idea, weren't there four Cyberax discs but only three renegades who woke up to collect them?? Seems to suggest there might have been another one out there....somewhere....

If the series had gone on, I think a crisis of confidence for Alex, coupled with the obvious grieving for Adam, would have been a good way of developing her character. I really liked her in series three when she was feeling her way towards being part of the team, learning from Ros etc. - then all of a sudden in series four she's Super Agent Alex (with new professional hairdo to signify it) and doesn't need any help at all! A confrontation with another Cyberax renegade would have been a perfect way to develop that. Maybe this person turns up to work for the Bureau/replaces Alex as Beckett's long-lost filing clerk(!) and she realises she recognises them....because they used to work for The Bureau of Weapons but for some reason their existence has been wiped from the records.... Dum dum dum.

I've never wanted to work in TV, I'm just a fan with lots of ideas and a nice little internet forum to broadcast them. Maybe for BUGS I'll change my career plans though and we can finally give the world an end to the show that isn't series four. Or a spin-off.... *evil JD laugh* :)

[–] LiamABC 17 years ago

"Great idea, weren't there four Cyberax discs but only three renegades who woke up to collect them?? Seems to suggest there might have been another one out there....somewhere...."

This actually made me ask the question, why did Samantha whatshername just suddenly flatline after transmitting the information to Roland? Wouldn't she have been more useful to Cyberax still active and in a position to help get the fourth disc!

[–] robugs 17 years ago

Hmmm, that thing about the Cyberax people just dying once they've transmitted their data. Maybe Cyberax just let go and exited their conciousness or something since they were no longer needed?

Rob

[–] nafcom 17 years ago

Hello, I have just receieved a reply from German TV channel Pro7 and they have told me that there is a 5th series that never ever has been aired anywhere!
So I bet that's what Greg's stament is based on.

I have also received a reply from Carnival Films stating that they don't plan to continue it. Of course they have not mentioned the fact that there is some 5th one they just never aired anywhere!

[–] wixa-247 17 years ago

Unaired 5th series?? No offence but that doesn't sound very likely, are you sure they're not mistaking it for some episodes they've never shown? Why would Carnival make a whole series of something and then not show it or put it on the DVD? They'd have to recoup the money from it somehow - even just by selling it abroad. I've done lots of trawling around the net looking for information on BUGS recently and I've never seen any mention of a 5th series anywhere. I'd love it if it were true but it just doesn't seem possible.

Carnival never reply to my emails. I've sent them three now. They hate me. :-(

[–] nafcom 17 years ago

Well, that's what Pro7 told me, and no I didn't misunderstand, that's exactly what they have said to me in an email.

They said, that they (Pro 7) aired all 4th series completely with all 10 episodes and that there exists a 5ths series nobody ever aired, however they do not have any access to it yet but it does exist.

They have even used exclamation marks after every sentence!

Of course another option is that Pro7 has lied to me, but why should they?...

I have forwarded the email along with rewriting its contence in a roundup in English to BBC UK and Carnival Films and I will keep you updated.

I am also waiting for a reply from RTL2 who also aired Bugs according to the provider of VOX.

I am sorry you have never received any replies. If you want I can forward the conversations by email to you if you leave your email address as I have kept all emails so I can prove what I state here.

My request to air the episode is now cycling around the TV channel.

[–] wixa-247 17 years ago

I'm not doubting you, I'm doubting them. Sorry if I sounded rude, I didn't mean to be. I'd love it to be true but I just don't believe it could be. I don't think they'd lie to you either but it sounds to me like they've got their wires crossed somewhere. I'm new to this fandom so maybe I don't know all the facts but I'm just highly sceptical.

I suppose even without the support of the BBC with European funding it might have been possible for Carnival to make a fifth series - I just don't believe it wouldn't have been aired somewhere before now.

Of course if it is true that answers the question of why Carnival never reply/deny that they're going to film a conclusion to that cliffhanger. They're probably thinking 'idiots, we've already done it!'

I suppose we'll have to wait and see whether your emails and request to Pro7 have any effect. Perhaps you could give us the email address to Pro7 so we could all email them too and back you up??

[–] nafcom 17 years ago

No worries, I perfectly understood you!
I am not sure making their email address public is a good idea, I do not want that they get mad at me for tons of emails. I am already happy that they had replied to me.

Those who know German or are smart, should have no problem to find the email contact form on the Pro7 homepage :)

Or you pm me and I send the link/email address to you but I won't publish it in public.

[–] robugs 17 years ago

Hate to break up a good myth, but there is no Fifth Season. Like you I would love it to be true, but I have definite knowledge that the series ended in 1999 with Ros and Beckett kidnapped. I have contacted Jan Harvey in recent months and I asked her about a proposed Season Five. She said they were all really sad it didn't happen, and if it had she would have stayed on for it. Most of the cast went on to do other things post 'BUGS' so there would have to be a massive conspiracy to cover up an 'extra' season. I suspect it is either a practical joke (it's a well known joke in the industry that 'BUGS' fans want more episodes - in fact the BBC once did an April Fool on their website which is still there as far as I'm aware), so it could be someone just leading you on. The other thing is that some Season Five scripts were created since the production team didn't know if they would be making an S5 or not, so perhaps that is where the idea came from. Not to mention that Carnival were supposed to be making a couple of episodes this year...
Sorry!

Rob