"Barbie Roswell Theater" all started in February 2000. During the previous few months I had been communicating with other obsessed fans like myself on the Roswell message board on the Fan Forum website. (Click here to visit the Roswell(1) message board.) A group of us who were fans of the characters Max and Liz started calling ourselves the "Dreamgirls" which later became "Dreamers" (to include everyone, not just girls). It felt so nice to have a place to go where you knew you could always find someone (day or night) who felt the same way you did about Max and Liz.
Most of the people I became close friends with started posting on the board soon after Max and Liz's first kiss in the "Heatwave" episode. We spent a great deal of time scrutinizing every minute detail of each episode while we wore out our video tapes running them on slo-mo. We drooled over Jason Behr and each new photo of him that was posted. We sighed over the romantic possibilities for our "dreamy" couple and prayed the powers that be would always keep them together.
In late December 1999 we were particularly distressed when Max and Liz broke up so soon after they had become a couple. We started threads called "Counting the Days until Max and Liz's Dreamy Reunion" so we could console ourselves until they got back together. We numbered the threads and when they filled up, would quickly start another under a new number. Boy, did those numbers get high quickly! When Max and Liz did eventually get back together, the thread name was changed to "Cherishing Max and Liz's Dreamy Reunion". Although I haven't been there in a very long time, the "Cherishing" threads still continue on the message board to this day.
Creative expression thrived on the Roswell board. There were websites, fan fiction, drawings, wallpapers, and poems celebrating the "love" of Max and Liz. Everyone was always very supportive and encouraging of these efforts. A great example of this creativity is my friend Pam's website, called the "DDD (Roswell's Definitive Dreamer Dictonary)" (Click here to visit TheDDD.net)
One day I remember we were all on the Roswell message board "obsessing" over Max. Screencaps were being posted of Max and labeled "Jean Jacket Max", "Leather Jacket Max", "Khaki Pants Max"....it went on and on. At one point my friend Julie commented that it sounded like we were describing a "Max Doll". At that moment "bing" the lightbulb went off in my head. Hmmmm....maybe Max could be a doll. Maybe I could turn a "Ken" doll into a "Max" doll!
I rushed to the toy store and found a Ken that most closely resembled Max. Of course I couldn't have a Max without a Liz, so I also purchased a Barbie to go along with him. After giving Ken a quick haircut and changing the color or Barbie's eyes, I soon had my own "Max and Liz" dolls.
Just by coincidence, during the same time this was all going on I had recently purchased a digital camera. As I mentioned earlier, creative expression was encouraged on the message board. I took a few photos of my doll creations, posted them on the board and things just took off from there.
I really can't remember where the name "Barbie Roswell Theater" came from. People just started calling it that. Much later on I found out that Rosie O'Donnell did a segment on her television show called "Rosie's Barbie Theater" where she had animated cartoons of her life using her Rosie O'Donnell Barbie doll that was being sold in stores at that time. I honestly had no idea this segment existed because I did not watch her show. In looking back, the similarity to Rosie's show is what probably gave my show its name. Anyway, I do apologize for unintentionally stealing Rosie's idea, but I did give her a part in the "Desert Rendezvous" episode, so it all worked out in the end. LOL!
At first I just posted pictures of the dolls without any real detailed stories. The first real story episode came with "The Trouble with T***". The episode was born out of the frustration we were feeling when we found out the charecter "Tess" was coming to the show as a romantic rival to Liz. My story kind of helped everyone deal with bad news in a funny way.
As BRT became more popular, I started to exceed the bandwidth allowed for my personal webspace. Luckilly, folks who managed the Crashdown.com website that was affiliated with Fan Forum came to my rescue. (Click here to visit Crashdown.com) They posted my photos on their server, which allowed me to continue without having the worry about spending money on my own space. I don't think that BRT would have survived if they hadn't come forward with this offer. I'll always be grateful to them for their help.
I seriously did not think I had enough ideas to carry many more episodes. However, as the television show kept going, more and more ideas kept popping into my head. At one point I was churning out an episode a week! When I read through the old BRT episodes today, I honestly can't even remember writing some of them! Sometimes I wonder if I had a little "muse" that gave me the ideas. Most of the story ideas would come to me while I was taking a shower, so maybe that's when my "muse" liked to visit me. LOL!!!
The early BRT episodes focused on Max and Liz, but I soon received a ton of pressure to add the other characters from the show. It gave me an understanding of what people who make "real" TV shows must go through. I really didn't mind the other characters because it opened up the possiblity for more stories. However, even though I added others, I still made sure never to stray too far from Max and Liz.
One of the characters I did add to BRT was "Sheriff Valenti" who was played by actor William Sadler on the television series. The "At Home with Sheriff V" episode was based on an old set of photos that were posted on the message board by his fans known as the "Valentines". The photos were of Bill performing tai chi exercises while naked! (All tastefully done of course.) Well, Bill was a frequent poster on the message board under the name "Mr. V". After I posted my BRT episode with the Sheriff, he kindly responded back with some very nice and encouraging comments. I'll never forget how sweet he was to do that. Here was a talented actor who spent years perfecting his craft on the stage and screen and truly appreciated every fan he had. I really admire him for the time he spent with his fans. I hope we continue to see this fine actor in bigger and better things in the future.
Speaking of fans, I was surprised to find out that BRT had developed its own fan base. I was so touched, surprised, and overwhelmed by the outpouring of positive comments that my postings received. I managed to make print outs of a few responses, but I wish now that I had saved more of them. I was always afraid that I would offend someone with my sort of sarcastic digs at the show and some of its characters. However, I never remember receiving a bad comment (I'm sure there were some, but none were ever personally told to me). I found this very interesting considering opposing opinions were always very vocal on the message boards. My goal was always to give people what they wanted to see, especially when the television show was giving them very little to hope for. I'd like to think I suceeded in giving fans a little something to brighten their day and put a smile on their face. Sometimes I felt that I could actually hear their laughter. It was that kind of support that drove me forward to create more episodes.
BRT became more and more detailed and technically advanced as time went on. I eventually strung photos together to create GIF animations and I also included links to MIDI songs. I think the high point came with the "Oh What a Prom!" episode. In the words of the famous website, you could say that episode was my "Jump the Shark" moment. LOL! Seriously though, I've been told by others that their favorite episodes were "The Trouble the T***" (because of "butt kicking Liz"), "Easter Destiny", and "Oh What a Prom!". My personal favorites are the two "Behind the Scenes" episodes because the general theme can be universally applied to many television shows. I am particularly fond of "The Summer Pickup" because I put myself in the show as Max's personal kissing coach! LOL! I got that idea from some comments made on the message board during the airing of the "White Room" episode of Roswell. That episode featured a shirtless JB with a very hairless chest. A few of us volunteered to be JB's personal chest shaver! So, I took the opportunity to get personal the only way I could. LOL!
As the television series continued, things got a little tense. Max and Liz fans became unhappy about how the relationship of the characters was progressing. Also, things on the message board got a bit heated. There were a few nasty fights between the "Dreamers" and some people who couldn't stand Max and Liz. It actually reached a point that many of us were brought to tears. At that time, a few of us that were close would separately correspond through e-mail rather than the message board. We even made up cute little nicknames for ourselves. I was known as "Skipper" (as in Barbie's younger sister). To this day, if someone yelled out "Skipper" from across a crowded room, I would probably answer. LOL! It was phenomonal that a group of women from all across the country and from all different backgrounds and ages were able to form such a bond from this one television show. I still marvel at this. Such is the power of the internet!
Around the spring of 2000 we found out about a fan party that was to be held in August in California. The Crashdown website was sponsoring it. Most of my friends decided to go. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend.
Because I wanted to be there in some way, I donated a duplicate set of BRT dolls to the auction that was to be held at the party. I also sent some BRT photos to be used as decorations. My friends later said that it seemed like I was there in a way because BRT was there. I could kick myself now for not going because my friends did get to personally meet almost all the actors on the show.
Here is a photo of "Roswell" producer Kevin Kelly Brown auctioning the "Barbie Roswell Theater" dolls at the Crashdown Party. (photo taken by my friend Gina)
Here is a photo of "Barbie Roswell Theater" poster that was displayed at the Crashdown Party. (photo taken by my friend Gina)
Well, BRT continued into the second season of the Roswell television series. However, I think the episodes became a little bit more sarcastic because we were so disappointed that Max and Liz weren't together. Many of us participated in letter writing campaigns to the show in an attempt to change the minds of the powers that be and make them focus more on Max and Liz. At one point we even participated in a campaign to send them strawberry applesauce (for Jason "Behr" and Shiri "Appleby")with little custom labels on them. Unfortunately, some of them exploded enroute only to leave a goopy mess for them to open. They eventually spread the word for us to not send them anymore applesauce. Although it was all sort of embarressing, it was funny to picture them sorting through a goopy mess of applesauce, synonymous with the goopy mess they had made of the Max and Liz relationship on the screen. LOL!
Eventually the sad events on the show took a toll on myself and my close friends. Max getting Tess pregnant struck a serious blow from which I don't think we ever recovered. When we first heard about it we were in serious denial. Then as time went on, it felt like we were experiencing our own personal breakup with Max and Liz. Seriously, it felt like I was going through a divorce with the show. I swore up and down that never again would I get so attached to characters on a silly little TV show. I don't know what it was about Roswell, but it had an uncanny ability to get into your head and really mess with your mind. Kind of crazy I know, but I know it wasn't just me that was affected.
It took me a LONG time to get over Max and Liz. For awhile I thought they ruined any opportunity for me to appreciate other romantic characters. I was always comparing others to them, and no one seemed to measure up. Before I started watching Roswell I was a die hard reader of romance novels. I often read several books a week, sometimes a couple a day. For years I read the "Romantic Times" magazine to pick out my book selections for the month. Max and Liz left me with a boat load of unread books and owners of book stores I frequented thinking I had died! Sadly in a way, part of me had....
Many of my friends continued to watch Roswell thoughout the third season. I just couldn't handle it. Over time, we started to communicate less and less. I created my final BRT in January 2002 which was posted exclusively on Pam's DDD website rather than the Roswell board.
Unfortunately, the Roswell TV series was cancelled in the spring of 2002. By then my Roswell friends and I had all pretty much drifted apart. I still communicate quite often with my friend Julie. She visited me at my home in Boston in the spring of 2001. She is just the sweetest person and I really value her friendship. Below is photo of Julie and me. Julie is on the left holding Max and I am on the right holding Liz.
Well, time marches on, and BRT is now part of history. Although being a fan of Roswell was truly a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, I really can't regret it. It gave me an opportunity to express myself in a unique way, and share many great times with some wonderful people. I'll treasure those memories forever.