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In the fall of 1999, Chris Carter's "Harsh Realm" debuted on the Fox Network to some of the lowest ratings ever for a premiere. Taking over the slot vacated by the cancelled "Millennium", it was an adaption of an obscure sci-fi comic book. The comic had dealt with "pocket universes", but Carter's show dumped its characters and used the concept of virtual reality to tell stories.Unfortunately, "The Matrix" had been released earlier in the year and this show probably looked like some kind of bad rip-off to the public. It played out like a cross between that landmark film and Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now". As you would guess, the mix just didn't work. It was pretty cheesy.In fact, during it's short three episode run, "Harsh Realm" dealt with the idea of fate and it had, believe it or not, a "savior" for those stuck inside the VR. Actress Samantha Morton had the misfortune of saying the line "You're The One!" near the end of the pilot episode. It was funny, something I don't think the show wanted to be. After "The Matrix", Carter's new show was too little, too late and was doomed from the start. Even if "The Matrix" hadn't come out, this show still probably wouldn't have succeeded. It was just plain bad. It needed to be a movie because the limited budget of TV was not enough to bring out the vision this concept really needed.Oh, well. We all make mistakes. Mr. Carter, I forgive you.
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